PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Rico Lee (ranked 4359 p4p, 3058 weight class) and Cullen Castrello (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighter's entrance songs getting the crowd jumping here.

Lee
vs
Castrello

155 cm
24
177
0 - 0 - 0

188 cm
25
180
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Rico Lee!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Cullen Castrello!
The judges for this bout are Anthony Taglia, Bruno Lombardi and Eddie Farnsworth.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nice jab there from Castrello.

Lee shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Castrello manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Castrello is trying to control the position but Lee postures up.
Lee is pushing down on Castrello's leg trying to pass to half guard. Castrello is fighting to maintain full guard but Lee has managed to sneak the leg through.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Lee in particular looking to stall.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Castrello can do anything to dispel that myth.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lee's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Lee is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Castrello is just riding it out for now. Lee eventually gives up the hold.
Castrello trying to control here.
Lee not doing much here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

Lee is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Castrello defends it well.
Lee stalling.
Castrello trying to control from the bottom.
Lee throwing shots but Castrello is blocking nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lee stops Castrello from getting back to his feet.
Lee keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Castrello trying to hold on to Lee's head to control him but Lee postures up.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Lee closes the distance and clinches up with Castrello, looking for a takedown. Lee pushes Castrello against the cage but Castrello circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Lee fails with a takedown attempt.
Lee shoots for a takedown but Castrello saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rico Lee. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Lee tries a head kick but it misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nice shot lands for Castrello.
Castrello's coach down at Cozad MMA New York was telling us pre-fight that they have been working on Castrello's balance. Obviously they view that as a key factor in the outcome of this fight.
Decent striking displayed by Castrello there.
Lee throws a body kick, spinning off balance
and Castrello counters with a slapping leg kick.
Lee misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Castrello throws a good cross that connects.
Lee tries to move into range but Castrello moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Lee needs to keep his hands up - Castrello had a free shot at his head there.
Lee fails with an attempt to clinch.
Castrello follows through with a counter body kick but it doesn't land.

Castrello closes the distance and clinches.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Castrello.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Cullen Castrello will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Castrello connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Lee's hands.
Castrello thuds a left hand into Lee's body.
Rico Lee seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Lee doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Castrello counters with a nice uppercut.
Castrello scores with a nice head shot.
Lee gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Castrello counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Lee takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lee fails to land the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rico Lee. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A jab from Castrello does it's job there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Castrello keeps the fight on the outside.
Lee tries to land a body kick
and Castrello counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Lee gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Castrello.
Lee misses with a takedown attempt - Castrello sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Lee misses with a takedown attempt
and Castrello counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Lee looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Castrello looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Nice jab there from Castrello.
Lee takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Castrello jabs Lee to the body, keeping him at a distance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lee takes a jab right on the kisser.
Castrello punishes Lee's body with a nice straight punch.
Lee takes one to the side of the head.
Rico Lee is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Castrello swats away the attempt to clinch by Lee.
Castrello is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Castrello throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Lee is defended easily by Castrello.
Lee tries for a takedown but Castrello circles away easily
and Castrello counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Castrello lands with an overhand left.
Castrello checks a leg kick.
A combination from Lee does no damage.
Castrello has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Lee takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Lee takes a jab right on the kisser.
Castrello scores with a punch to the head.
The fight stays on the outside here - Lee looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Lee has his takedown stuffed
and Castrello cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Castrello with a hook.
Lee tries for a takedown but Castrello circles away easily

and Castrello counters by moving into the clinch.
Lee tries to pull guard but Castrello forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Castrello stalls.
Castrello has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Castrello lands with a light punch inside.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Castrello creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Lee looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Castrello controlling the action here for a moment.
A hook to the body from Castrello.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Cullen Castrello showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Jab by Castrello.
Lee shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Castrello counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Lee tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Castrello defends well and Lee ends up having to push Castrello into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Castrello doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Castrello is pushing Lee up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Lee is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Castrello to keep the fight standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rico Lee. That's going to take a lot out of him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lee is trying to pull guard but Castrello turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Castrello lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Castrello lands a hook that snaps the head of Lee backwards.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Castrello pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Lee misses with a takedown attempt
and Castrello counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Castrello scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Lee walks into a jab.
Lee delivers a nice body kick.
Lee tries to clinch
and Castrello counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Lee looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Lee walks into a stiff left hand from Castrello.
Cullen Castrello is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Lee shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Castrello sprawls well. Castrello wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Lee gets slowly back to his feet.
Cullen Castrello is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lee gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Castrello.
A left lands for Castrello.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Lee gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.

Castrello gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Lee to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Castrello not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Castrello is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lee with a flurry of punches that miss.
Lee postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Castrello looking to hit a scissor sweep but Lee is one step ahead there.
Lee prevents Castrello from getting back to his feet.
Lee slips nicely into half guard.
Lee prevents Castrello from improving his position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Lee works his foot free and advances to mount.
Lee working Castrello over with strikes here.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Lee stands up from the dominant position. He obviously fancies his chances standing.
Rico Lee has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Castrello scores with the left hand. Lee knows he should have avoided that one.

And that's the end of the fight!
Cullen Castrello comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Castrello winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Anthony Taglia scores the fight 26:30
Judge Bruno Lombardi scores the fight 26:30
Judge Eddie Farnsworth scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Cullen Castrello!
Cullen Castrello thanked the fans post fight for their support.