PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Frankie Venegas (ranked 1417 p4p, 957 weight class) and Israel Adesanya (ranked 208 p4p, 116 weight class). Adesanya is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Israel Adesanya Entrance Music. This should be fireworks!

Venegas
vs
Adesanya

150 cm
29
145
17 - 10 - 0

193 cm
24
184
11 - 3 - 1

Good wrestling
Brawler
Very strong

Good wrestler
Dangerous knees
Good gas tank

Furnace Performance Products
Shadow Realm Apparel

IC&E Nutrition (& 10% Laundry)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 17 - 10 - 0, fighting out of London, Frankie Venegas !
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 3 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Israel Adesanya!
The judges for this bout are Tiny Johnson, Wesley Smith and Alan Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Adesanya scores with a jab.
Venegas moves in looking to clinch but Adesanya pushes him off.
Venegas misses with a takedown attempt - Adesanya sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Adesanya catches Venegas with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!

Venegas closes the distance and clinches.

Adesanya's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Venegas throws a leg kick
and Adesanya counters with a nice body kick.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Venegas .
Adesanya appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.

Venegas clinches with his opponent.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Venegas wants a takedown but no success here.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Frankie Venegas . That's going to take a lot out of him.
Adesanya has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Adesanya prevents the takedown attempt.
Adesanya wants to break the clinch but can't.
Adesanya wants to break free but Venegas has control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Venegas is working for takedown but Adesanya is calmly controlling the position for now.

Adesanya breaks from the clinch.
Left hook, right uppercut from Adesanya.
Venegas looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Frankie Venegas seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Venegas tries to close the distance and clinch but Adesanya swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Adesanya is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Venegas with a body shot.
Adesanya takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Adesanya with the inside leg kick.
Venegas rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Adesanya counters with a left and a right that stings Venegas .
Adesanya circles away from the clinch attempt
and Adesanya counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Venegas shoots in and drives through. Adesanya sprawls well.
Adesanya is clearly looking to counter with head kicks.
Venegas wants to clinch.
Venegas misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Adesanya cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Adesanya lands with an uppercut that bounces Venegas off the cage and back into range.
Adesanya lands with a shot to the body.

Venegas drives through with a takedown into guard.
Venegas pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Adesanya is keeping the position for now.
Venegas working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

Venegas is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Venegas trying to control the position from guard on top but Adesanya is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Venegas trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Adesanya 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.
Venegas trying to control but Adesanya is working from the bottom.
Venegas has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Venegas is really struggling to control Adesanya but he's trying to hold on to the position.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Venegas throws a right hand that Adesanya ducks under and follows up with a left that Adesanya also avoids with ease.
Adesanya is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Adesanya swinging wildly here.
Adesanya shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Venegas eats them both and turns towards Adesanya to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Adesanya throws a series of punches but Venegas moves out of range.
Venegas with a lazy takedown attempt
letting Adesanya counter with a right hand.

Venegas clinches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Venegas looks to throw an elbow but misses.

Adesanya breaks the clinch.
Adesanya keeps the fight on the outside.
Adesanya swats away the attempt to clinch by Venegas .
Adesanya connects with an inside leg kick.
Venegas is looking to clinch but Adesanya is avoiding it.
Venegas misses with a takedown
and Adesanya cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Venegas throws a sloppy head kick and Adesanya moves out of range easily.
Venegas closes the distance looking to clinch
and Adesanya counters with a straight right hand.
Adesanya circles away from the clinch attempt
and Adesanya counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

Venegas is rocked!
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Israel Adesanya dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Venegas rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Adesanya counters with a big right hand! Oh Venegas is in trouble here! Adesanya follows up with more strikes and that's it! The ref has stopped it!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:05 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Israel Adesanya!
Israel Adesanya took to the mic after the fight and begged the organizational hierarchy for a shot at the title.