PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Zack Rize (ranked 958 p4p, 1106 weight class) and Mandlenkosi Thulani (ranked 32 p4p, 69 weight class). Rize kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Luke Combs - When It Rains It Pours. Thulani has chosen Zara - Sojaboy as his entrance music. Well, I have no idea who's going to take this one!

Rize
vs
Thulani

197 cm
31
260
25 - 15 - 0

206 cm
33
282
19 - 17 - 0

Great wrestler
World class boxer
KO power

Olympic wrestler
World class MT
Powerful

KOMBAT KLOTHING
Silverguard Outfitters 🛡

Knockaround Guys Fight Gear
Conviction

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 25 - 15 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Zack Rize!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 19 - 17 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Mandlenkosi Thulani!
The judges for this bout are Frank Antenori, Don Winkell and Percy O'Donnell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Thulani lands with a good body shot.
Thulani tests Rize's chin there with a solid looking shot.

Rize has Thulani up against the cage in a clinch.
Thulani blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

Thulani breaks the clinch.

Rize moves into the clinch.
Rize scores with a shot to the side of Thulani's head.
Rize swings wildly with an uppercut but Thulani uses good head movement to avoid it.
Thulani blocks an uppercut.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Thulani.
Rize lands a nice uppercut.

Thulani escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Thulani lands with a hook. Rize tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Rize slips under a jab.
Rize is looking to counter punch.
Rize tries to close the distance and clinch up but Thulani swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Rize tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Thulani paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Rize has Thulani up against the cage in a clinch.
Rize tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Thulani.
Rize misses with a short punch on the inside.
Rize throws a punch but it's blocked by Thulani.

Thulani breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Thulani is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Rize.
We've been informed that Thulani has been sparring a lot of Muay Thai in the buildup to this fight so let's see if that has an impact on the result.
Rize looks to clinch
enabling Thulani to counter with a crisp jab.
Rize tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Thulani throws a body shot but no joy.

Rize gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Thulani lands a right hand.

Thulani escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Thulani gets tackled into the cage by Rize. Rize maintains the clinch.
Thulani blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Rize lands with a right to the head.

Thulani breaks from the clinch.

Rize rushes Thulani and presses him up against the cage.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Thulani blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Thulani blocks a punch to the side of the head.

Thulani breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Rize wants to clinch
and Thulani counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rize tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Thulani paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Thulani just misses with a punch to the body.
Rize tries to clinch up but Thulani circles away and keeps his distance.
Rize tries to clinch up.
Rize tries to close the distance and clinch up but Thulani swats him away and circles back towards the center.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Thulani! But no joy.
Rize slips under a jab from Thulani.
Rize wants to clinch.
Rize tries to close the distance and clinch up but Thulani swats him away and circles back towards the center.
The fight stays on the outside here - Rize looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Rize tries to clinch but Thulani is having none of it.
Thulani throws out a counter right but Rize avoids it with no problem.
Rize fails in his attempt to clinch.
Rize bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Rize fails with an attempt to clinch.
Thulani avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thulani just misses with a punch to the body.
Thulani keeps the fight on the outside.
Thulani lands with a hook. Rize tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Thulani misses the jab.
Zack Rize seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
The fight stays on the outside here - Rize looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Rize clinches up with Thulani and pushes him back against the cage.
Rize misses with a short punch on the inside.
Rize pushes Thulani back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Rize swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Rize lands with a short shot to the head.
Rize throws a head punch that misses.

Thulani manages to break the clinch.
Rize tries to clinch there but Thulani circles away.
Thulani keeps the fight on the outside.
Rize tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Thulani counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rize tries to clinch but Thulani is having none of it.

Rize has Thulani up against the cage in a clinch.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Thulani breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Rize doesn't manage to clinch there - Thulani circles away.
Rize tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Thulani paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Rize tries to clinch there but Thulani circles away.
Rize shoots in looking for a takedown. Thulani tries to sprawl out of it but Rize keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Thulani manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Thulani connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.

Rize closes the distance and clinches.
Thulani scores with a hook to the body.
Rize is breathing heavily.

Thulani breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Rize tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Mandlenkosi Thulani dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Thulani thuds his right hand into Rize's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Thulani lands with a straight right. Rize didn't see that one coming.
Rize doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Thulani keeps the fight on the outside.
Rize is looking to clinch but Thulani is avoiding it.
Thulani swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Rize takes one on the button.
Thulani keeps the fight on the outside.
Rize tries to clinch up but Thulani circles away and keeps his distance.
A countering left hand to the body from Thulani misses.
Rize tries to close the distance and clinch but Thulani swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Rize ducks under a wild hook from Thulani.
Thulani throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
A little feinted left hand from Rize on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Thulani cracks a nice hook into Rize's ribs.
Rize doesn't manage to clinch there - Thulani circles away.
Rize fails in his attempt to clinch.
Rize moves in looking to clinch but Thulani pushes him off.
Thulani keeps the fight on the outside.
Thulani misses with a wild body shot.
Rize swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Thulani throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Rize stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Thulani has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rize moves to clinch but Thulani breaks away

and Thulani counters with a crisp one two that drops Rize! Thulani thinks about following him to the mat for a moment but instead steps back and waves Rize to his feet! Rize is in big trouble!

Rize is rocked!
Rize tries to clinch but Thulani moves out of range.
Oh Rize is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Rize is looking to clinch but Thulani is avoiding it.
Thulani avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Rize tries to clinch but Thulani is having none of it.
Rize seems to have got his legs back now.
Rize tries to clinch up but Thulani circles away and keeps his distance.
Rize tries to clinch up but Thulani circles away and keeps his distance.
Rize moves in looking to clinch but Thulani pushes him off.
Rize tries to clinch but Thulani is having none of it.
Thulani swats away the attempt to clinch by Rize.

Thulani lands a big right hand that sends Rize crashing to the mat! Thulani stays standing though and waves Rize back to his feet!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Rize wants to clinch.
Thulani misses with a wild combination.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rize tries to clinch there but Thulani circles away.
Rize keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

Rize moves into range and clinches up with Thulani.

Thulani breaks from the clinch.
Rize is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Thulani avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Rize closes the distance but Thulani moves to the side
and Thulani counters with a left to the body.
The fight stays on the outside here - Rize looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Thulani now looks to counter with a shot at the body.
Rize wants to clinch
and Thulani counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Thulani drops Rize with a huge uppercut! Rize drops to the floor like a sack of potatoes. Thulani is raining down punches and the ref stops the fight! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:53 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Mandlenkosi Thulani!
Our winner, Mandlenkosi Thulani, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.