PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Gaetano Villacci (ranked 2463 p4p, 2681 weight class) and Ben Barnes (ranked 314 p4p, 336 weight class). Barnes has a niggling injury. He would have liked to come in 100% fit but that's not always possible. Both fighter's entrance songs getting the crowd jumping here.

Villacci
vs
Barnes

178 cm
25
170
5 - 6 - 0

172 cm
25
170
5 - 6 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Very quick

Good wrestler
Brawler
Granite chin

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 5 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Gaetano Villacci!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 6 - 0, fighting out of New York, Ben Barnes!
The judges for this bout are Chris Edwards, Steven Brown and Colin Fotheringham.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Villacci fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Barnes manages to avoid it.
Villacci pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Villacci avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Barnes takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Villacci dips to his left and cracks Barnes with an uppercut!
Barnes avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Barnes avoids a punch combination nicely.
Barnes takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Barnes throws a hook to the side of Villacci's head but Villacci sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Barnes looks to land a combination but Villacci avoids it well.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Villacci throws a body punch but Barnes moves out of range.
A jab from Villacci misses.
Barnes scores with the left hand. Villacci knows he should have avoided that one.
Villacci throws a right hand that Barnes ducks under and follows up with a left that Barnes also avoids with ease.
Barnes walks into a straight right hand from Villacci.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Barnes misses with an uppercut. Villacci saw that one coming.
Barnes looks winded!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Villacci shoots in looking for a takedown. Barnes tries to sprawl out of it but Villacci keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Barnes manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Villacci throws a right hand that Barnes ducks under and follows up with a left that Barnes also avoids with ease.
Barnes wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Villacci definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Barnes on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Barnes is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Villacci.
Villacci lands a nice hook to Barnes's body. Barnes takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Villacci looks to score with a jab to the body but Barnes is just out of range.
Barnes misses the jab.
A jab lands there for Barnes.
Barnes looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
The fighters circling - Barnes throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Villacci walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Villacci takes one to the chin there.
Barnes throws a nice looking combination but Villacci bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Barnes throws a shot from downtown. Villacci moves away and avoids it.
A little feinted left hand from Villacci on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Villacci throws a combination. Barnes tries to block but a couple of punches get through.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Villacci displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Barnes throws out the jab.
Barnes takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Villacci throws a hook to the side of Barnes's head but Barnes sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Villacci moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Villacci misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Villacci punishes Barnes's body with a nice straight punch.
Barnes swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Villacci is trying to close the distance and clinch up, after that failed offence from Barnes.
Villacci misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Barnes.
Villacci keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Barnes.
Villacci is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Barnes uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Villacci.
Barnes looks to score with a jab to the body but Villacci is just out of range.
Villacci ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Barnes moves away.
A combination from Villacci does no damage.
Barnes might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
Villacci throws a hook but Barnes blocks it.
A looping hook to the body misses from Villacci. Barnes does a little dance to reset his feet.
Villacci thows a left - swing and a miss!
Barnes swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barnes throws a lazy right hand but Villacci sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Villacci moves out of range as Barnes strikes.
Barnes works the jab nicely.
Barnes jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Villacci throws a good cross that connects.
Villacci moves away from the strike by Barnes.
Barnes darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Villacci moves away from the strike by Barnes.
Barnes misses the jab.
A swing and a miss from Barnes.
Barnes misses the shot to the body.
Villacci cracks Barnes with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Villacci rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Barnes moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Barnes takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Barnes fails to land with a series of punches.
Villacci fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Barnes lands with a good body shot.
Villacci getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Barnes misses with an uppercut.
A counter left hand to the body from Villacci misses its target.
Villacci swinging wildly here.
Barnes ducks under a wild hook from Villacci.
Decent striking displayed by Barnes there.
Villacci looks to land a left hand but Barnes moved out of range nicely.
Villacci throws a series of strikes that have Barnes backpedaling.

Barnes is rocked!
Villacci cracks Barnes with a big right hand that sees him stumbling back against the cage! Barnes falls to his knees and Villacci doesn't need a second invitatation - he rushes in and fires off several unanswered shots that force the referee to stop the fight! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:41 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Gaetano Villacci!
After winning the bout, Gaetano Villacci thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.