PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Cristi Radu (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Aydine Antona (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Antona has chosen Laid to Rest by Lamb of God as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Radu
vs
Antona

163 cm
26
153 lbs
10 - 3 - 0

170 cm
22
159 lbs
10 - 1 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Solid boxing
Very quick

Powerful takedowns
Good low kicks
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 10 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Cristi Radu !
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Aydine Antona!
The judges for this bout are Felipe Paraventi, Luis Engracia and Alexandre Firmino.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Radu misses the shot to the body.
A telegraphed right hand from Radu misses the target.
Antona walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Radu .
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Antona regains half guard.
Radu missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

Radu is looking for a kimura here.

Radu is working for a kimura but Antona is defending it quite comfortably.
Antona tries to roll over but Radu keeps him under control.
Radu is pressing down on Antona's thigh, looking to free his foot. Antona is holding on for now.
Radu not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Antona is trying to stand back up but Radu is controlling him

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Antona takes a swing at Radu 's ribcage but misses.
Cristi Radu seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Antona stuns Radu with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Radu looks to land a left hand but Antona moved out of range nicely.
Radu swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Antona.
Radu swings for the body but Antona moves out of range.
Antona cracks the inside of Radu 's front leg.
Radu fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Antona uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Radu .
Nice defenses there by Antona.
Radu digs a good hook to Antona's body.
Radu thows a left - swing and a miss!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A shot to the body from Radu misses
and Antona makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Radu looks to score with a jab to the body but Antona is just out of range.
Radu comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Antona keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Radu .
Antona lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.
Antona keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

Radu shoots in and bounces Antona off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Radu stops Antona from standing up.

Antona looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Radu throwing strikes from guard but Antona blocks nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Antona wriggles free and stands up.
Antona takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Radu shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Antona counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Antona avoids the body shot from Radu .
Aydine Antona is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Radu takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Antona throws and low kick but Radu moves out of range easily.
Radu with a poor takedown
and Antona counters with an outside leg kick.
Antona is looking to score with low kicks.
Radu is looking to wear down Antona with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Radu misses with a looping right.
Antona throws a head kick that half lands.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Radu works the jab nicely.
Antona staying out of range there.
Antona misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Antona misses with a head kick.
Radu throws a jab but it's blocked by Antona.
Radu fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Cristi Radu . That's going to take a lot out of him.
Radu misses with a straight right.
Radu avoids the head kick by Antona.
Radu with a lazy takedown attempt
and Antona counters with a nice body kick.
Antona lands a right hook to the body.
Radu misses the jab.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Cristi Radu will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Antona ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Radu moves away.
Antona tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Antona stuffs the takedown.

Radu shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Radu throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Radu punishing his opponent with strikes.
Antona is in a horrible position here. Radu smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Radu looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Poor strikes thrown by Radu there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!
Antona working to try and regain half guard.
Antona wants to control but Radu is having none of it.

Radu jumps to the side looking to secure the arm triangle…. Ooooh, that looks tight… Antona is gargling but he's managed to escape! Nice work there by Antona and Radu has given up the dominant position trying to land that submission.
Antona manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Radu thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Antona pushes Radu off looking to stand but Radu dives back in and keeps control.

Antona pushes Radu off and gets back to his feet.
Radu on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Radu shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Antona defends it nicely.
Radu throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Antona slips a jab from Radu .
Radu thows a body shot but no joy.
Radu has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Antona.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Radu throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Antona sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Radu swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Antona counters with a low kick, right behind Radu 's knee.
Antona throws a low kick but Radu avoids it.
Antona dips down and scores with a jab to the body.

Radu shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Antona trying to control here.

Radu is working for a submission of some sort.

Antona makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Antona uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Radu .
Antona shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Radu smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Jab by Radu .
A swing and a miss from Radu .
Antona throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Antona takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Antona motions for Radu to come forward. Antona throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Antona scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Antona slaps away a takedown attempt from Radu , before circling back to the center of the mat.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Cristi Radu . That's going to take a lot out of him.
Antona steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Radu .

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Radu misses with an uppercut. Antona saw that one coming.
Antona takes a swing at Radu 's ribcage but misses.
Radu swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Antona counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
A telegraphed right hand from Radu misses the target.
Radu throws a jab but it's blocked by Antona.
Radu shoots in but Antona avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Radu looks for a takedown but Antona sprawls well.
Radu misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Antona.
Antona lands a body shot.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Cristi Radu will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

A head kick misses from Antona.
Antona throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Antona throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Radu misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Antona.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Radu .
Antona jabs at Radu 's body.
A leg kick checked by Radu .
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Antona takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Radu throws a hook but Antona avoids it easily.
Radu gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Antona counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Antona goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Radu closes the distance and clinches up with Antona, looking for a takedown. Radu pushes Antona against the cage but Antona circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Cristi Radu . That's going to take a lot out of him.
Radu avoids the body shot from Antona.
Radu is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Antona.
Radu thuds a left hand into Antona's body.
Radu takes a shot to the body in his stride.
A left lands for Antona.
Radu shoots and misses
and Antona cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Radu shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Radu shoots and misses
and Antona counters with a head kick. That will keep Radu thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
Radu misses with a straight right.
Antona connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Antona dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Radu . That did some damage!
Antona avoids the body shot from Radu .
Radu with a lazy takedown attempt
and Antona counters with a thumping low kick.
Antona connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Radu walks forward, straight into a front kick from Antona.
Radu throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Radu misses with a hook. Antona ducked under it nicely.
Radu misses the jab.
Antona plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Nice jab there from Antona.
Antona scores with a jab to the body.
Radu is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Antona throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Radu looks to land a left hand but Antona moved out of range nicely.
Antona throws a head kick but Radu moves out of range.
Antona lands a head kick. Radu smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Antona takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Radu looks to land a right hand but Antona moved out of range.
Aydine Antona has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Radu missing with a left hand there. Antona was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Antona.
Radu has his takedown stuffed
and Antona counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Antona walks into a straight right hand from Radu .
Radu takes one on the chin but keeps coming.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Good leg kick by Antona there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Radu .
Radu cracks Antona with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Radu throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Radu lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Antona scoring well with a low kick there.
Radu looks for a takedown but Antona sprawls well.
Antona throws a sloppy head kick and Radu moves out of range easily.
Cristi Radu is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Antona misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

And that's the end of the fight!
Aydine Antona comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Radu has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 29:28
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight 29:28
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Cristi Radu !