PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between EJ Balingit (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tony Starks (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Starks has chosen Bring Da Ruckus as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Balingit
vs
Starks

205 cm
23
309 lbs
14 - 0 - 0

180 cm
27
300 lbs
10 - 3 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

MADE IN GERMANY

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the super heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 14 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, EJ Balingit!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Tony Starks!
The judges for this bout are Patrick Alders, Daniel Blasius and Aafke Stam.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Balingit throws a right and a left that both miss.
Starks throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Balingit sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Balingit lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Starks backs up against the cage.

It looks like Tony Starks has been cut.
A looping hook to the body misses from Balingit. Starks does a little dance to reset his feet.

Starks changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Balingit looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.

Starks tries for a kimura but Balingit is defending well.
Starks working the ground and pound but Balingit is defending the strikes.
Starks in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Starks working the head with strikes.
Starks lands a decent elbow from side control.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Starks is trying to ground and pound but Balingit uses the momentary lack of control by Starks to regain half guard.
Starks thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Starks has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balingit is trying to maintain the position but Starks is very close to passing his half guard.
Starks thows a huge punch but Balingit dodges it nicely.
Starks thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Balingit's head.
Balingit keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Starks not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Balingit has hold of Starks's hands but Starks slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Starks thows a big elbow that misses, also allowing Balingit to regain full guard.
Starks with a flurry of punches that miss.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Starks postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Starks in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Starks loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Balingit managing to control the position.
Starks throwing strikes but missing.
Balingit will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Starks is looking to work some ground and pound but Balingit has wrist control.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Balingit lands a jab to the nose.
Balingit throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Starks lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Balingit backs up against the cage.
Balingit scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Balingit just misses with a punch to the body.
Balingit takes a swing at Starks's ribcage but misses.
Balingit lands a really nice looking cross but Starks seems unphased.
EJ Balingit seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Balingit takes a swing at Starks's ribcage but misses.
Balingit scores with a jab to the body.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Balingit slips under a jab from Starks.
Balingit throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Starks gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Balingit looks to score with a jab to the body but Starks is just out of range.
Balingit lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Starks circles away quickly and effectively.
Starks needs to keep his hands up - Balingit had a free shot at his head there.
Starks misses with a double jab
enabling Balingit to counter with a crisp jab.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Starks misses with a hook to the body
and Balingit counters with a stiff right hand.

That has opened up Tony Starks's cut even more.
Starks throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Starks avoids a punch combination nicely.
Starks tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Balingit was well out of range. Poor timing from Starks.
Starks throws a jab but it's blocked by Balingit.
Balingit misses with a body punch
and Starks counters with a right hand to the body.
Balingit falls off balance throwing a combination
letting Starks counter with a right hand.
Starks waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Balingit.
Starks throws a hook but Balingit avoids it easily.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Starks bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Starks takes a jab right on the kisser.
Starks clobbers Balingit with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Starks shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

EJ Balingit dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Tony Starks's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Starks lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Starks throws a jab but it's blocked by Balingit.
Starks throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Starks shoots and misses
and Balingit counters with a stiff right hand.

Starks shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Starks showed some decent athleticism there.
Starks sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Balingit defending well though.
Starks thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Starks thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Starks not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Starks throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balingit has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Starks is working away from the top position though.
Balingit is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Balingit avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Starks.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Balingit misses with a telegraphed body shot

and Starks counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Balingit avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

Starks thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Starks loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Starks accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Balingit has Starks pulled in close to control his posture.

Starks thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Starks is breathing heavily.
Balingit is pulling down on Starks's head to control his posture.
Starks trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Balingit lands a nice hook to Starks's body. Starks takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Starks throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Balingit counters with a stiff right hand.
Starks takes a shot right to the bread basket.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Balingit misses with a wild body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balingit works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Starks jabs away that one connects to the head of his opponent.
Balingit lands a jab to the nose.
Balingit throws a combination that misses
and Balingit takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
EJ Balingit is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Starks rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Balingit moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Balingit lands with a shot to the body.
Balingit lands a glancing blow to the side of Starks's head.
Balingit scores with a nice right hand.

The cut above Tony Starks's eye is starting to cause him problems now.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Balingit swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Starks counters with a straight right hand.
Balingit tests Starks's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Balingit misses with a few strikes there.
EJ Balingit is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Balingit thuds a left hand into Starks's body.
Balingit fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Balingit misses with a wild body shot.
Starks displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Balingit throws out the jab.
Balingit lands a jab to the head.
Balingit changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Balingit misses with an uppercut. Starks saw that one coming.
Starks walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Starks swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Starks staying out of range there.
Balingit takes a swing at Starks's ribcage but misses.
A looping hook to the body misses from Balingit. Starks does a little dance to reset his feet.
Balingit scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!

Balingit lands a left and a right that send Starks crashing to the mat, dazed. Balingit thinks about following him to the mat but decides to wave him back up to his feet!

Starks is rocked!

Tony Starks's cut is absolute horrible now. This looks like something out of a horror film with blood covering both fighters.

The referee calls the doctor in to look at Tony Starks's cut. Oh no, the doctor has called an end to the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:59 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Cut). EJ Balingit!
EJ Balingit retains his super heavyweight title!