PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Mod Afra (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and LeBron Manhaes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Afra
vs
Manhaes

185 cm
23
239 lbs
5 - 3 - 0

203 cm
19
250 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Mod Afra!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, LeBron Manhaes!
The judges for this bout are John Mangel, Hugh Johnson and Skip Squint.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Manhaes slips a jab and a cross from Afra.

Afra feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Manhaes working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Afra.
Afra throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Manhaes works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

Manhaes has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Afra off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.

Afra closes the distance and pushes Manhaes back into the cage.
Afra has Manhaes pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Manhaes manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Manhaes tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Afra's elbow.
Manhaes lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Afra.
Afra is breathing heavily.
Manhaes tries to break the clinch but Afra is controlling the position.
Afra tries to work over Manhaes's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Afra has Manhaes pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Manhaes manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Manhaes pushes Afra back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Manhaes lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Manhaes softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.

Manhaes pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Manhaes is looking to clinch.
LeBron Manhaes is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Manhaes wants to clinch.
Manhaes throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Afra avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Manhaes tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Afra paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Manhaes doesn't manage to clinch there - Afra circles away.
Manhaes moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.

It looks like Mod Afra has been cut.
Manhaes closes the distance and lands a one-two.
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!
Manhaes is looking to clinch.
Manhaes wants to clinch up but Afra keeps it at a distance.
Manhaes scores to the head and body with a nice combination!

Oooooh!!! Manhaes has knocked Afra down with a huge combo! Manhaes steps away and waves a wobbly Afra back to his feet! This one might not go much longer!

Afra is rocked!
Manhaes is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Manhaes fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Afra, pushing him back against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Manhaes tries to throw a body punch but Afra avoids it by throwing Manhaes back against the cage.
Manhaes has had enough of the clinch but Afra keeps him there for the moment.
Manhaes is trying to push Afra away but Afra has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Manhaes wants to break free but Afra has control.
Manhaes misses with a hook from the clinch.
A nice left hand lands by Manhaes.
Manhaes wants to break the clinch but can't.
Manhaes tries to throw a body punch but Afra avoids it by throwing Manhaes back against the cage.
Manhaes misses with a hook to the ribs.
Manhaes is pressed up against the cage. Afra has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Manhaes down to the mat. Manhaes avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mod Afra. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Manhaes tries to close the distance and clinch but Afra swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Manhaes tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Afra manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Afra throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Manhaes.
Manhaes tries to close the distance and clinch up but Afra swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Afra fails with a takedown attempt.

Manhaes instigates a clinch.
Afra has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Manhaes is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Manhaes misses with a body punch.
Afra prevents a body shot from Manhaes.
Manhaes tries to throw a body punch but Afra avoids it by throwing Manhaes back against the cage.
Afra blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Afra prevents a body shot from Manhaes.
Manhaes digs a right hand underneath Afra's ribcage. Afra let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Manhaes is trying to break the clinch but Afra is controlling him.
Manhaes wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Manhaes gets through Afra's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Afra keeps control of Manhaes as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Manhaes lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Manhaes lands a body punch.
Manhaes is trying to break the clinch but Afra is controlling him.
Manhaes is trying to force a seperation but Afra has the dominant position.
Good body shot from Manhaes.
Manhaes softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A body shot lands from Manhaes.
Afra blocks a body shot from Manhaes.
Manhaes looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Afra is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Manhaes gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Manhaes is looking to break free of the clinch but Afra has double underhooks.
Manhaes is trying to break free.
Manhaes wants to break the clinch but can't.
Afra is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Afra has Manhaes pressed against the cage, preventing Manhaes from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Manhaes prevents the takedown attempt.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Manhaes drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Manhaes can't find room to land a body shot as Afra controls the action.
Manhaes tries to break free but Afra pushes him back against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

LeBron Manhaes dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Mod Afra's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Manhaes pushes Afra up against the cage in a clinch.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Manhaes is trying to break free.
Manhaes can't break the clinch.
Afra wants to break the clinch but can't.
Manhaes wants to break the clinch but can't.
Manhaes is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Manhaes lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Manhaes digs a right hand underneath Afra's ribcage. Afra let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Manhaes wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

Manhaes breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Afra fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Manhaes avoids it really well and circles away.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Afra moves in looking to clinch but Manhaes pushes him off.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Afra will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Manhaes lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Manhaes misses with a double jab.
LeBron Manhaes seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Manhaes tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Afra manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Manhaes scores to the head and body with a nice combination!

Mod Afra's cut is getting worse.
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!
The fight stays on the outside here - Manhaes looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Manhaes doesn't manage to clinch there - Afra circles away.
Afra fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mod Afra. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Manhaes fails with an attempt to clinch.
Manhaes lands a jab-cross combination.
Manhaes tries to clinch but Afra is having none of it.
Afra dives in and grabs Manhaes's left leg, looking for a takedown. Manhaes pushes down on Afra's head and hops out.
Manhaes tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Afra paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Afra closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.

Mod Afra's cut is bleeding quite badly. He's got to try and protect it.
Mod Afra seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Manhaes doesn't manage to clinch there - Afra circles away.
Manhaes closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Afra dives in and grabs Manhaes's left leg, looking for a takedown. Manhaes pushes down on Afra's head and hops out.

Manhaes lands a left and a right that send Afra crashing to the mat, dazed. Manhaes thinks about following him to the mat but decides to wave him back up to his feet!
Oh Afra is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Manhaes tries to close the distance and clinch but Afra swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Afra seems to have got his legs back now.
Manhaes is working the combinations to good effect here.

Afra tries to keep at a distance but Manhaes has taken the fight into the clinch.
Manhaes is trying to break the clinch but Afra has him pressed against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Manhaes misses with a hook from the clinch.
Manhaes is trying to push Afra away but Afra has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Manhaes misses with a punch on the inside.
Manhaes slows down the pace here.
Manhaes misses with a hook from the clinch.
Afra is trying to drag Manhaes to the mat but Manhaes just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Manhaes lands a hook that snaps the head of Afra backwards.

Jeez, Mod Afra's cut is really nasty now. The referee must be thinking about getting that checked.
Manhaes tries a body shot but Afra blocks it.
Afra wants a takedown but no success here.
Manhaes gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Afra.
Afra blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Manhaes lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Afra or not.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Manhaes.
Manhaes tries to break the clinch but Afra is controlling the position.
Manhaes lands a hook that snaps the head of Afra backwards.
Manhaes pressing his opponent against the cage.

Manhaes manages to break the clinch.
Afra circles away from the clinch attempt.
The fight stays on the outside here - Manhaes looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Manhaes connects with a looping right hand.
Manhaes is looking to clinch but Afra is avoiding it.
Manhaes throws a series of punches but Afra moves out of range.
Manhaes works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Afra shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Manhaes but Manhaes pushes him off and we're back to square one.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Manhaes drops Afra with a beautiful combination! Afra stares up at his opponent, who ushers him back to his feet - Manhaes is looking for the KO!

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

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:13 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Cut). LeBron Manhaes!
LeBron Manhaes is the new heavyweight champion!