PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Kappi Bateman (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Justin Zane (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Bateman comes into the arena with 20th century boy blaring out of the sound system. Fingers crossed for an exciting fight - I'm sure both fighters are looking for a nice under the table bonus!

Bateman
vs
Zane

170 cm
21
145 lbs
2 - 2 - 1

171 cm
27
148 lbs
8 - 6 - 0

Decent wrestler
Excellent boxer
Very strong

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 1, fighting out of Hilo, Kappi Bateman!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Justin Zane!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Zane throws a leg kick
letting Bateman counter with a right hand.
Zane throws a big shot that misses.
Zane throws an off balance right hand
enabling Bateman to counter with a crisp jab.
Zane throws a head kick that misses.

Bateman closes the distance and pushes Zane back into the cage.
Bateman tries a body shot but Zane blocks it.
Zane struggles to land a body shot inside as Bateman controls his hands.
Bateman throws a punch but it's blocked by Zane.
Zane is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Bateman is keeping busy.
A body shot lands from Zane.
Zane looking to stall.
Zane drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Bateman gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Bateman is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Zane lands a right hand.
Bateman is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Zane is keeping busy.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Bateman.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bateman tries to throw a body punch but Zane avoids it by throwing Bateman back against the cage.
A right hook to the body lands for Bateman.
A short right from Bateman on the inside.
Zane tries to break the clinch but Bateman is controlling the position.
Zane tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Bateman's elbow.

Bateman manages to break the clinch.
Zane throws a left and a right that both miss
and Bateman counters with a body kick that brings a smile to the face of both fighters.
Zane thumps Bateman with a low kick.
Zane throws a sloppy body shot
and Bateman counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Bateman lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Bateman lets loose with a powerful body kick. Zane will feel that in the morning.

Bateman gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Zane to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Zane stays in close to Bateman's body and controls the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Zane drops back looking for a leg! Bateman is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Bateman manages to kick Zane off! Zane jumps back into Bateman's guard.
Bateman is looking to stand up but Zane isn't so interested in that idea.
Zane postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Zane controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Bateman wants to stand but Zane is controlling the position.
Bateman being controlled here, momentarily.
Bateman wants to get back to his feet but Zane is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Bateman scrambles and gets back to his feet.
Zane throws a lazy right hand but Bateman sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Zane fails to land with a series of punches.
Zane falls off balance throwing a combination

and Bateman moves into the clinch.
Bateman misses with a body punch.
Bateman lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Bateman tries to stall but Zane uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Zane is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Bateman struggles to land a body shot inside as Zane controls his hands.
Zane tries to throw a body punch but Bateman avoids it by throwing Zane back against the cage.
Bateman digs a right hand into Zane's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Zane's gas tank.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bateman presses Zane against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Bateman scores with a shoulder strike.
Bateman goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Bateman wants to break the clinch but can't.
Zane leaning against his opponent.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Zane looks gassed!
A short right hand to the side of the head by Zane.
Zane is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.

Bateman breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Zane scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Zane throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Bateman counters with a nice uppercut.
Bateman tries to clinch but Zane is having none of it.
Zane throws a combination that misses
letting Bateman counter with a right hand.
Zane misses with a hook.
A right-left combo lands from Zane.
Zane avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
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 Kappi Bateman will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Zane misses with a body punch
and Bateman counters with a body kick that brings a smile to the face of both fighters.
Zane misses with a left hand

and Bateman holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

Bateman manages to break the clinch.
Zane ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Bateman moves away.
Bateman misses with a kick to the body.
Zane throws a predictable looking body shot

and Bateman counters by clinching up.
Zane wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Bateman has him pressed against the cage.
Bateman keeps control of Zane as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Zane is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Bateman is defending well for now.
Bateman can't find room to land a body shot as Zane controls the action.
Bateman tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Zane is working Bateman over against the cage.
Zane tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Bateman's elbow.
A right hook to the body lands for Bateman.

Zane successfully pulls guard.
Bateman knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Zane on the ground.
Bateman with a flurry of punches that miss.
Zane is breathing heavily.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Bateman accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Bateman throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Zane works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zane looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Bateman wants to stand but Zane has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Bateman looking to pass the guard.
Zane is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Bateman postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Bateman preventing the sweep.

Bateman gets to his feet. Zane looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Zane misses with an uppercut
and Bateman counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Zane swats away the attempt to clinch by Bateman.
Zane misses with a body punch
and Bateman makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. Zane really felt that one!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zane misses with a lunging right hand
and Bateman counters with a body kick that stops Zane in his tracks momentarily.
Zane throws a leg kick
and Bateman counters with an inside leg kick.

Zane clinches up with Bateman and pushes him back against the cage.
Bateman is trying to push Zane away but Zane has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Bateman stalling in the clinch.
Bateman tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
A short body shot lands from Bateman as the two fighters clinch.
Bateman lands a hook to the side of the head.
Zane is trying to break free.
Zane tries to break the clinch but Bateman is controlling the position.
Zane goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Zane blocks a body shot from Bateman.
Zane misses with a body punch.
A short right from Bateman.
Bateman can't find room to land a body shot as Zane controls the action.
Zane misses with a knee to the head.
Bateman prevents the takedown attempt.
Bateman is leaning against Zane and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bateman misses with a punch to the body.
Bateman misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Bateman lands a shot to the body.
Bateman is pushing Zane up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
A short uppercut from Bateman.
Bateman tries to throw a body punch but Zane avoids it by throwing Bateman back against the cage.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Zane as Bateman tries to tie him up.
Zane lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Bateman.
Zane has had enough of the clinch but Bateman keeps him there for the moment.
Bateman lands with a right to the head.
Bateman looking to stall.
Zane prevents a body shot from Bateman.
Nice body punch from Bateman - that landed with a thud.
Bateman stalling.
Bateman missing with knees to the body.
Bateman tries to throw a body punch but Zane avoids it by throwing Bateman back against the cage.
Bateman tries to work over Zane's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Zane goes for a body shot but it's blocked.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bateman misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Bateman is trying to maintain a safe position but Zane gets an underhook and turns Bateman into the cage.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Zane tries a body shot but Bateman blocks it.
Zane blocks a body shot from Bateman.
Bateman taking a breather.
Bateman swings wildly with an uppercut but Zane uses good head movement to avoid it.
Zane prevents a body shot from Bateman.
Bateman lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Zane is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Bateman gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Zane lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Bateman trying to control the position but instead, Zane has worked for underhooks and has pushed Bateman into the cage.
A head punch on the inside from Bateman fails to land.
Nice body punch from Zane - that landed with a thud.
Bateman goes for a body shot but it's blocked.

Bateman manages to break the clinch.
Bateman throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kappi Bateman dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Bateman lands the left hand.
Zane throws an ugly left hook that misses

and Bateman moves into the clinch.
Bateman tries to throw a body punch but Zane avoids it by throwing Bateman back against the cage.
Bateman tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

Bateman manages to break the clinch.
Zane uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Bateman fails in his attempt to clinch.
Bateman tries to bum rush Zane with a series of wild strikes but Zane uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Bateman bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Zane tries to keep at a distance but Bateman has taken the fight into the clinch.
Zane works on Bateman's body with a couple of short punches.
Bateman can't find room to land a body shot as Zane controls the action.
Bateman tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Bateman tries a body shot but Zane blocks it.

Bateman's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bateman throws a body kick despite being completely out of range
and Zane counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Zane throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Zane thuds his right hand into Bateman's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Zane shoots in looking for a takedown but Bateman manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Zane's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Zane takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Bateman throws a big shot that misses.

Bateman tries to keep at a distance but Zane has taken the fight into the clinch.
Good body shot from Zane.
Bateman stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Bateman wants to break free but Zane has control.
Bateman prevents a body shot from Zane.
Zane working aggressively here.
Zane lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Bateman backwards.
Bateman tries a body shot but Zane blocks it.

Zane has hold of one of Bateman's legs. Bateman is fighting the takedown attempt but Zane gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
Zane looking to pass the guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zane is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Zane won't allow Bateman to get back to his feet.
Zane is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Zane prevents Bateman from getting back to his feet.
Zane passes easily into side control. Nice work.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Zane trying to control the action but Bateman is working from the bottom.
Zane wants to control for a moment but Bateman uses the opportunity to move back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bateman wants to get back to his feet.
Zane is trying to control the action in half guard but Bateman is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

Zane is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Bateman is just riding it out for now. Zane eventually gives up the hold.
Bateman pushes Zane off looking to stand but Zane dives back in and keeps control.
Justin Zane has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Bateman on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Bateman tries to get out of the position.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Bateman wants to get back to his feet.

Zane wants to work for an arm triangle but Bateman is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Kappi Bateman is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Zane trying to pass the guard but Bateman defending well.

And that's the end of the fight!
Justin Zane comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Bateman 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 Andi Peters scores the fight 29:28
Judge Gordon Ramsey scores the fight 29:28
Judge Frank Skinner scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kappi Bateman!