PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Denzel Rain Man (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mother Earth (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Denzel Rain Man has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Rain Man
vs
Earth

167 cm
24
135 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

159 cm
23
143 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Granite chin

Good takedowns
Basic striking
Very confident

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Denzel Rain Man!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Mother Earth!
The judges for this bout are Fedor Mirinova, Konstantin Menshow and Aleksandr Martynov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rain Man keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

Rain Man gets a clinch.
Earth goes for a takedown in the clinch but Rain Man prevents it.
Earth goes for a takedown attempt but Rain Man pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Earth slaps away a takedown attempt from Rain Man, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Rain Man fails with the takedown.
Earth misses with a body shot
enabling Rain Man to counter with a crisp jab.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Earth.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Earth remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.

Earth goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Rain Man rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Earth's guard! Nice work there by Rain Man!

That's one minute gone in the round.

Earth is looking for a triangle but Rain Man pushes his legs off easily.

Earth is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Earth is trying to keep Rain Man in close.
Earth should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
Earth keeping moving, preventing Rain Man from controlling successfully.
Earth is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rain Man trying to control the position from guard on top but Earth is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Earth looking to hit a scissor sweep but Rain Man is one step ahead there.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Denzel Rain Man wasn't doing enough on the ground.

Earth throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Rain Man was covering up waiting for the punch and Earth finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Rain Man preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Earth trying to control the position from guard on top but Rain Man is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Earth passes into half guard.

Rain Man is defending against the submission attempts here by Earth.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rain Man wants to control but Earth is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Rain Man wants to improve his position but Earth is controlling well.

Earth looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Earth stops Rain Man from getting back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Earth seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

Earth is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Rain Man defends it well.
Rain Man wants to control but Earth is keeping busy and won't allow it.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Earth trying to control from half guard but Rain Man is working away.
Earth trying to control from Rain Man's half guard. Rain Man has other ideas though and has regained full guard.
Earth trying to control the position from guard on top but Rain Man is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mother Earth dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

A shot to the body from Earth misses

and Rain Man holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Earth wants to take the fight to the mat but Rain Man manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Earth is looking for a takedown.
Rain Man fails to pull guard.

Rain Man pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Earth shoots for a takedown but Rain Man saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Denzel Rain Man has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mother Earth.
Earth takes a swing at Rain Man's ribcage but misses.
Rain Man looks for the body kick but Earth saw that one coming.
Rain Man shoots for a takedown but Earth saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Earth avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Earth swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Earth shoots in looking for a takedown. Rain Man tries to sprawl out of it but Earth keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Rain Man manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Rain Man tries for a takedown but Earth circles away easily

and Earth counters with a single leg into guard. Rain Man didn't expect that.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Earth trying to control but Rain Man is working from the bottom.

Rain Man looking for a guillotine here but Earth defends easily.
Earth slips nicely into half guard.
Rain Man is not content to let Earth control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Earth passes the guard and advances to mount!
Earth controlling the pace for now.
Earth wants to control the pace but Rain Man is squirming around nicely.
Rain Man keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rain Man tries to lock up and control but Earth gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.

Earth looking for a guillotine from mount but Rain Man is having none of it.

Rain Man defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Earth.
Earth landing shots from mount.

Earth is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Rain Man is surviving well by controlling Earth's body position as best he can.

Earth is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Rain Man to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Rain Man shrugs it off.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Earth working Rain Man over with strikes here.
Earth postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Rain Man looks a forlorn figure.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Earth tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Rain Man's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.

Earth looking for a guillotine from mount but Rain Man is having none of it.
Earth controlling the pace for now.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mother Earth showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. And we move into the final round!

Earth closes this distance looking for a takedown but Rain Man circles away.

Rain Man has managed to clinch.
Rain Man fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Earth is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Rain Man working hard to break the clinch.
Rain Man has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Earth avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Denzel Rain Man. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Earth is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Rain Man gets underhooks to prevent Earth's takedown attempt.
Earth has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Rain Man is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Rain Man breaks from the clinch.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Earth.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Earth.
Earth takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Rain Man fails with an attempt to clinch.
Earth swings away with a body shot that misses
enabling Rain Man to counter with a crisp jab.
Earth circles away from the clinch attempt.

Rain Man gets caught napping as Earth dives in and scores a takedown. Rain Man manages to retain guard.
Rain Man working a defensive guard here.
Rain Man keeping moving, preventing Earth from controlling successfully.
Earth seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rain Man keeping moving, preventing Earth from controlling successfully.
Earth controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Mother Earth hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Rain Man fails in his attempt to clinch.
Denzel Rain Man is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Earth looks to land a right hand but Rain Man moved out of range.
Rain Man fails with the takedown.
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!

Rain Man gets caught flat footed, as Earth shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Earth trying to control the position from guard on top but Rain Man is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Earth missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rain Man looking for a sweep. Not yet Rain Man, not yet.
Mother Earth has got the better of the ground game so far.

Earth drops back looking for a leg! Rain Man is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Rain Man manages to kick Earth off! Earth jumps back into Rain Man's guard.
Rain Man keeping moving, preventing Earth from controlling successfully.
Rain Man pulls Earth in close to his closed guard and prevents Earth from doing any damage or advancing position.
Rain Man keeping moving, preventing Earth from controlling successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Rain Man looking for a sweep. Not yet Rain Man, not yet.
Earth wants to control from the top but Rain Man keeps moving.
Rain Man knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Earth on the ground.

Mother Earth has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Rain Man misses with a head kick.
Rain Man wants to clinch.
Rain Man wants to clinch

and Earth counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Earth working over Rain Man with some ground and pound. Rain Man looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Earth takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Denzel Rain Man has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Earth passes to full mount!

And that's the end of the fight!
Mother Earth comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Earth winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 27:30
Judge Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 27:30
Judge Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mother Earth!
An out of breath Mother Earth thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.