PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between John Darnielle (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Danilo Caparas (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). On his way into the cage it seems that John Darnielle has been attacked by a crazed fan! It looks like it might have been the just bleed guy! Luckily John Darnielle seems to be OK! I thought that lunatic was in prison!?

Darnielle
vs
Caparas

197 cm
34
196 lbs
30 - 16 - 0

185 cm
33
185 lbs
23 - 14 - 1

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class MT
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 30 - 16 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, John Darnielle!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 23 - 14 - 1, fighting out of Hilo, Danilo Caparas!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Jack Bonds and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Darnielle ducks under a wild hook from Caparas.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Darnielle checks a leg kick.
Caparas misses with a low kick as Darnielle jumps back.
Darnielle steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Caparas. That one must have hurt.
Darnielle throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Caparas throws a leg kick but Darnielle sees it coming and moves out of range.
A jab from Caparas does it's job there.
Caparas pivots, looking for a leg kick but Darnielle is out of range and Caparas settles back down.
Caparas throws a leg kick but Darnielle sees it coming and moves out of range.

Caparas gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Darnielle to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Caparas keeping moving, preventing Darnielle from controlling successfully.
Caparas keeping full guard, as Darnielle tries to pass.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Darnielle wants to control from the top but Caparas keeps moving.
Darnielle tries to free his leg and advance position but Caparas is retaining full guard.
Caparas working a defensive guard here.
Darnielle wants to pass the guard but Caparas is keeping the position.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Darnielle tries to clinch up but Caparas circles away and keeps his distance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Caparas misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Darnielle dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Darnielle stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Caparas.
Caparas misses with a body kick.
An inside leg kick lands from Caparas.
Caparas misses with a leg kick.
Danilo Caparas seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Caparas gets off balance looking for a body kick

and Darnielle counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Darnielle.
Caparas scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Darnielle lands a body punch in the clinch.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
A nice left hand lands by Darnielle.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Caparas.
Darnielle throws a head punch that misses.
Darnielle is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Caparas is defending well.

Caparas manages to break the clinch.
Darnielle checks a low kick from Caparas.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Caparas throws a big shot that misses.
Darnielle takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Darnielle looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Caparas is fending him off so far but Darnielle persists. Nope, Caparas circles away and we're back to standing.
Caparas misses with a leg kick.

Darnielle closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Caparas to the mat! Caparas manages to get full guard.
Darnielle will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Darnielle is working Caparas over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Darnielle is fighting to break Caparas's control of his arms but Caparas is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Darnielle tries to free his leg and advance position but Caparas is retaining full guard.
Darnielle trying to control the position from guard on top but Caparas is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Darnielle stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Caparas swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Darnielle trying to control the position from guard on top but Caparas is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Darnielle with a flurry of punches that miss.
Darnielle trying to control the position from guard on top but Caparas is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

John Darnielle has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
A solid body kick from Caparas.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Caparas scores with a nice right hand.
Caparas misses the jab.
Caparas misses with a low kick.
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 John Darnielle will probably get the nod.
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.

Caparas stuffs the takedown.
Darnielle has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Darnielle there as he acknowledges the shot.
Darnielle throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Caparas tries a low kick but Darnielle avoids it.
Caparas lands an overhand right.
Darnielle tries to clinch up.
Caparas tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Nice defenses there by Darnielle.
Caparas lands with a thumping leg kick.
Darnielle fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Caparas scores with a spinning back kick!
Darnielle motions for Caparas to come forward. Darnielle throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Caparas feints and then cracks Darnielle's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Darnielle down.
Caparas fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Danilo Caparas seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Caparas shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Caparas tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Caparas looks to land a right hand but Darnielle moved out of range.
Caparas attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Caparas misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Darnielle.
Darnielle looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Darnielle checks the leg kick.
Darnielle shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Caparas defends it nicely.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for John Darnielle. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Caparas misses with a kick to the body
and Darnielle counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Caparas gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Darnielle.
Caparas misses with a low kick as Darnielle jumps back.

Caparas gets caught napping as Darnielle dives in and scores a takedown. Caparas manages to retain guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Darnielle postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Darnielle trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Darnielle throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Caparas works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Darnielle postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Darnielle stands and throws Caparas's legs to the side, diving into side control.

Darnielle working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Caparas manages to work his way to half guard, despite Darnielle's best efforts.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Caparas regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Darnielle.
Darnielle trying to control but Caparas is working from the bottom.
Caparas keeping full guard, as Darnielle tries to pass.
Darnielle loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Darnielle throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Darnielle is looking to pass into half guard but Caparas pushes him away with his feet and jumps on top - now Caparas is in guard.
John Darnielle overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Darnielle not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Caparas slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Caparas won't allow Darnielle to get back to his feet.
Caparas controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Caparas throws a head kick that misses.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Caparas throws a leg kick but Darnielle sees it coming and moves out of range.
Darnielle is trying hard to land a takedown here. Caparas sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Caparas throws a big shot that misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Danilo Caparas will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Caparas throws a body punch but Darnielle moves out of range.
Darnielle steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Caparas.
Caparas throws a shot from downtown. Darnielle moves away and avoids it.
Caparas fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Darnielle is out of range.
Caparas is looking to score with low kicks.
Caparas throws a leg kick
and Darnielle counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Caparas connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Caparas missing with a left hand there. Darnielle was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Darnielle avoids the head kick by Caparas.
Darnielle shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Caparas as he jumps to the side.
Darnielle blocks a leg kick.
Caparas throws a series of punches but Darnielle moves out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Darnielle feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Caparas's calf.
Caparas throws a head kick that misses.
Darnielle keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Caparas ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Darnielle moves away.
Darnielle fails in his attempt to clinch.
Caparas misses with a looping left.
Darnielle is looking to clinch but Caparas is avoiding it.
Caparas is looking to chop away at Darnielle's legs.
Caparas tries to score with a low kick but Darnielle moves his leg out of the way.
Caparas cracks the inside of Darnielle's front leg.
Caparas walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Darnielle checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Caparas throws a low kick, looking for Darnielle's leg but Darnielle calmly moves out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Caparas wants to slow Darnielle down by chopping away at his legs.
Caparas scoring well with a low kick there.
Caparas throws a hook to the side of Darnielle's head but Darnielle sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Caparas lands with a nice body punch.
Darnielle steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Caparas. That one must have hurt.

Darnielle drives through with a takedown into guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Caparas utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Caparas managing to control the position.
Darnielle working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Darnielle pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Caparas is keeping the position for now.
Darnielle missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

Darnielle postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Caparas is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Darnielle, into his guard.
Caparas trying to control the position from guard on top but Darnielle is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Caparas is stalling in the full guard.

Darnielle is looking for a triangle but Caparas pushes his legs off easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Caparas trying to control the position from guard on top but Darnielle is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Caparas looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Danilo Caparas hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Caparas attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.

And that's the end of the fight!
Danilo Caparas comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Caparas has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Don Winkell scores the fight 29:28
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 29:28
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 29:28

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