PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Harrison Barnes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Darius Badolato (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Barnes comes to the cage accompanied by The Game-360 Bars. Badolato has chosen Nneka - Heartbeat as his entrance music. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Barnes
vs
Badolato

190 cm
32
195 lbs
24 - 12 - 2

180 cm
32
200 lbs
22 - 8 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Olympic wrestler
Lethal high kicks
Granite chin

Fury Nutrition Inc.
Backyard Fighting

Milwaukee's Best Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the middleweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 24 - 12 - 2, fighting out of New York, Harrison Barnes!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 22 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Darius Badolato!
The judges for this bout are William Peck, Steve Smith and Yves DeLean.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Barnes misses with a head kick.
Badolato fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Badolato misses with a body shot.
Badolato lands a nice looking body shot.
Badolato moves out of range of the strikes.
Badolato misses with a low kick.
Barnes darts in and out, connecting with a jab.

It looks like Darius Badolato has been cut.
Barnes lands a nice shot that snaps Badolato's head back.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Badolato.
Barnes is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Badolato in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Badolato looks up at the clock and then as Barnes takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Badolato smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barnes is looking to reverse the position.
Badolato has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Barnes gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.

Badolato is trying to work for a kimura but Barnes is defending well.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Badolato throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Badolato wants to free his trapped foot but Barnes is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Badolato is looking to take a break and control but Barnes is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Badolato is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Barnes is refusing to be controlled, as Badolato sits in half guard.
Badolato throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Barnes tries to get to full guard but Badolato has control of the leg.
Badolato content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Darius Badolato has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Badolato moves out of range of the body kick from Barnes.
Barnes throws an overhand right that lands on Badolato's shoulder, as Badolato tries to avoid the shot.
Harrison Barnes seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Barnes lands a nice looking kick to the body. Badolato takes a step back to recover.
Barnes tries to land a leg kick but Badolato saw it coming and moves away.
A slapping leg kick lands for Badolato.
Barnes digs a good body shot into Badolato's ribs.
Barnes misses with an uppercut.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Barnes.
Barnes turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
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!
Barnes takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Barnes throws a shot from downtown. Badolato moves away and avoids it.
Barnes buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Badolato is looking to chop away at Barnes's legs.
Barnes looks to score with a jab to the body but Badolato is just out of range.
Badolato shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Barnes sprawls well. Barnes wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Badolato gets slowly back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Barnes fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Badolato.
Barnes avoids a punch combination nicely.
Barnes lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Badolato scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Barnes scores with a jab to the body.
Badolato throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Badolato lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Barnes circles away quickly and effectively.
Barnes avoids the body shot from Badolato.
Barnes looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Harrison Barnes is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Badolato chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Barnes can pounce on him.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Barnes lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Barnes lands a nice looking body shot.
Badolato moves out of range as Barnes throws a body kick.
Barnes swings for the body but Badolato moves out of range.
Barnes cracks Badolato with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Harrison Barnes dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Darius Badolato's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Barnes lands a leg kick that knocks Badolato off balance momentarily.
Barnes misses with a leg kick.
Badolato connects with a body shot that sends Barnes's belly button to the back.
Barnes paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Barnes rushes in with a sloppy looking punch

and Badolato counters with a nice double leg into guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Badolato missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Barnes is looking to sweep but instead, Badolato has passed into half guard.
Badolato content to control rather than advance.

Badolato is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Barnes doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Badolato.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barnes blocking the ground and pound attempt from Badolato.
Badolato seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.

Badolato is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Barnes is just riding it out for now. Badolato eventually gives up the hold.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Badolato moves nicely into side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Barnes looks to move to half guard but instead Badolato has passed into mount! Damn!
Badolato looking to control but Barnes is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Badolato is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Badolato raining down shots from the mount!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Badolato lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Barnes tries to buck Badolato off but he can't manage it.
Barnes keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Badolato looking to control and managing it successfully.
Barnes working to try and regain half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Badolato punishing his opponent with strikes.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Barnes has worked his way to half guard, taking advantage of Badolato's lack of action.
Barnes tries to get to full guard but Badolato has control of the leg.
Badolato trying to pass the guard but Barnes defending well.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Badolato not landing any meaningful shots this time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Darius Badolato showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Darius Badolato's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Barnes will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Barnes swinging wildly here.
Badolato thows a body shot but no joy.
A cross from Badolato lands.
Badolato slips under a jab from Barnes.
Badolato dives in for a single leg takedown but Barnes sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Barnes is pressed up against the cage. Badolato has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Barnes down to the mat. Barnes avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Barnes misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Badolato is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Barnes rather than just go for the knockout.
Badolato takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Barnes throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Badolato closes the distance and clinches up with Barnes, looking for a takedown. Badolato pushes Barnes against the cage but Barnes circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Harrison Barnes has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Darius Badolato.
Barnes cracks Badolato with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Barnes misses with a low kick.
Barnes wants to land a leg kick but Badolato is out of range.
Barnes looks to land a body kick but Badolato moved away.
Badolato lands a jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Badolato cracks Barnes with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Badolato looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Badolato with a jab.
Barnes misses with a hook.
Barnes gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Barnes lands a glancing blow to the side of Badolato's head.

That has opened up Darius Badolato's cut even more.
Badolato throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Badolato has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Barnes.
Badolato ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Barnes does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Barnes takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Barnes throws the kick towards the body but Badolato avoids it.
Barnes throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Barnes tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Badolato was well out of range. Poor timing from Barnes.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Badolato slips a straight right by Barnes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Badolato checks the leg kick nicely there.

Badolato bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Barnes looking for a sweep but Badolato has passed into full mount! Oh no!
Badolato lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
A nice elbow there by Badolato.
Badolato looking to ground and pound but Barnes is blocking nicely.
Barnes is bucking up trying to escape but Badolato cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Badolato punishing his opponent with strikes.
Barnes tries to hold on but Badolato pushes him away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Badolato in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.

Barnes is rocked!
Darius Badolato has got the better of the ground game so far.
Barnes tries to lock up and control but Badolato gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Badolato unloads with some vicious shots from mount and Barnes wants out - he looks towards the referee who steps in to save him! Badolato celebrates on the cage and the crowd goes wild!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:34 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Darius Badolato!
Darius Badolato is the new middleweight champion!
During a confident post fight interview, Darius Badolato thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.