PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Bill Duke (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Antonio Della Appa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Antonio Della Appa acknowledges the crowd's support as he enters the cage.

Duke
vs
Della Appa

185 cm
18
160 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

189 cm
18
155 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Bill Duke!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Antonio Della Appa!
The judges for this bout are Skip Squint, Eliza Hachem and John Mangel.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Della Appa fails with the takedown.
Duke is looking to clinch but Della Appa is avoiding it.
Della Appa shoots in but Duke avoids the takedown attempt easily.

Duke clinches with his opponent.
Duke is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Della Appa gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.

Della Appa has clasped his hands together around Duke's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
Della Appa looks winded!
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Duke tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Della Appa wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Duke is trying to buck Della Appa off.
Della Appa working away.

Della Appa is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Duke has escaped the position, nice work there.
Duke is looking for a sweep.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Duke is not content to let Della Appa control the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Duke wants to control but Della Appa postures up.
Della Appa is trying to ground and pound but Duke uses the momentary lack of control by Della Appa to regain half guard.

Della Appa is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Duke has managed to free his arm - good work.
Duke is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Della Appa is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Duke doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Della Appa.
Della Appa wants to control but Duke is keeping him busy.
Duke makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Duke.
Duke not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Della Appa wants to pass the guard but Duke is keeping the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Duke looking to control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Duke is looking to stand up but Della Appa isn't so interested in that idea.

Della Appa drops back, looking for a kneebar! Duke looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Duke looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Duke!
Duke tries to stand but Della Appa is controlling his head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Della Appa prevents Duke from moving into mount.
Della Appa is not content to let Duke control the position.
Duke wants to stand but Della Appa has him controlled and pulls him back into his guard.
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 Bill Duke will probably get the nod.
That's time! Duke's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Ouch! a nice leg kick from Duke, right into the meat.
Duke shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Della Appa pinned against the cage. Della Appa gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Duke misses with a jab, cross combination.
Duke misses with a jab, cross combination.
Duke throws a right and a left that Della Appa avoids nicely.
Duke darts in looking for a takedown but Della Appa gets double underhooks and turns Duke into the cage.
Della Appa is breathing heavily.
Duke landing knees to the head.

It looks like Antonio Della Appa has been cut.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Della Appa.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Duke scores with a knee to the head.
Duke gets underhooks to prevent Della Appa's takedown attempt.

Della Appa turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!
You can see the frustration on Duke's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Duke sneaks back into half guard.
Bill Duke overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Della Appa is looking to stall here but Duke recovers full guard.
Della Appa throwing strikes but missing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Della Appa won't allow Duke to get back to his feet.
Della Appa postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Duke looking to control.
Duke is controlling Della Appa's posture.
Duke keeping moving, preventing Della Appa from controlling successfully.
Della Appa in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Della Appa wants to pass the guard but Duke is keeping the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Della Appa accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Della Appa looking to sit in guard and control but Duke gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Duke wants to control from the top but Della Appa keeps moving.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Bill Duke.
Duke lands with a thumping leg kick.
Della Appa is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A nice inside leg kick there by Duke. That's going to slow Della Appa down.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Duke, right into the meat.

Duke has taken the fight to the clinch.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Della Appa as Duke tries to tie him up.

Duke manages to break the clinch.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Duke is defended easily by Della Appa.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bill Duke. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Duke lands a head kick!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bill Duke dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Antonio Della Appa's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Duke clinches.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Della Appa as Duke tries to tie him up.
Della Appa gets underhooks to prevent Duke's takedown attempt.
Duke lands a left hand that snaps the head of Della Appa backwards.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Duke drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Della Appa takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Duke is trying to force a seperation but Della Appa has the dominant position.
Duke is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Della Appa is keeping busy.
Duke misses with a knee strike.
Della Appa takes an elbow to the forehead.
Duke tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Duke has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Della Appa avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bill Duke. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Duke changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Della Appa fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Della Appa throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Duke's waist but Duke gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Della Appa off to one side.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Duke throws a combination that misses
and Della Appa counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Duke tries to close the distance and clinch up but Della Appa swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Duke goes for a double leg but Della Appa avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Della Appa continues to drive forward.
Duke throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Duke is pressed up against the cage. Della Appa has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Duke down to the mat. Duke avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Duke fails with a takedown attempt.
Della Appa shoots for a double leg takedown but Duke sprawls well. He's pushed Della Appa's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Duke misses with a body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Della Appa blocks a head kick by Duke.

Della Appa shoots in and gets a takedown into Duke's guard.
Della Appa trying to control but Duke is working from the bottom.
Duke bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Della Appa's guard.
Della Appa seems keen to control Duke's posture.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Della Appa is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Bill Duke is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Antonio Della Appa hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Duke throws a head kick that misses.
Duke fails with an attempt to clinch.

Duke fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Della Appa sprawls well initially but Duke persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Della Appa works his way to full guard. Good work.
Della Appa is trying to control the position from the bottom.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Duke would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Bill Duke showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Duke, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Skip Squint scores the fight 30:27
Judge Eliza Hachem scores the fight 30:27
Judge John Mangel scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Bill Duke!