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PBP Commentary |
Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Travis Riley (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Manu Tuilagi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The key to victory for Travis Riley has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.
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| 185 cm
38
180 lbs
36 - 21 - 0 |
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174 cm
28
183 lbs
19 - 10 - 0 |
Good wrestling
Lethal high kicks
Insanely flexible |
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Olympic wrestler
Good kicks
Good gas tank |
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Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of
36 - 21 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Travis Riley!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of
19 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Manu Tuilagi!
The judges for this bout are Josh West, Micheangelo Fripello and Colin Fray.
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Tuilagi checks the leg kick.
Riley loads up on a big right hand but Tuilagi slips the punch.
Riley misses with a leg kick.
Riley tries to bum rush Tuilagi with a series of wild strikes but Tuilagi uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Tuilagi changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Tuilagi takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Tuilagi will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Riley moves into the clinch successfully.
Tuilagi wants a takedown.
Riley working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Tuilagi can't get the takedown.
Travis Riley has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Manu Tuilagi.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Riley keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Tuilagi's efforts to push away.
Tuilagi is trying to push Riley away but Riley has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
We can't be sure of the tactics at this early stage but we have heard that Tuilagi has been working on his takedowns a lot in the buildup to the fight and we can only assume he's going to look to take this to the mat.
Tuilagi jumps guard but Riley stands there with Tuilagi around his waist. Tuilagi gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
That's one minute gone in the round.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
A frustrated look appears on Tuilagi's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Tuilagi lands a body punch.
Riley pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Riley finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Tuilagi steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Riley.
Tuilagi ducks under a wild hook from Riley.
Riley swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Tuilagi feints the counter takedown.
Travis Riley is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
A slapping body kick lands there for Riley.
Riley cracks Tuilagi with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Riley connects with a nice looking jab.
Riley misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tuilagi fails to land the takedown.
Riley misses with a low kick.
Tuilagi with the counter takedown but Riley avoids it easily.
Riley thows a body kick. Tuilagi tries to catch it but that hurt him.
Riley cracks Tuilagi with a right hand to the side of the head.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Tuilagi takes a jab right on the kisser.
Tuilagi is rocked!
Tuilagi throws a quick inside leg kick.
Riley throws a jab when Tuilagi was well out of range.
Tuilagi takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Tuilagi is still on wobbly legs! Can Riley finish him?
Riley misses the jab.
Tuilagi moves away from the strike by Riley.
Tuilagi seems to have recovered his senses.
Riley leaves Tuilagi with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Riley shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thud! ouch! good body kick from Tuilagi - that will leave a mark!
Riley misses with an uppercut.
And Tuilagi tries to counter it with a takedown but Riley pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Tuilagi tries a low kick but Riley avoids it.
Tuilagi changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Tuilagi fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Riley manages to avoid it.
Tuilagi just misses with a punch to the body.
Riley takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Riley misses with an uppercut. Tuilagi saw that one coming.
Riley lands a body shot.
Riley tries to work over Tuilagi's front leg with a kick but Tuilagi checks it.
Tuilagi with the counter takedown but Riley avoids it easily.
Tuilagi shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Tuilagi looks to land a strike but Riley avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Tuilagi looking to pass the guard.
Riley 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.
Tuilagi pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Riley is keeping the position for now.
Tuilagi has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Tuilagi with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Tuilagi postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Riley is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.
Travis Riley dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!
Riley swings widly with a right hand
and Tuilagi counters with a shoot takedown. Riley fights it but they end up in guard.
Tuilagi throwing strikes but missing.
Riley pulls Tuilagi in to control the position.
Tuilagi wants to control from the top but Riley keeps moving.
Riley is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Tuilagi can do to turn this around?
Riley is trying to control the position but Tuilagi postures up.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tuilagi advances to half guard.
Tuilagi wants to control but Riley is keeping him busy.
Tuilagi not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Tuilagi performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Tuilagi throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Tuilagi is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Tuilagi throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Still in half guard, Tuilagi seems content to control.
The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Tuilagi keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Tuilagi drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Riley defends it well.
Riley lands a lovely overhand right.
A clash of legs there as Tuilagi blocks the low kick.
Tuilagi with the counter takedown but Riley avoids it easily.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tuilagi closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Riley did well to prevent Tuilagi getting side control.
Tuilagi is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Riley has managed to free his arm - good work.
Riley gets full guard.
Riley preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Tuilagi postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Tuilagi looking to pass the guard.
Tuilagi controlling from the top position.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tuilagi is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Tuilagi trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Tuilagi landing with the ground and pound.
Tuilagi drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Riley dives on top into guard.
Tuilagi keeping moving, preventing Riley from controlling successfully.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tuilagi throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Tuilagi isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Riley stacks Tuilagi on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Riley!
Tuilagi is looking to reverse the position.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Riley scores with a couple of short elbows.
Riley tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Riley has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.
Manu Tuilagi showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!
Tuilagi needs to keep his hands up - Riley had a free shot at his head there.
Riley is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
Riley misses with a lunging right hand
and Tuilagi counters with a slapping leg kick.
Travis Riley is winning the standup battle so far.
Tuilagi misses with a low kick.
Riley is looking to counter punch.
Riley on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Tuilagi. Tuilagi obviously looking to wear him down.
Tuilagi closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Riley did well to prevent Tuilagi getting side control.
Tuilagi 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.
Tuilagi throwing shots but Riley is blocking nicely.
That's one minute gone in the round.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Riley wants to control but Tuilagi is keeping busy.
Tuilagi is looking for a kimura here.
Tuilagi wants to take a breather but Riley is having none of it.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Tuilagi throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Tuilagi uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Riley.
Tuilagi tries for a takedown but Riley sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Riley misses with a body punch
and Tuilagi connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Riley scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Tuilagi takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Tuilagi closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Riley to the mat! Riley manages to get full guard.
Tuilagi with a flurry of punches that miss.
Riley keeping full guard, as Tuilagi tries to pass.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tuilagi trying to control the position from guard on top but Riley is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Tuilagi pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Riley is keeping the position for now.
Tuilagi postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Tuilagi throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Riley works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Riley misses with an uppercut. Tuilagi saw that one coming.
Riley looks to land a left hand but Tuilagi moved out of range nicely.
Tuilagi is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
A telegraphed right hand from Tuilagi misses the target.
Tuilagi takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
And Tuilagi tries to counter it with a takedown but Riley pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Tuilagi dives in and grabs Riley's left leg, looking for a takedown. Riley pushes down on Tuilagi's head and hops out.
Tuilagi moves away from the strike by Riley.
Tuilagi with the counter takedown but Riley avoids it easily.
Riley swings away with a body shot that misses
and Tuilagi counters with a shoot takedown. Riley fights it but they end up in guard.
Tuilagi throws a big right hand that misses.
Tuilagi not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Tuilagi cracks Riley with a solid left hand.
And that's the end of the fight!
Manu Tuilagi comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Tuilagi 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 Josh West scores the fight 28:29
Judge Micheangelo Fripello scores the fight 28:29
Judge Colin Fray scores the fight 28:29
In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Manu Tuilagi!
An out of breath and clearly excited Manu Tuilagi thanked HERITAGE Threads for their help and support (and free stuff they sent him).
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| S |
C
A |
G |
S |
C
B |
G |
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S |
C |
G |
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energy
A | B |
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hype
A | B |
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pop
A | B |
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mgr
A | B |
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FIGHT
RATING
37% |
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