PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Darron Gonzales (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Leo Neal (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Leo Neal has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Darron Gonzales's chin.

Gonzales
vs
Neal

163 cm
19
278 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

182 cm
25
220 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Darron Gonzales!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Leo Neal!
The judges for this bout are Marco Blurström, Arvi Lind and Roosa Järviläinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gonzales tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Neal defends well and Gonzales ends up having to push Neal into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.

Neal gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Gonzales to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Gonzales throws a big right hand that misses.
Neal pulls Gonzales in close to prevent any damage.
Gonzales working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gonzales tries to stand but Neal is controlling from the bottom.
Neal is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Gonzales is controlling him.
Gonzales might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

Gonzales is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gonzales is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Neal keeping moving, preventing Gonzales from controlling successfully.
Gonzales throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Neal works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

Neal working for a triangle but Gonzales defends it easily.
Gonzales trying to control the position from guard on top but Neal is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Neal scores with a nice head shot.

It looks like Darron Gonzales has been cut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Neal lands a lovely overhand right.
Neal 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.
Neal shoots for a double leg takedown but Gonzales sprawls well. He's pushed Neal's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Neal stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Neal wants it to stay on the feet.
Gonzales avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Neal throws a sloppy head kick and Gonzales moves out of range easily.

Neal shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Neal showed some decent athleticism there.
Gonzales is pressing down on Neal's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Gonzales bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Neal's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gonzales wants to control from the top but Neal keeps moving.
Neal has his hands on Gonzales's head, controlling the position.
Gonzales wants to control from the top but Neal keeps moving.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Gonzales really is a fat lump.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.

Gonzales drops back looking for a leg! Neal is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Neal manages to kick Gonzales off! Gonzales jumps back into Neal's guard.
Neal wants to sweep here but Gonzales controlling him for the moment.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Neal can do anything to dispel that myth.
Neal has a closed guard, preventing Gonzales from standing up.
Neal keeping moving, preventing Gonzales from controlling successfully.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Neal controlling the position.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Leo Neal will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Darron Gonzales's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Gonzales misses with a takedown attempt - Neal sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Neal fails with an attempt to clinch.
Gonzales misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

Neal shoots in and gets a takedown into Gonzales's guard.
Gonzales lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Neal has his foot on Gonzales's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Gonzales works his way back into a safe position though.
Neal keeping moving, preventing Gonzales from controlling successfully.
Neal pulls Gonzales in to control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Neal is looking for a triangle but Gonzales pushes his legs off easily.

Gonzales drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Gonzales jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Gonzales throwing strikes but missing.
Gonzales chips away with some ground and pound.
Neal is trying to hold Gonzales in close to prevent damage but Gonzales has managed to pass into half guard.
Neal trying to hold on to Gonzales's head to control him but Gonzales postures up.
Neal is breathing heavily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Gonzales is trying to control the action in half guard but Neal is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

Neal is defending against the submission attempts here by Gonzales.

Gonzales is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Gonzales throwing shots but Neal is blocking nicely.
Neal blocking the ground and pound attempt from Gonzales.

Gonzales is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Neal sees it coming and defends easily.
Neal is trying to escape back to his feet but Gonzales uses the scramble to pass into side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gonzales is looking to take a break and control but Neal is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Gonzales working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.

Gonzales is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Neal knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Gonzales is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.

Neal manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Gonzales on his heels. He'll look to pass Gonzales's guard now, I'm sure.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Gonzales is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Neal is aware though and is defending well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Darron Gonzales will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Darron Gonzales's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Neal is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Gonzales changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Darron Gonzales is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Neal shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Gonzales eats them both and turns towards Neal to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Neal displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Gonzales.
Neal doesn't manage to clinch there - Gonzales circles away.
Gonzales seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Neal scores with a takedown into Gonzales's guard.
Neal won't allow Gonzales to get back to his feet.
Gonzales bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Neal's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Gonzales is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Gonzales loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

Gonzales drops back looking for a leg! Neal is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Neal manages to kick Gonzales off! Gonzales jumps back into Neal's guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Gonzales throwing strikes but missing.
Gonzales is looking to work some ground and pound but Neal has wrist control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Gonzales thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Gonzales throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Neal works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Neal is pulling down on Gonzales's head to control his posture.
Gonzales trying to control the position from guard on top but Neal is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

Gonzales is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Gonzales stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Gonzales wants it to stay on the feet.
Gonzales blocks a head kick by Neal.
Gonzales feinted with a counter takedown.
Gonzales will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gonzales fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Gonzales sets himself, and Neal steps forward looking for the clinch! Gonzales avoids it this time.

Neal scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Gonzales is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Neal's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.

Gonzales actively working from the bottom here.
Gonzales is trying to stand back up but Neal is controlling him
Gonzales tries to get to full guard but Neal has control of the leg.
Gonzales gets back to full guard.

Gonzales is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neal is working Gonzales over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Gonzales wants to stand but Neal is controlling the position.
Gonzales bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Neal's guard.

Neal preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Gonzales with a flurry of punches that miss.
Gonzales working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

Neal is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

And that's the end of the fight!
Leo Neal comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Neal 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 Marco Blurström scores the fight 29:28
Judge Arvi Lind scores the fight 28:30
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 29:29

The fight is ruled a draw!