PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Manus Dinapoli (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mario Puzo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Dinapoli comes into the arena with Cavo - Thick As Thieves blaring out of the sound system. Puzo has chosen Speak Softly Love as his entrance music. I don't know about you partner, but I'm pumped for this one!

Dinapoli
vs
Puzo

185 cm
26
200 lbs
5 - 4 - 0

185 cm
25
187 lbs
11 - 8 - 0

Good wrestling
Decent elbows
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class boxer
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 5 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Manus Dinapoli!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 8 - 0, fighting out of New York, Mario Puzo!
The judges for this bout are Frank Dennis, Stewart Dunkirk and Gwen Towbar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Dinapoli throws the kick towards the body but Puzo avoids it.
Puzo keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Dinapoli lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Puzo at a distance.
Puzo scores with a kick to the body.
Puzo takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Puzo avoids the body shot from Dinapoli.
Puzo misses with a wild body shot.
Dinapoli is looking for a counter combo.
Manus Dinapoli seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Nice body punch from Puzo.
Puzo lands a nice leg kick that just misses Dinapoli's sensitive parts.
Dinapoli looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Puzo moves out of range as Dinapoli throws a body kick.

Puzo gets caught napping as Dinapoli dives in and scores a takedown. Puzo manages to retain guard.
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!
Puzo can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Dinapoli controls the pace.
Dinapoli is pushing down on Puzo's leg trying to pass to half guard. Puzo is fighting to maintain full guard but Dinapoli has managed to sneak the leg through.
Dinapoli perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Dinapoli's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Puzo can do anything to dispel that myth.
Dinapoli prevents Puzo from improving his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Puzo is not content to let Dinapoli control the position.
Dinapoli wants to pass the guard but Puzo is defending well.
Dinapoli looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Puzo is pressing down on Dinapoli's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Puzo wants to stand and escape but Dinapoli is having none of it.
Dinapoli trying to control but Puzo is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Dinapoli pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Puzo is keeping the position for now.
Dinapoli is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Puzo controls Dinapoli momentarily but Dinapoli frees himself.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Dinapoli throws a predictable looking body shot
and Puzo counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Puzo throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Dinapoli swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Puzo lands a nice hook to Dinapoli's body. Dinapoli takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Puzo throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Dinapoli fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Puzo has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Puzo is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Dinapoli rather than just go for the knockout.
Puzo scores with a hook.
Puzo displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Dinapoli throws out the jab.
Dinapoli misses with the combination.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Good shot there by Puzo.
Puzo lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Puzo avoids the head kick by Dinapoli.
Dinapoli paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Puzo misses with an attempted mid kick.
Puzo avoids the body shot from Dinapoli.
No joy there for Puzo, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Dinapoli scores with a nice head shot.
Dinapoli misses with a head kick.
Dinapoli tries to land a body kick
and Puzo counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Dinapoli blocks a low kick nicely.
Dinapoli ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Puzo moves away.
Dinapoli throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Puzo connects with a good right hand that stumbles Dinapoli. Dinapoli circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
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!
Dinapoli closes this distance looking for a takedown but Puzo circles away.
Puzo has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Dinapoli.
Dinapoli misses with a two punch combination.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dinapoli keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Puzo.
Dinapoli throws a body shot but no joy.
Puzo ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Dinapoli moves away.
Dinapoli throws a sloppy body shot
and Puzo counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
A shot to the body from Dinapoli misses
and Puzo counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Puzo paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Puzo finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Dinapoli throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Puzo counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Puzo jabs at Dinapoli's body.
Dinapoli avoids the body shot from Puzo.
A head kick by Dinapoli misses
and Puzo makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Puzo fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Puzo connects with a body shot.

Dinapoli pushes Puzo up against the cage in a clinch.
Puzo pushes Dinapoli back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Dinapoli is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Puzo is keeping busy.
Still in the clinch, Puzo scores with a nice short uppercut.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mario Puzo dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Dinapoli takes a swing at Puzo's ribcage but misses.
Dinapoli throws the left hand but Puzo avoids the punch easily.

Dinapoli pushes Puzo up against the cage in a clinch.
Dinapoli wants to stall.
Puzo throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Dinapoli is looking to control Puzo's arms but Puzo gets an underhook and turns him. Now Dinapoli has his back to the cage.
Dinapoli crunches a lovely knee into Puzo's ribcage.
Dinapoli is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Puzo tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Dinapoli's elbow.
Puzo misses with a punch to the body.

Puzo breaks from the clinch.
Dinapoli throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Puzo tries to bum rush Dinapoli with a series of wild strikes but Dinapoli uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Dinapoli pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Puzo cracks Dinapoli with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Dinapoli throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
No joy there for Puzo, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dinapoli swings widly with a right hand
and Dinapoli takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Puzo lands a glancing blow to the side of Dinapoli's head.
Puzo throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Puzo has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Puzo scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Dinapoli doesn't seem bothered though.
Dinapoli fails with an attempt to clinch.
Puzo lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.
Puzo has been working his punching technique in the buildup to the fight and it appears to be paying off.
Dinapoli misses with a combination
and Puzo counters with an outside leg kick.
Dinapoli misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Puzo counters with a stiff right hand.
Puzo throws out a powerful jab.
Puzo moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Dinapoli tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Puzo was well out of range. Poor timing from Dinapoli.
Puzo lands a lovely overhand right.
Dinapoli thows a left - swing and a miss!
Puzo throws the left hand but Dinapoli avoids the punch easily.
Dinapoli tried to counter with a leg kick but Puzo avoided it.
Puzo uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Dinapoli.
Dinapoli shoots in looking for a takedown. Puzo tries to sprawl out of it but Dinapoli keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Puzo manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dinapoli on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Puzo scoring well with a low kick there.
Dinapoli misses with a hook
and Puzo counters with a stiff right hand.
Dinapoli throws a lazy uppercut
and Puzo counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Mario Puzo seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Puzo misses with a wild body shot.
Puzo cracks the inside of Dinapoli's front leg.
Dinapoli walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Puzo misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Dinapoli.
Puzo scores with a body shot.
Dinapoli displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Puzo throws out the jab.
A nice combination there by Dinapoli.
Dinapoli shoots and misses
and Dinapoli takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Puzo will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Puzo lands a nice shot to the body.
Dinapoli slips a straight right by Puzo.
Dinapoli misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Dinapoli throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Puzo sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Dinapoli misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
A countering left hand to the body from Puzo misses.
Good shot there by Puzo.
Puzo works the jab nicely.
Dinapoli throws a shot to the body.
Dinapoli doesn't manage to clinch there - Puzo circles away.
Puzo misses with a body shot.
Puzo throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Puzo keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Puzo moves out of range as Dinapoli throws a body kick.
Puzo appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
Mario Puzo is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Dinapoli shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Puzo as he avoids it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Manus Dinapoli. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A looping hook to the body misses from Puzo. Dinapoli does a little dance to reset his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dinapoli throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Puzo fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Puzo scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Dinapoli throws a poor cross that misses
and Dinapoli takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Puzo looks to score with a jab to the body but Dinapoli is just out of range.
Dinapoli connects with the punch.
Dinapoli misses with a lunging right hand
and Puzo counters with a series of strikes. Dinapoli will be more careful next time no doubt.
Puzo scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Dinapoli doesn't seem bothered though.

Dinapoli rushes Puzo and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Dinapoli's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Dinapoli trying to stall but Puzo improves his position.
Puzo makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.

Dinapoli is rocked!
A short right from Puzo.
Oh Dinapoli is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!

Puzo breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Puzo drops Dinapoli with a straight right hand, right on the button! Puzo follows him down to the mat and pounds him out with hammerfists until the referee jumps in to end the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:51 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Mario Puzo!
Mario Puzo made sure to mention his sponsor, Spartan Nutrition 160Q with Proof in his post fight interview.