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PBP Commentary |
Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between I Am (ranked 1303 p4p, 131 weight class) and Balbus Michael (ranked 2818 p4p, 259 weight class). Am comes to the cage accompanied by Mobb Deep - Shook Ones Part II. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.
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| 175 cm
34
149 lbs
20 - 11 - 0 |
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178 cm
29
150 lbs
14 - 9 - 0 |
Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Cardio machine |
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Good wrestler
Dangerous knees
Good gas tank |
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Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of
20 - 11 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, I Am!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of
14 - 9 - 0, fighting out of New York, Balbus Michael!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, Gwen Towbar and Cecil Peabody.
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A telegraphed right hand from Michael misses the target.
Am looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Michael scores with the left hand. Am knows he should have avoided that one.
Michael tries a head kick but it misses.
Am tries to counter with a takedown but Michael is quick to defend against it.
Am uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Michael.
Am thinks about countering with a head kick.
Michael dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Michael throws a sloppy body shot
and Am moves into the clinch.
The referee is keeping an eye on Michael - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Am holding his opponent close, against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Am blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Am struggles to land a body shot inside as Michael controls his hands.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Am.
Michael swings wildly with an uppercut but Am uses good head movement to avoid it.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Michael is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Am is defending well for now.
Am is working for takedown but Michael is calmly controlling the position for now.
Am tries to pull guard but Michael forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Michael slows down the pace here.
Michael misses with a punch on the inside.
Michael missing with knees to the body.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Michael.
Am swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Am goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Am has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Michael is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for I Am. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Michael stalls.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Am is trying to drag Michael to the mat but Michael just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Michael manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Am.
Michael stalling in the clinch but Am improves position.
Michael effectively controlling the action here.
Am drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Michael gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Michael lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Am backwards.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Am misses with a punch on the inside.
Michael lands a body punch.
Good body shot from Am.
Michael blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Michael has Am pressed against the cage.
Am lands a nice shot to the body.
Am tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Am breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Am needs to keep his hands up - Michael had a free shot at his head there.
Balbus Michael seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Am slips under a jab from Michael.
Am jinks towards his opponent looking like he wants to counter with a mid kick but doesn't commit.
Am keeps the fight on the outside.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Am showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Michael.
Am is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
A nice combination there by Michael.
Michael moves into the clinch.
Michael scores with an uppercut up the middle.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Michael is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Am looking for a takedown.
Michael prevents a body shot from Am.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Michael unloads a knee to the mid-section. Am lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Am can't find room to land a body shot as Michael controls the action.
Am breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.
Balbus Michael dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!
Michael misses with a low kick.
Michael's corner calls for a 1-2. Michael obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
A good leg kick by Michael.
Michael throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Am seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.
Michael thows a leg kick but Am checks it
and Am counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Am.
Am wants to pass the guard but Michael is keeping the position.
Am trying to control the position from guard on top but Michael is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Am passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Am tries to advance to mount but Michael denies him.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Michael is looking for a sweep.
Am tries for a kimura but Michael is defending well.
Am is looking to take a break and control but Michael is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Am looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Am works to advance to full mount. Michael defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Michael tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Michael has given up his back, trying to stand up. Not clever.
Michael trying to control the position but Am manages to sink in the hooks.
Am looking for the choke but no joy.
Michael is in a bad position with Am working for a choke. Michael manages to spin nicely into guard and the danger is over for the moment.
Michael seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Michael looking to pass the guard.
Michael trying to control the position from guard on top but Am is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Am looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Michael trying to control but Am is working from the bottom.
Michael throws an elbow that misses. Am uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Michael's guard. Nice move by Am!
That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Michael keeping moving, preventing Am from controlling successfully.
Michael is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Am trying to control but Michael is working from the bottom.
Am got a little sloppy there for a moment and Michael has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Am has managed to get both his arms back between Michael's legs - danger averted.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Michael throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Am escapes and throws Michael's legs to the side, diving into side control!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.
I Am dominated that second 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. This is the final round!
Michael looks to score with a jab to the body but Am is just out of range.
Am was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
A chopping leg kick lands by Michael.
Am slips under a jab from Michael.
Am half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Michael fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Am slips under a jab.
Michael throws a jab when Am was well out of range.
Michael throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Am moves out of range of the leg kick from Michael.
Am tries to counter with a takedown but Michael is quick to defend against it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A low kick from Michael misses
and Am counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Michael has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Michael connects with a solid leg kick.
Michael throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Am half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Michael closes the distance but Am moves to the side
and Am counters with a three punch combo that has Michael backing up. Michael nods at Am to acknowledge the strikes.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Michael throws an overhand right that lands on Am's shoulder, as Am tries to avoid the shot.
It looked like Am wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Good shot there by Michael.
Michael throws a body shot but no joy.
Am drops down looking for a counter takedown but Michael sprawls and moves away.
Michael lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Michael looks to land a right hand but Am moved out of range.
Am feinted with a counter takedown.
An inside leg kick from Michael misses.
Balbus Michael is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Michael throws a leg kick
and Am counters with a left and a right that stings Michael.
Michael misses with an uppercut
letting Am counter with a right hand.
Am keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Michael.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Am takes one on the button.
Michael waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Am.
Am half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Michael misses with a looping left.
Michael dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
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!
Michael fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Am tries to counter with a takedown but Michael is quick to defend against it.
Michael has closed the distance and engaged Am in a clinch.
Am blocks an uppercut.
Am drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Michael misses with the head strike.
Balbus Michael seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Am takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Michael prevents a body shot from Am.
Michael misses with a short punch on the inside.
Michael taking a breather.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Michael.
Michael wants to stall.
Michael misses with some punches.
Michael lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Am or not.
Michael lands with a light punch inside.
Am lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Michael misses with a hook from the clinch.
Am being controlled against the cage.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Michael just leaning against Am, taking a breather.
Michael slows down the pace here.
Am wants the takedown. Michael is fighting it off but Am persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Michael's guard against the cage.
Am controlling from the top position.
Am is pushing down on Michael's leg trying to pass to half guard. Michael is fighting to maintain full guard but Am has managed to sneak the leg through.
Am stalling away here and it's allowed Michael to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
And that's the end of the fight!
Balbus Michael comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Michael 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 Daniel Franklin scores the fight 28:29
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 28:29
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 28:29
In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Balbus Michael!
A less than humble Balbus Michael misjudged his post fight interview somewhat and came across a little too arrogant whilst trying to hype up his own abilities.
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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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