PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Nikos Giannopoulos (ranked 2692 p4p, 348 weight class) and Kelvin Handleman (ranked 3811 p4p, 461 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Handleman's choice of entrance music: Pride FC Theme. Nikos Giannopoulos has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Giannopoulos
vs
Handleman

184 cm
22
207 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

176 cm
28
210 lbs
5 - 5 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Excellent MT
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

BuriedAlive// Fight Gear

Freebok (85% Laundry)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Nikos Giannopoulos!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Kelvin Handleman!
The judges for this bout are Wesley Smith, Alan Glass and Cecil Peabody.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A nice inside leg kick there by Giannopoulos. That's going to slow Handleman down.
Giannopoulos stuffs the takedown attempt from Handleman. Handleman gets slowly back to his feet.

Handleman looking for a takedown here - he's got it.

Giannopoulos throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Giannopoulos looks to be working for a triangle here. Oh, it looks like he might have it! Handleman has picked Giannopoulos up and slammed him! Giannopoulos can't keep hold of the triangle and Handleman manages to pass to side control!
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Handleman trying to control the position but Giannopoulos is working away.
Handleman in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Giannopoulos manages to work his way to half guard, despite Handleman's best efforts.
Handleman winds up and cracks Giannopoulos with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Handleman sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Giannopoulos defending well though.
Handleman is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Handleman sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Giannopoulos defending well though.
Handleman scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Handleman lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Handleman scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Handleman thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Giannopoulos's head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Giannopoulos taking some punishment here, with Handleman in his half guard.
Giannopoulos is trying to maintain the position but Handleman is very close to passing his half guard.
Giannopoulos is looking to improve his position.
Handleman is looking for the mount but instead finds himself back in full guard.
Giannopoulos wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Giannopoulos is trying to control the position but Handleman postures up.

Giannopoulos working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Handleman has passed into half guard!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Handleman looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Handleman scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Handleman is looking to stall here but Giannopoulos recovers full guard.
Giannopoulos working a defensive guard here.
Giannopoulos is controlling Handleman's posture.
Giannopoulos keeping moving, preventing Handleman from controlling successfully.
Handleman must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Handleman postures up.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Handleman passes Giannopoulos's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Handleman controlling the action here.
Handleman working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Giannopoulos tries to roll over but Handleman keeps him under control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kelvin Handleman dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Handleman throws a right hand that misses
and Giannopoulos counters with a lovely straight right hand!

It looks like Kelvin Handleman has been cut.
Handleman throws an off balance right hand
and Giannopoulos counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Handleman moves out of range of the body kick from Giannopoulos.
Handleman is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Handleman takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Nice jab there from Handleman.
Handleman takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Handleman throws an ugly left hook that misses

and Giannopoulos counters with a nice right hand that sends Handleman toppling to the canvas! Handleman scrambles and gets back to his feet - can Giannopoulos finish him?!

Handleman is rocked!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Handleman jabs at Giannopoulos's body.
Handleman is still on wobbly legs! Can Giannopoulos finish him?
Giannopoulos throws a pinpoint strike between Handleman's hands that connects right on the jaw and sends Handleman crashing to the floor! He's out before he even hits the mat and Giannopoulos scores a great knockout victory!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:52 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Nikos Giannopoulos!
Nikos Giannopoulos decided to go for the less than humble approach in his post fight interview, telling everyone how he is going to conquer the world. The crowd seemed to like it when really that sort of approach could have gone either way.
Kelvin Handleman spoke after the fight, saying 'I'm a fucking man and no one will ever question that because I am a man before I am a fighter and to have some pussy that sits behind a computer all day question my manhood pisses me off...'.