PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Carlos Blanka (ranked 6684 p4p, 0 weight class) and Monty Don (ranked 5153 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Blanka
vs
Don

188 cm
25
200 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

185 cm
25
215 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Powerful

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Carlos Blanka!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Monty Don!
The judges for this bout are Bart Greer, Daniel Franklin and Sandra Marshall.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Blanka looks to land a combination but Don avoids it well.
Don feints the counter takedown.
Don throws out a powerful jab.
Don dives in for a single leg takedown but Blanka sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Blanka slips a straight right by Don.
Blanka has been working on his boxing with his coaches at Prosper Training in the buildup to the fight.
Don throws a sloppy body shot
and Blanka makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Blanka throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Don on the side of the head.
Don feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Blankas jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Don falls off balance throwing a combination
and Blanka counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Monty Don seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Don with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Blanka to score with a decent uppercut.
Blanka misses with a few strikes there.
Blanka slips a jab from Don.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Blanka scores with a three punch combo!
Blanka ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Blanka slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Blanka tries to bum rush Don with a series of wild strikes but Don uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Don looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Blanka avoids the body shot from Don.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Blanka cracks Don with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Don doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Blanka counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Carlos Blanka is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Blanka misses with a wild combination.
Don throws a big shot that misses.
A counter left hand to the body from Blanka misses its target.
Don rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Blanka counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Don moves out of range as Blanka strikes.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Blanka checks a leg kick.
The fighters circling - Don throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Blanka appears to be looking for a big counter.
Some wild striking there from Don.
Don throws a right and a left that both miss.
An attempted straight right counter from Blanka misses the target.
Don shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Blanka counters with a straight right hand.
Carlos Blanka has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Monty Don.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Don throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Blanka swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Blanka scores with a nice strike.
Blanka checks a leg kick nicely.

Don decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Blanka taking some punishment here, with Don in his half guard.
Don is trying to control the action in half guard but Blanka is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Blanka on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Blanka tries to get out of the position.
Don is nestled in close to Blanka, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Don scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Don trying to control from half guard but Blanka is working away.

Don is working for a kimura but Blanka is defending it quite comfortably.
Don looks winded!
Don scores with a couple of good hammerfists.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Blanka is staying active underneath Don, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Don working the head and body with strikes.
Don is taking a breather. Blanka says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Blanka is trying to stand.
Don is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Don is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Don has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Don looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Don dominating with strikes here.
Don trying to control but he's not successful this time.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Don controlling from the full mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Don trying to control but Blanka is having none of it.
Don putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Don raining down hammerfists from mount.
Don looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Don can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Blanka is looking to escape.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Don landing shots from mount.

Don has hold of an arm here, looking to extend it. He's committed to the armbar attempt here! Will he get it?! Yes! Blanka is forced to tap!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:56 of round 1, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Monty Don!