PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between James Darren (ranked 138 p4p, 133 weight class) and Matteo Boretti (ranked 20 p4p, 18 weight class). Darren's entrance music is Here's to the losers. A fine choice. The crowd seem to be enjoying Boretti's choice of entrance music: Ozzy Osbourne - Bark at the Moon. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Darren
vs
Boretti

185 cm
34
185
23 - 17 - 1

188 cm
29
203
21 - 9 - 0

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

HELLS BALLS RECOVERY
Aspire Clothing

Zenith Nutrition
BuriedAlive// Fight Gear

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 23 - 17 - 1, fighting out of New York, James Darren!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 21 - 9 - 0, fighting out of London, Matteo Boretti!
The judges for this bout are Donald Grub, James Ackerman and Sam Margolis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Darren connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Boretti slips a straight right by Darren.
Good shot there by Darren.
Darren 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.
Darren misses with an uppercut. Boretti saw that one coming.
Boretti darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Boretti looks to land a combination but Darren avoids it well.
A swing and a miss from Darren.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Darren throws a head kick that misses.
Boretti misses with a few strikes there.
Darren connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.

Darren cracks Boretti with a big right hand that sends him to the floor! Boretti looks wobbly but he's sprung back up to his feet straight away… can Darren finish him?

That's one minute gone in the round.
Boretti takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Boretti pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Darren connects with a single shot there.
Boretti lands a body shot.
Darren doesn't manage to clinch there - Boretti circles away.

Darren drives through and clinches with Boretti against the cage.
Boretti working aggressively here.
Boretti blocks a body shot from Darren.
Darren blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Boretti misses with a short punch on the inside.
Boretti blocks an uppercut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Darren throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Boretti takes an elbow to the forehead.

Boretti breaks the clinch.
Darren jabs Boretti to the body, keeping him at a distance.
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!
Boretti avoids the head kick by Darren.
Boretti throws a poor cross that misses
and Boretti takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Darren misses the shot to the body.
Darren lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Boretti throws a series of strikes that have Darren backpedaling.
Boretti misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Boretti throws a hook but Darren blocks it.
Darren tries to counter by clinching up but Boretti breaks away and moves out of range.
Darren throws a lazy uppercut
and Boretti counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A lazy left from Boretti finds it's target.
Some wild striking there from Boretti.
Darren misses with a double jab.
Darren takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Boretti avoids the head kick by Darren.
Darren throws a head kick that misses.
Boretti lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Darren throws a head kick that misses.
James Darren seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Darren steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Boretti. That one must have hurt.
Boretti throws a sloppy head kick and Darren moves out of range easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Darren loads up on a big right hand but Boretti slips the punch.
Boretti throws a fast counter high kick but Darren manages to duck under it in time.
Boretti fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Darren manages to avoid it.
It looked like Darren wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Darren misses with a hook
and Boretti counters with a one-two 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!
Boretti lets loose with a powerful body kick. Darren will feel that in the morning.
Darren on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Darren tries to clinch
and Boretti cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Darren tries to clinch up but Boretti circles away and keeps his distance.
Boretti scores with a nice right hand.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Boretti checks a leg kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that James Darren will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Boretti looks to land a right hand but Darren moved out of range.
Darren uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Boretti.
Matteo Boretti is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Darren throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Boretti throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Boretti stuns Darren with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Matteo Boretti seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Boretti lets loose with a powerful body kick. Darren will feel that in the morning.
Boretti throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Darren sees it coming and avoids it easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Darren tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Boretti throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Darren connects with a solid leg kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Boretti misses with a wild body shot.
Darren tries to clinch up
and Darren takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Darren wants to slow Boretti down by chopping away at his legs.
Boretti lands a jab-cross combination.

Darren is rocked!
Darren tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Boretti paws at him with a jab and circles away.
It seemed like Boretti was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Boretti looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Darren avoids a punch combination nicely.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Boretti.
Darren went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Boretti looks to land a body kick but Darren moved away.
Darren swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Darren doesn't manage to clinch there - Boretti circles away.
Darren uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Boretti.
Darren throws a big shot that misses.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Boretti! But no joy.
Boretti tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

Darren clinches up against the cage.
Darren lands an elbow inside.
Darren misses with a punch to the body.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Boretti fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Boretti softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Boretti throws a punch but it's blocked by Darren.
Boretti throws a head punch that misses.
I was talking to Darren's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Darren lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Darren pushes Boretti back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Boretti lands with a right to the head.
Boretti has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Darren.
Darren blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Boretti throws a head punch that misses.
Darren takes a shot to the head.
Boretti fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

Boretti escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Boretti throws a predictable looking body shot
and Darren counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

Darren moves into the clinch successfully.
Darren goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Darren working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Darren misses with a hook to the ribs.
Darren struggles to land a body shot inside as Boretti controls his hands.
A frustrated look appears on Boretti's face as he tries to break the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Darren lands a left hand that snaps the head of Boretti backwards.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A nice right hand lands inside from Boretti.
Darren tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Boretti's elbow.
Boretti misses with a hook to the ribs.
Boretti working hard to break the clinch.
A short right from Boretti.
Boretti fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

Boretti pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Boretti throws a head kick that misses.
Boretti misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Darren connects with a high kick.
A looping hook to the body misses from Darren. Boretti does a little dance to reset his feet.
Boretti throws out a counter right but Darren avoids it with no problem.
Darren swings for the body but Boretti moves out of range.
A countering left hand to the body from Boretti misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matteo Boretti showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Darren dips to his left and cracks Boretti with an uppercut!
Boretti throws a big shot that misses.
Darren wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.
Darren closes the distance looking to clinch
and Boretti counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Boretti throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Darren.
Boretti moves out of range of the body kick.
Boretti throws a fast counter high kick but Darren manages to duck under it in time.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Darren lands an overhand right.
Boretti stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Darren.
Boretti smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Crunch! Boretti slams his shin into Darren's torso.
Darren misses with a right hand
and Boretti counters with a series of strikes. Darren will be more careful next time no doubt.

Boretti lands a left and a right that send Darren crashing to the mat, dazed. Boretti thinks about following him to the mat but decides to wave him back up to his feet!
Oh Darren is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Darren tries to clinch but Boretti moves out of range.
Boretti darts in and lands a big hook, right on the button! Darren's legs crumble underneath him as he falls to the canvas! The ref tackles Boretti before he gets to land any more shots to his stricken foe.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:32 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Matteo Boretti!
Matteo Boretti bigged himself up after the win. The crowd seemed to love it.
James Darren was interviewed post fight and said 'I'm a loser!'.