PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Chrysanthos Xanthopoulos (ranked 5389 p4p, 5552 weight class) and Dustin Butcher (ranked 618 p4p, 631 weight class). The atmosphere really building for this one as we go over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Xanthopoulos
vs
Butcher

183 cm
19
185
1 - 0 - 0

183 cm
19
180
1 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Good low kicks
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Chrysanthos Xanthopoulos!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Dustin Butcher!
The judges for this bout are Gregory Folan, Robert Douchet and Yves DeLean.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Butcher swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Butcher throws a shot from downtown. Xanthopoulos moves away and avoids it.
Xanthopoulos appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Butcher tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.

Butcher has taken the fight to the clinch.
Butcher throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Xanthopoulos wants to break the clinch but can't.
Xanthopoulos fails to pull guard.
Butcher gets through Xanthopoulos's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Butcher digs a right hand into Xanthopoulos's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Xanthopoulos's gas tank.
Butcher pushes off an throws an elbow but Xanthopoulos leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Xanthopoulos is trying to pull guard but Butcher turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Butcher cracks Xanthopoulos with a nice body shot.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Xanthopoulos jumps guard but Butcher turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Chrysanthos Xanthopoulos. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Butcher throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Butcher scores with a nice hook to the head.
Xanthopoulos blocks an elbow strike from Butcher.
Butcher throws an elbow but it's blocked.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Butcher lands with a short head shot on the inside.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
A short left from Butcher.
Butcher lands a nice elbow.

It looks like Chrysanthos Xanthopoulos has been cut.
A right hand to the body from Butcher.
Butcher tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

Xanthopoulos's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
A solid leg kick lands there for Butcher.

Butcher lands a big head kick that sends Xanthopoulos tumbling to the mat! Butcher takes a step backwards and waves Xanthopoulos back to his feet - he wants the finish!

Xanthopoulos is rocked!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A telegraphed right hand from Butcher misses the target.

Xanthopoulos closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Butcher to the mat! Butcher manages to get full guard.
Xanthopoulos throws a big elbow that misses.
Butcher can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Xanthopoulos controls the pace.
Xanthopoulos throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Xanthopoulos postures up in Butcher's guard and throws a big left but Butcher blocks it.
Xanthopoulos scoring with punches to the head and body.
Xanthopoulos postures up in Butcher's guard and throws a big left but Butcher blocks it.
Xanthopoulos throws a big elbow that misses.
Xanthopoulos throwing strikes but missing.
Xanthopoulos landing with the ground and pound.
Xanthopoulos scoring with some ground and pound.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Xanthopoulos wants to control from the top but Butcher keeps moving.
Xanthopoulos postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Butcher keeping moving, preventing Xanthopoulos from controlling successfully.
Xanthopoulos working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Xanthopoulos is in close to Butcher's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Butcher controlling the position.
Xanthopoulos is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
We've been hearing that Xanthopoulos has been drilling a lot of ground and pound in training, so let's see if he get the finish.
Butcher controls Xanthopoulos momentarily but Xanthopoulos frees himself.
Xanthopoulos loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Butcher preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Xanthopoulos has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Xanthopoulos throwing strikes from guard but Butcher blocks nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Xanthopoulos loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Xanthopoulos working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Butcher's head.
Xanthopoulos throws a big elbow that misses.
Xanthopoulos connects with a couple of short punches.
Butcher utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Xanthopoulos is in close to Butcher's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Butcher keeping moving, preventing Xanthopoulos from controlling successfully.
Xanthopoulos in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Xanthopoulos accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Butcher has momentary wrist control but Xanthopoulos slips an elbow through the middle.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Dustin Butcher dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Chrysanthos Xanthopoulos's cut.
That's time! Xanthopoulos's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Butcher misses the jab.
Butcher swings for the body but Xanthopoulos moves out of range.
Xanthopoulos half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
A looping hook to the body misses from Butcher. Xanthopoulos does a little dance to reset his feet.

Xanthopoulos drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Xanthopoulos throws an elbow but Butcher slips to the side and avoids it well.
Xanthopoulos working the body and head with strikes.
Xanthopoulos misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Xanthopoulos is working Butcher over with some ground and pound from side control.
The strikes coming from Xanthopoulos are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Xanthopoulos creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Xanthopoulos lands a decent elbow from side control.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Xanthopoulos landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
The ground and pound from Xanthopoulos seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
An elbow from Xanthopoulos crashes against the mat.
Xanthopoulos in side control lands a decent elbow.
Xanthopoulos scoring with punches from side control.
Xanthopoulos lands a few punches from side control.
Xanthopoulos working the head with strikes.
Butcher felt the need to train up his defensive grappling in the buildup to the fight. Presumably he was expecting to be in a difficult position like this, so let's see if he can get out of it.
Xanthopoulos lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Butcher down.
Butcher is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Xanthopoulos is looking to take a break and control but Butcher is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Butcher on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Butcher is breathing heavily.
Xanthopoulos lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Butcher down.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Butcher is not content to let Xanthopoulos control the position.
Butcher is looking for a sweep.
Xanthopoulos looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Butcher is avoiding damage well.
Xanthopoulos working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Check out the look on Xanthopoulos's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
An elbow from Xanthopoulos crashes against the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Xanthopoulos works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Xanthopoulos cracks Butcher with a big elbow.
Xanthopoulos scoring with punches from side control.
Xanthopoulos in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Xanthopoulos is working Butcher over with some ground and pound from side control.
Xanthopoulos is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Butcher can do to turn this around?
Xanthopoulos remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
Xanthopoulos working the ground and pound but Butcher is defending the strikes.
Butcher really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Xanthopoulos. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Butcher struggling a bit here.
Xanthopoulos sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Butcher is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Xanthopoulos working the ground and pound from side control.
Xanthopoulos looks up at the clock and then as Butcher takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Xanthopoulos smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Xanthopoulos lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Xanthopoulos trying to control the action but Butcher is working from the bottom.
Butcher defending against the ground and pound.
Xanthopoulos lands a decent elbow from side control.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Xanthopoulos wants to lay and pray for a moment but Butcher keeps working.
Xanthopoulos lands a nice forearm strike.

Butcher is rocked!
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Chrysanthos Xanthopoulos dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Chrysanthos Xanthopoulos's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare each other down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Xanthopoulos shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Butcher napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Butcher avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Xanthopoulos.
Xanthopoulos cracks Butcher with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Butcher is still in real trouble! Can Xanthopoulos finish him?
Xanthopoulos wants to lay and pray for a moment but Butcher keeps working.
Butcher seems to have recovered his senses.
Butcher parries the strikes from Xanthopoulos easily there. Xanthopoulos is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Butcher to escape.
Butcher is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Butcher taking a bit of punishment here - Xanthopoulos scoring with strikes.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Xanthopoulos landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Xanthopoulos throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Xanthopoulos cracks Butcher with a big elbow.
Butcher takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Butcher is not content to let Xanthopoulos control the position.
Xanthopoulos throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Xanthopoulos working the head and body with strikes.
Xanthopoulos with the ground and pound but Butcher regains half guard under the barage of strikes.
Xanthopoulos drops an elbow to the side of Butcher's head.
Butcher holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.
Xanthopoulos winds up and cracks Butcher with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Xanthopoulos drops an elbow to the side of Butcher's head.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Xanthopoulos trying to mount his opponent but Butcher defends it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Xanthopoulos passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Butcher!
Xanthopoulos landing strikes, looking to finish!
Oooooh, big shot lands for Xanthopoulos! Butcher is hurt baaadly! Xanthopoulos is firing away with more strikes - Butcher is covering up... the ref is warning him to do something. He's just covering up though still and the ref has to step in to end the fight! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:48 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Chrysanthos Xanthopoulos!
During a confident post fight interview, Chrysanthos Xanthopoulos thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.