PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Vincent Lombardi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kokushi Muso (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Muso has chosen Here we Go as his entrance music. Kokushi Muso has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Vincent Lombardi's chin.

Lombardi
vs
Muso

183 cm
22
190 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

169 cm
18
185 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Inexperienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Tends to cut

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Vincent Lombardi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Kokushi Muso!
The judges for this bout are John Kavanagh, Bruno Lombardi and Alyssa Summers.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The fight stays on the outside here - Muso looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Lombardi looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Muso tries to get to full guard but Lombardi has control of the leg.
Lombardi stops Muso from getting back to his feet.

Muso looking for submissions off his back.

Muso has one foot on Lombardi's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.
Muso avoids the head kick by Lombardi.
Lombardi closes the distance but Muso moves to the side

and Muso holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Muso tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Lombardi avoids it.

Lombardi is trying to trip Muso. He has hold of a leg but Muso is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Lombardi persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Lombardi tries to free his leg and advance position but Muso is retaining full guard.
Muso wants to sweep but no luck.
Muso is looking to stand up but Lombardi isn't so interested in that idea.
Lombardi pushing down on Muso's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Lombardi throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Lombardi perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Lombardi lands a nice short elbow.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lombardi is thwarting Muso's attempts to control the position.

Lombardi decides to stand up.
Muso misses with a takedown attempt

and Lombardi holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Lombardi is trying to break the clinch but Muso is controlling him.
Lombardi is looking to control Muso's arms but Muso gets an underhook and turns him. Now Lombardi has his back to the cage.
Muso taking a breather.
Muso trying to land knees to the body.
Lombardi wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
With the fighters up against the cage, Muso throws an elbow but misses.

Lombardi breaks the clinch.
Muso wants to clinch but Lombardi slips to the side
and Lombardi counters with an outside leg kick.
Lombardi throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
Muso darts in trying to clinch

and Lombardi counters with a nice double leg into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Muso tries to kick Lombardi off but Lombardi keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Lombardi performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Lombardi throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Lombardi will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Lombardi sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Muso defending well though.
Muso looks like he's trying to stand up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Lombardi controlling the action here.
Lombardi looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Lombardi wants to take a breather but Muso is having none of it.
Muso is positioning himself well to prevent Lombardi advancing to mount.
Lombardi passes the guard and advances to mount!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vincent Lombardi dominated that round.
That's time! Lombardi's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Lombardi misses with a leg kick

and Muso counters by moving into the clinch.
Lombardi landing knees to the head.
Muso tries to land knees in the clinch but Lombardi avoids the damage to the body.
Muso is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Lombardi is defending well for now.

Lombardi escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Muso throws a body kick despite being completely out of range
and Lombardi counters with a stiff right hand.
Muso closes the distance looking to clinch

and Lombardi counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Muso is trying to keep Lombardi in close.
Muso keeping moving, preventing Lombardi from controlling successfully.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Lombardi postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Muso wants to stand and escape but Lombardi is having none of it.
Lombardi wants to control from the top but Muso keeps moving.
Lombardi looking to sit in guard and control but Muso gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Muso should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
Muso trying to stand up but can't free himself from Lombardi's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Muso tries to clinch

and Lombardi counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Muso moves into full guard.

Muso pushes Lombardi off and gets back to his feet.
Muso tries to clinch but Lombardi moves away

and Lombardi counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Lombardi leaning his opponent against the cage.
Muso fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Muso is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Lombardi has Muso pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Muso manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Muso drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Lombardi gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Vincent Lombardi has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Kokushi Muso.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Muso obliges.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Muso tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Lombardi on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

Muso has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Lombardi is trying to keep an underhook but Muso manages to get the takedown into half guard.
Lombardi wants to get back to his feet.

Muso stands up from half guard.
Muso pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Lombardi tries to clinch there but Muso circles away.
Some wild striking there from Muso.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Lombardi looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
It looks like Lombardi is going to stand back up.
Muso regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Lombardi.
Muso wants to sweep but no luck.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vincent Lombardi dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Muso tries to clinch but Lombardi is having none of it.
Muso gets off balance looking for a body kick

and Lombardi counters with a single leg into guard. Muso didn't expect that.
Lombardi wants to control from the top but Muso keeps moving.
Muso is looking to stand up but Lombardi isn't so interested in that idea.
Lombardi thows a big elbow that misses.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Muso looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Muso wants to stand but Lombardi is controlling the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Lombardi gets to his feet - Muso follows without any prompting.
Muso fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Lombardi swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

so Muso counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Lombardi looking for a sweep. Not yet Lombardi, not yet.
Lombardi is trying to control the position but Muso postures up.
Muso's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Muso wanted to stand there but Lombardi had control of the position.
Lombardi is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Muso is controlling him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Muso stands up and waves to Lombardi to follow him.

Lombardi clinches up with Muso and pushes him back against the cage.
Muso throws a knee to the head but misses.
Lombardi tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Muso just stands there and leans against the cage.
Lombardi wants to get back to striking at distance but Muso won't allow it.
Muso misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Lombardi.
Muso lands a damaging elbow.

Muso works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Muso looking to sit in guard and control but Lombardi gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Lombardi scoring with punches to the head and body.
Lombardi trying to control the position from guard on top but Muso is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Muso looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Lombardi trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Muso manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!

Muso stands and steps away. Lombardi gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Kokushi Muso has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Muso tries to clinch

so Lombardi counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Lombardi stopping the sweep attempt from Muso.
Muso trying to strike off his back.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Muso striking off his back but it's not causing Lombardi any problems.
Vincent Lombardi is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Muso escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Lombardi gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Vincent Lombardi.
Well Lombardi has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 John Kavanagh scores the fight 30:27
Judge Bruno Lombardi scores the fight 30:28
Judge Alyssa Summers scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Vincent Lombardi!