PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Michael Balboa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Leo Clarke (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Balboa comes to the cage accompanied by Punch Drunk. 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.

Balboa
vs
Clarke

187 cm
27
221 lbs
13 - 6 - 0

185 cm
22
220 lbs
9 - 4 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
World class boxer
Very strong

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Powerful

Conviction

Legal High's - End Of Month Sale
Legal High's - End Of Month Sale

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 13 - 6 - 0, fighting out of New York, Michael Balboa!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 4 - 0, fighting out of New York, Leo Clarke!
The judges for this bout are Alyssa Summers, Chad Campbell and Dean Styles.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Balboa keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Clarke.
Balboa getting the better of the striking in that exchange.

It looks like Leo Clarke has been cut.
The fighters circling - Balboa throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Clarke misses the jab.
Balboa uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Clarke.
Clarke throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Balboa's waist but Balboa gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Clarke off to one side.
Balboa throws a right and a left that Clarke avoids nicely.
Balboa connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Clarke's hands.
Balboa thows a body shot but no joy.
Clarke moves out of range of the strikes.
Clarke tries to clinch up but Balboa circles away and keeps his distance.
A looping hook to the body misses from Balboa. Clarke does a little dance to reset his feet.

Clarke clinches.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Clarke taking a breather.
Balboa can't break the clinch.
Clarke lands a hook that snaps the head of Balboa backwards.
Clarke gets through Balboa's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.

It looks like Michael Balboa has been cut.
Balboa is trying to force a seperation but Clarke has the dominant position.
Balboa letting Clarke take a breather here.
Balboa wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

Clarke breaks the clinch.
Clarke tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Balboa swivels and escapes.
Balboa uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Clarke.
Clarke swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Clarke looks to throw the jab but Balboa is out of range.
Clarke thuds his right hand into Balboa's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Balboa looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Nice body punch from Clarke.
Balboa scores with a jab to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Clarke slips a straight right by Balboa.
Michael Balboa is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Clarke shoots in for a double leg but Balboa sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Michael Balboa has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Leo Clarke.
Clarke uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Balboa.
Clarke tries to clinch up.
Balboa fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Clarke manages to avoid it.
Clarke lands a glancing blow to the side of Balboa's head.
Balboa moves out of range of the strikes.
Nice cross by Balboa.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Clarke tries to clinch there but Balboa circles away.
Balboa scores with a jab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Clarke connects with a single shot there.
Balboa darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
A big right from Clarke misses.
Balboa is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Clarke.
Balboa thows a left - swing and a miss!
Clarke lands a lovely overhand right.
Balboa is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.

Clarke gets in close and instigates a clinch.
A frustrated look appears on Balboa's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Clarke goes for a takedown in the clinch but Balboa prevents it.
Clarke cracks Balboa with a nice body shot.
Clarke lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Clarke keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Balboa's efforts to push away.
Balboa has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Clarke makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
A frustrated look appears on Balboa's face as he tries to break the clinch.
A nice left hand lands by Clarke.
Clarke lands a hook that snaps the head of Balboa backwards.
Clarke lands with a short shot to the head.
Balboa wants to break the clinch but can't.
A hook to the body from Clarke.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Balboa breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Clarke throws a right and a left that both miss.
Clarke fails with the takedown.
Balboa slips a jab from Clarke.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Clarke tries to clinch there but Balboa circles away.
Balboa throws a combination that misses
and Clarke counters with a left and a right that stings Balboa.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Leo Clarke will probably get the nod.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Clarke misses with a double jab.
Clarke throws a shot from downtown. Balboa moves away and avoids it.
Clarke throws a right and a left that both miss.
Balboa misses with a body punch
and Clarke counters with a straight right hand.
Balboa throws a right and a left that both miss.
Clarke shoots in for a takedown but Balboa shows good takedown defense.
Balboa slaps away a takedown attempt from Clarke, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Clarke swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.

Clarke has closed the distance and engaged Balboa in a clinch.
Balboa wants to break the clinch but can't.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balboa tries to break free but Clarke pushes him back against the cage.
Clarke misses with some punches.
Come on Clarke - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Balboa wants to break the clinch but can't.
Balboa tries to break the clinch but Clarke is controlling the position.
Clarke throws a punch but it's blocked by Balboa.
Clarke misses with a punch on the inside.
Clarke pushes Balboa back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Clarke working aggressively here.
Balboa is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
A short left from Clarke.

Clarke manages to pull guard.

Clarke is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.
Clarke is breathing heavily.
Balboa tries to circle away but Clarke has him pinned against the cage.
Clarke throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Balboas head.
Clarke lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Balboa wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Balboa wants to break the clinch but can't.
Balboa is trying to break the clinch but Clarke has him pressed against the cage.
Balboa wants to break the clinch but can't.
Balboa is trying to break the clinch but Clarke has him pressed against the cage.
Balboa is trying to break the clinch but Clarke is controlling him.
A bit of stalling here from Clarke.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Clarke lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Balboa backwards.
Balboa tries to circle away but Clarke has him pinned against the cage.
Clarke lands a shot to the body.
Balboa is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Balboa wants to get back to striking at distance but Clarke won't allow it.
A short uppercut from Clarke.
Balboa is trying to break free.
Balboa is trying to break the clinch but Clarke is controlling him.
Clarke stalling in the clinch.

Balboa's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Balboa throws a jab but it's blocked by Clarke.
Balboa gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Clarke.
Clarke with a nice cross.

Clarke has taken the fight to the clinch.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Clarke has picked Balboa up - he's going for a ride! Clarke dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Clarke wants to pass the guard but Balboa is defending well.
Clarke throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balboa is not content to let Clarke control the position.
Clarke thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Clarke is keen to just control but Balboa is a slippery customer.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Clarke is looking to advance position but Balboa won't allow it.
Balboa knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Clarke on the ground.

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

Clarke is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Balboa ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Clarke moves away.
A big right from Balboa misses.
Clarke moves out of range as Balboa strikes.
Clarke gets cracked there but stands up to it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Leo Clarke showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Clarke wants to clinch up but Balboa keeps it at a distance.
Clarke swings for the body but Balboa moves out of range.
Clarke moves out of range as Balboa strikes.
Clarke throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Clarke ducks under a wild hook from Balboa.
Balboa throws a nice looking combination but Clarke bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Clarke dodges the punch combination from Balboa.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Clarke fails with a takedown attempt.
Clarke lands with a nice body punch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balboa looks to land a left hand but Clarke moved out of range nicely.
Clarke moves away from the strike by Balboa.
Balboa swats away the attempt to clinch by Clarke.
Clarke misses with a straight right.
Clarke misses with a shot to the body
and Balboa counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Clarke thinking.
Clarke takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Clarke throws an overhand right that lands on Balboa's shoulder, as Balboa tries to avoid the shot.
Balboa works Clarke's body with a nice hook.
Leo Clarke seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Clarke displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Balboa throws out the jab.
Balboa fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Balboa missing with a left hand there. Clarke was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Clarke avoids the body shot from Balboa.
Clarke uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Balboa.
Clarke wants to clinch up but Balboa keeps it at a distance.
Balboa avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Clarke throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Clarke slips under a jab from Balboa.
Clarke avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Clarke moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Clarke tests Balboa's chin there with a solid looking shot.
A lazy left from Clarke finds it's target.
Clarke tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Clarke connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.

Michael Balboa's cut is getting worse.
A jab from Clarke misses.
Balboa throws a hook to the side of Clarke's head but Clarke sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Balboa ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Clarke moves away.
Balboa on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Balboa ducks right into an uppercut from Clarke.
Michael Balboa has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Clarke uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Balboa.
Balboa gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Clarke.
Clarke moves out of range as Balboa strikes.
Balboa dodges the punch combination from Clarke.
Clarke on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Clarke is looking to clinch.
A slow jab from Balboa misses its intended target.
Balboa uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Clarke.
A swing and a miss from Clarke.

And that's the end of the fight!
Leo Clarke comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Clarke has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Alyssa Summers scores the fight 27:30
Judge Chad Campbell scores the fight 27:30
Judge Dean Styles scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Leo Clarke!