PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Christopher Marc Balisi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kacper Mindak (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Christopher Marc Balisi has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Marc Balisi
vs
Mindak

190 cm
25
135 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

182 cm
22
135 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Christopher Marc Balisi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Kacper Mindak!
The judges for this bout are Wesley Smith, Gwen Towbar and Tiny Johnson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Balisi misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Balisi misses with a takedown
and Balisi takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.

Mindak closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Balisi quickly recovers to half guard.
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.

Balisi is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Mindak pulls his head out easily.
Mindak is trying to control the action in half guard but Balisi is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Mindak is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Mindak takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.

Balisi is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Mindak pulls his head out easily.
Mindak drops an elbow to the side of Balisi's head.
Mindak trying to control from half guard but Balisi is working away.
Mindak slows the pace down in half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Mindak is actively looking for submissions here but good counter grappling here from Balisi as he works his way to full guard.
Balisi keeping moving, preventing Mindak from controlling successfully.
Balisi keeping full guard, as Mindak tries to pass.
Mindak engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Mindak pushing down on Balisi's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Balisi wants to get back to full guard.
Mindak is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Mindak looking to control but Balisi is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Balisi slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Balisi is not content to let Mindak control the position.
Mindak lands with a punch from half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mindak works his foot free and advances to mount.

Mindak looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Balisi is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Mindak sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Mindak lands a nice shot to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mindak punching from mount but Balisi doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Mindak trying to control but Balisi is having none of it.
Mindak tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Mindak looks gassed!
Mindak throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Mindak wants to control the pace but Balisi is squirming around nicely.
Balisi avoids a series of strikes thrown by Mindak.
Mindak wants to control but Balisi has made it back to half guard. Nice work.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kacper Mindak dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Mindak fails with the takedown

and Balisi counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Balisi postures up and lands a big shot to Mindak's brow.
Balisi postures up.
Balisi working some strikes from top position.
Mindak is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

Mindak had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Balisi defends it easily.
Balisi working some strikes from top position.
Balisi working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Balisi wants to control from the top but Mindak keeps moving.
Mindak is breathing heavily.
Balisi lands a couple of decent looking shots.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balisi cracks Mindak with a solid left hand.
Balisi is working Mindak over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Balisi missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Mindak looking for a sweep. Not yet Mindak, not yet.
Balisi with a nice head shot there.
Mindak keeping moving, preventing Balisi from controlling successfully.
Mindak controls Balisi momentarily but Balisi frees himself.
Balisi content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Balisi is in close to Mindak's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Balisi trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Balisi wants to control from the top but Mindak keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Balisi lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Balisi makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Balisi with a nice head shot there.
Balisi in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Balisi postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Mindak trying to keep a closed guard but Balisi is proving a slippery customer.
Balisi really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Kacper Mindak.

Balisi drives through with a takedown into guard.
Balisi with a flurry of punches that miss.

Mindak working for a triangle but Balisi defends it easily.
Balisi cracks Mindak with a solid left hand.
Mindak looking to hit a scissor sweep but Balisi is one step ahead there.
Mindak working a defensive guard here.
Mindak is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Balisi postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Balisi content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Balisi looking to pass the guard.
Mindak preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Balisi keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Mindak's head.
Balisi 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.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Balisi's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Balisi trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Balisi throwing strikes but missing.
Mindak not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Balisi throwing strikes from guard but Mindak blocks nicely.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Christopher Marc Balisi dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Mindak shoots for a takedown but Balisi saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Balisi gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Mindak counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Mindak throws and elbow that misses. Balisi uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Mindak's guard. Nice move by Balisi!
Balisi works over Mindak with some ground and pound from guard.
Balisi stopping the sweep attempt from Mindak.
Mindak doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Mindak manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Balisi manages to get himself to full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Balisi keeping moving, preventing Mindak from controlling successfully.
Christopher Marc Balisi overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mindak is stalling in the full guard.
Mindak loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Mindak stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Balisi swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Mindak looking to sit in guard and control but Balisi gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Mindak is looking to stand up but Balisi isn't so interested in that idea.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Balisi preventing the sweep.
Balisi is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Balisi is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Balisi in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Mindak looking for a sweep. Not yet Mindak, not yet.
Balisi working some strikes from top position.
Balisi keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Mindak's head.
Balisi landing with the ground and pound.
Mindak controls Balisi momentarily but Balisi frees himself.
Mindak is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mindak tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Balisi scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Mindak wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Balisi is now in half guard.
Balisi is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Mindak is trying to escape the mount.
Balisi is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Mindak tries to lock up and control but Balisi gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Balisi lands with some strikes.
Mindak is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Balisi connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Mindak wants to control but Balisi is having none of it.
Mindak working to try and regain half guard.
Mindak is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Balisi dominating with strikes here.
Balisi lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Balisi punishing his opponent with strikes.
Balisi punishing his opponent with strikes.
Mindak is looking to improve his position but Balisi isn't that keen on the idea.
Balisi fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!

And that's the end of the fight!
Christopher Marc Balisi showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Balisi 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 Wesley Smith scores the fight 29:28
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 29:28
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Christopher Marc Balisi!