PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Rocky Balboa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ryan Bader (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The fight MMA fans around the world have waited their entire lives for!

Balboa
vs
Bader

188 cm
18
273 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

195 cm
18
245 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Intelligent

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Rocky Balboa!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Ryan Bader!
The judges for this bout are John Mangel, Damien Edna and Summer Carpenter.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Bader avoids a punch combination nicely.
Bader with a lazy takedown attempt

and Balboa holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Balboa fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Bader is trying to drag Balboa to the mat but Balboa just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Balboa is trying to break the clinch but Bader has him pressed against the cage.
Balboa could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Bader wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Balboa has him pressed against the cage.
Balboa drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Bader gets the underhooks and prevents it.

Balboa breaks from the clinch.
Balboa avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Balboa closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Bader is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Balboa thows a huge punch but Bader dodges it nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Bader has one foot on Balboa's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.
Balboa fails in his attempt to clinch.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Balboa enables Bader to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Balboa manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Bader trying to control but Balboa is working from the bottom.
Balboa 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.
Balboa wants to sweep but no luck.
Bader with a flurry of punches that miss.
Balboa looking to control.
Bader trying to control the position from guard on top but Balboa is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Bader pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Balboa is keeping the position for now.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Balboa working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Bader.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Bader gets to his feet - Balboa follows without any prompting.

Bader shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Balboa's guard.
Bader is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Bader working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Balboa's head.
Bader controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Bader loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Bader content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Bader sitting in guard here, content to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bader trying to control but Balboa is working from the bottom.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Bader passes into half guard.
Balboa is breathing heavily.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Bader uses his free foot to push down on Balboa's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Balboa.
Bader working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Bader content just to control the position here.
Bader trying to control but Balboa is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bader pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Balboa is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Bader is landing with some decent strikes but Balboa is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Bader lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Bader lands a big elbow.
Bader sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Bader lands a big shot there that rocks Balboa but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ryan Bader dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Balboa with a poor takedown

and Bader decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Balboa's guard.

It looks like Rocky Balboa has been cut.
Bader slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Bader in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Bader postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Bader trying to control the position from guard on top but Balboa is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Balboa can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Bader controls the pace.
Bader trying to stand up but can't free himself from Balboa's guard.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Ryan Bader wasn't active enough on the ground.
Balboa takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Bader fails to land the takedown.
The step up in weight doesn't seem to be a problem for Bader. He's performing admirably here against the bigger man.
Bader closes the distance and clinches up with Balboa, looking for a takedown. Bader pushes Balboa against the cage but Balboa circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bader shoots and misses

and Balboa counters with a single leg into guard. Bader didn't expect that.
Rocky Balboa has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ryan Bader.
Balboa passes into half guard.
Bader blocking the ground and pound attempt from Balboa.
Bader trying to control from the bottom.
Bader wants to get back to full guard.
Balboa wants to take a breather but Bader is having none of it.
Bader is striking from the bottom but he's now found himself mounted! Oh dear - not enough focus on defense there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bader regains half guard.
Bader wants to get back to full guard but Balboa has mounted him!
Balboa breaks from Bader's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Balboa avoids the attempt from Bader to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balboa tries to control but Bader wriggling away.

Balboa jumps to the side looking to secure the arm triangle…. Ooooh, that looks tight… Bader is gargling but he's managed to escape! Nice work there by Bader and Balboa has given up the dominant position trying to land that submission.
Balboa throwing shots but missing, from side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Bader gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Bader can do anything to dispel that myth.
Bader is trying to control but can't.
Bader gets full guard.
Bader is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Bader looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Bader seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Bader is trying to keep Balboa in close.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ryan Bader showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Rocky Balboa's cut.
That's time! Balboa's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. And we move into the final round!

Balboa throws a sloppy head kick and Bader moves out of range easily.
Bader throws a hook but Balboa blocks it.

Bader closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Ryan Bader has got the better of the ground game so far.
Balboa regains half guard.
Bader working over Balboa with some ground and pound. Balboa looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Balboa is looking to escape.
Bader sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Balboa defending well though.
Bader is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Bader lands a nice short elbow.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Bader trying to mount his opponent but Balboa defends it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bader lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Bader content to control rather than advance.
Balboa slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Bader stopping the sweep attempt from Balboa.
Bader loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

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.
Bader preventing the sweep.
Bader trying to control the position from guard on top but Balboa is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Balboa working a defensive guard but Bader passes into half guard.
Bader is taking a breather. Balboa says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.

Bader postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Balboa to stand up.

Bader scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Bader taking a breather here.
Bader is working Balboa over with some ground and pound from side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bader cracks Balboa with a big right hand but Balboa just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Bader moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.
Bader working the head with strikes.
Balboa is not content to let Bader control the position.
Bader takes a little break here. Balboa wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.

That's four 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.
Bader lands a few punches from side control.
Bader is putting a hurting on Balboa here, landing some big shots from side control.
Bader lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Balboa down.
Bader cracks Balboa with a big right hand but Balboa just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Balboa is trying to escape the position but Bader is controlling the position.
Bader is looking to take a break and control but Balboa is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Bader taking a breather here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ryan Bader comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Bader winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Mangel scores the fight 27:30
Judge Damien Edna scores the fight 27:30
Judge Summer Carpenter scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ryan Bader!