PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Mauricio Rizzo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Manny Donkers (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rizzo comes to the cage accompanied by .. Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Rizzo
vs
Donkers

190 cm
30
209 lbs
10 - 8 - 0

225 cm
31
215 lbs
9 - 7 - 2

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
World class boxer
Powerful

Fossington & Blythe: Gentlemen's Fight Attire
Fossington & Blythe: Gentlemen's Fight Attire

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 10 - 8 - 0, fighting out of London, Mauricio Rizzo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 7 - 2, fighting out of London, Manny Donkers!
The judges for this bout are Richard Clark, Paul Tew and Colin Fotheringham.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Donkers tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Rizzo counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Rizzo pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Donkers misses with a body shot.
Rizzo swings for the body but Donkers moves out of range.
Rizzo keeps the fight on the outside.
Donkers tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Rizzo was well out of range. Poor timing from Donkers.
Donkers stuffs the takedown.
Rizzo throws a half hearted mid kick.
A head kick misses from Rizzo.
The fight stays on the outside here - Donkers looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Rizzo drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Donkers moves in looking to clinch but Rizzo pushes him off.
Manny Donkers seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rizzo just misses with a punch to the body.
Rizzo connects with a solid leg kick.
Donkers closes the distance looking to clinch

so Rizzo counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Donkers working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Rizzo.
Rizzo throws an elbow that misses. Donkers uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Rizzo's guard. Nice move by Donkers!
Donkers tries to stand but Rizzo is controlling from the bottom.
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.
Rizzo managing to control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Mauricio Rizzo has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Rizzo lands a lovely overhand right.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Donkers lands with a shot to the body.
Donkers is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Donkers walks into a straight right hand from Rizzo.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Donkers misses with an uppercut.
Rizzo throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Rizzo misses the jab.
Rizzo throws a wild body kick that Donkers sees coming a mile off.
Donkers looks to clinch
and Rizzo counters with a nice low kick that buckles Donkers's knee momentarily.
Donkers wants to clinch up but Rizzo keeps it at a distance.
Donkers misses with a hook
and Rizzo counters with a leg kick.
Manny Donkers is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Donkers wants to clinch but Rizzo slips to the side
and Rizzo counters with a nice low kick that buckles Donkers's knee momentarily.
Donkers tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Rizzo manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Donkers wants to clinch but Rizzo slips to the side
and Rizzo counters with an outside leg kick.
Rizzo walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Donkers throws a hook but Rizzo avoids it easily.
Donkers tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Rizzo counters with a nice double leg into guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Rizzo drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Donkers dives on top into guard.
Rizzo not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Rizzo pulls Donkers in close to his closed guard and prevents Donkers from doing any damage or advancing position.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!

Mauricio Rizzo has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Rizzo swats away the attempt to clinch by Donkers.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Rizzo.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mauricio Rizzo dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Donkers enables Rizzo to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Donkers manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Donkers avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Rizzo won't allow Donkers to get back to his feet.
Rizzo throws a strike but Donkers rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Rizzo looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Donkers must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Rizzo has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Mauricio Rizzo just wasn't active enough.
Donkers looks to land a right hand but Rizzo moved out of range.
Donkers connects with a jab.
Rizzo throws a good cross that connects.
A leg kick checked by Donkers.

Donkers has taken the fight to the clinch.
Rizzo lands a right hand that snaps the head of Donkers backwards.

Rizzo breaks from the clinch.

Rizzo shoots in and bounces Donkers off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Rizzo throws an elbow that misses. Donkers uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Rizzo's guard. Nice move by Donkers!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rizzo controls Donkers momentarily but Donkers frees himself.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Rizzo manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Donkers manages to get himself to full guard.
Rizzo throws a strike but Donkers rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Donkers tries to free his leg and advance position but Rizzo is retaining full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Donkers wants to get up but he can't break Rizzo's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Rizzo has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Mauricio Rizzo wasn't doing enough on the ground.

Donkers forces Rizzo back against the cage and clinches.
Rizzo stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Donkers throws a punch but it's blocked by Rizzo.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Donkers softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Donkers tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Donkers misses with a knee strike.
A nice left hand lands by Rizzo.
Rizzo dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Donkers lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Rizzo backwards.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Donkers lands a nice knee to the body.
Rizzo is trying to drag Donkers to the mat but Donkers just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Rizzo trying to stall but Donkers improves his position.

Rizzo's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Rizzo lands a head kick!
Donkers lands with a straight right. Rizzo didn't see that one coming.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Donkers tries to close the distance and clinch up but Rizzo swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Donkers tries to clinch up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mauricio Rizzo dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Rizzo scores with a jab to the head.
Rizzo misses with a low kick.
Rizzo keeps the fight on the outside.
Rizzo fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Donkers tries to close the distance and clinch up but Rizzo swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Donkers is looking to clinch.
Donkers fails in his attempt to clinch.
Donkers connects with a crisp jab.
Donkers wants to clinch but Rizzo slips to the side
enabling Rizzo to counter with a crisp jab.
Rizzo scoring well with a low kick there.
Donkers tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Donkers tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Rizzo counters with a nice body shot.
Donkers fails in his attempt to clinch.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Donkers closes the distance and pushes Rizzo back into the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Donkers misses with a hook from the clinch.
Rizzo taking a breather.
Donkers throws a punch but it's blocked by Rizzo.
Rizzo softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Rizzo lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Donkers.
Donkers misses with a hook from the clinch.
Donkers struggles to land a body shot inside as Rizzo controls his hands.
A head punch on the inside from Donkers fails to land.
Rizzo lands an uppercut.
Mauricio Rizzo has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Rizzo fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Rizzo lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Donkers tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

Rizzo manages to break the clinch.
Donkers swings for the body but Rizzo moves out of range.
Donkers misses with a hook.
Rizzo lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Donkers moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Donkers is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Rizzo.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rizzo looks for the body kick but Donkers saw that one coming.
Donkers misses with a right hand
and Rizzo counters with a left to the body.
Donkers is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Rizzo.
Rizzo fails with a takedown attempt.
Donkers tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Rizzo counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Donkers!
Rizzo 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.
Rizzo sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Donkers manages to work a leg through to get back to half guard here. Good work there by Donkers, under a barage of strikes from Rizzo.
Donkers has hold of Rizzo's hands but Rizzo slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Rizzo missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Mauricio Rizzo overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Rizzo missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Donkers regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Rizzo.
Donkers keeping moving, preventing Rizzo from controlling successfully.
Donkers utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Rizzo wants to control from the top but Donkers keeps moving.
Rizzo might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Rizzo throwing strikes but missing.
Rizzo throwing strikes but missing.
Manny Donkers has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rizzo won't allow Donkers to get back to his feet.
Rizzo throws a big elbow that misses.
Rizzo throws a big right hand that misses.
Rizzo postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Rizzo accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Donkers working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Rizzo.
Rizzo working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mauricio Rizzo showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Rizzo 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 Richard Clark scores the fight 30:27
Judge Paul Tew scores the fight 30:27
Judge Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mauricio Rizzo!
Mauricio Rizzo decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.