PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Johnie Ballantine (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tony Soprano (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Soprano comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Got Yourself a Gun kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Both fighters really staring each other down here, as Tony Soprano enters the cage!

Ballantine
vs
Soprano

188 cm
27
210 lbs
23 - 10 - 0

188 cm
27
215 lbs
15 - 3 - 1

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Cardio machine

BJJ Purple Belt
World class boxer
Good gas tank

:: Happy Pills ::

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the light heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 23 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Johnie Ballantine!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 3 - 1, fighting out of Hilo, Tony Soprano!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Soprano throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Ballantine misses with a body shot.
Ballantine steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Soprano.
Ballantine fails to land with a series of punches.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Ballantine can't find room to land a body shot as Soprano controls the action.

Soprano manages to break the clinch.
Soprano throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
That kick from Soprano tenderised Ballantine's leg. Ballantine is trying to keep his angry face on.
A looping hook to the body misses from Ballantine. Soprano does a little dance to reset his feet.
Soprano looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Ballantine misses with a wild body shot.
Sloppy strikes from Soprano. Those never looked like landing.
Soprano shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Soprano avoids the body shot from Ballantine.
Ballantine misses with a hook
and Soprano counters with a nice kick to the body.
Ballantine misses with a few strikes there.
Ballantine misses with a few strikes there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ballantine ducks under a wild hook from Soprano.
Soprano dips to his left and cracks Ballantine with an uppercut!
Ballantine uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Soprano.
Soprano cracks a nice hook into Ballantine's ribs.
Soprano getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Ballantine swings away with a body shot that misses
and Soprano counters with a nice body shot.
Soprano blocks the body kick.
Ballantine throws a right and a left that both miss.
Ballantine misses with a wild body shot.
Nice defenses there by Soprano.
Ballantine connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Ballantine looks to throw the jab but Soprano is out of range.
Ballantine throws a body punch but Soprano moves out of range.
Soprano throws a right and a left that Ballantine avoids nicely.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Soprano keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Ballantine misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Soprano.
Nice jab there from Ballantine.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Soprano throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Soprano clobbers Ballantine with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Ballantine looks to score with a jab to the body but Soprano is just out of range.
Ballantine stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Soprano.
Soprano jabs at Ballantine's body.
Nice cross by Ballantine.
Soprano waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Ballantine.
Soprano lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Ballantine is looking to clinch.
Soprano uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Ballantine.
Soprano chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Soprano connects with a solid leg kick.
Soprano lands with an overhand left.
Ballantine moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Soprano circles away from the clinch attempt.
Ballantine fails in his attempt to clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ballantine scores with a nice right hand.
Johnie Ballantine seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Ballantine fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Soprano manages to avoid it.
Soprano tries to land a front kick but Ballantine steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Ballantine has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Soprano.
Soprano connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Soprano fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Ballantine slips under a jab from Soprano.
Ballantine misses with a hook.
Soprano avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Ballantine swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Ballantine throws a shot from downtown. Soprano moves away and avoids it.
Ballantine tries to close the distance and clinch up but Soprano swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Ballantine cracks Soprano with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Soprano throws a leg kick which misses Ballantine's front leg but catches the back leg as Ballantine tries to avoid it.

Soprano gets tackled into the cage by Ballantine. Ballantine maintains the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ballantine digs a right hand underneath Soprano's ribcage. Soprano let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Soprano tries to throw a body punch but Ballantine avoids it by throwing Soprano back against the cage.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Soprano.
Ballantine misses with a body punch.
Soprano can't find room to land a body shot as Ballantine controls the action.
Ballantine tries to throw a body punch but Soprano avoids it by throwing Ballantine back against the cage.
Soprano tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Soprano is looking to break free of the clinch but Ballantine has double underhooks.
Soprano swings wildly with an uppercut but Ballantine uses good head movement to avoid it.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Ballantine.
Soprano stalling the fight.
Ballantine misses with a punch to the body.
Ballantine prevents a body shot from Soprano.
Ballantine misses with a punch to the body.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Ballantine lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Ballantine misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Ballantine tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Ballantine lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Ballantine tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Ballantine lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.

Ballantine gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Ballantine lands with a right to the head.
Soprano wants to stall.

Soprano breaks the clinch.
Soprano misses with a hook.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Ballantine checks a leg kick.
Ballantine swings for the body but Soprano moves out of range.
Ballantine throws a body punch but Soprano moves out of range.
Ballantine throws a lazy right hand but Soprano sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Ballantine slips a straight right by Soprano.
Soprano avoids the body shot from Ballantine.

Ballantine clinches up against the cage.
Ballantine fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Soprano wants to stall.
Ballantine keeps control of Soprano as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Soprano fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
A head punch on the inside from Soprano fails to land.
A shot in the inside from Ballantine.
Ballantine swings wildly with an uppercut but Soprano uses good head movement to avoid it.
Soprano slowing the pace effectively.
Soprano lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Ballantine.
Soprano is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Ballantine is keeping busy.
Ballantine swings wildly with an uppercut but Soprano uses good head movement to avoid it.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Ballantine misses with a hook to the ribs.
Ballantine tries to throw a body punch but Soprano avoids it by throwing Ballantine back against the cage.
Ballantine lands a body shot.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Soprano gets through Ballantine's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Ballantine doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Ballantine can't find room to land a body shot as Soprano controls the action.
Ballantine gets through Soprano's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Still in the clinch, Soprano scores with a nice short uppercut.
Ballantine scores with a nice hook to the head.
Soprano misses with a short punch on the inside.
Ballantine misses with a punch to the body.
A left hand lands to the body for Ballantine.
Ballantine lands with a right to the head.
Ballantine keeps control of Soprano as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Ballantine throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Sopranos head.
Ballantine lands a body punch in the clinch.
Soprano is breathing heavily.

Soprano manages to break the clinch.
Soprano avoids a kick to the body.
Soprano waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Ballantine.
Soprano bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Soprano on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Ballantine throws a shot to the body.
Ballantine uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Soprano.
A lazy left from Ballantine finds it's target.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ballantine swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Ballantine lands a nice hook to Soprano's body. Soprano takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Ballantine thuds a left hand into Soprano's body.
Ballantine just misses with a punch to the body.
Soprano takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Ballantine lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Ballantine connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Ballantine thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Soprano if he has to take too many more of those.
Soprano walks into a left hand.
Soprano blocks a low kick nicely.
Jab by Ballantine.
Ballantine wants to clinch.
Soprano blocks a jab.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ballantine with a jab.
A slow jab from Soprano misses its intended target.
Ballantine misses with a wild body shot.
Soprano ducks right into an uppercut from Ballantine.

Ballantine moves into range and clinches up with Soprano.
Ballantine fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Ballantine throws a head punch that misses.
Soprano blocking some punches.
Ballantine lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Soprano can't break the clinch.
Ballantine working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Ballantine lands a hook to the side of the head.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Ballantine lands a body punch in the clinch.
Soprano throws a head punch that misses.
Ballantine lands a hook that snaps the head of Soprano backwards.
Ballantine tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Soprano's elbow.
Ballantine digs a right hand underneath Soprano's ribcage. Soprano let out a lung full of air as it connected.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Johnie Ballantine dominated that second round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Soprano takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Soprano fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Ballantine misses with a jab, cross combination.

Ballantine clinches.
Ballantine presses Soprano against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Ballantine struggles to land a body shot inside as Soprano controls his hands.
Ballantine throws a punch but it's blocked by Soprano.
Ballantine misses with some punches.
Soprano is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Ballantine.
Soprano working hard to break the clinch.
Ballantine is working Soprano over against the cage.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
A quick uppercut on the inside from Ballantine.
Soprano takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Still in the clinch, Ballantine scores with a nice short uppercut.
Ballantine misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Ballantine pushes Soprano back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Ballantine lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Soprano tries to break free but Ballantine pushes him back against the cage.
Ballantine lands a body punch in the clinch.
Ballantine lands a nice uppercut.
Ballantine cracks Soprano with a nice body shot.
Ballantine lands with a short shot to the head.
Ballantine lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Ballantine lands a left hand that snaps the head of Soprano backwards.
Ballantine lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Soprano or not.
Ballantine lands a left hand.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
A shot in the inside from Ballantine.
Ballantine lands a shot to the body.
Ballantine presses Soprano against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
A short uppercut from Ballantine.
Ballantine lands with a right to the head.
Still in the clinch, Ballantine scores with a nice short uppercut.
Ballantine makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Ballantine lands a hook that snaps the head of Soprano backwards.
Ballantine scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Soprano is looking to control Ballantine's arms but Ballantine gets an underhook and turns him. Now Soprano has his back to the cage.
Johnie Ballantine has scored more points in the clinch so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ballantine presses Soprano against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Ballantine.
Ballantine lands a hook to the side of the head.
Ballantine lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Soprano backwards.

Soprano is rocked!
Ballantine is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Soprano can do to turn this around?
Ballantine working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Soprano is still on wobbly legs! Can Ballantine finish him?
Ballantine lands a right hand.
Ballantine lands with a left to the head.
Soprano is trying to maintain a safe position but Ballantine gets an underhook and turns Soprano into the cage.
Ballantine lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Ballantine pushes Soprano back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Ballantine lands a shoulder strike.
Ballantine struggles to land a body shot inside as Soprano controls his hands.
Ballantine misses with some punches.
Ballantine lands a left hand that snaps the head of Soprano backwards.
Ballantine digs a right hand underneath Soprano's ribcage. Soprano let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Ballantine lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Ballantine lands a right hand that snaps the head of Soprano backwards.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A right handed body shot lands from Ballantine.
A short body shot lands from Ballantine as the two fighters clinch.
Ballantine lands a hook that snaps the head of Soprano backwards.
Ballantine works on Soprano's body with a couple of short punches.
Ballantine lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Ballantine throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Sopranos head.
A short body shot lands from Ballantine as the two fighters clinch.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Ballantine lands a nice shot to the body.
Ballantine lands a right hand.
Ballantine lands a right hand.
Ballantine lands a left hand.
Ballantine throws a big uppercut that drops Soprano! More strikes from Ballantine and the referee jumps in to stop the fight! Soprano lies dazed against the cage as Ballantine celebrates with his cornermen!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:48 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Johnie Ballantine!
Johnie Ballantine retains his light heavyweight title!