PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Valerii Balanko (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Corey Payne (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Payne has chosen Till I Collapse by Eminem as his entrance music. I can't wait for this one - let's get the fighter introductions out of the way and get this one started!

Balanko
vs
Payne

180 cm
26
239 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

190 cm
26
240 lbs
3 - 6 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

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 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of New York, Valerii Balanko!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 6 - 0, fighting out of New York, Corey Payne!
The judges for this bout are John Roberts, Anthony Taglia and Chad Campbell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Balanko fails with an attempt to clinch.
Payne throws a leg kick but Balanko sees it coming and moves out of range.
Payne tries to clinch up.
Payne tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Balanko manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Horrible takedown by Payne or perhaps it was just good defense by Balanko which made him look bad.
Balanko looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Payne looks for a takedown but Balanko sprawls well.
Balanko tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
A lazy left from Balanko finds it's target.

Balanko closes the distance and clinches.
Balanko misses with an elbow strike.
Payne manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.

Payne breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Balanko tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Payne manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Balanko avoids a punch combination nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Payne tries to close the distance and clinch but Balanko swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Balanko moves in looking to clinch but Payne pushes him off.
Balanko tries to close the distance and clinch up but Payne swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Balanko rushes Payne and presses him up against the cage.
Balanko wants to stall.
Balanko misses with a shot to the kidneys.

Balanko pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Payne throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Balanko slips a jab from Payne.

Balanko shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Payne tries to kick Balanko off in order to stand up. Balanko Avoids the leg push though and dives into side control.
Payne tries to improve position but can't.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Balanko throwing shots but missing, from side control.

Balanko is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Payne has escaped the position, nice work there.
Payne is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Payne trying to control but Balanko flips him over like a cheap hooker and has his back!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Payne staying busy and making it hard for Balanko to control.
Payne trying to control the hands but Balanko won't let him.
Payne breaks Balanko's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
Balanko looking to control.

Balanko working for a triangle but Payne defends it easily.
Balanko working a defensive guard but Payne passes into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Payne is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Payne tries to pass the half guard into mount. Balanko knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

Balanko actively working from the bottom here.
Payne is trying to control the action in half guard but Balanko is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Payne tries to pass the half guard into mount. Balanko knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Balanko keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Payne is trying to get back to his feet now but his leg is trapped.
Payne sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Balanko defending well though.
Payne tries to stand and escape but Balanko actually recovers to full guard.

Balanko is working an open guard so Payne takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.

Balanko shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Balanko showed some decent athleticism there.
Balanko sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Payne defending well though.
Balanko prevents Payne from standing back up.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Balanko prevents Payne from improving his position.

Balanko is looking for a kimura here.

Payne kicks off Balanko and gets to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Valerii Balanko will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Payne.
Payne connects with a nice looking jab.
A head kick misses from Payne.
Payne wants to clinch.
A head kick misses from Balanko.
Balanko shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Payne sprawls well. Payne wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Balanko gets slowly back to his feet.
Payne throws a head kick but Balanko moves out of range.
Some wild striking there from Payne.
Balanko lands a two punch combo.

Balanko has managed to clinch.
Payne looking to slow down the pace here.
Balanko throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Paynes head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balanko's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Payne is trying to pull guard but Balanko turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Balanko.
Balanko misses with a punch to the body.
Balanko lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Balanko scores with a nice hook to the head.

Payne escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Balanko fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Payne, pushing him back against the cage.

Balanko breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Payne wants to clinch up but Balanko keeps it at a distance.
Payne misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

Balanko drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Payne is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Balanko is controlling him.
Payne is breathing heavily.

Balanko is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Payne is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Payne has escaped and now he's on top!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Payne stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Balanko swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Payne advances position into side control!
Balanko is looking for a sweep.

Payne is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Balanko has escaped the position, nice work there.
Payne wants to lay and pray for a moment but Balanko keeps working.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Payne in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Payne working the ground and pound.
Balanko struggling a bit here.

Payne tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Payne has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Payne working the ground and pound.
Balanko knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Payne on the ground.

Payne thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Balanko is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Payne off and has taken his back!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Payne manages to reverse the position and now he's in Balanko's guard. Nice work there by Payne.
Balanko looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Payne stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Balanko swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Payne missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

Balanko kicks Payne off and gets to his feet.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Payne looks for a takedown but Balanko sprawls well.
Valerii Balanko has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Corey Payne.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Balanko tries to close the distance and clinch but Payne swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Balanko fails with the takedown.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Valerii Balanko will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Jab by Balanko.
Payne tries to clinch but Balanko moves out of range.
Payne tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Balanko manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Valerii Balanko seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Payne looks to land a left hand but Balanko moved out of range nicely.
Payne lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Balanko tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Payne manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Balanko dodges the punch combination from Payne.
Payne throws a right and a left that Balanko avoids nicely.
Payne lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.

Payne scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.

Payne decides to stand up, so the ref orders Balanko to his feet.
Payne takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Balanko gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Balanko pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balanko is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Payne misses with a wild combination.
Valerii Balanko is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Balanko clinches with his opponent.

Balanko escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Balanko tries to close the distance and clinch but Payne swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Payne throws a looping overhand right but Balanko ducks down to avoid it.

Payne gets caught flat footed, as Balanko shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Payne looking to control.
Balanko has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Payne wants to get back to his feet but Balanko is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Balanko sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Payne's guard.

Balanko is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Balanko is trying to control. Payne wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Balanko lands a nice short elbow.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Balanko looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Payne with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Corey Payne has got the better of the ground game so far.
Payne is looking to improve his position.
Balanko not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Payne wants to get back to his feet.
Payne wants to control but Balanko is keeping busy and won't allow it.

Balanko is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Payne is trying to escape back to his feet but Balanko uses the scramble to pass into side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Payne wants to get back to his feet but Balanko drags him back down.

Balanko has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Payne enables Balanko to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Payne manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Balanko wants to pass the guard but Payne is keeping the position.
Payne trying to control the position.

Payne has his foot on Balanko's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Balanko works his way back into a safe position though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Balanko gets to his feet. Payne looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!

Balanko moves into range and clinches up with Payne.
Payne takes an elbow to the forehead.
Balanko misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Payne wants to get back to striking at distance but Balanko won't allow it.

Balanko manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Balanko is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Payne trying to control but Balanko is working from the bottom.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

And that's the end of the fight!
Valerii Balanko showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Balanko 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 John Roberts scores the fight for Valerii Balanko!
Judge Anthony Taglia scores the fight for Valerii Balanko!
Judge Chad Campbell scores the fight for Valerii Balanko!

Valerii Balanko wins by unanimous decision!
A victorious Valerii Balanko thanked his army of followers in his post fight interview, telling people to make sure they follow him on Twitter.