PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Michael Balboa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Herbie Fleck (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Balboa might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Eye Of The Tiger. Fleck comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Trivium - Down From The Sky kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Balboa
vs
Fleck

187 cm
33
221 lbs
18 - 13 - 0

186 cm
28
216 lbs
17 - 7 - 1

BJJ Blue Belt
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Powerful

SPARTA FIGHTWARE-GTI
SPARTA FIGHTWARE-GTI

BioPharm Nutrition

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 18 - 13 - 0, fighting out of New York, Michael Balboa!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 17 - 7 - 1, fighting out of New York, Herbie Fleck!
The judges for this bout are John Roberts, Franklyn Lucas and Bruno Lombardi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Fleck staying out of range there.
Fleck throws a shot to the body.
Fleck cracks Balboa with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.

It looks like Michael Balboa has been cut.
Balboa loads up on a big right hand but Fleck slips the punch.
Fleck throws a low kick but Balboa moves out of range easily.
Fleck throws a front kick aimed at Balboa's knee but Balboa avoids it well.
Fleck throws a shot from downtown. Balboa moves away and avoids it.

Fleck forces Balboa back against the cage and clinches.
Fleck tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Fleck misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Balboa blocks a body shot from Fleck.
Fleck throws a punch but it's blocked by Balboa.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fleck stalling in the clinch.
A short left from Fleck.
Fleck keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Balboa's efforts to push away.
Fleck misses with a punch to the body.
Fleck leaning against his opponent.
Fleck swings wildly with an uppercut but Balboa uses good head movement to avoid it.
Fleck swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Fleck misses with a body punch.
Fleck misses with a hook from the clinch.
Fleck tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Balboa's elbow.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fleck will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Balboa up against the cage.
Fleck misses with a punch to the body.
Fleck stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Fleck throws a head punch that misses.
Fleck lands with a right to the head.
Fleck struggles to land a body shot inside as Balboa controls his hands.
Fleck tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Balboa's elbow.
Fleck stalling against the cage.
Fleck tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fleck misses with a punch on the inside.
Fleck working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Fleck's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
A short left from Fleck.
Fleck misses with a body punch.
Balboa prevents a body shot from Fleck.
Fleck tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Fleck stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.

Fleck breaks from the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Fleck misses with a looping right.
Fleck lands a leg kick that knocks Balboa off balance momentarily.
Fleck ducks under a wild hook from Balboa.
Decent striking displayed by Fleck there.
Balboa misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Fleck.
Fleck throws the left hand but Balboa avoids the punch easily.
Balboa lands with an uppercut that bounces Fleck off the cage and back into range.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Balboa swings and misses with a hook to the body.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Fleck slips a jab from Balboa.
Fleck swings and misses with a hook to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Herbie Fleck dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Michael Balboa's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

The fighters circling - Balboa throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Fleck misses with a body shot.

Fleck gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Balboa's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Balboa misses with a hook.
Fleck feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Balboa's calf.
Balboa throws a hook but Fleck avoids it easily.
Fleck moves out of range of the strikes.
Balboa has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Fleck.
The fighters circling - Fleck throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Fleck gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Balboa.

It looks like Herbie Fleck has been cut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balboa has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Fleck.
Fleck cracks Balboa with a right hand to the side of the head.
Balboa will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Fleck fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Balboa.
Fleck feints and then cracks Balboa's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Balboa down.
Balboa has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Fleck.
Fleck scores with a nice strike.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Fleck wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fleck looks to land a combination but Balboa avoids it well.
Fleck feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Balboa's calf.
Fleck uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Balboa.
Balboa ducks under a wild hook from Fleck.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Fleck, right into the meat.
Nice jab there from Fleck.
Balboa uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Fleck.
Fleck lands a nice shot that snaps Balboa's head back.
Fleck throws a series of punches but Balboa avoids them all with ease.
Balboa is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Balboa slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fleck throws a looping overhand right but Balboa ducks down to avoid it.
Balboa displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Fleck throws out the jab.
Balboa loads up on a big right hand but Fleck slips the punch.
Fleck tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Fleck waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Balboa.
Fleck misses with an attempted mid kick.
Balboa steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Fleck.
Fleck tries a head kick but it misses.
Balboa sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Fleck cracks a nice hook into Balboa's ribs.
Balboa uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Fleck.
Balboa blocks a head kick by Fleck.
Fleck misses with a leg kick.
Balboa connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Balboa throws a jab when Fleck was well out of range.
Balboa avoids the head kick by Fleck.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Fleck lands a head kick!

Michael Balboa's cut is getting worse.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Fleck lands a head kick. Balboa smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Herbie Fleck showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
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!

Balboa blocks a low kick nicely.
Fleck rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Balboa moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Balboa lands a jab to the head.
A bone on bone clash there as Balboa blocks the leg kick.
Balboa uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Fleck.
Fleck doesn't manage to clinch there - Balboa circles away.
Fleck has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Fleck throws a nice inside leg kick.
An inside leg kick from Fleck misses.
A slapping leg kick lands for Fleck.
Fleck takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fleck throws a head kick that half lands.
Balboa throws a lazy uppercut
and Fleck counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Balboa is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Balboa uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Fleck.
Balboa takes one to the chin there.

Michael Balboa's cut is bleeding quite badly. He's got to try and protect it.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Fleck moves forwards but Balboa connects with a nice, crisp jab.
A lazy left from Fleck finds it's target.
Balboa tests Fleck's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Fleck scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Michael Balboa has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fleck throws a right and a left that Balboa avoids nicely.
Fleck throws an overhand right that lands on Balboa's shoulder, as Balboa tries to avoid the shot.
A nice inside leg kick there by Fleck. That's going to slow Balboa down.
We are yet to see a takedown attempt from Fleck in the fight. On paper you would think he is the more dominant ground fighter so let's see if these unusual tactics pay off.
Balboa loads up on a big right hand but Fleck slips the punch.
Balboa takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Balboa on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Fleck is looking to slow Balboa down with leg kicks.
Fleck fails in his attempt to clinch.
Fleck misses with a low kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fleck moves away from the strike by Balboa.
Herbie Fleck seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Balboa bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Fleck cracks Balboa with a right hand to the side of the head.

Jeez, Michael Balboa's cut is really nasty now. The referee must be thinking about getting that checked.
Fleck scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Fleck lands a glancing blow to the side of Balboa's head.

The referee calls the doctor in to look at Michael Balboa's cut. Oh no, the doctor has called an end to the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:43 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Cut). Herbie Fleck!