PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Joe Calzaghe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Carl Menger (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Menger is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Bring Back The Music - by Sweatshop Union. Carl Menger is staring across the cage at his opponent, tweaking his nipples.

Calzaghe
vs
Menger

185 cm
31
158 lbs
16 - 15 - 0

170 cm
27
156 lbs
12 - 8 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Great elbows
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 16 - 15 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Joe Calzaghe!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Carl Menger!
The judges for this bout are Alec Ball, Yves DeLean and Trevor Gratis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Menger misses the jab.
Calzaghe avoids the body shot from Menger.
Menger throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Menger getting the better of the striking in that exchange.

Menger moves into the clinch successfully.
Menger lands a hook that snaps the head of Calzaghe backwards.
Calzaghe wants a takedown but no success here.
Menger misses with a body punch.
Menger scores with a shot to the side of Calzaghe's head.
Calzaghe goes for a takedown attempt but Menger pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Menger tries to bum rush Calzaghe with a series of wild strikes but Calzaghe uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Menger lands a nice looking body shot.
Menger scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Menger swings widly with a right hand
and Calzaghe cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Menger looks to throw the jab but Calzaghe is out of range.
Calzaghe avoids a punch combination nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Some wild striking there from Menger.
Menger throws a series of punches but Calzaghe avoids them all with ease.
Menger throws a jab but it's blocked by Calzaghe.
Menger rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Calzaghe moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Menger cracks Calzaghe with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Menger misses with an uppercut.
Menger rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Calzaghe moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Calzaghe really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Menger swinging wildly here.
Calzaghe scores with a head kick.
Menger misses with an uppercut
and Calzaghe counters with a left to the body.
Carl Menger is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Calzaghe walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Menger feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Calzaghes jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Menger swings for the body but Calzaghe moves out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Calzaghe has a takedown stuffed.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Joe Calzaghe. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Menger lands a slapping body shot.
Menger throws a lazy uppercut
and Calzaghe counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Menger clobbers Calzaghe with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Menger scores with a jab to the jaw.
Calzaghe throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
No joy there for Menger, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Menger looks to land a right hand but Calzaghe moved out of range.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Menger!
Menger misses with a lunging right hand

and Calzaghe counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Menger's guard now.
Calzaghe slips nicely into half guard.
Calzaghe is thwarting Menger's attempts to control the position.
Calzaghe will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

Calzaghe is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Menger is just riding it out for now. Calzaghe eventually gives up the hold.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Menger is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Calzaghe pulls his head out easily.
Calzaghe scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Menger moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Calzaghe throwing strikes but missing.
Calzaghe passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Calzaghe trying to control the action but Menger is working from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Menger tries to buck Calzaghe off but Calzaghe is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Menger manages to work his way to half guard, despite Calzaghe's best efforts.
Ground and pound from Calzaghe.

Calzaghe wants to work for an arm triangle but Menger is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Menger tries to roll over but Calzaghe keeps him under control.
Calzaghe wants to pass the guard but Menger is defending well.

Calzaghe is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Calzaghe thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Menger's head.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Menger tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Menger keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Menger tries to regain full guard. Instead though, Calzaghe has advanced to mount. Uh oh.
Calzaghe trying to control but Menger is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Carl Menger will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

A swing and a miss from Menger.
Menger swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Menger misses with a few strikes there.
Menger throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Menger looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Calzaghe bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Menger's head backwards.
Menger misses with a hook.
Menger just misses with a punch to the body.
Menger rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Calzaghe moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Menger is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Menger scores with the left hand. Calzaghe knows he should have avoided that one.
Calzaghe blocks the body kick.
Menger throws a shot to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
No joy there for Menger, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Calzaghe scores with a body shot.
Menger swinging wildly here.
Menger displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Calzaghe.
Calzaghe shoots in but Menger avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Menger misses with an uppercut. Calzaghe saw that one coming.
Menger waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Calzaghe.
Menger waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Calzaghe.
Menger swings widly with a right hand
and Calzaghe counters with a left and a right that stings Menger.
Menger misses with a wild body shot.
Calzaghe throws a low kick but it's checked well by Menger.
Joe Calzaghe is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Menger tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Calzaghe paws at him with a jab and circles away.
A big left from Menger misses.
Calzaghe throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Menger.
Menger lands a jab to Calzaghe's midsection.
Menger looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Menger missing with a left hand there. Calzaghe was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Calzaghe misses with a straight right.
Calzaghe slips under a jab from Menger.
Menger ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Calzaghe moves away.
Menger throws a lazy uppercut
and Calzaghe counters with a lovely shot to the body.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Menger misses with a jab, cross combination.
Menger tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Menger looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Menger throws a sloppy head kick and Calzaghe moves out of range easily.
Calzaghe is looking to clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Menger swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Calzaghe just misses with a punch to the body.
Menger swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Calzaghe counters with a nice double leg into side control. Menger won't be happy with that.
Menger is trying to control Calzaghe's posture but Calzaghe avoids it.

Calzaghe stands up and beckons Menger to his feet.
Calzaghe slips a straight right by Menger.
Menger misses with a double jab.
Menger throws a right and a left that both miss.
Menger tries a head kick but it misses.
Menger is breathing heavily.
Calzaghe slips a straight right by Menger.

Calzaghe closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Menger quickly recovers to half guard.
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!
Menger pushes Calzaghe off looking to stand but Calzaghe dives back in and keeps control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Menger is trying to control but can't.
Calzaghe lands with a punch from half guard.
Menger is not content to let Calzaghe control the position.
Menger is looking to control Calzaghe's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Menger avoid being mounted?
Menger is pressing down on Calzaghe's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Menger seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Calzaghe forces his way into half guard.
Menger is refusing to be controlled, as Calzaghe sits in half guard.
Menger trying to control here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Calzaghe is trying to control the action in half guard but Menger is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

Calzaghe is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Menger sees it coming and defends easily.
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 Joe Calzaghe will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Menger throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Calzaghe.
Calzaghe avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Calzaghe lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Menger circles away quickly and effectively.
A jab from Menger misses.
Menger throws a head kick but Calzaghe moves out of range.
Menger throws a quick inside leg kick.
Calzaghe ducks under a wild hook from Menger.
Menger throws a head kick that misses.
Menger swings widly with a right hand
and Calzaghe counters with a nice body shot.
Calzaghe wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Menger throws a lazy uppercut
and Calzaghe counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Menger misses with a lunging right hand
and Calzaghe counters with a right hand to the body.
Menger misses with an uppercut
and Calzaghe counters with a good low kick that Menger was not able to check.
Menger takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Menger ducks down and throws a hook to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Menger throws a series of punches but Calzaghe moves out of range.
Carl Menger seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Calzaghe slips a jab from Menger.
No joy there for Menger, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Some wild striking there from Calzaghe.
Menger misses with a hook.
Menger misses with a double jab
and Calzaghe counters with a left to the body.
Calzaghe looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Carl Menger seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Calzaghe lands with a slapping head kick.
Menger misses with a wild combination.
Menger misses with a few strikes there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Calzaghe lands a glancing blow to the side of Menger's head.
Menger fails to land with a series of punches.
Calzaghe swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Calzaghe scoring well with a low kick there.
Menger throws a series of punches but Calzaghe avoids them all with ease.
Calzaghe ducks under a wild hook from Menger.
Calzaghe throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Menger misses with a right hand
and Calzaghe cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Menger looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Menger misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

Menger gets caught flat footed, as Calzaghe shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.

Menger is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Calzaghe defends well.
Menger keeping moving, preventing Calzaghe from controlling successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Calzaghe working some strikes from top position.

Menger looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Calzaghe wants to control from the top but Menger keeps moving.
Calzaghe is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Calzaghe trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Menger keeping moving, preventing Calzaghe from controlling successfully.

Menger is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Calzaghe landing some decent shots from guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Calzaghe forces his way into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well, if Calzaghe is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Menger is trying to control but can't.
Menger works his way to full guard. Good work.
Joe Calzaghe overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Calzaghe sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Menger's guard.
Menger is looking to improve his position.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Calzaghe scoring with strikes to the body and head.

Calzaghe is looking for a kimura here.

Calzaghe is working for a submission here. He's got hold of the far side arm and he's looking for a kimura. He's cranking on the arm and he's got it! Menger is tapping out! Ouch, that looked like it hurt!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:55 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Joe Calzaghe!
Joe Calzaghe took his opportunity to call for a title shot in his post fight interview.