PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Rocky Balboa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Matt Henries (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Balboa comes into the arena with http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYws8biwOYc blaring out of the sound system. Henries is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Chama os Mulek-Cone Crew Diretoria. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Balboa
vs
Henries

225 cm
25
200 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
25
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Tends to cut

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Rocky Balboa!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Matt Henries!
The judges for this bout are Jeff Smith, Roger Salmon and Micheangelo Fripello.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Henries slips a jab and a cross from Balboa.
Balboa throws a right hand that Henries ducks under and follows up with a left that Henries also avoids with ease.
Balboa's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Balboa duly obliges.

It looks like Matt Henries has been cut.
Henries tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Balboa manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Balboa misses with a combination
and Henries counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Balboa throws a right and a left that Henries avoids nicely.
Balboa throws a series of strikes that have Henries backpedaling.
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!
Balboa lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Balboa is breathing heavily.
Balboa tries to bum rush Henries with a series of wild strikes but Henries uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Henries tries to close the distance and clinch but Balboa swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Henries tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Balboa paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Balboa throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Henries showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Balboa.
The fight stays on the outside here - Henries looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Henries turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The fight stays on the outside here - Henries looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Henries lands a big head kick that sends Balboa tumbling to the mat! Henries takes a step backwards and waves Balboa back to his feet - he wants the finish!

Balboa is rocked!

It looks like Rocky Balboa has been cut.
Rocky Balboa seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Henries wants to clinch up but Balboa keeps it at a distance.
Oh Balboa is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Henries fails with the takedown.

Henries drives through and clinches with Balboa against the cage.
Henries using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Balboa has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Balboa is looking to take this one to the mat.

Henries breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Balboa seems to have got his legs back now.
Henries throws a head kick that misses.
Balboa looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

Balboa tries to keep at a distance but Henries has taken the fight into the clinch.
Henries prevents a takedown attempt there.

Henries jumps into guard, dragging Balboa to the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Balboa looking to pass the guard.
Henries looking to hit a scissor sweep but Balboa is one step ahead there.
Henries has Balboa pulled in close to control his posture.
Balboa has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Henries is trying to control the position but Balboa postures up.
Balboa pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Henries is keeping the position for now.
Henries tries to land a sweep but no joy.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Matt Henries wasn't active enough on the ground.
Henries fails in his attempt to clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Henries ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Balboa moves away.
Balboa misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
A nice combination there by Balboa.

That has opened up Matt Henries's cut even more.
Balboa misses with a jab, cross combination.
Balboa swinging wildly here.
Balboa misses with a wild combination.
Henries fails in his attempt to clinch.
No joy there for Balboa, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Henries tries to clinch up.
Balboa keeps the fight on the outside.
Henries shoots for a double leg takedown but Balboa sprawls well. He's pushed Henries's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Balboa misses with a double jab.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Henries fails with an attempt to clinch.
Balboa throws a right and a left that Henries avoids nicely.
Balboa falls off balance throwing a combination
and Henries counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Balboa is lucky that one didn't land flush.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Balboa throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Henries doesn't manage to clinch there - Balboa circles away.
Rocky Balboa is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Nice sprawl there from Balboa as Henries shoots in.
Rocky Balboa has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Matt Henries.
Balboa misses with a double jab

and Henries counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Balboa keeping moving, preventing Henries from controlling successfully.
Henries passes easily into side control. Nice work.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matt Henries dominated that round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Henries slips a jab and a cross from Balboa.
Matt Henries seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Balboa throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Henries showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Balboa.
Sloppy strikes from Balboa. Those never looked like landing.
The fight stays on the outside here - Henries looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Sloppy strikes from Balboa. Those never looked like landing.
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.
Balboa misses with the combination.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Henries throws a nice inside leg kick.
Henries tries to clinch up but Balboa circles away and keeps his distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balboa slaps away a takedown attempt from Henries, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Henries fails with a takedown attempt.
Rocky Balboa is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Henries avoids a punch combination nicely.
Henries scores with a head kick. Balboa tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.

Rocky Balboa's cut is getting worse.

Henries gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Henries lands a damaging elbow.
Balboa is looking for a takedown.
Henries gets underhooks to prevent Balboa's takedown attempt.
Henries tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Balboa avoids it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Balboa wants a takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rocky Balboa. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Henries tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Balboa is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Henries pulls him back up using the underhooks.

Henries breaks the clinch.
Henries tries to clinch but Balboa is having none of it.
Balboa throws a combination that misses

and Henries counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Henries.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Henries landing knees to the head.

Rocky Balboa's cut is bleeding quite badly. He's got to try and protect it.
Henries lands a nice knee to the body.
Henries stops a takedown attempt from Balboa.
Henries comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.

Henries breaks from the clinch.
Henries tries to clinch there but Balboa circles away.
Balboa swinging wildly here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Henries is looking to clinch but Balboa is avoiding it.

Henries moves into range and clinches up with Balboa.

Henries jumps guard and drags Balboa to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Balboa stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Henries swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Henries trying to control the position.
Henries wants to stand but Balboa is controlling the position.
Henries keeping full guard, as Balboa tries to pass.

Henries looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Henries is trying to control the position but Balboa postures up.
Balboa looking to sit in guard and control but Henries gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Henries advances to half guard.
Balboa really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Henries seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Balboa keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matt Henries 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 interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Henries is looking to clinch but Balboa is avoiding it.
Henries showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Balboa.
Henries is looking to clinch but Balboa is avoiding it.
Henries misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Balboa throws a right and a left that Henries avoids nicely.
Balboa throws a series of punches but Henries avoids them all with ease.
Balboa misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Balboa shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Henries eats them both and turns towards Balboa to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Henries tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Balboa manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Henries tries to clinch up but Balboa circles away and keeps his distance.
A combination from Balboa does no damage.
Balboa misses with a combination
and Henries counters with a nice body kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Henries tries to close the distance and clinch up but Balboa swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Henries is looking to clinch.
Henries tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Balboa manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Balboa throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Henries wants to clinch.
Balboa misses with a series of wild punches.
Henries wants to clinch up but Balboa keeps it at a distance.
Henries tries to close the distance and clinch up but Balboa swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Henries fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Balboa misses with a few strikes there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Henries is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Henries tries to clinch there but Balboa circles away.
Balboa avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Balboa misses with a wild combination.
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.

Henries gets a clinch.
Balboa is looking to take this one to the mat.
Balboa has Henries pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Henries manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Balboa tries for a takedown. No joy.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rocky Balboa. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Balboa is working for takedown but Henries is calmly controlling the position for now.

Henries manages to break the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Henries closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.

Henries stands up and beckons Balboa to join him on the feet.

Henries drives through and clinches with Balboa against the cage.
Balboa drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Henries gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Henries gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Balboa.

Henries jumps into guard, dragging Balboa to the mat.

Henries wriggles free and stands up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Balboa misses with a combination

and Henries counters by clinching up.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Henries utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Henries gets underhooks to prevent Balboa's takedown attempt.
Henries prevents the takedown attempt.

Henries's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Matt Henries is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Henries doesn't manage to clinch there - Balboa circles away.
Henries moves in looking to clinch but Balboa pushes him off.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Balboa throws a series of punches but Henries moves out of range.

Henries drives through and clinches with Balboa against the cage.
Henries scores with a knee to the head.

And that's the end of the fight!
Matt Henries comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Henries has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Jeff Smith scores the fight 27:30
Judge Roger Salmon scores the fight 27:30
Judge Micheangelo Fripello scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Matt Henries!
Post fight, Matt Henries took to the microphone: 'Look I'm very happy with the fight, win or lose I'd be very happy with the fight, but I want to thank my father David Quelhas and my sponsors who have always supported me and, of course, is not ? give me money.'.