PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Michael Balboa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rainbow Trout (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Balboa comes to the cage accompanied by Eye Of The Tiger. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Balboa
vs
Trout

187 cm
35
221 lbs
20 - 15 - 0

195 cm
29
216 lbs
18 - 7 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
World class boxer
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Granite chin

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 20 - 15 - 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 18 - 7 - 0, fighting out of New York, Rainbow Trout!
The judges for this bout are Anthony Taglia, John Roberts and Bruno Lombardi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Balboa gets tackled into the cage by Trout. Trout maintains the clinch.
Balboa prevents a body shot from Trout.
Trout lands a nice elbow from the clinch.

It looks like Michael Balboa has been cut.
Trout tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Trout connects with a nasty looking knee right to Balboa's face.

Trout manages to break the clinch.
Trout slips a jab from Balboa.
Nice straight punches there by Balboa. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Balboa.
A kick lands to the mid section there for Trout.
Trout is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Balboa.
An inside leg kick lands from Trout.
Balboa walks into a jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Trout chopping away at his opponent's legs.
The fighters circle momentarily. Balboa darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Trout pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
A kick lands to the mid section there for Trout.
Balboa avoids the head kick by Trout.
Balboa avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Trout throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Rainbow Trout seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Balboa lands an overhand right.
Trout goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Balboa fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Balboa takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Balboa fails to land with a series of punches.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Balboa misses with a straight left.
Trout moves into range and lands a nice body kick.
Trout tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Balboa connects with a good right hand that stumbles Trout. Trout circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Balboa swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Trout throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
An inside leg kick lands from Trout.
A slapping body kick lands there for Trout.
Balboa lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Trout connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.

Trout has taken the fight to the clinch.
Trout is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Balboa is defending well for now.
Knees to the body from Trout.
Trout throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Balboa blocks it with crossed arms.
Trout tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Balboa's elbow.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Trout pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Balboa swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Trout counters with a lovely shot to the body.
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.
Trout lands with a kick to the ribs.
Trout misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Trout tries to close the distance and clinch up but Balboa swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Trout looks to land a body kick but Balboa moved away.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
A swing and a miss from Balboa.
Trout misses with a kick to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rainbow Trout dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Michael Balboa's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Balboa wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Trout tries to land a front kick but Balboa steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Trout connects with a solid leg kick.
Trout ducks under a wild hook from Balboa.
Nice defenses there by Trout.
A big left from Balboa misses.

Trout closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Trout using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Trout scores with a knee to the head.
Trout looks to throw an elbow but misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balboa has had enough of the clinch but Trout keeps him there for the moment.

Trout breaks the clinch.
Trout fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Balboa.
Trout scores with a spinning back kick!
Trout throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
A nice inside leg kick there by Trout. That's going to slow Balboa down.
Balboa takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Trout lands with an uppercut that bounces Balboa off the cage and back into range.
Balboa paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Trout uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Balboa.
Balboa will be looking to protect his midsection after taking some solid kicks to the body.
Trout connects with a solid leg kick.
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!
Trout lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Trout staying out of range there.
Trout keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Balboa lands a lovely overhand right.
Balboa is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Balboa blocks a head kick by Trout.
Balboa is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
A punch lands to the side of Balboa 's head but he takes it in his stride.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balboa chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Trout can pounce on him.
Trout tries to clinch there but Balboa circles away.
Trout scores with a kick to the midsection.
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.

Trout rushes Balboa and presses him up against the cage.
Trout misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Balboa.
Trout utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Trout landing knees to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Knees in the clinch landing for Trout.

Trout breaks from the clinch.
Trout scores with a head kick.
Trout throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Trout cracks a nice hook into Balboa's ribs.
Trout has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Trout lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.
Trout scores with a leg kick.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Trout scores with a kick to the midsection.
Trout feints and then cracks Balboa's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Balboa down.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rainbow Trout showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Michael Balboa's cut.
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. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Trout lands with a nice body kick.
Trout thows a body kick. Balboa tries to catch it but that hurt him.
Balboa lands a glancing blow to the side of Trout's head.
We are yet to see a takedown attempt from Trout 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 misses with a looping right.
A solid body kick from Trout.
Trout throws a nice outside leg kick.
Trout misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Trout lands a nice leg kick that just misses Balboa's sensitive parts.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Trout thuds his shin into the meat of Balboa's side.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balboa stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Trout.
Trout scores with a head kick. Balboa tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.
Balboa stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Trout.
Trout lands a front kick.
Trout thows a body shot but no joy.
A slapping leg kick lands for Trout.
Balboa takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Trout throws a head kick that looked like it stung.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Trout tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Trout scoring well with a low kick there.
Trout tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Trout lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
A slapping leg kick lands for Trout.
Rainbow Trout seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Trout throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Trout has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Crunch! Trout slams his shin into Balboa's torso.
Balboa stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Trout.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balboa tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
A nice leg kick lands there from Trout.
Trout lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
A nice inside leg kick there by Trout. That's going to slow Balboa down.
Trout lets loose with a powerful body kick. Balboa will feel that in the morning.
Trout pushes Balboa away with a front kick.
Trout with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Trout scores with a head kick. Balboa tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.
Michael Balboa has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Michael Balboa's cut is getting worse.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Trout throws a jab when Balboa was well out of range.
Trout throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Balboa stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Balboa has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Trout.
The fighters circle momentarily. Trout darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Trout lands a nice leg kick that just misses Balboa's sensitive parts.
Trout connects with a high kick.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
A chopping leg kick lands by Trout.
A head kick from Trout lands but Balboa takes it in his stride.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rainbow Trout comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Trout 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 Anthony Taglia scores the fight 26:30
Judge John Roberts scores the fight 26:30
Judge Bruno Lombardi scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rainbow Trout!