PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Frank Barba (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Cowboy Henry (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters really staring each other down here, as Cowboy Henry enters the cage!

Barba
vs
Henry

188 cm
31
203 lbs
12 - 7 - 0

185 cm
30
185 lbs
15 - 11 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 7 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Frank Barba!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 11 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Cowboy Henry!
The judges for this bout are Illya Tyunina, Vladimir Khabensky and Aleksei Zolotukhin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Barba rushes Henry and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Barba prevents Henry from breaking the clinch.
Barba throws an elbow that misses.
Barba trying to stall but Henry improves his position.
Barba lands a right hand that snaps the head of Henry backwards.
Barba lands a left hand that snaps the head of Henry backwards.
Henry is trying to break free.
Henry is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Barba keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Henry's efforts to push away.
Barba lands an elbow inside that Henry shrugs off.
Henry tries to circle away but Barba has him pinned against the cage.
Barba is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Henry is trying to break the clinch but Barba has him pressed against the cage.

Henry breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Barba drives through and clinches with Henry against the cage.
Henry is trying to break free.

Henry breaks from the clinch.
Barba paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
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!
Henry displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Barba throws out the jab.
Henry keeps the fight on the outside.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A big left from Henry misses.
Henry tries to close the distance and clinch but Barba swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Henry misses with the combination.

Barba fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Henry to the ground. Barba is now in Henry's guard.
Henry preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

Barba postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Henry is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Barba, into his guard.
Henry missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Henry is working Barba over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Barba wants to sweep but no luck.
Henry throws an elbow that misses. Barba uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Henry's guard. Nice move by Barba!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Barba trying to control but Henry is working from the bottom.
Barba throws a big elbow that misses.
Barba lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Barba forces his way into half guard.

Barba wants to work for an arm triangle but Henry is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Barba wants to take a breather but Henry is having none of it.
Barba throws a big elbow that misses, also allowing Henry to regain full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barba stopping the sweep attempt from Henry.
Henry controls Barba momentarily but Barba frees himself.
Barba missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Henry utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Barba looking to sit in guard and control but Henry gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Henry working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Barba wants to stand but Henry is controlling the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Barba controls Henry momentarily but Henry frees himself.

Barba pushes Henry off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Barba throws a combination. Henry tries to block but a couple of punches get through.

Barba throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Henry was covering up waiting for the punch and Barba finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Barba looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Henry working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Barba.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Frank Barba dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Barba fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Frank Barba seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Henry tries to clinch but Barba moves out of range.
Barba works over Henry's head and body with a nice combination.
Henry throws a nice looking combination but Barba bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.

Barba forces Henry back against the cage and clinches.

Barba jumps guard and drags Henry to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Henry throws an elbow that misses. Barba uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Henry's guard. Nice move by Barba!

Henry pushes Barba off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Henry wants to clinch but Barba slips to the side
and Henry takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Henry scores with a hook.

Henry moves into the clinch.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A quick uppercut on the inside from Barba.
Henry wants to get back to striking at distance but Barba won't allow it.
Barba fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barba is working Henry over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Barba missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Barba looking to pass the guard.
Barba trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Frank Barba overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Barba throwing strikes from guard but Henry blocks nicely.
Barba throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Henry works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Barba wants to control from the top but Henry keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Barba trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Barba is looking to pass into half guard but Henry pushes him away with his feet and jumps on top - now Henry is in guard.
Barba wants to stand but Henry is controlling the position.
Barba avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Henry trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Henry trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Barba manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!

Barba postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Henry is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Barba, into his guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Henry trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Barba has his hands on Henry's head, controlling the position.

Barba has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Henry off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Barba on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Sloppy strikes from Barba. Those never looked like landing.
Barba slips a jab and a cross from Henry.
Barba looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Barba uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Barba throws the left hand but Henry avoids the punch easily.
Jab from Barba.
Barba misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Henry.
Henry tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Barba blocks the body kick.
Henry tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Barba paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Henry displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Barba throws out the jab.
Henry misses with the combination.
Barba circles away from the clinch attempt.
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!
Sloppy strikes from Barba. Those never looked like landing.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Barba lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Nice defenses there by Barba.
Henry looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Barba throws a one two combo.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Frank Barba dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - 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.

Barba moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Henry swats away the attempt to clinch by Barba.

Barba takes the fight into the clinch.
Barba has Henry pressed against the cage, preventing Henry from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
A head punch on the inside from Barba fails to land.
Barba tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

Barba has Henry pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Barba pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Henry tumbling to the mat - Barba dives into Henry's guard.
Barba throws a big right hand that misses.
Barba wants to control from the top but Henry keeps moving.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Henry utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Barba makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Henry doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Barba trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Henry can't keep his opponent in guard - Barba advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Henry is trying to maintain the position but Barba is very close to passing his half guard.
Barba stalling.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Henry slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Cowboy Henry has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Barba with a flurry of punches that miss.
Henry keeping moving, preventing Barba from controlling successfully.
Barba wants to pass the guard but Henry is keeping the position.
Barba wants to control from the top but Henry keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barba in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Barba looking to sit in guard and control but Henry gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Henry throws a strike but Barba rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Barba working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Frank Barba is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Barba looking to pass the guard.
Barba working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Henry's head.
Henry keeping moving, preventing Barba from controlling successfully.
Barba is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Henry is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Henry working for submissions but it's allowed Barba to get to half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Frank Barba showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Barba 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 Illya Tyunina scores the fight 30:27
Judge Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 30:27
Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Frank Barba!