PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Enzo Soprano (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Anthony Ventura (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Soprano
vs
Ventura

195 cm
30
279 lbs
19 - 8 - 1

196 cm
29
266 lbs
17 - 6 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Affordable Quality + Reliable Laundry

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 19 - 8 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Enzo Soprano!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 17 - 6 - 0, fighting out of London, Anthony Ventura!
The judges for this bout are Matti Vanhoillinen, Tarja Halkonen and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Soprano keeps the fight on the outside.
Soprano throws a poor cross that misses
and Ventura counters with a lovely shot to the body.
A slow jab from Soprano misses its intended target.
Ventura takes a swing at Soprano's ribcage but misses.
Ventura defending well as Soprano loads up on a big left hand.
Soprano connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Soprano misses with a straight left.
Ventura needs to keep his hands up - Soprano had a free shot at his head there.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Ventura fails with an attempt to clinch.
Soprano misses the jab.
Soprano on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Ventura keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Soprano keeps the fight on the outside.
Ventura tries to clinch there but Soprano circles away.
A looping hook to the body misses from Soprano. Ventura does a little dance to reset his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Soprano throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Ventura.
Soprano scores with a punch to the head.
Soprano swings widly with a right hand

and Ventura holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Soprano stalls.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Ventura.
Still in the clinch, Soprano scores with a nice short uppercut.
Soprano is pushing Ventura up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Ventura tries to throw a body punch but Soprano avoids it by throwing Ventura back against the cage.
Soprano working aggressively here.
Soprano is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Ventura is defending well for now.
Soprano throws a punch but it's blocked by Ventura.
Soprano stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Soprano swings wildly with an uppercut but Ventura uses good head movement to avoid it.
Soprano slowing the pace effectively.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Soprano.
Ventura blocking some punches.
Soprano doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Soprano dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Ventura fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Ventura has been looking to improve his clinch game in recent weeks. Soprano seems to have the measure of him in the clinch so far, so let's see if Ventura can turn it around.
Ventura keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Soprano's efforts to push away.
Soprano tries to stall but Ventura uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Soprano has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Ventura after a bit of a struggle.
Ventura goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Ventura.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Ventura.
Ventura swings wildly with an uppercut but Soprano uses good head movement to avoid it.
Soprano can't break the clinch.
Soprano makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Ventura lands a body punch in the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Soprano wants to take the fight to the mat but Ventura manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Soprano wants to stall.
Soprano lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Ventura lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Soprano.
Ventura misses with a hook from the clinch.
Soprano has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Ventura fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Ventura throws a head punch that misses.
Soprano is trying to push Ventura away but Ventura has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Ventura tries to work over Soprano's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Soprano stalling the fight.
Ventura tries to work over Soprano's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Ventura throws a punch but it's blocked by Soprano.
Soprano misses with a hook from the clinch.
Ventura swings wildly with an uppercut but Soprano uses good head movement to avoid it.

Soprano's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Ventura throws a head kick that Soprano semi-blocks.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
The fighters circling - Soprano throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Soprano misses with a straight left.
Soprano uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Ventura.
Soprano will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Soprano thows a body shot but no joy.
A telegraphed right hand from Soprano misses the target.
Some bone on bone action there as Ventura checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.

Ventura rushes Soprano and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Ventura misses with a body punch.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Soprano is looking to control Ventura's arms but Ventura gets an underhook and turns him. Now Soprano has his back to the cage.
Ventura blocks a body shot from Soprano.
Ventura has Soprano pressed against the cage, preventing Soprano from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
A hook to the body from Ventura.
A head punch on the inside from Ventura fails to land.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Enzo Soprano will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Soprano scores with a sloppy right hand. Ventura should have avoided that one.
Soprano misses with a hook.

Ventura clinches with his opponent.
Soprano blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Ventura lands with a short shot to the head.
Ventura tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Soprano tries to break the clinch but Ventura is controlling the position.
Soprano blocking some punches.

Ventura is fighting off a takedown attempt but Soprano is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Ventura to the mat. Ventura regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
Soprano looking to sit in guard and control but Ventura gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Ventura wants to pass the guard but Soprano is keeping the position.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Ventura stands and throws Soprano's legs to the side, diving into side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ventura wants to lay and pray for a moment but Soprano keeps working.
Soprano is trying to improve his position.
Soprano is not content to let Ventura control the position.
Ventura throwing ground and pound but whilst doing so, he forgets to control position and Soprano works his way back to half guard. Good composure under pressure.
Soprano is trying to get back to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ventura looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Ventura trying to control from half guard but Soprano is working away.
Ventura passes the guard and advances to mount!
Ventura throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
Soprano really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Ventura trying to control but Soprano is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ventura looking to land elbow strikes but Soprano uses the position to regain half guard.
Ventura thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Ventura missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Soprano controlling the position for now.
Ventura is trying to control the action in half guard but Soprano is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Ventura wants to pass to mount but Soprano is defending the position.
Soprano is in a tricky position but he's been working on his transitions down at Qube Striking, so we'll see if he gets out of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Soprano is staying active underneath Ventura, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Ventura throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Soprano regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Ventura.
Soprano controlling the position.
Soprano avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Soprano is trying to keep Ventura in close.
Soprano working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Ventura.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Anthony Ventura showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Soprano avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Soprano getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Ventura throws a head kick but Soprano moves out of range.
Soprano slips a straight right by Ventura.
Soprano scores with a jab. Ventura acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Soprano throws the left hand but Ventura avoids the punch easily.
Ventura sizes up Soprano with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Ventura uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Soprano.
A head kick misses from Ventura.
Ventura takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Enzo Soprano seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Ventura tries to score with a low kick but Soprano moves his leg out of the way.
Soprano throws a good cross that connects.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Ventura ducks under a wild hook from Soprano.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ventura feints and then cracks Soprano's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Soprano down.
Soprano throws the left hand but Ventura avoids the punch easily.
Ventura scores with a crisp jab that stopped Soprano in his tracks.
Soprano looks to land a left hand but Ventura moved out of range nicely.
Soprano throws a body punch but Ventura moves out of range.
Soprano throws the left hand but Ventura avoids the punch easily.
Ventura throws a head kick that misses.
Soprano lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Ventura is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Soprano.
Ventura throws a body punch but Soprano moves out of range.
Ventura throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Soprano.
Soprano misses with a hook
and Ventura counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Soprano connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Ventura uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Soprano.
Soprano throws a lazy uppercut
and Ventura counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Soprano is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Ventura tries to clinch there but Soprano circles away.
Soprano avoids the head kick by Ventura.
Soprano misses with a hook.
Soprano looks to land a combination but Ventura avoids it well.
Soprano misses the jab.

Ventura forces Soprano back against the cage and clinches.
Soprano is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Ventura is keeping busy.
Soprano wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Anthony Ventura seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Ventura tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Soprano's elbow.
Ventura throws a head punch that misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ventura swings wildly with an uppercut but Soprano uses good head movement to avoid it.
Ventura can't find room to land a body shot as Soprano controls the action.
Ventura lands with a short shot to the head.
Ventura blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Ventura swings wildly with an uppercut but Soprano uses good head movement to avoid it.
Ventura doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Ventura pushes Soprano back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Soprano wants a takedown but no success here.
Ventura misses with a punch to the body.
Soprano manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Ventura lands a hook that snaps the head of Soprano backwards.
A body shot lands from Ventura.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Ventura goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Soprano tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Soprano is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Soprano lands a right hand.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Ventura.
Ventura tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Stalling in the clinch from Soprano.
Ventura throws a head punch that misses.
Ventura misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Soprano has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Ventura is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Ventura lands a hook to the side of the head.
Soprano misses with a hook from the clinch.
Soprano misses with a punch on the inside.
Soprano works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Soprano prevents a body shot from Ventura.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Ventura lands a hook that snaps the head of Soprano backwards.
Ventura scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Ventura misses with a body punch.
Ventura lands a left hand that snaps the head of Soprano backwards.
Ventura works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.

And that's the end of the fight!
Anthony Ventura comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Ventura has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 27:30
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 28:29
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Anthony Ventura!
After the big win, Anthony Ventura made sure to do all the important stuff like thanking his sponsors Affordable Quality + Reliable Laundry and telling the interviewer how much he loves him.