PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Julian Balenzano (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Neander Obeh (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The atmosphere really building for this one as we go over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Balenzano
vs
Obeh

180 cm
18
170 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

178 cm
21
174 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Likes ground

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Julian Balenzano!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Neander Obeh!
The judges for this bout are Gregory Folan, Robert Douchet and Steve Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Balenzano looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Balenzano looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Balenzano fails with a takedown attempt.
Obeh throws a series of punches but Balenzano avoids them all with ease.
Obeh tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Obeh shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.

Balenzano looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Obeh passes into half guard.
Balenzano wants to get back to his feet.
Balenzano has hold of Obeh's hands but Obeh slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Balenzano controlling the position well.
Obeh lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Obeh prevents Balenzano from standing back up.
Obeh has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Obeh is tying to control. Balenzano wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Obeh looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Obeh trying to control the action but Balenzano is working from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Balenzano is looking to escape.
Balenzano is looking to control Obeh's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Balenzano avoid being mounted?

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Obeh looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Balenzano is looking to escape.
Obeh is nestled in close to Balenzano, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.

Obeh is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Balenzano doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Obeh.
Obeh looks gassed!
Balenzano keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Balenzano is trying to stand back up but Obeh is controlling him
Balenzano is trying to control but can't.
Obeh trying to control from half guard but Balenzano is working away.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Obeh is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Obeh thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
Obeh won't let Balenzano get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.
Balenzano is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Balenzano wants to get back to his feet.
Balenzano is in all sorts of trouble here.
Obeh is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Obeh prevents Balenzano from getting the reversal.
Obeh with good strikes from the mount here!
Obeh controlling his opponent.
Balenzano is in all sorts of trouble here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Obeh is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Obeh connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Balenzano reaches up and holds on to Obeh to control the position.
Balenzano is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Obeh landing punches.
Obeh takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Obeh is landing with some decent strikes but Balenzano is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Obeh breaks from Balenzano's wrist control and lands an elbow.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Neander Obeh dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Balenzano wants to clinch

and Obeh counters with a nice double leg into side control. Balenzano won't be happy with that.
Balenzano tries to escape but Obeh is in control.
Balenzano is trying to control Obeh's posture but Obeh avoids it.
Obeh just content to control the position.
Balenzano is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Balenzano trying to hold on to Obeh's head to control him but Obeh postures up.
Obeh is tying to control. Balenzano wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Obeh working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Obeh sitting and controlling from the half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Balenzano actively working from the bottom here.
Obeh throwing shots but Balenzano is blocking nicely.
Balenzano taking some punishment here, with Obeh in his half guard.
Balenzano keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Obeh lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Obeh is pressing down on Balenzano's thigh, looking to free his foot. Balenzano is holding on for now.

Balenzano looking for submissions off his back.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Obeh drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Obeh controls from within his opponent's guard.

Balenzano has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Obeh off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Obeh looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

Obeh scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Balenzano parries the strikes from Obeh easily there. Obeh is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Balenzano to escape.
Balenzano is trying to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balenzano is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Obeh's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Neander Obeh has got the better of the ground game so far.
Balenzano is looking to get back to is feet but Obeh passes into side control.
Balenzano can't do much from the bottom here.
Balenzano is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Obeh asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Balenzano being controlled for a moment.
Balenzano struggling a bit here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Obeh tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Obeh has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Balenzano is trying to get back to half guard.
Check out the look on Obeh's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Obeh working away.
Obeh wants to control but Balenzano is keeping him busy.
Balenzano is trying to get back to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Neander Obeh showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. And we move into the final round!

Excellent takedown into side control there by Obeh.
Balenzano wants to control but Obeh postures up.
Balenzano tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Obeh wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Obeh lands some shots froms side control.
Obeh is looking to take a break and control but Balenzano is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Balenzano tries to slip a leg under to move to half guard but Obeh presses down on the leg and jumps into full mount!
Balenzano is in all sorts of trouble here.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Obeh wants to control but Balenzano has made it back to half guard. Nice work.
Obeh works his way into side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balenzano is looking to regain half guard here but Obeh keeps moving and retains side control.
You can see the frustration on Balenzano's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Balenzano is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Obeh has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Balenzano misses with a strike from the bottom.
Balenzano can't do much from the bottom here.
Balenzano tries to get back to half guard but can't.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Obeh gets the takedown into side control.
Obeh scores with punches from side control.
Balenzano is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.

Obeh wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Balenzano, who protects the arm well.
Obeh working the ground and pound but Balenzano is defending the strikes.
Obeh working away.
Balenzano wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Obeh advances to mount.
Obeh with a couple of short strikes.
Balenzano wants to control but Obeh is having none of it.
Balenzano is in a horrible position here. Obeh smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Obeh looking to finish Balenzano with some ground and pound. This is bad for Balenzano!
Obeh lands a heavy elbow.
Balenzano wants to hold on but Obeh pushes him away.
Balenzano is in a bad position, trying to hold on for dear life but he is really struggling to maintain any sort of control.
Obeh lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Balenzano hang on?
Neander Obeh is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Balenzano flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.
Obeh takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Balenzano is in all sorts of trouble here.
Balenzano is working hard here to advance position.
Obeh blocks Balenzano's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Balenzano keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Balenzano is trying to stand.
Julian Balenzano has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Balenzano swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.

And that's the end of the fight!
Neander Obeh comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Obeh 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 Gregory Folan scores the fight 27:30
Judge Robert Douchet scores the fight 27:30
Judge Steve Smith scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Neander Obeh!