PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Delbert Berg (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Christopher Balisi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Christopher Balisi told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Berg
vs
Balisi

181 cm
18
140 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

170 cm
18
135 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Delbert Berg!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Christopher Balisi!
The judges for this bout are Steve Smith, Trevor Gratis and Gregory Folan.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Balisi closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.

Berg throws his opponent off and manages to get back to his feet! Nicely done!
Christopher Balisi seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Berg throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Balisi.

Balisi closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Berg's guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Berg manages to escape and get back to his feet.
Balisi tries to clinch but Berg is having none of it.
Balisi darts in trying to clinch
and Berg counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Balisi thinking.
Balisi throws a leg kick that is checked
and Berg counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Balisi scores with a head kick. Berg tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.

Balisi clinches up against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Balisi has picked Berg up - he's going for a ride! Balisi dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.

Berg manages to escape and get back to his feet!
Berg really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Berg tries to clinch up but Balisi circles away and keeps his distance.
Balisi tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Berg paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Berg went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.

Balisi fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Berg sprawls well initially but Balisi persists and gets the takedown into half guard.

Berg has one foot on Balisi's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Balisi has managed to clinch.
Balisi prevents Berg from breaking the clinch.
Berg working hard to break the clinch.
Berg misses with a shot to the kidneys.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Balisi pulls Berg into guard.
Berg slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Balisi tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Berg trying to control the position from guard on top but Balisi is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Berg stands up from guard. Let's bang!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balisi tries to close the distance and clinch up but Berg swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Delbert Berg is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Balisi fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Berg sprawls well initially but Balisi persists and gets the takedown into half guard.

Berg makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!

Balisi instigates a clinch.
Berg stalling in the clinch but Balisi improves position.
Balisi working aggressively here.

Balisi decides to pull guard.
Berg wants to control from the top but Balisi keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Berg with a nice head shot there.
Berg is in close to Balisi's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Berg throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Balisi works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Berg stays in close to Balisi's body and controls the position.
Berg will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Balisi pulls Berg in close to his closed guard and prevents Berg from doing any damage or advancing position.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.

Balisi closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Berg did well to prevent Balisi getting side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Delbert Berg dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Berg fails in his attempt to clinch.

Balisi looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Berg!

Berg sneaks out the side door and pushes Balisi away - he's back to his feet. The crowd show their appreciation for the escape.
Berg is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Balisi can do to turn this around?

Balisi closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Berg did well to prevent Balisi getting side control.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Balisi is trying to advance to mount but he's lost his balance and Berg reverses the position - he's now on top in Balisi's guard.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Balisi can do anything to dispel that myth.

Balisi scrambles and gets back to his feet.
Berg misses with a few strikes there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balisi throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.

Balisi gets in close and instigates a clinch.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Berg working hard to break the clinch.
Berg tries to circle away but Balisi has him pinned against the cage.

Balisi has hold of one of Berg's legs. Berg is fighting the takedown attempt but Balisi gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
Balisi stops Berg from standing up.
Berg not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Berg is working an open guard so Balisi takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Balisi tries to clinch there but Berg circles away.
Berg misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Balisi feints the counter takedown.

Balisi shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Berg is trying to defend but Balisi finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Berg pushes Balisi off looking to stand but Balisi dives back in and keeps control.
Balisi is trying to control the action in half guard but Berg is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

Balisi is trying to work for a kimura but Berg is defending well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balisi prevents Berg from standing back up.

Berg kicks off Balisi and gets to his feet.
Balisi tries to bum rush Berg with a series of wild strikes but Berg uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Delbert Berg is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Balisi pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Berg moves into the clinch.

Balisi lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.

Berg manages to escape and get back to his feet!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Balisi wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Berg circles away from the clinch attempt.

Berg tries to sprawl but Balisi drives through with a takedown into half guard.

Berg pushes Balisi off and gets back to his feet.

Berg rushes Balisi and presses him up against the cage.
Berg lands a nice shot to the body.

Berg manages to break the clinch.

Balisi is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Berg's half guard.

Berg pushes Balisi off and gets back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Delbert Berg dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Berg misses with a head kick.

Balisi scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Delbert Berg overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Balisi goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Berg has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Balisi but great work by Berg.
Sloppy strikes there by Berg.
Balisi is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Berg looks up at the clock and then as Balisi takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Berg smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Berg lands an elbow.
Balisi takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Berg gets to mount! Balisi was on the offensive and wasn't defending properly.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balisi tries to hold on but Berg postures up.
Berg looking to control but Balisi is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Balisi is really trying hard to get back to his feet.
Berg can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Balisi is looking to escape.
Balisi tries to hold on but Berg pushes him away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Balisi wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
Balisi tries to hold on but Berg pushes him away.
Balisi tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Balisi taking shots to the head.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Berg cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Berg in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balisi has given up his back here. Will Berg look for the submission or keep pounding away?
Balisi tries to roll but Berg sticks to his back.
Berg gets his hooks in and is throwing strikes.
I would not like to be Balisi right now.
Balisi staying busy and making it hard for Berg to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Balisi is defending well here and trying to improve his position.
A bit of a pause in the action here. Berg controlling the positon.
Berg missing with strikes.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Berg scores with punches to the body.

And that's the end of the fight!
Delbert Berg showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Berg, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Steve Smith scores the fight 30:27
Judge Trevor Gratis scores the fight 30:27
Judge Gregory Folan scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Delbert Berg!