PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Joaquin Whitney (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Giu Sligo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). I can't wait for this one - let's get the fighter introductions out of the way and get this one started!

Whitney
vs
Sligo

204 cm
19
193 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

190 cm
25
200 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Prefers standup

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Tends to cut

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 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Joaquin Whitney!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Giu Sligo!
The judges for this bout are Lou da Vinci, Anthony Taglia and Jorge Garcia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sligo dives in for a single leg takedown but Whitney sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Sligo scores with a head kick.
Sligo with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Sligo shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Whitney as he jumps to the side.
Sligo misses with a takedown attempt

and Whitney counters by clinching up.
Joaquin Whitney has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Giu Sligo.
Whitney trying to land knees to the body.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Sligo.
Whitney really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Whitney gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Sligo regains guard.
Sligo wants to get back to his feet but Whitney passes into half guard.

Sligo wants to improve his position but Whitney is controlling well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Whitney seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Sligo wants to improve his position but Whitney is controlling well.
Sligo trying to keep hold of his opponent's head but Whitney manages to pass to mount!
Sligo tries to hold on but Whitney pushes him away.
Sligo really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Whitney. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Whitney takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Sligo is trying desperately to improve position.
Sligo is flailing around like a fish out of water, trying to land strikes.
Sligo tries to hold on but Whitney pushes him away.
Whitney lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Whitney lands a nice shot to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sligo is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Whitney controlling his opponent.
Sligo tries to lock up and control but Whitney gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Whitney working Sligo over with strikes here.
Whitney putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Sligo wants to hold on but Whitney pushes him away.
A nice elbow there by Whitney.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Whitney controlling from mount.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Whitney cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Sligo is looking to improve his position but Whitney isn't that keen on the idea.
Whitney tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Whitney will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Sligo wants to control but Whitney is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Joaquin Whitney dominated that round.
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.

Whitney avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Whitney tries to counter by clinching up but Sligo breaks away and moves out of range.
Sligo shoots in looking for a takedown. Whitney tries to sprawl out of it but Sligo keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Whitney manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Whitney finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Sligo fails with an attempt to clinch.
Sligo smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
The fight stays on the outside here - Sligo looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Sligo tries for a takedown but Whitney circles away easily

and Whitney counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Whitney.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Whitney prevents a takedown attempt there.
Joaquin Whitney has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Giu Sligo.
Sligo has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Whitney avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Whitney tries a body shot but Sligo blocks it.
Whitney has a couple of punches blocked by Sligo.
A shot in the inside from Whitney.
Whitney pushes off an throws an elbow but Sligo leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
A right hook to the body lands for Whitney.
Sligo drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Whitney gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Sligo prevents the takedown attempt.
A head punch on the inside from Whitney fails to land.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sligo blocks the elbow strike.
Whitney lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Sligo is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Whitney lands with a light punch inside.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Whitney as Sligo tries to tie him up.
Whitney is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Sligo jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Whitney walks away with a smile on his face. Sligo gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Sligo is trying hard to land a takedown here. Whitney sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.

Whitney closes the distance and clinches.
Whitney tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Whitney has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Sligo after a bit of a struggle.
Whitney has Sligo pressed against the cage, preventing Sligo from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Sligo can't get the takedown.
Sligo is trying to pull guard but Whitney turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Whitney softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Sligo tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Whitney just stands there and leans against the cage.
Whitney is struggling to control the position.
Whitney has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Whitney is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Sligo gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Whitney lands with a light punch inside.
Sligo is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Whitney is defending well for now.
Sligo misses with an elbow strike.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sligo presses Whitney against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Whitney working aggressively here.
Sligo lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Whitney misses with a hook from the clinch.
Sligo lands a body shot in the clinch.
Whitney misses with a hook from the clinch.
Sligo wants to stall.
Joaquin Whitney has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Whitney prevents the takedown attempt.
Sligo blocking some punches.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Whitney as Sligo tries to tie him up.
Sligo is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Whitney is defending well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Joaquin Whitney dominated that second round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Sligo tries to clinch up.
Whitney is looking to counter the offense by Sligo and move into the clinch.

Whitney rushes Sligo and presses him up against the cage.
Whitney is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Sligo pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Sligo is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Sligo with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Whitney tries to work over Sligo's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Sligo throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Whitney effectively controlling the action here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Whitney prevents the takedown attempt.
Whitney stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Sligo is trying to stall.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sligo drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Whitney gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Joaquin Whitney has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Giu Sligo.
Sligo changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Whitney fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Nice sprawl there from Whitney as Sligo shoots in.
A leg kick checked by Sligo.
Whitney blocks a head kick by Sligo.

Whitney closes the distance and clinches.

Whitney has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Sligo is trying to keep an underhook but Whitney manages to get the takedown into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Whitney is taking a breather. Sligo says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Sligo is looking to get back to full guard here but Whitney has managed to pass to side control instead.
Sligo wants to get back to his feet.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sligo taking a bit of punishment here - Whitney scoring with strikes.
Whitney is working Sligo over with some ground and pound from side control.
A lull in the action here.
Whitney working the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sligo tries to control but Whitney manages to take his back.
Sligo is really stuck here.
Sligo is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Sligo wants to get back to his feet.
Whitney gets his hooks in and is throwing strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Whitney gets his hooks in and is throwing strikes.
Whitney punches Sligo on the ear.
Sligo covers up after that shot from Whitney.
I really don't envy Sligo right now.
Whitney cracks Sligo with a big shot to body and one to the head - really punishing Sligo from the back mount here, looking to soften him up.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Whitney lands punches and elbows.
Whitney throwing damaging strikes from the back! Sligo could be in trouble here!
Giu Sligo has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Joaquin Whitney is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Sligo tries to escape the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Joaquin Whitney showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Whitney, 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 Lou da Vinci scores the fight 30:27
Judge Anthony Taglia scores the fight 30:27
Judge Jorge Garcia scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Joaquin Whitney!