PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Jack Ripper (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bill Baloni (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Ripper
vs
Baloni

192 cm
22
270 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

200 cm
18
280 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Jack Ripper!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Bill Baloni!
The judges for this bout are Andrew Berry, William Gold and Paul Tew.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ripper fails in his attempt to clinch.
Baloni is looking to clinch.
Baloni avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Baloni shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Ripper lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Baloni fails to pull guard.
Ripper misses with a knee to the head.

Ripper breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Ripper scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.

Ripper decides to stand back up.
Baloni misses with a takedown
and Ripper counters with a good low kick that Baloni was not able to check.
Jack Ripper has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bill Baloni.
Baloni tries for a takedown but Ripper sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

Ripper scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Baloni prevents Ripper from moving into mount.
Baloni managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Ripper.
Ripper happy to just control the position for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Baloni misses with an elbow from the bottom.
Ripper trying to control the action but Baloni is working from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Baloni is trying to control Ripper's posture but Ripper avoids it.
Baloni prevents Ripper from moving into mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Baloni avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Ripper gets the takedown into side control.
Ripper wants to control but Baloni is keeping him busy.
Baloni tries to strike but it doesn't land.
Baloni manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Ripper knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Baloni on the ground.
Baloni wants to pass the guard but Ripper is defending well.
Baloni looks gassed!
Ripper has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Baloni is working away from the top position though.
Baloni tries to stand but can't do so whilst Ripper controls his leg.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ripper is trying to stand up here but Baloni is controlling him well.
Ripper trying to control from the bottom.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Baloni changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Ripper tries to avoid it but Baloni manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Ripper to the ground. Ripper escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Ripper avoids the elbow strike from Baloni, against the cage.
Ripper unloads a knee to the mid-section. Baloni lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.

Ripper breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Ripper shoots in and drives through. Baloni sprawls well.

Ripper pushes Baloni up against the cage in a clinch.
Ripper digs a right hand underneath Baloni's ribcage. Baloni let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Ripper tries to land a knee to the head but Baloni blocks with his arms.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Ripper manages to break the clinch.

Ripper closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Baloni is trying to control Ripper's posture but Ripper avoids it.
Baloni is looking to reverse the position.
Ripper is looking to take a break and control but Baloni is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Ripper content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Ripper is trying to move to mount but Baloni reverses beautifully and ends up in Ripper's guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jack Ripper dominated that round.
That's time! Ripper's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Ripper gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Baloni tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Ripper just stands there and leans against the cage.

Ripper has hold of one of Baloni's legs. Baloni is fighting the takedown attempt but Ripper gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
Ripper trying to control the position from guard on top but Baloni is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Ripper won't allow Baloni to sweep him here.
Baloni wants to stand up but Ripper is controlling him.
Baloni wants to sweep here but Ripper controlling him for the moment.
Baloni is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ripper lands a couple of decent looking shots.

Baloni throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Ripper would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Ripper has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Ripper sitting in guard here, content to control.
Ripper looking to pass the guard.
Ripper is stalling in the full guard.

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.
Ripper slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Baloni is trying to get back to half guard.

Ripper looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Baloni is trying to control Ripper's posture but Ripper avoids it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ripper remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
Ripper working the ground and pound but Baloni is defending the strikes.

Ripper decides to stand back up. Ripper steps back and let's Baloni get back to his feet.
Ripper tries to close the distance and clinch up but Baloni swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Ripper rushes Baloni and presses him up against the cage.
Baloni missing with knees to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Baloni has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Ripper is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.

Ripper escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
A nice inside leg kick there by Ripper. That's going to slow Baloni down.

Ripper rushes Baloni and presses him up against the cage.

Ripper has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Baloni regains guard immediately.
Ripper controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Ripper has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
Ripper stopping the sweep attempt from Baloni.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jack Ripper 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!

Ripper moves into the clinch successfully.

Ripper's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Ripper gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Ripper keeps control of Baloni as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Ripper holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Ripper softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.

Ripper lands a takedown into guard.
Ripper trying to stand up but can't free himself from Baloni's guard.
Ripper trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Ripper sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Baloni's guard.

Baloni has one foot on Ripper's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Ripper moves into the clinch successfully.
Ripper throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Baloni blocks it with crossed arms.
Ripper landing knees to the body.
Ripper tries a knee to the head but Baloni blocks it.
Baloni tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Ripper just stands there and leans against the cage.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Baloni prevents a takedown attempt there.

Baloni breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Ripper moves in looking to clinch but Baloni pushes him off.
Baloni looks for a takedown but Ripper sprawls well.

Ripper rushes Baloni and presses him up against the cage.
Ripper jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Baloni walks away with a smile on his face. Ripper gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Ripper shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Baloni pinned against the cage. Baloni gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jack Ripper. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Left hook, right uppercut from Baloni.
Ripper scores with a nice strike.
Baloni fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

Ripper pushes Baloni up against the cage in a clinch.

Ripper pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Ripper tries to clinch there but Baloni circles away.

Ripper scores with a takedown into Baloni's guard.

Baloni is looking for a triangle but Ripper pushes his legs off easily.

Baloni looks to be working for a triangle here. Oh, it looks like he might have it! Ripper has picked Baloni up and slammed him! Baloni can't keep hold of the triangle and Ripper manages to pass to side control!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Ripper tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Ripper has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Baloni is trying to escape the position but Ripper is controlling the position.
Baloni gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Ripper is looking to advance position but Baloni won't allow it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Baloni tries to kick Ripper off but Ripper keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Ripper wants to pass to mount but Baloni is defending the position.

Baloni actively working from the bottom here.
Baloni is trying to get back to full guard.
Ripper tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Baloni.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jack Ripper showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Ripper 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 Andrew Berry scores the fight 30:27
Judge William Gold scores the fight 30:27
Judge Paul Tew scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jack Ripper!