PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Steve Cusumano (ranked 1141 p4p, 141 weight class) and Anselmo Harris (ranked 3589 p4p, 405 weight class). Cusumano's entrance music is Gamefire. A fine choice. I'm sure you'll be fascinated to know that I was talking to some pointless Z list celebrity before the fight and he thought that Anselmo Harris was going to win. Let's see if he was right.

Cusumano
vs
Harris

175 cm
29
180 lbs
13 - 7 - 0

184 cm
36
184 lbs
20 - 12 - 1

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Granite chin

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 13 - 7 - 0, fighting out of New York, Steve Cusumano!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 20 - 12 - 1, fighting out of New York, Anselmo Harris!
The judges for this bout are Matti Vanhoillinen, Tarja Halkonen and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Harris is looking to clinch but Cusumano is avoiding it.
Cusumano scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Cusumano looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Harris steps in looking to clinch after the strikes miss from Cusumano.
Harris takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Harris scores with a nice right hand.

It looks like Steve Cusumano has been cut.
Harris lands a jab to the head.
Harris misses with a hook
and Cusumano counters with a one-two to the body.
Cusumano throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Harris.
Harris lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Cusumano at a distance.
A right-left combo lands from Cusumano.
Cusumano has been working on his boxing with his coaches at Midnight MMA in the buildup to the fight.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Cusumano moves into range and connects with a jab.

Harris gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Cusumano is trying to break the clinch but Harris is controlling him.
Harris tries to throw a body punch but Cusumano avoids it by throwing Harris back against the ropes.
Cusumano tries to break free but Harris pushes him back against the ropes.
Harris lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Cusumano blocking some punches.
Cusumano blocks an uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harris misses with a punch on the inside.
A short body shot lands from Harris as the two fighters clinch.
Cusumano blocks a body shot from Harris.
Harris throws a head punch that misses.
Harris cracks Cusumano with a nice body shot.
Cusumano has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Cusumano has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Cusumano is trying to break free.
Cusumano is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the ropes.
Cusumano wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Harris has him pressed against the ropes.
Harris keeps control of Cusumano as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Harris digs a right hand underneath Cusumano's ribcage. Cusumano let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Cusumano blocks a body shot from Harris.
Cusumano blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Harris lands a right hand that snaps the head of Cusumano backwards.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Harris doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Harris tries a body shot but Cusumano blocks it.
Harris throws a punch but it's blocked by Cusumano.
Harris misses with a short punch on the inside.
Harris lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Cusumano blocks an uppercut.
Harris lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Harris lands a right hand.

Harris breaks from the clinch.
Cusumano throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
A big right from Harris misses.
Cusumano fails to land with a series of punches.
Cusumano waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Harris.
Harris is looking to clinch.
As Harris looks to move away, Cusumano throws a big counter combo but Harris just gets out of the way.
Harris connects with a jab.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
A big left from Cusumano misses.
Harris lunges at Cusumano with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Cusumano's hand.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Anselmo Harris dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Steve Cusumano's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Harris wants to clinch.
Harris throws a big shot that misses.
Cusumano swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Harris dodges the punch combination from Cusumano.
Harris tries to clinch but Cusumano moves out of range.

Harris clinches up with Cusumano and pushes him back against the ropes.
Harris presses Cusumano against the ropes and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Cusumano wants to get back to striking at distance but Harris won't allow it.
Cusumano blocks an uppercut.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Harris lands a body shot in the clinch.
Cusumano is trying to push Harris away but Harris has him pressed against the ropes, so he's going nowhere.
Harris has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Cusumano tries to break the clinch but Harris is controlling the position.
Harris has a couple of punches blocked by Cusumano.
Harris has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Harris digs a right hand underneath Cusumano's ribcage. Cusumano let out a lung full of air as it connected.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Cusumano manages to break the clinch.
Harris lands with a cross.
Harris is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Harris wants to clinch.
Cusumano appears to be looking for a big counter.
Harris is looking to clinch but Cusumano is avoiding it.
Cusumano seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.
Harris feints a jab promting Cusumano to slip. Harris then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Cusumano slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.
Harris with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Cusumano to score with a decent uppercut.
Harris tries to clinch up against the ropes, rushing in to close the distance. Cusumano manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Harris tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Cusumano paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Harris bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Cusumano's head.
Harris scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Cusumano misses with a wild body shot.
Cusumano sets himself, and Harris steps forward looking for the clinch! Cusumano avoids it this time.
Harris throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Cusumano counters with a straight right hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Cusumano looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Harris throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

Harris has managed to clinch.
A right handed body shot lands from Harris.
Harris lands a left hand.
Harris misses with a short punch on the inside.
A frustrated look appears on Cusumano's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Cusumano has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

Cusumano escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Cusumano throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Harris connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Cusumano momentarily.

Steve Cusumano's cut is getting worse.
Harris tries to clinch up.
Harris misses with a jab to the body
and Cusumano connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Harris scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Cusumano doesn't seem bothered though.
Cusumano pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Cusumano tries to move into range but Harris moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Anselmo Harris showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Steve Cusumano's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Cusumano changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.

Harris clinches with his opponent.
Cusumano is looking to break free of the clinch but Harris has double underhooks.
Cusumano has had enough of the clinch but Harris keeps him there for the moment.
Cusumano blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Harris is leaning against Cusumano and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Harris scores with a nice hook to the head.
Cusumano wants to break free but Harris has control.
Harris lands a nice uppercut.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Harris.
Harris working aggressively here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Harris.
Cusumano wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Harris has him pressed against the ropes.
Cusumano is looking to break free of the clinch but Harris has double underhooks.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Cusumano.
Harris throws a head punch that misses.
Anselmo Harris seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harris throws a head punch that misses.
Harris pushes Cusumano back against the ropes and unloads with a body punch.
Cusumano wants to break the clinch but can't.
Harris fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

Cusumano breaks the clinch.

Harris takes the fight into the clinch.
Cusumano wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Harris has him pressed against the ropes.
Anselmo Harris is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Harris keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Cusumano's efforts to push away.
Cusumano tries to break free but Harris pushes him back against the ropes.
Cusumano has had enough of the clinch but Harris keeps him there for the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cusumano is trying to force a seperation but Harris has the dominant position.
Harris is looking to take this one to the mat.
Harris has Cusumano pressed against the ropes, preventing Cusumano from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Cusumano is trying to break the clinch but Harris has him pressed against the ropes.
Cusumano is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the ropes.
A frustrated look appears on Cusumano's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Steve Cusumano has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Harris works on Cusumano's body with a couple of short punches.
Cusumano throws a punch but it's blocked by Harris.
Harris prevents a body shot from Cusumano.

And that's the end of the fight!
Anselmo Harris comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Harris winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 for Anselmo Harris!
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight for Anselmo Harris!
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight for Anselmo Harris!

Anselmo Harris wins by unanimous decision!