PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Tyson Main (ranked 4905 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gonali Raastupe (ranked 24856 p4p, 0 weight class). Well, I have no idea who's going to take this one!

Main
vs
Raastupe

194 cm
21
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

191 cm
25
180 lbs
0 - 3 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Solid chin

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Tyson Main!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Gonali Raastupe!
The judges for this bout are Micheangelo Fripello, Josh West and Jeff Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Raastupe scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.

Main kicks off Raastupe and gets to his feet.
Main throws a nice looking combination but Raastupe bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Main tries to clinch up.
Main doesn't manage to clinch there - Raastupe circles away.
Raastupe tries to clinch up.

Raastupe feints and as Main raises his hands in defense, Raastupe changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.

Main uses the cage to get back to his feet.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Main fails with a takedown attempt.
Raastupe is looking for the big counter here.
Main throws a right and a left that both miss.
Raastupe tries to clinch up but Main circles away and keeps his distance.
Raastupe throws a nice inside leg kick.
Main does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Raastupe swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Main lands with a hook. Raastupe tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A looping hook to the body misses from Raastupe. Main does a little dance to reset his feet.
Main misses with a series of wild punches.
Main shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Raastupe pinned against the cage. Raastupe gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Raastupe throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Tyson Main seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
No joy there for Main, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Sloppy strikes from Main. Those never looked like landing.
Raastupe stuffs the takedown attempt from Main. Main gets slowly back to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tyson Main. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Main swings for the body but Raastupe moves out of range.

Main gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Raastupe to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Raastupe trying to control but Main is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Main wants to stand up but Raastupe is controlling him.
Raastupe throwing strikes but missing.

Raastupe decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Main, up you get!

Raastupe shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Raastupe lands a couple of elbows.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Raastupe slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Raastupe stops Main from standing up.

Raastupe stands and steps away. Main gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Raastupe throws a shot to the body.
Main tries to clinch
and Raastupe counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.

Raastupe shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Main manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Main is breathing heavily.
Raastupe missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Raastupe passes Main's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Main on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Main wants to get back to full guard.

Raastupe decides to stand up.

Raastupe drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Raastupe throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Main keeping moving, preventing Raastupe from controlling successfully.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Raastupe not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Raastupe's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Gonali Raastupe will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Raastupe closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Raastupe gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
Raastupe pushing down on Main's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.

Main makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!
Raastupe slips a jab and a cross from Main.
Main slaps away a takedown attempt from Raastupe, before circling back to the center of the mat.
A head kick misses from Raastupe.

Main pushes Raastupe up against the cage in a clinch.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Raastupe pulls Main into guard.

Main stands up from guard. Let's bang!

Raastupe instigates a clinch.
Raastupe working hard to break the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Main is trying to pull guard but Raastupe has him pressed against the cage.
Main tries to circle away but Raastupe has him pinned against the cage.
Raastupe goes for a takedown in the clinch but Main prevents it.
With the fighters up against the cage, Raastupe throws an elbow but misses.
Main can't break the clinch.

Main escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Raastupe on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Main stalks Raastupe and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Raastupe's face. Raastupe staggers backwards, shaken.
Raastupe shoots in looking for a takedown but Main manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Raastupe's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Tyson Main has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Gonali Raastupe.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Main throws a good cross that connects.
Raastupe avoids a punch combination nicely.
Main throws the left hand but Raastupe avoids the punch easily.
Tyson Main is winning the standup battle so far.
Raastupe shoots in looking for a takedown but Main manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Raastupe's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Raastupe is breathing heavily.
No luck for Main with that takedown attempt.
Main throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
The fight stays on the outside here - Raastupe looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Main closes the distance and clinches.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Raastupe looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Main pushes Raastupe off looking to stand but Raastupe dives back in and keeps control.
Raastupe trying to control from Main's half guard. Main has other ideas though and has regained full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Raastupe wants to pass the guard but Main is keeping the position.

That's four 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.
Main tries to strike from the bottom.
Gonali Raastupe has got the better of the ground game so far.
Main keeping moving, preventing Raastupe from controlling successfully.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Raastupe pushes down on Main's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Main preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tyson Main dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Raastupe stuffs the takedown attempt from Main. Main gets slowly back to his feet.

Raastupe drives through and clinches with Main against the cage.
Raastupe is trying to pull guard but Main has him pressed against the cage.

Main breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Raastupe stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Raastupe wants it to stay on the feet.

Main takes the fight into the clinch.
Raastupe is looking to take this one to the mat.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Raastupe is defending well against a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tyson Main. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Main being controlled against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Raastupe prevents Main from breaking the clinch.
Raastupe working hard to break the clinch.

Raastupe breaks from the clinch.
Main wants to clinch up but Raastupe keeps it at a distance.
Main shoots and misses
and Raastupe counters with a head kick.
Raastupe tries to close the distance and clinch but Main swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
As Raastupe looks to move away, Main throws a big counter combo but Raastupe just gets out of the way.

Main decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

Raastupe pushes Main off and gets back to his feet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Raastupe shoots in and bounces Main off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Main is looking for a triangle but Raastupe pushes his legs off easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Raastupe passes easily into side control. Nice work.

Raastupe decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Main misses with a body shot
and Raastupe counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Main leaves Raastupe with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Raastupe fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Main will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

Main shoots in and bounces Raastupe off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Raastupe managing to control the position.

Raastupe is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

Main avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Main gets to his feet. Raastupe looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Main lands with a shot to the body.
Main shoots for a takedown but Raastupe saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Raastupe misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Raastupe showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Main.
And Raastupe tries to counter it with a takedown but Main pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Raastupe doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.

And that's the end of the fight!
Gonali Raastupe comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Raastupe has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Micheangelo Fripello scores the fight 28:29
Judge Josh West scores the fight 28:29
Judge Jeff Smith scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Gonali Raastupe!