PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Drax Bautista (ranked 1244 p4p, 1204 weight class) and Boris Balkan (ranked 137 p4p, 134 weight class). I don't know about you partner, but I'm pumped for this one!

Bautista
vs
Balkan

190 cm
24
244
7 - 6 - 0

207 cm
23
260
7 - 4 - 1

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Excellent grappler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Voodoo Nutrition
Brooklyn Apothecary

Hardcore Alchemy
Altitude Clothing

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 7 - 6 - 0, fighting out of New York, Drax Bautista!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 4 - 1, fighting out of Amsterdam, Boris Balkan!
The judges for this bout are Thiago Cunha, Alexandre Firmino and Mauricio Rocha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Balkan throws a looping overhand right but Bautista ducks down to avoid it.
Balkan misses with a hook.
Balkan misses with a lunging right hand
and Bautista counters with a low kick, right behind Balkan 's knee.
A combination from Balkan does no damage.
Balkan throws a lazy right hand but Bautista sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Bautista throws a jab but it's blocked by Balkan.
Bautista avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Bautista throws a looping overhand right but Balkan ducks down to avoid it.
Balkan jabs Bautista to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Balkan has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.
Bautista takes one to the chin there.
Bautista pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Balkan throws a right hand that Bautista ducks under and follows up with a left that Bautista also avoids with ease.
Balkan throws a shot from downtown. Bautista moves away and avoids it.
We've been told by Bautista's head coaches at Fetus MMA that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.
Nice defenses there by Balkan.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Balkan! But no joy.
Balkan blocks a jab.
Bautista misses with a wild combination.
Balkan changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balkan cracks Bautista with an open hand slap.
Balkan scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Balkan throws a hook but Bautista blocks it.
Bautista swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Bautista swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Bautista chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Bautista is really struggling to find his range with his punches. Balkan's reach advantage is clearly causing him problems.

Bautista clinches.
Bautista with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Balkan tries to pull guard but Bautista forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Balkan tries to pull guard but Bautista forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Bautista swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Bautista with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Balkan is trying to pull guard but Bautista has him pressed against the cage.
Drax Bautista has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Boris Balkan.
Bautista tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Still in the clinch, Bautista scores with a nice short uppercut.
Bautista working aggressively here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A short right from Bautista.

It looks like Boris Balkan has been cut.
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!
Bautista lands a body punch.
Bautista doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Balkan tries to pull guard but Bautista won't allow it.
Bautista blocks an uppercut.

Balkan breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Balkan throws a hook but Bautista avoids it easily.
Balkan tries for a takedown but Bautista sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Balkan misses with a straight right.
Balkan takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Balkan misses with a wild combination.
A jab from Balkan does it's job there.
A good leg kick by Bautista.
Some bone on bone action there as Balkan checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balkan scores with a sloppy right hand. Bautista should have avoided that one.
Balkan gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Bautista counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
A big left from Balkan misses.
Balkan throws a jab but it's blocked by Bautista.
Bautista appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Bautista takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Bautista fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Balkan manages to avoid it.
Balkan might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
A big left from Balkan misses.
Balkan has his takedown stuffed
enabling Bautista to counter with a crisp jab.
Balkan misses with a body shot.
Balkan digs a good hook to Bautista's body.
Balkan throws out a loose jab but Bautista uses good head movement to avoid it.
Balkan throws a looping overhand right but Bautista ducks down to avoid it.
Bautista is looking to counter punch.
A big left from Balkan misses.
Bautista on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
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!
Balkan throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Drax Bautista is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Balkan lands a glancing blow to the side of Bautista's head.
Balkan throws out a loose jab but Bautista uses good head movement to avoid it.
Bautista misses with a looping right.
A little jabbing left from Balkan on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Balkan has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Balkan there as he acknowledges the shot.

That has opened up Boris Balkan's cut even more.
Bautista throws a leg kick
and Balkan connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Bautista ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Balkan moves away.
The fighters circle momentarily. Balkan darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Balkan avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Bautista keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Balkan looks to land a right hand but Bautista moved out of range.
Balkan staying out of range there.
Balkan is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Bautista throws a body punch but Balkan moves out of range.
Bautista throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Balkan connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Boris Balkan will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Boris Balkan's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Bautista displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Balkan throws out the jab.
Bautista half committed to a counter leg kick.
Balkan uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Bautista.
Balkan is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Bautista pushes Balkan away with a front kick.
Bautista misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Balkan.
Balkan misses with a hook.
Bautista throwing a counter right hand but Balkan manages to avoid it.
Bautista misses with a two punch combination.
Bautista is looking to clinch.
Bautista scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Balkan misses with a hook.
Bautista is looking to counter with a body kick.
Balkan connects with a crisp jab.
Balkan gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bautista looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Balkan drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Bautista defends it well.
Bautista cracks Balkan on the jaw with a powerful right hand and Balkan falls backwards against the cage. Bautista follows up with more strikes that drop Balkan to his knees. Bautista keeps the pressure on and the referee jumps in to save Balkan! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:53 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Drax Bautista!
Drax Bautista decided to hype himself up post fight. It was going well but he went on about it a bit too long and the crowd turned on him a little.