PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Ralphie Maldonado (ranked 650 p4p, 824 weight class) and Nikos Giannopoulos (ranked 94 p4p, 114 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Maldonado
vs
Giannopoulos

179 cm
32
176
17 - 10 - 0

184 cm
39
184
17 - 8 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Carnage Clothing

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 17 - 10 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Ralphie Maldonado!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 17 - 8 - 0, fighting out of New York, Nikos Giannopoulos!
The judges for this bout are Francis DeMontford, John Mangel and Skip Squint.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Giannopoulos throws a body kick that misses.
Giannopoulos lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Maldonado circles away quickly and effectively.
Giannopoulos looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Maldonado throws an overhand right that lands on Giannopoulos's shoulder, as Giannopoulos tries to avoid the shot.
Maldonado throws a jab but it's blocked by Giannopoulos.
Nice cross by Giannopoulos.
Giannopoulos scores with the left hand. Maldonado knows he should have avoided that one.
Giannopoulos tries to clinch there but Maldonado circles away.
A punch lands to the side of Giannopoulos 's head but he takes it in his stride.
We've been told by Maldonado's head coaches at Hell Warriors Gym that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.
Giannopoulos misses with a straight left.
Maldonado was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
Giannopoulos throws a body punch but Maldonado moves out of range.
Maldonado fires out a quick counter leg kick but Giannopoulos just manages to avoid it.
Maldonado misses the jab.

Giannopoulos closes the distance and clinches.

Maldonado breaks the clinch.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Maldonado uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Giannopoulos.
Nikos Giannopoulos seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Giannopoulos moves into the clinch.
Giannopoulos fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

Maldonado breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Giannopoulos lands a big head kick that sends Maldonado tumbling to the mat! Giannopoulos takes a step backwards and waves Maldonado back to his feet - he wants the finish!

Maldonado is rocked!

Giannopoulos has closed the distance and engaged Maldonado in a clinch.
Oh Maldonado is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Maldonado misses with a hook from the clinch.
Giannopoulos misses with a hook from the clinch.
Maldonado blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Giannopoulos misses with a punch on the inside.
Maldonado fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Giannopoulos misses with the head strike.
Maldonado seems to have got his legs back now.
Maldonado is trying to break the clinch but Giannopoulos has him pressed against the cage.
Maldonado doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Giannopoulos misses with some punches.
Giannopoulos misses with a punch on the inside.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Maldonado creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
A short uppercut from Maldonado.
A head punch on the inside from Giannopoulos fails to land.
Giannopoulos displaying some good clinch control by pressing Maldonado up against the cage.
Maldonado wants to break free but Giannopoulos has control.
Giannopoulos fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Giannopoulos misses with a punch on the inside.
A right handed body shot lands from Maldonado.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Maldonado breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Maldonado scores with a leg kick.
Maldonado tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Giannopoulos connects with a single shot there.
Maldonado slips under a jab from Giannopoulos.
Giannopoulos takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Maldonado punishes Giannopoulos's body with a nice straight punch.
Giannopoulos throws out a leg kick but Maldonado moves out of range and Giannopoulos only half commits.
Giannopoulos walks into a left hand.
Maldonado looks to throw the jab but Giannopoulos is out of range.
Giannopoulos now looks to counter with a shot at the body.
Giannopoulos moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
A swing and a miss from Giannopoulos.
A little feinted left hand from Maldonado on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Maldonado connects with a right hand. Giannopoulos shakes it off.
Giannopoulos takes one to the chin there.
Giannopoulos throws a lazy right hand but Maldonado sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Giannopoulos slips a straight right by Maldonado.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maldonado clobbers Giannopoulos with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Giannopoulos cracks Maldonado with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Maldonado cracks Giannopoulos with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Giannopoulos scores with a crisp jab that stopped Maldonado in his tracks.

Giannopoulos takes the fight into the clinch.
Maldonado lands a hook to the side of the head.
Giannopoulos fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
A right hand to the body from Maldonado.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Giannopoulos.

Maldonado's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Maldonado with a body punch. A glancing blow.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Nice straight punches there by Maldonado. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Maldonado.
Maldonado jabs at Giannopoulos's body.
Jab from Giannopoulos.
Maldonado jabs at Giannopoulos's body.
Giannopoulos stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Maldonado.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Giannopoulos on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Maldonado. Maldonado obviously looking to wear him down.
Giannopoulos stuns Maldonado with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Maldonado uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Giannopoulos.
Giannopoulos displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Maldonado throws out the jab.

Giannopoulos has Maldonado up against the cage in a clinch.
Giannopoulos swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Maldonado lands an uppercut.
Giannopoulos misses with a punch on the inside.
Maldonado tries a body shot but Giannopoulos blocks it.
Maldonado lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Giannopoulos lands with a short shot to the head.
Giannopoulos is pushing Maldonado up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Maldonado's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Maldonado moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Maldonado moves out of range as Giannopoulos strikes.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Nikos Giannopoulos will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Giannopoulos with a jab.
Giannopoulos throws a big shot that misses.
Giannopoulos throws a lazy uppercut
and Maldonado counters with a lovely straight right hand!
A head kick from Maldonado lands but Giannopoulos takes it in his stride.
Good leg kick by Giannopoulos.
Maldonado uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Giannopoulos.
Giannopoulos missing with a left hand there. Maldonado was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Nice defenses there by Giannopoulos.
Maldonado throws a hook but Giannopoulos avoids it easily.
Giannopoulos ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Maldonado moves away.
Maldonado takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Giannopoulos checks a leg kick.
Maldonado moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
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!

Maldonado lands a big head kick that sends Giannopoulos tumbling to the mat! Maldonado takes a step backwards and waves Giannopoulos back to his feet - he wants the finish!

Giannopoulos is rocked!
Good work by Maldonado as he checks the leg kick.
Giannopoulos is still on wobbly legs! Can Maldonado finish him?
Maldonado fakes the body blow, causing Giannopoulos to drop his hands! Left hook to the temple! Giannopoulos goes stiff, and falls face first into the mat. Goodnight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:59 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Ralphie Maldonado!
A less than humble Ralphie Maldonado misjudged his post fight interview somewhat and came across a little too arrogant whilst trying to hype up his own abilities.