PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Snakes Butterbaugh (ranked 3304 p4p, 3813 weight class) and Antonio Mafi (ranked 418 p4p, 462 weight class). Antonio Mafi has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Butterbaugh
vs
Mafi

177 cm
19
169
3 - 0 - 0

188 cm
25
181
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Solid chin

Liminal Apparel

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 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Snakes Butterbaugh!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Antonio Mafi!
The judges for this bout are David Schapiro, Steve Montenegro and Russell Pearce.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mafi fails in his attempt to clinch.
Mafi lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Butterbaugh steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Mafi. That one must have hurt.
Mafi throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Butterbaugh gets a clinch.
Butterbaugh struggles to land a body shot inside as Mafi controls his hands.
Butterbaugh's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Mafi tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Butterbaugh avoids it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Butterbaugh stalling.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Butterbaugh.
Mafi tries a knee to the head but Butterbaugh blocks it.
Butterbaugh managing to block the knees to the body from Mafi.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mafi just leaning against Butterbaugh, taking a breather.
Mafi stalling in the clinch.
Mafi receives a warning from the referee for stalling.
Mafi tries to land knees in the clinch but Butterbaugh avoids the damage to the body.
Mafi tries a knee to the head but Butterbaugh blocks it.
Mafi is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Mafi tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Mafi is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
I was talking to Butterbaugh's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Mafi misses with the head strike.
Mafi misses with a knee strike.
Mafi looks to throw an elbow but misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mafi trying to control the position but instead, Butterbaugh has worked for underhooks and has pushed Mafi into the cage.
Mafi throws a knee to the head but misses.
Butterbaugh leaning against his opponent.
Butterbaugh lands a hook that snaps the head of Mafi backwards.
Mafi looking to throw knees to the head but Butterbaugh is blocking nicely.
Butterbaugh misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Mafi with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Mafi taking a breather.
Butterbaugh stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Butterbaugh will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Mafi up against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Butterbaugh gets through Mafi's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Butterbaugh will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Mafi up against the cage.
Mafi unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Mafi unloads a knee to the mid-section. Butterbaugh lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Mafi throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Butterbaugh blocks it with crossed arms.
Mafi is looking to break free of the clinch but Butterbaugh has double underhooks.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mafi landing knees to the head.
Butterbaugh cracks Mafi with a nice body shot.

Mafi manages to break the clinch.
Mafi misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Butterbaugh appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Mafi throws a head kick but Butterbaugh moves out of range.
Butterbaugh was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Butterbaugh throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Mafi stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Butterbaugh throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Mafi stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Mafi looks winded!
Mafi misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Butterbaugh has Mafi up against the cage in a clinch.
Mafi looking to throw knees to the head but Butterbaugh is blocking nicely.
Butterbaugh taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Butterbaugh blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Antonio Mafi dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Mafi tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Mafi slips a jab from Butterbaugh.
Mafi misses with a jab, cross combination.
A quick step to the side and Butterbaugh tries to counter with a shot to the body but it doesn't connect.

Butterbaugh moves into the clinch.
Butterbaugh struggles to land a body shot inside as Mafi controls his hands.
Mafi controlling the action here for a moment.
A left hand lands to the body for Butterbaugh.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Mafi with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Butterbaugh takes a knee right on the jaw!
Mafi tries to land a knee to the head but Butterbaugh blocks with his arms.
Butterbaugh has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.

Mafi pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A big left from Mafi misses.
Mafi turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Mafi throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Butterbaugh.
Mafi misses with a head kick.
Mafi is breathing heavily.
Butterbaugh misses with a wild body shot.
Butterbaugh lands with a hook. Mafi tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.

It looks like Antonio Mafi has been cut.

Butterbaugh rushes Mafi and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Butterbaugh stalling.
Butterbaugh blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Mafi misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Butterbaugh.
Butterbaugh pressing his opponent against the cage.
Butterbaugh has Mafi pressed against the cage.
Antonio Mafi seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Butterbaugh presses Mafi against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Butterbaugh tries to work over Mafi's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Mafi with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Butterbaugh can't find room to land a body shot as Mafi controls the action.
Butterbaugh goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Butterbaugh scores with a nice hook to the head.
Mafi wants to stall.
Butterbaugh tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mafi throws a knee to the head but misses.
Stalling in the clinch from Butterbaugh.
Butterbaugh blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Mafi wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Mafi trying to stall but Butterbaugh improves his position.
Mafi tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
A knee to the head by Mafi.
Mafi is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Butterbaugh is defending well for now.
Mafi is trying to stall.
Mafi is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Butterbaugh is defending well for now.
Butterbaugh throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Mafis head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mafi takes a shot to the head.
Butterbaugh is working Mafi over against the cage.
Butterbaugh avoiding damage as Mafi throws knees to the body.
Butterbaugh misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Butterbaugh on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Mafi wants to break the clinch but can't.
Mafi missing with knees to the body.
Mafi tries to land a knee to the head but Butterbaugh blocks with his arms.
Butterbaugh blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Butterbaugh misses with a punch to the body.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Butterbaugh scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Mafi using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Butterbaugh has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Mafi letting Butterbaugh take a breather here.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Antonio Mafi will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Antonio Mafi'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. This is the final round!

Mafi throws a body kick, spinning off balance
and Butterbaugh counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Antonio Mafi is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Mafi misses with a looping right.
A quick step to the side and Butterbaugh tries to counter with a shot to the body but it doesn't connect.
Butterbaugh sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Butterbaugh dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Butterbaugh comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Butterbaugh misses with a body shot.
Butterbaugh throws a body shot but no joy.
Mafi looks like he wanted to counter with a high kick but didn't throw it.
Mafi throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.

Butterbaugh instigates a clinch.
Mafi takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Butterbaugh scores with a nice hook to the head.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Butterbaugh takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Mafi is trying to break the clinch but Butterbaugh is controlling him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mafi missing with knees to the body.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Butterbaugh.
Butterbaugh misses with a punch to the body.
Butterbaugh just leaning against Mafi, taking a breather.
Mafi missing with knees to the body.
Mafi tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Mafi looking to slow down the pace here.
Mafi taking a breather.
Butterbaugh misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Mafi tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Butterbaugh avoids it.
Butterbaugh lands on the inside with an uppercut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mafi throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Butterbaugh blocks it with crossed arms.
Butterbaugh has Mafi pushed against the cage.
Butterbaugh can't find room to land a body shot as Mafi controls the action.
Butterbaugh scores with a hook to the body.
Mafi blocks a body shot from Butterbaugh.
Mafi is trying to break the clinch but Butterbaugh has him pressed against the cage.
Butterbaugh avoiding damage.
Butterbaugh tries to throw a body punch but Mafi avoids it by throwing Butterbaugh back against the cage.
Mafi throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Butterbaugh blocks it with crossed arms.
Mafi tries to circle away but Butterbaugh has him pinned against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Butterbaugh pushes Mafi back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Mafi tries to land knees in the clinch but Butterbaugh avoids the damage to the body.
Mafi looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Butterbaugh lands a right hand that snaps the head of Mafi backwards.
Mafi is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Mafi throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Butterbaugh blocks it with crossed arms.
Mafi tries to land knees in the clinch but Butterbaugh avoids the damage to the body.
Mafi misses with a knee to the head.
Butterbaugh lands a shot to the body.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Mafi swings wildly with an uppercut but Butterbaugh uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Butterbaugh can't find room to land a body shot as Mafi controls the action.
Mafi tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Butterbaugh avoids it.
Mafi is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Butterbaugh is defending well for now.
Mafi is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Butterbaugh is defending well for now.
Mafi taking a breather.
Butterbaugh on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
The referee calls for Butterbaugh to work.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Mafi misses with a knee strike.
Snakes Butterbaugh has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Antonio Mafi is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Mafi throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Butterbaugh blocks it with crossed arms.

And that's the end of the fight!
Snakes Butterbaugh showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Mafi 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 David Schapiro scores the fight 28:29
Judge Steve Montenegro scores the fight 29:28
Judge Russell Pearce scores the fight 29:29

The fight is ruled a draw!