PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Patrick Kearney (ranked 1210 p4p, 1005 weight class) and Constantin Niculescu (ranked 155 p4p, 128 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.

Kearney
vs
Niculescu

225 cm
29
265
15 - 13 - 0

183 cm
30
230
18 - 12 - 0

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Excellent grappler
Excellent MT
Fast

Shadow Realm Apparel
Bondi MMA 🏝️

Urban Fighter
Bondi MMA 🏝️

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 15 - 13 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Patrick Kearney!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 18 - 12 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Constantin Niculescu!
The judges for this bout are Frank Antenori, Percy O'Donnell and Don Winkell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Niculescu waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Kearney.
Niculescu doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Kearney has been working on his boxing with his coaches at ubergym in the buildup to the fight.
A punch lands to the side of Niculescu 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Niculescu throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Kearney counters with a nice uppercut.
Kearney tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Niculescu was well out of range. Poor timing from Kearney.
Niculescu waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Kearney.
A telegraphed right hand from Niculescu misses the target.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kearney throws a body punch but Niculescu moves out of range.
Niculescu stuns Kearney with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Niculescu on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Niculescu throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Niculescu ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Kearney moves away.
Kearney tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Niculescu was well out of range. Poor timing from Kearney.
A looping hook to the body misses from Niculescu. Kearney does a little dance to reset his feet.
Constantin Niculescu seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Niculescu stuns Kearney with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Kearney is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Niculescu.
Niculescu punishes Kearney's body with a nice straight punch.
Niculescu swings away with a body shot that misses
and Kearney counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Kearney slaps away a takedown attempt from Niculescu, before circling back to the center of the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Niculescu throws out a loose jab but Kearney uses good head movement to avoid it.

Niculescu is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Kearney's half guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Niculescu thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Kearney's head.
Niculescu thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Kearney's head.
Kearney tries to get to full guard but Niculescu has control of the leg.
Kearney is looking to get back to full guard here but Niculescu has managed to pass to side control instead.
Kearney is looking to reverse the position.
Kearney keeping his opponent close.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Niculescu working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Niculescu throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Niculescu connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Kearney some visible discomfort.
Kearney takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Niculescu cracks Kearney with a big elbow.
Niculescu misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Kearney avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Niculescu.
Kearney on the wrong end of some ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Niculescu working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Niculescu working the ground and pound.
Niculescu cracks Kearney with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Kearney really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Niculescu trying to control the action but Kearney is working from the bottom.
The referee asks Niculescu politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Niculescu prefers to stall for the moment though.
Niculescu with the ground and pound but Kearney regains half guard under the barage of strikes.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Niculescu working over Kearney with some ground and pound. Kearney looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Niculescu is nestled in close to Kearney, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Kearney on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Constantin Niculescu dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Niculescu swats away the attempt to clinch by Kearney.
Niculescu lands a glancing blow to the side of Kearney's head.
Niculescu throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Kearney sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Kearney misses with a hook.
The fighters circling - Niculescu throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kearney misses with a straight right.
Kearney misses with a hook.
And Niculescu tries to counter it with a takedown but Kearney pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Niculescu fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Niculescu throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Kearney counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Kearney is looking to wear down Niculescu with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Kearney moves out of range of the strikes.
Niculescu is really struggling to land any decent head shots against his taller opponent.
Niculescu throws a poor cross that misses
and Kearney connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Niculescu takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Niculescu misses with an uppercut. Kearney saw that one coming.
Kearney swung with a counter punch to the body but it didn't connect.
Niculescu misses with a few strikes there.
Kearney appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Niculescu throws out a loose jab but Kearney uses good head movement to avoid it.
Niculescu lands a nice looking body shot.
Kearney looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Niculescu takes one to the side of the head.
Niculescu tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Kearney was well out of range. Poor timing from Niculescu.
Kearney throws a looping overhand right but Niculescu ducks down to avoid it.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Kearney misses with a looping left.
Niculescu changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Niculescu lands with an uppercut that bounces Kearney off the cage and back into range.
Niculescu throws a sloppy body shot
and Kearney counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Kearney misses with a two punch combination.
Niculescu getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Patrick Kearney is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Niculescu drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Kearney struggling a bit here.
Sloppy strikes there by Niculescu.
Niculescu lands a decent elbow from side control.
Kearney dodges the ground and pound from Niculescu.
Kearney tries to bench press Niculescu off him but Niculescu keeps the position.
Niculescu in side control, throwing shots but Kearney defends.
Niculescu in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Niculescu misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Kearney holds on tight, trying to prevent any damage.

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.
Niculescu misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Niculescu has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Kearney parries the strikes from Niculescu easily there. Niculescu is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Kearney to escape.
Niculescu working the head and body with strikes.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Niculescu working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Niculescu cracks Kearney with an elbow. That is naaassty.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Niculescu working his ground and pound in the gym.
Niculescu throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Niculescu wants to lay and pray for a moment but Kearney keeps working.
Kearney taking punishment in the form of punches.
Kearney avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Niculescu.
Niculescu in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Constantin Niculescu showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Kearney's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Niculescu scores with a jab.
Constantin Niculescu seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Kearney misses with a body shot.
Niculescu with the counter takedown but Kearney avoids it easily.
Kearney ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Niculescu moves away.
Niculescu fails with a takedown attempt.
Kearney misses with a wild body shot.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kearney misses with a straight right.
Niculescu drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Kearney defends it well.
Niculescu fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kearney displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Niculescu.
A slow jab from Niculescu misses its intended target.
Niculescu's corner calls for a 1-2. Niculescu obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Kearney is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Niculescu throws an ugly left hook that misses
letting Kearney counter with a right hand.
Niculescu throws the left hand but Kearney avoids the punch easily.
Kearney throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Niculescu looks to land a right hand but Kearney moved out of range.
Niculescu jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Niculescu just misses with a punch to the body.
Niculescu misses with a hook
and Kearney counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Niculescu thinking.
Kearney scores with a jab to the body.
Niculescu misses with a shot to the body
and Kearney counters with a left to the body.
Niculescu takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Niculescu throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Kearney counters with a straight right hand.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Niculescu misses with a left hand
letting Kearney counter with a right hand.
Kearney sizes up Niculescu with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Niculescu throws a right hand that misses
letting Kearney counter with a right hand.
Niculescu misses with a jab to the body

and Kearney counters with a crisp right hand that drops Niculescu! Kearney lets Niculescu back up to his feet, looking for a finish!

Niculescu is rocked!
Niculescu rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Kearney counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Kearney throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Niculescu.
A counter left hand to the body from Kearney misses its target.
Patrick Kearney has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Constantin Niculescu.
Niculescu throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
A quick step to the side and Kearney tries to counter with a shot to the body but it doesn't connect.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Good shot there by Kearney.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Niculescu with a poor takedown

and Kearney counters with a nice right hand that sends Niculescu toppling to the canvas! Niculescu scrambles and gets back to his feet - can Kearney finish him?!
Niculescu is still on wobbly legs! Can Kearney finish him?

It looks like Constantin Niculescu has been cut.
Kearney takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Niculescu swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Kearney counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Niculescu seems to have recovered his senses.
Kearney cracks Niculescu with a big right hand that sees him stumbling back against the cage! Niculescu falls to his knees and Kearney doesn't need a second invitatation - he rushes in and fires off several unanswered shots that force the referee to stop the fight! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:31 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Patrick Kearney!
After winning the bout, Patrick Kearney thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.