PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Kick Boxer (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rocky Balbacoa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Boxer
vs
Balbacoa

195 cm
25
206 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

192 cm
18
200 lbs
0 - 3 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Enjoys gardening

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Kick Boxer!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Rocky Balbacoa!
The judges for this bout are Summer Carpenter, John Mangel and Damien Edna.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Balbacoa fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Boxer sprawls well initially but Balbacoa persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Balbacoa sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Boxer defending well though.
Balbacoa moves nicely into side control.
Boxer is trying to buck Balbacoa off.

Balbacoa stands up and beckons Boxer to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Boxer is looking to clinch.
Boxer tries to clinch up but Balbacoa circles away and keeps his distance.
Boxer is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Boxer tries to close the distance and clinch but Balbacoa swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Balbacoa closes the distance and clinches.
Boxer tries to land knees in the clinch but Balbacoa avoids the damage to the body.
Balbacoa managing to block the knees to the body from Boxer.
Boxer working Balbacoa over with knees to the body.
Balbacoa blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Boxer missing with knees to the body.
Boxer unloads a knee to the mid-section. Balbacoa lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.

Balbacoa pulls Boxer into guard.
Boxer wants to get up but he can't break Balbacoa's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

Balbacoa pushes Boxer off and gets back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Balbacoa shoots in for a takedown but Boxer shows good takedown defense.
The fight stays on the outside here - Balbacoa looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Boxer closes the distance but Balbacoa moves to the side

and Balbacoa counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Boxer is breathing heavily.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Boxer wants to stand and escape but Balbacoa is having none of it.

Balbacoa decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Boxer, up you get!
Boxer looks to clinch

and Balbacoa counters with a takedown into side control.
Boxer wants to get back to his feet but Balbacoa is dominant here and he's now got Boxer's back!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balbacoa lands strikes to the head.
Boxer covering up well and avoiding damage.
Balbacoa really has the hooks in deep now - there seems like no escape for Boxer.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Boxer controlling the position well but he knows he's in a bad position.
Balbacoa trying desperately to keep hold of the dominant position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Boxer darts in trying to clinch

and Balbacoa counters by clinching up.
Boxer landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Balbacoa is trying to maintain a safe position but Boxer gets an underhook and turns Balbacoa into the cage.
Knees in the clinch landing for Boxer.
Boxer missing with knees to the body.
Boxer gets underhooks to prevent Balbacoa's takedown attempt.
Boxer missing with knees to the body.
Balbacoa blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Balbacoa avoiding damage as Boxer throws knees to the body.
Boxer is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Balbacoa is defending well for now.
Balbacoa wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Boxer tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Balbacoa avoids it.
Boxer avoids the elbow strike from Balbacoa, against the cage.
Balbacoa avoiding damage as Boxer throws knees to the body.
Balbacoa on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Balbacoa tries to score a body lock takedown but Boxer shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Boxer trying to land knees to the body.
Balbacoa takes a knee to the side of the body.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Knees in the clinch landing for Boxer.
Balbacoa managing to block the knees to the body from Boxer.
Boxer lands a nice knee to the body.
Balbacoa avoiding damage as Boxer throws knees to the body.
Boxer is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Balbacoa is defending well for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Boxer prevents a takedown attempt there.
Kick Boxer has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rocky Balbacoa.
Balbacoa throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Boxer blocks it with crossed arms.
Balbacoa jumps guard but Boxer stands there with Balbacoa around his waist. Balbacoa gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Boxer trying to land knees to the body.
Balbacoa goes for a takedown attempt but Boxer pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Kick Boxer is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Boxer wants to clinch

and Balbacoa counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Boxer!
Balbacoa misses with a head shot.
Balbacoa thowing shots but they're missing.
Balbacoa trying to control but Boxer is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Balbacoa throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Boxer's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.
Balbacoa thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Balbacoa throws some wild stikes that Boxer manages to avoid easily.
Balbacoa wants to control the pace but Boxer is squirming around nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Balbacoa throws some wild stikes that Boxer manages to avoid easily.
Boxer knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Balbacoa on the ground.
Balbacoa unloads with some shots from mount but Boxer bucks and avoids them well.
Boxer is squirming around, avoiding Balbacoa's attempts to control the action.
Balbacoa dominating with strikes here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Rocky Balbacoa will probably get the nod - 10:9.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Boxer clinches but Balbacoa breaks the clinch

and Balbacoa holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Balbacoa managing to block the knees to the body from Boxer.
Boxer misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Balbacoa.
Balbacoa blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Boxer is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Balbacoa is defending well for now.
Boxer misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Balbacoa.
Boxer prevents a takedown attempt there.
Boxer missing with knees to the body.
Boxer scores a nice knee to the body.
Balbacoa avoiding damage as Boxer throws knees to the body.
Boxer unloads a knee to the mid-section. Balbacoa lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Balbacoa blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Boxer landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Balbacoa avoiding damage as Boxer throws knees to the body.
Balbacoa is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Balbacoa is stalling here.
Boxer misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Balbacoa.
Boxer missing with knees to the body.
Balbacoa managing to block the knees to the body from Boxer.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Boxer.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Boxer tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Balbacoa avoids it.
Boxer prevents Balbacoa from breaking the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balbacoa has Boxer pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Boxer manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Kick Boxer has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rocky Balbacoa.
Balbacoa wants to break the clinch but can't.
Balbacoa managing to block the knees to the body from Boxer.
Balbacoa working aggressively here.
Boxer misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Balbacoa.
Balbacoa jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Boxer walks away with a smile on his face. Balbacoa gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Boxer clinches but Balbacoa breaks the clinch
enabling Balbacoa to counter with a crisp jab.
Boxer looks to clinch

and Balbacoa decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Boxer's guard.
Balbacoa scoring with some ground and pound.
Balbacoa working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Boxer's head.
Boxer can't keep his opponent in guard - Balbacoa advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Boxer is trying to stand.
Balbacoa takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Balbacoa lands strikes from half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balbacoa wants to control but Boxer is keeping him busy.
Boxer is looking to get back to is feet but Balbacoa passes into side control.

Balbacoa working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.

Balbacoa goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Boxer rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Balbacoa's guard! Nice work there by Boxer!
Kick Boxer has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Rocky Balbacoa is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Balbacoa trying to keep a closed guard but Boxer is proving a slippery customer.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rocky Balbacoa comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Balbacoa winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Summer Carpenter scores the fight 27:30
Judge John Mangel scores the fight 27:30
Judge Damien Edna scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rocky Balbacoa!