PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Manoel Candelabro (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ike Taylor (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Candelabro comes to the cage accompanied by Perfect. Manoel Candelabro had real problems making weight for this fight. After initially coming in at 186.1lbs, he had two hours to make the official fight weight. He made it but it will have taken a lot out of him to cut those extra few pounds. Ike Taylor has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Manoel Candelabro's chin.

Candelabro
vs
Taylor

225 cm
26
200 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

200 cm
25
185 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Good in bed

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Enjoys gardening

MADE IN GERMANY

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Manoel Candelabro!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Ike Taylor!
The judges for this bout are Steve Erwin, Eliza Hachem and Summer Carpenter.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Taylor closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Candelabro quickly recovers to half guard.
Candelabro avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Taylor.
Taylor stops Candelabro from getting back to his feet.
Taylor thows a huge punch but Candelabro dodges it nicely.
Taylor missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Taylor scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Candelabro keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

Candelabro looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Taylor throwing shots but Candelabro is blocking nicely.
Taylor moves nicely into side control.
Candelabro is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Taylor's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Taylor not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Candelabro is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Taylor scores with a couple of nice shots.

Taylor is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Candelabro has managed to free his arm - good work.
Taylor thows a big elbow that misses, also allowing Candelabro to regain full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Candelabro escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Taylor gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Taylor postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Taylor trying to control but Candelabro is working from the bottom.
Taylor postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Candelabro wants to stand and escape but Taylor is having none of it.
Candelabro not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Taylor lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Taylor with a flurry of punches that miss.
Taylor content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Candelabro preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Candelabro is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Taylor defends well.

Taylor gets to his feet. Candelabro looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Candelabro is breathing heavily.
Taylor pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Candelabro back to the cage. Taylor follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.
A left lands for Taylor.

Taylor fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Candelabro, pushing him back against the cage.

Taylor manages to break the clinch.

Taylor clinches up with Candelabro and pushes him back against the cage.

Taylor has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Candelabro uses from the top position.
Taylor looking for a sweep. Not yet Taylor, not yet.

Taylor looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Candelabro has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Taylor is proving hard to escape from.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Candelabro looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Taylor looking to control.

Candelabro decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.

Taylor rushes Candelabro and presses him up against the cage.
Candelabro has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Taylor is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Candelabro tries to score a body lock takedown but Taylor shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Taylor.
Taylor scores a nice knee to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Taylor breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Taylor's corner calls for a 1-2. Taylor obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Taylor swinging wildly here.
Taylor scores with the left hand. Candelabro knows he should have avoided that one.
A head kick misses from Taylor.
Candelabro has his takedown stuffed

and Taylor counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Manoel Candelabro. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Taylor breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Candelabro avoids the head kick by Taylor.
Taylor fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Candelabro.
Taylor lands with a right hand.
Candelabro blocks a head kick by Taylor.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Taylor.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Candelabro taking punishment in the form of punches.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ike Taylor dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Candelabro tries for a takedown but Taylor circles away easily
and Taylor counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Candelabro is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Taylor lands with a nice body kick.
Candelabro shoots and misses
and Candelabro takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Taylor swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Candelabro takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Taylor swinging wildly here.
Candelabro really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

Taylor clinches up with Candelabro and pushes him back against the cage.

Taylor's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Taylor swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Taylor misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

Candelabro looking for a takedown here - he's got it.

Taylor working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Candelabro doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Candelabro manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Candelabro trying to control the position from guard on top but Taylor is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Candelabro won't allow Taylor to sweep him here.
Taylor working a defensive guard here.
Candelabro will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Taylor might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Candelabro kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Candelabro trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

Candelabro has gone for a leg lock! Taylor slips out almost immediately though and dives into Candelabro's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Candelabro utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Taylor throws a big right hand that misses.
Taylor throwing strikes but missing.
Taylor postures up and lands a big shot to Candelabro's brow.
Candelabro utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Taylor must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Taylor tries to free his leg and advance position but Candelabro is retaining full guard.
Taylor chips away with some ground and pound.
Taylor throws and elbow that misses. Candelabro uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Taylor's guard. Nice move by Candelabro!
Taylor throwing strikes off his back to little effect.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taylor has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Candelabro has passed into side control.
Candelabro trying to control the position but Taylor is working away.
Candelabro lands a decent elbow from side control.
Candelabro landing strikes.
Taylor is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Taylor takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Candelabro working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Candelabro wants to control but Taylor is keeping him busy.
Candelabro just content to control the position.
Taylor wants to control but Candelabro postures up.
Candelabro trying to control the action but Taylor is working from the bottom.
Taylor is trying to strike from the bottom but Candelabro has passed into full mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Manoel Candelabro will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Taylor throws a right hand that Candelabro ducks under and follows up with a left that Candelabro also avoids with ease.
Taylor looks to score with a jab to the body but Candelabro is just out of range.
Manoel Candelabro is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Taylor misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Manoel Candelabro seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Candelabro tries for a takedown but Taylor circles away easily

and Taylor counters with a nice double leg into side control. Candelabro won't be happy with that.
Candelabro struggling a bit here.
The strikes coming from Taylor are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Taylor cracks Candelabro with a big right hand but Candelabro just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Taylor throws a strike aimed at the side of Candelabro's head but Candelabro avoids it well.
Taylor in side control, throwing shots but Candelabro defends.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Taylor tries to score with some ground and pound. Candelabro controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Check out the look on Taylor's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Candelabro pushes Taylor away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Taylor gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Candelabro parries the strikes from Taylor easily there. Taylor is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Candelabro to escape.
Taylor landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Taylor throws a strike aimed at the side of Candelabro's head but Candelabro avoids it well.
Candelabro can't do much from the bottom here.
Taylor wants to control but Candelabro is keeping him busy.
Taylor fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Taylor in side control lands a decent elbow.
Candelabro wants to control but Taylor postures up.
Taylor working the ground and pound from side control.

Taylor is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Candelabro has escaped the position, nice work there.
Taylor throwing strikes but missing, from side control.

That's two 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.
Candelabro is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Taylor's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Taylor thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Candelabro's head.
Candelabro trying to control here.
Taylor controlling the action here.
Candelabro blocking the ground and pound attempt from Taylor.
Candelabro blocking the ground and pound attempt from Taylor.
Taylor throwing shots but Candelabro is blocking nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taylor missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Taylor throws a strike but Candelabro avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Taylor throws and elbow that misses. Candelabro uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Taylor's guard. Nice move by Candelabro!

Candelabro got a little sloppy there for a moment and Taylor has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Candelabro has managed to get both his arms back between Taylor's legs - danger averted.

Candelabro thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

Taylor working for submissions but it's allowed Candelabro to get to half guard.
Taylor punching from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Candelabro lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.

Taylor looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Candelabro prevents Taylor from improving his position.

Candelabro is working for a submission here. He's got hold of the far side arm and he's looking for a kimura. He's cranking on the arm and he's got it! Taylor is tapping out! Ouch, that looked like it hurt!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:57 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Manoel Candelabro!