PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Vinnie Barbarino (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Spartacus Thracian (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Barbarino comes to the cage accompanied by The Barbarino song. Thracian has chosen I am Spartacus!!! I stand alone as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Barbarino
vs
Thracian

191 cm
30
275 lbs
17 - 5 - 1

180 cm
25
275 lbs
12 - 5 - 1

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Olympic wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

MMA's Best Nutrition - Pit Inc
TFP Graphics - Pit Inc

SPARTA FIGHTWARE-GTI
SPARTA FIGHTWARE-GTI

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 17 - 5 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Vinnie Barbarino!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 5 - 1, fighting out of New York, Spartacus Thracian!
The judges for this bout are William Peck, Alec Ball and Yves DeLean.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Barbarino with a poor takedown
and Thracian counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

It looks like Vinnie Barbarino has been cut.

Thracian closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Barbarino is looking for a sweep. Thracian is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Thracian throwing shots but Barbarino is blocking nicely.
Barbarino gets back to full guard.
Thracian looking to sit in guard and control but Barbarino gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Barbarino wants to control from the top but Thracian keeps moving.
Barbarino preventing the sweep.
Barbarino forces his way into half guard.
Thracian controlling the position well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thracian moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Barbarino preventing the sweep.
Thracian keeping full guard, as Barbarino tries to pass.
Barbarino stopping the sweep attempt from Thracian.
Barbarino is looking to work some ground and pound but Thracian has wrist control.
Barbarino stopping the sweep attempt from Thracian.
Barbarino pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Thracian is keeping the position for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Thracian tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Barbarino wants to control from the top but Thracian keeps moving.
Thracian trying to keep a closed guard but Barbarino is proving a slippery customer.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
No luck for Barbarino with that takedown attempt.
Thracian slips a straight right by Barbarino.
Barbarino is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Thracian.
Barbarino scores with a decent looking hook.
Barbarino misses with a takedown attempt

and Thracian counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Thracian.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Vinnie Barbarino. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Barbarino wants to take the fight to the mat but Thracian manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Thracian is defending well against a takedown attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barbarino blocks a punch to the side of the head.

Thracian jumps into guard, dragging Barbarino to the mat.
Thracian looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Barbarino puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Barbarino is looking to advance position but Thracian won't allow it.
Barbarino is keen to just control but Thracian is a slippery customer.
Thracian is looking to get back to full guard here but Barbarino has managed to pass to side control instead.
Thracian tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Thracian manages to get back to half guard.
Thracian has his hands clasped together around Barbarino's back. He's all about the action.
Thracian gets full guard.
Thracian keeping full guard, as Barbarino tries to pass.
Thracian keeping moving, preventing Barbarino from controlling successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Barbarino drops back looking for a leg! Thracian is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Thracian manages to kick Barbarino off! Barbarino jumps back into Thracian's guard.
Barbarino won't allow Thracian to sweep him here.
Thracian controlling the position.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Thracian manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Barbarino manages to get himself to full guard.
Barbarino lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Thracian!
Thracian is working to get back to half guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Barbarino working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Spartacus Thracian dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Vinnie Barbarino's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Barbarino rushes Thracian and presses him up against the cage.
Thracian misses with a punch on the inside.

Barbarino has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Thracian is trying to keep an underhook but Barbarino manages to get the takedown into half guard.
Thracian is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Thracian works his way to full guard. Good work.
Thracian is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Thracian is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Barbarino trying to control the position from guard on top but Thracian is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Barbarino lands a couple of digs.
Thracian is looking to sweep but instead, Barbarino has passed into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barbarino drops an elbow to the side of Thracian's head.
Barbarino wants to control but Thracian is keeping him busy.
Thracian wants to improve his position but Barbarino is controlling well.
Barbarino landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.

Barbarino is trying to work for a kimura but Thracian is defending well.
Thracian works his way to full guard. Good work.
Barbarino trying to control but Thracian is working from the bottom.
Barbarino won't allow Thracian to sweep him here.
Barbarino trying to control the position from guard on top but Thracian is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Barbarino is in close to Thracian's body, working some short punches and elbows.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
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!
Barbarino is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Barbarino seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Thracian working a defensive guard here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Thracian looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Thracian wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Barbarino is now in half guard.
Thracian is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Barbarino lands strikes from half guard.
Thracian is looking for a sweep. Barbarino is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Barbarino seems to be looking for submissions.
Thracian tries to get to full guard but Barbarino has control of the leg.
Thracian is pressing down on Barbarino's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Thracian looking for a sweep. Not yet Thracian, not yet.
Barbarino lands a couple of elbows.
Barbarino cracks Thracian with a solid left hand.
Thracian wants to sweep but no luck.
Barbarino trying to control the position from guard on top but Thracian is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Thracian wants to sweep here but Barbarino controlling him for the moment.
Barbarino scores with a decent looking elbow strike.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Barbarino looking to pass the guard.
Thracian is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
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!
Thracian utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Barbarino will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Thracian has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Barbarino has passed into side control.
Barbarino lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Barbarino in side control lands a decent elbow.
Thracian keeping his opponent close.
Thracian is trying to control Barbarino's posture but Barbarino avoids it.
Barbarino has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Barbarino trying to control the action but Thracian is working from the bottom.
Thracian is looking to reverse the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vinnie Barbarino dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Vinnie Barbarino's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Barbarino.
Barbarino scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Barbarino throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Thracian.
Thracian throws out a loose jab but Barbarino uses good head movement to avoid it.
Barbarino fails with the takedown.
Thracian connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Barbarino momentarily.
Thracian moves out of range of the body kick from Barbarino.
No luck for Barbarino with that takedown attempt.
Barbarino misses with a looping left.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barbarino throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Thracian fails in his attempt to clinch.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Barbarino is defended easily by Thracian.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Vinnie Barbarino. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Barbarino drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Barbarino takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Thracian misses with a hook.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Barbarino looking for a takedown.
Thracian prevents the takedown attempt.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Thracian prevents the takedown attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Thracian pushes Barbarino back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Barbarino goes for a takedown attempt but Thracian pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Thracian keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
A swing and a miss from Barbarino.
Thracian rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
No luck for Barbarino with that takedown attempt.
Thracian slaps away a takedown attempt from Barbarino, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Thracian misses the jab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Thracian moves into the clinch.
Thracian goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Thracian misses with a short punch on the inside.
Barbarino goes for a takedown attempt but Thracian pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Thracian scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.

Vinnie Barbarino's cut is getting worse.
Barbarino fails to land the takedown.
Barbarino displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Thracian throws out the jab.
Spartacus Thracian seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Barbarino with a poor takedown
and Thracian counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Thracian looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Barbarino is fending him off so far but Thracian persists. Nope, Barbarino circles away and we're back to standing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Thracian avoids a punch combination nicely.
Thracian with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Barbarino to score with a decent uppercut.

Thracian fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Barbarino to the ground. Thracian is now in Barbarino's guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Thracian distracts Barbarino with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Barbarino preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Thracian postures up.
Thracian is looking to advance position but Barbarino has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!
Barbarino lands a big elbow.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Thracian tries to lock up and control but Barbarino gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Thracian working to try and regain half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Spartacus Thracian comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Thracian 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 William Peck scores the fight 28:29
Judge Alec Ball scores the fight 28:29
Judge Yves DeLean scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Spartacus Thracian!
After winning the bout, Spartacus Thracian thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.