PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Eman Demanuele (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bob Burke (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Demanuele
vs
Burke

185 cm
18
150 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

185 cm
21
175 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Very confident

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Eman Demanuele!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Bob Burke!
The judges for this bout are Micheangelo Fripello, Ryoma Takatsuka and Roger Salmon.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Burke slaps away a takedown attempt from Demanuele, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Burke throws a leg kick
and Demanuele counters with a one-two to the body.

Burke fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Demanuele, pushing him back against the cage.
Demanuele looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Burke is looking to take this one to the mat.
Burke drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Demanuele tries to pull guard but Burke forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Burke is looking for a takedown.
Eman Demanuele has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bob Burke.
Demanuele is pressed up against the cage. Burke has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Demanuele down to the mat. Demanuele avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Demanuele fails in his attempt to clinch.
Burke stuffs the takedown.
Burke throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Demanuele sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Demanuele tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Burke was well out of range. Poor timing from Demanuele.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Demanuele shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Burke as he avoids it easily.

Demanuele clinches with his opponent.

Burke's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Demanuele stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Demanuele wants it to stay on the feet.
Burke keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Burke dives in and grabs Demanuele's left leg, looking for a takedown. Demanuele pushes down on Burke's head and hops out.

Burke fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Demanuele, pushing him back against the cage.
Demanuele tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Burke smiles and moves away.
Burke fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Demanuele avoids it really well and circles away.
Demanuele misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Demanuele closes the distance but Burke moves to the side
and Burke counters with a stiff right hand.
Burke tries to clinch but Demanuele is having none of it.
Demanuele defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Burke.
Burke shoots in and drives through. Demanuele sprawls well.
Burke looks gassed!
Nice sprawl there from Burke as Demanuele shoots in.
Burke shoots in but Demanuele avoids the takedown attempt easily.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Demanuele will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
The fight stays on the outside here - Demanuele looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Demanuele clinches.

Demanuele breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Demanuele fails to land the takedown.
Burke shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Demanuele eats them both and turns towards Burke to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Burke throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Demanuele's waist but Demanuele gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Burke off to one side.
Demanuele is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Burke.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Burke on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Burke breaks from the clinch.
Demanuele is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Burke tries to close the distance and clinch up but Demanuele swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Nice takedown defense from Demanuele. No joy for Burke on that attempt.

Burke clinches up with Demanuele and pushes him back against the cage.
Burke is trying to drag Demanuele to the mat but Demanuele just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
The referee is keeping an eye on Burke - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Burke escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Bob Burke will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Demanuele shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Burke as he jumps to the side.
Demanuele throws a sloppy head kick and Burke moves out of range easily.
Burke looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Demanuele is fending him off so far but Burke persists. Nope, Demanuele circles away and we're back to standing.
Burke shoots in but no luck this time.
Demanuele fails to land with a series of punches.
Burke darts in trying to clinch
and Demanuele counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Demanuele throws a head kick but Burke moves out of range.
Demanuele closes the distance and clinches up with Burke, looking for a takedown. Demanuele pushes Burke against the cage but Burke circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

Burke drives through and clinches with Demanuele against the cage.
Demanuele has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Burke is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Eman Demanuele. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Burke breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
A combination from Demanuele does no damage.
Eman Demanuele is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Burke fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Burke fails to land the takedown.
Burke tries to clinch up.
Burke stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Burke wants it to stay on the feet.
Demanuele throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Burke's waist but Burke gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Demanuele off to one side.

Burke rushes Demanuele and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Demanuele drops down looking for an ankle pick but Burke pulls his leg out and moves away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Demanuele misses with a wild combination.
Burke scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Burke connects with an inside leg kick.
Burke fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Demanuele avoids the head kick by Burke.
Good leg kick by Demanuele there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Demanuele really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Burke shoots in and drives through. Demanuele sprawls well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Burke throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Horrible takedown by Demanuele or perhaps it was just good defense by Burke which made him look bad.

Burke has managed to clinch.
Burke prevents the takedown attempt.
Burke wants to take the fight to the mat but Demanuele manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Burke is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Demanuele trying to land knees to the body.

Demanuele breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Burke avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Demanuele fails with a takedown attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Burke is trying hard to land a takedown here. Demanuele sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Burke is defended easily by Demanuele.
Bob Burke seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Demanuele tries to score a power double leg takedown but Burke sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Demanuele somewhat.
Demanuele shoots in and drives through. Burke sprawls well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Bob Burke will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Burke throws a head kick that misses.
Demanuele wants to land a leg kick but Burke is out of range.
Burke tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Demanuele manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Burke shoots in for a takedown but Demanuele shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Demanuele throws a head kick but Burke moves out of range.
Demanuele dives in and grabs Burke's left leg, looking for a takedown. Burke pushes down on Demanuele's head and hops out.

Burke drives through and clinches with Demanuele against the cage.
Burke tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Demanuele fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Demanuele is trying to pull guard but Burke turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Eman Demanuele. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Demanuele wants to stall.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Demanuele gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Burke.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Demanuele is trying to pull guard but Burke turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Burke displaying some good clinch control by pressing Demanuele up against the cage.
Burke is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Demanuele gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Demanuele misses with a hook to the ribs.

Burke's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Demanuele circles away from the clinch attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Demanuele misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Demanuele stuffs the takedown attempt from Burke. Burke gets slowly back to his feet.
Demanuele tries a head kick but it misses.
Demanuele fails with a takedown attempt.
Burke shoots in and drives through. Demanuele sprawls well.
Burke wants to clinch up but Demanuele keeps it at a distance.
Burke wants to clinch.
No luck for Demanuele with that takedown attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Burke shoots for a takedown but Demanuele saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Demanuele shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Burke fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Burke avoids the head kick by Demanuele.
Demanuele looks for a takedown but Burke sprawls well.

Burke closes the distance and clinches.
Burke tries to pull guard but Demanuele holds him up against the cage and eventually Burke drops back down to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Demanuele successfully pulls guard.
Burke controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Burke wants to stand but Demanuele has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

And that's the end of the fight!
Bob Burke comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Burke has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Micheangelo Fripello scores the fight for Bob Burke!
Judge Ryoma Takatsuka scores the fight for Bob Burke!
Judge Roger Salmon scores the fight for Bob Burke!

Bob Burke wins by unanimous decision!