PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Tony Danza (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Maek Houzo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Danza's entrance music is Who's the Boss. A fine choice. There are an array of beautiful celebrities at ringside tonight! I wonder if any of them paid for their tickets.

Danza
vs
Houzo

180 cm
30
183 lbs
20 - 17 - 1

177 cm
35
192 lbs
24 - 17 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Experienced

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Knockout power

Charlie Wang's Tattered Rags & 95% Laundry

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 20 - 17 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Tony Danza!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 24 - 17 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Maek Houzo!
The judges for this bout are Stewart Dunkirk, Frank Dennis and Cecil Peabody.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Houzo looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Jeez, both these guys look absolutely knackered already, that's not a good sign!
Houzo stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Danza swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Danza is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Houzo is aware though and is defending well.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Danza working a defensive guard here.
Houzo trying to control the position from guard on top but Danza is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Danza throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.

Danza looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Danza controlling the position.
Houzo sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Houzo wants to control from the top but Danza keeps moving.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Danza looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Danza is trying to control the position but Houzo postures up.
Danza is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Houzo is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.

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

Danza looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Danza trying to control the position.
Houzo is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Danza bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Houzo's guard.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Houzo trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Houzo not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Danza slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Houzo stuck in half guard on the bottom here.
Danza trying to control the action but Houzo is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Houzo is trying to get back to his feet.
Danza looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Houzo is avoiding damage well.
Danza tries to advance to mount but can't.
Houzo is trying to control Danza's posture but Danza avoids it.
Danza cracks Houzo with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Danza taking a breather here.
Houzo is looking for a sweep.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Houzo gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Danza has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Houzo is desperately trying to improve his position but Danza has a good base and remains in mount.
Danza scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Danza can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Houzo is looking to escape.
Houzo is desperately trying to improve his position but Danza has a good base and remains in mount.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Danza scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Houzo?
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tony Danza dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Houzo tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Houzo keeps the fight on the outside.
Houzo changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Danza tries to avoid it but Houzo manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Danza to the ground. Danza escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Danza dives in and grabs Houzo's left leg, looking for a takedown. Houzo pushes down on Danza's head and hops out.
Houzo fails with the takedown.
Maek Houzo seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Houzo rushes Danza and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Danza lands a knee to the body.
Danza tries a body shot but Houzo blocks it.
Houzo throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Houzo stops a takedown attempt from Danza.
Danza prevents a takedown attempt there.
Tony Danza has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Maek Houzo.
Houzo prevents a body shot from Danza.
Danza working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A head punch on the inside from Houzo fails to land.
Danza throws an elbow but it's blocked.
A head punch on the inside from Houzo fails to land.
Houzo fails to pull guard.

Danza pulls guard.
Danza looking for a sweep. Not yet Danza, not yet.
Houzo postures up.
Danza 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.
Tony Danza overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Houzo trying to control the position from guard on top but Danza is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Houzo tries to free his leg and advance position but Danza is retaining full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Danza 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.
Houzo is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Houzo tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Danza swivels and escapes.

Danza pushes Houzo up against the cage in a clinch.
Danza scores with a shot to the side of Houzo's head.
Houzo has a couple of punches blocked by Danza.
Still in the clinch, Danza scores with a nice short uppercut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Danza scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Danza presses Houzo against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Danza.
Danza keeps control of Houzo as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

Danza decides to pull guard.
Houzo controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

Danza looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Houzo passes into side control.
Danza is trying to control Houzo's posture but Houzo avoids it.
Houzo scoring with punches from side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Danza tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Houzo wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Houzo content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
Danza is looking to reverse the position.
Danza misses with an elbow from the bottom.
Danza seems a little lost for a moment, as Houzo dominates the positioning.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Danza wants to control but Houzo postures up.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Houzo controls the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tony Danza dominated that second round.
That's time! Danza's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Houzo shoots in looking for a takedown but Danza manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Houzo's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.

Danza moves into range and clinches up with Houzo.
Houzo's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Houzo trying to control the position but instead, Danza has worked for underhooks and has pushed Houzo into the cage.
Danza tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Danza scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Houzo is trying to drag Danza to the mat but Danza just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Danza stalls.
A hook to the body from Danza.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
A short body shot lands from Danza as the two fighters clinch.
Danza lands a body shot in the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Houzo avoids the elbow strike from Danza, against the cage.
A shot in the inside from Danza.
Danza pushes Houzo back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Houzo fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Danza lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Houzo swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Houzo throws an elbow but it misses.
Danza misses with a punch to the body.
Houzo tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Houzo trying to control the position but instead, Danza has worked for underhooks and has pushed Houzo into the cage.
Danza has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Houzo avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Danza tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Houzo fails to pull guard.
Tony Danza has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Maek Houzo.
Danza lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Houzo backwards.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Houzo.

Houzo breaks from the clinch.

Danza clinches up against the cage.

Danza ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Danza no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Danza wants to sweep here but Houzo controlling him for the moment.
Danza trying to strike off his back.
Danza looking for a sweep. Not yet Danza, not yet.
Danza keeping moving, preventing Houzo from controlling successfully.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Danza looking to hit a scissor sweep but Houzo is one step ahead there.
Danza working a defensive guard but Houzo passes into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Danza is looking to control Houzo's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Danza avoid being mounted?

Danza looking for submissions off his back.
Danza makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Danza.
Maek Houzo has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Houzo won't allow Danza to sweep him here.
Houzo trying to control but Danza is working from the bottom.
Danza looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Houzo puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Danza is looking for a sweep. Houzo is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Tony Danza is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Houzo trying to control the pace.
Danza trying to control but Houzo postures up.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Danza wants to get back to full guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

We're going to have a standup here because Tony Danza wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Houzo misses with a takedown attempt - Danza sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Danza rushes Houzo and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tony Danza showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Danza has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 30:27
Judge Frank Dennis scores the fight 30:27
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tony Danza!
A very excited looking Tony Danza made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.