PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Randy Balboa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Orlandu Cidolfas (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Balboa
vs
Cidolfas

194 cm
21
245 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

200 cm
22
265 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Solid chin

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 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Randy Balboa!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Orlandu Cidolfas!
The judges for this bout are John Mangel, Bruno Hogan and Eliza Hachem.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Balboa scores with a jab to the head.
Cidolfas looks really tired already! That doesn't bode well for a good, competitive fight!
Balboa looks for a takedown but Cidolfas sprawls well.
Balboa changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Cidolfas tries to avoid it but Balboa manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Cidolfas to the ground. Cidolfas escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Cidolfas throws and low kick but Balboa moves out of range easily.

Balboa looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Balboa passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Cidolfas!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Cidolfas really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Balboa throws some wild stikes that Cidolfas manages to avoid easily.
Balboa scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Cidolfas?
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.
Balboa looking to finish with strikes here!
Balboa sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Balboa landing strikes from the mount.
Cidolfas working to try and regain half guard.

Balboa is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Cidolfas has managed to escape the submission attempt.
Balboa thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
Cidolfas tries to reverse the position but Balboa maintains control.
Balboa trying to control but he's not successful this time.

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.
Balboa thowing shots but they're missing.
Balboa sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Balboa takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Cidolfas tries to reverse the position but Balboa maintains control.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Balboa scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Cidolfas?
Balboa pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Balboa lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
The referee warns Cidolfas that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balboa trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Cidolfas gets back to half guard.
Balboa wants to control but Cidolfas is keeping him busy.
Cidolfas is trying to stand.
Cidolfas is not content to let Balboa control the position.
Cidolfas wants to get back to full guard.
Cidolfas wants to get back to his feet.
Cidolfas is trying to get back to full guard.
Balboa knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Cidolfas on the ground.
Cidolfas is trying to stand back up but Balboa is controlling him

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Balboa trying to control from half guard but Cidolfas is working away.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Cidolfas swinging wilding here.
Cidolfas stuffs the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Randy Balboa. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Cidolfas rushes Balboa and presses him up against the cage.
Cidolfas wants to break the clinch but can't.
Cidolfas is pressed up against the cage. Balboa has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Cidolfas down to the mat. Cidolfas avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Balboa misses with a wild combination.
Cidolfas throws a head kick that misses.
Balboa fails with a takedown attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Randy Balboa dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Cidolfas pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Balboa drives through with a takedown into guard.

Balboa gets to his feet - Cidolfas follows without any prompting.
Nice takedown defense from Cidolfas. No joy for Balboa on that attempt.

Balboa scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
The fighters are battling for position here. Cidolfas manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Balboa trying to control the position from guard on top but Cidolfas is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Cidolfas wants to get back to his feet but Balboa is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Balboa stands up and waves to Cidolfas to follow him.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Cidolfas clinches up against the cage.

Balboa breaks from the clinch.
Cidolfas circles away from the clinch attempt

and Cidolfas counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.

Balboa is looking for a triangle but Cidolfas pushes his legs off easily.
Balboa can't keep his opponent in guard - Cidolfas advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Cidolfas moves nicely into side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Cidolfas decides to stand back up. Cidolfas steps back and let's Balboa get back to his feet.
Cidolfas doesn't manage to clinch there - Balboa circles away.
Randy Balboa seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Balboa will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Balboa displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Cidolfas throws out the jab.
Cidolfas finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Balboa misses with a wild combination.
Cidolfas keeps the fight on the outside.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Balboa clinches up with Cidolfas and pushes him back against the cage.
Balboa is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Cidolfas gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Balboa tries for a takedown but Cidolfas manages to get underhooks.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Randy Balboa. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Balboa breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Cidolfas shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Cidolfas showed some decent athleticism there.

Cidolfas stands up from half guard.
Balboa has his takedown stuffed

and Cidolfas holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Balboa wants to break the clinch but can't.
Cidolfas has Balboa pressed against the cage.

Balboa escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Balboa clinches but Cidolfas breaks the clinch
and Cidolfas counters with a stiff right hand.
Balboa tries a head kick but it misses.
Balboa misses with a takedown attempt
and Cidolfas counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Balboa uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Cidolfas.
Cidolfas tries to close the distance and clinch but Balboa swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Balboa misses with a wild body shot.
Cidolfas misses with an attempted mid kick.
Cidolfas tries to clinch
and Balboa counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.

Balboa shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Balboa showed some decent athleticism there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Orlandu Cidolfas will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Balboa walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Balboa doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Cidolfas counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Cidolfas.
Cidolfas won't allow Balboa to sweep him here.
Balboa thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balboa utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Cidolfas trying to control the position from guard on top but Balboa is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Balboa trying to keep a closed guard but Cidolfas is proving a slippery customer.
Balboa wants to stand and escape but Cidolfas is having none of it.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.

Cidolfas scores with a takedown into Balboa's guard.

Cidolfas stands up from Balboa's guard - Cidolfas perhaps looking for a knockout.
Balboa doesn't manage to clinch there - Cidolfas circles away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Balboa wants to clinch up but Cidolfas keeps it at a distance.
Cidolfas throws a series of punches but Balboa moves out of range.
Cidolfas stuffs the takedown attempt from Balboa. Balboa gets slowly back to his feet.
Balboa is looking to clinch but Cidolfas is avoiding it.
Balboa tries to close the distance and clinch but Cidolfas swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Balboa misses with a double jab.
Balboa throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.

Cidolfas drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Balboa tries to improve position but can't.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cidolfas in side control, throwing shots but Balboa defends.

Cidolfas decides to stand up, so the ref orders Balboa to his feet.
Balboa with a poor takedown

and Cidolfas counters with a shoot takedown. Balboa fights it but they end up in guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Randy Balboa. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Cidolfas pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Balboa is keeping the position for now.
Balboa wants to stand up but Cidolfas is controlling him.
Balboa is trying to control the position but Cidolfas postures up.
Cidolfas sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Balboa's guard.

Cidolfas decides to return to a standing position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Balboa tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Cidolfas counters with a single leg into guard. Balboa didn't expect that.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Balboa is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Cidolfas trying to control the position from guard on top but Balboa is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Cidolfas is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Balboa wants to stand up but Cidolfas is controlling him.

And that's the end of the fight!
Orlandu Cidolfas comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Cidolfas 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 John Mangel scores the fight 27:29
Judge Bruno Hogan scores the fight 27:29
Judge Eliza Hachem scores the fight 27:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Orlandu Cidolfas!