PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Ace Centura (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mansour Barnaoui (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Centura comes into the arena with Digital Summer - Just Run blaring out of the sound system. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Centura
vs
Barnaoui

180 cm
36
165 lbs
12 - 13 - 0

182 cm
26
167 lbs
6 - 8 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent MT
Insanely flexible

Excellent grappler
Good low kicks
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 13 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Ace Centura!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Mansour Barnaoui!
The judges for this bout are , Don Winkell and Timothy Bukovac.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Barnaoui closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Centura did well to prevent Barnaoui getting side control.
Centura is not content to let Barnaoui control the position.
Centura is trying to get back to full guard.
Centura is positioning himself well to prevent Barnaoui advancing to mount.
Barnaoui is trying to control. Centura wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Barnaoui is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Centura is looking to improve his position.
Centura is trying to stand.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Centura is refusing to be controlled, as Barnaoui sits in half guard.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Centura throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
And Barnaoui tries to counter it with a takedown but Centura pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Centura takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Barnaoui looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Barnaoui tries to break free but Centura pushes him back against the cage.
Centura is defending well against a takedown attempt.
A short right from Centura.
Centura stalls.
Centura tries to land knees in the clinch but Barnaoui avoids the damage to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Centura tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Barnaoui avoids it.
Centura keeps control of Barnaoui as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Centura is stalling here.
Centura dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
I was talking to Centura's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Centura obliges.
A bit of stalling here from Centura.
Centura taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Ace Centura.
Barnaoui looks to land a left hand but Centura moved out of range nicely.
A head kick misses from Centura.
Barnaoui with the counter takedown but Centura avoids it easily.
A jab from Barnaoui misses.
An attempted straight right counter from Centura misses the target.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barnaoui throws a shot from downtown. Centura moves away and avoids it.
Centura digs a good hook to Barnaoui's body.
Centura tries to clinch but Barnaoui moves out of range.
Centura pushes Barnaoui away with a front kick.
Barnaoui throws a leg kick but Centura sees it coming and moves out of range.
Centura misses with an uppercut.
Barnaoui misses with a body kick.
Barnaoui fails to land with a series of punches.
Centura wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.
Barnaoui avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
And Barnaoui tries to counter it with a takedown but Centura pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Good work by Centura as he checks the leg kick.
A cross from Barnaoui lands.
Centura doesn't manage to clinch there - Barnaoui circles away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Barnaoui misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Centura.
Barnaoui looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Centura swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Barnaoui misses with a wild combination.
Barnaoui throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Barnaoui misses the shot to the body.

Barnaoui closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Centura struggling a bit here.
Barnaoui throws a strike aimed at the side of Centura's head but Centura avoids it well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Mansour Barnaoui will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Centura pushes Barnaoui up against the cage in a clinch.
Barnaoui tries to circle away but Centura has him pinned against the cage.
Barnaoui wants to break the clinch but can't.
Centura misses with an elbow over the top.
Barnaoui is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Centura is defending well.
Centura stalls.

Barnaoui breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Nice sprawl there from Centura as Barnaoui shoots in.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
The fight stays on the outside here - Centura looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Barnaoui is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Barnaoui swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Centura counters by clinching up.
Centura tries a body shot but Barnaoui blocks it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Centura leaning his opponent against the cage.
Centura prevents Barnaoui from breaking the clinch.
Centura is pushing Barnaoui up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Centura missing with knees to the body.
Centura tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Centura with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Centura is pushing Barnaoui up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Centura looks to throw an elbow but misses.

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.
Centura swings wildly with an uppercut but Barnaoui uses good head movement to avoid it.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Barnaoui.

Barnaoui breaks from the clinch.
Centura staying out of range there.
Centura tries to clinch but Barnaoui is having none of it.
Centura fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Barnaoui avoids it really well and circles away.
Barnaoui swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barnaoui avoids the head kick by Centura.
Barnaoui lands with a straight right. Centura didn't see that one coming.
Barnaoui scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
The fight stays on the outside here - Centura looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Centura swings for the body but Barnaoui moves out of range.
Barnaoui tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Barnaoui moves out of range as Centura strikes.
And Barnaoui tries to counter it with a takedown but Centura pushes his down on his head and steps out.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Centura throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Centura tries to clinch but Barnaoui is having none of it.
Barnaoui lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Centura wants to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Barnaoui closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.

Centura has managed to escape just enough to sneak back to his feet but Barnaoui is on him like a limpet, forcing Centura back against the cage.
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!
Centura is struggling to control the position.
Barnaoui blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Centura taking a breather.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Centura is looking to control Barnaoui's arms but Barnaoui gets an underhook and turns him. Now Centura has his back to the cage.
Centura pushes Barnaoui back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ace Centura dominated that second round.
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. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

No luck for Barnaoui with that takedown attempt.
Centura throws a quick counter head kick but Barnaoui was just out of range.
Barnaoui takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Barnaoui throws a nice outside leg kick.
Centura moves out of range as Barnaoui strikes.
Centura seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Barnaoui uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Centura.
Nice cross by Centura.

Barnaoui bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Centura is trying to improve his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Centura takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Barnaoui trying to control the action but Centura is working from the bottom.
Centura tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Barnaoui wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
An elbow from Barnaoui crashes against the mat.

Barnaoui tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Centura is looking for a sweep.

Barnaoui looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Centura is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Barnaoui off and has taken his back!
I really don't envy Barnaoui right now.
Centura just keeping the dominant position. He can't wait too long though, otherwise the referee will stand them back up.
Barnaoui trying to control the position but Centura manages to sink in the hooks.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Centura has good solid back control here.
Barnaoui trying to control the position but Centura manages to sink in the hooks.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barnaoui tries to escape but Centura has the hooks in and won't let him break free.
Barnaoui trying to control the position but Centura manages to sink in the hooks.
Barnaoui tries to roll but Centura sticks to his back.
Centura really has the hooks in deep now - there seems like no escape for Barnaoui.
Barnaoui tries to break free.
Barnaoui staying busy and making it hard for Centura to control.
Barnaoui trying to control the action but Centura just sinks the hooks in.
Barnaoui is really stuck here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Barnaoui trying to control but not successfully.
The crowd hopeful of a finish here - Centura's supporters are on their feet, screaming for him to go for the rear naked choke.
A bit of a pause in the action here. Centura controlling the positon.
You can see the frustration on Barnaoui's face… He knows he is in trouble unless he improves his position sooner rather than later.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Barnaoui prevents Centura from getting a body triangle.
Barnaoui wants to escape the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ace Centura showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Centura has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 29:28
Judge Don Winkell scores the fight 29:28
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ace Centura!
Ace Centura tried to hype himself up post fight but didn't word it too well and it ended up with him sounding like a bit of a tool.