PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Rich Piana (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and John Anderson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Piana
vs
Anderson

192 cm
30
204 lbs
20 - 5 - 0

180 cm
29
195 lbs
8 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Counter fighter
Granite chin

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 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Rich Piana!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, John Anderson!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Frank Antenori and Timothy Bukovac.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Piana cracks Anderson with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Piana lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.

It looks like John Anderson has been cut.
Nice body punch from Piana.
Piana lands with a hook. Anderson tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Piana thuds his right hand into Anderson's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Piana closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Piana scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
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!
Piana uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Anderson has time to react.
Piana moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Piana stuffs the takedown attempt from Anderson. Anderson gets slowly back to his feet.
Anderson shoots in for a takedown but Piana shows good takedown defense.
Piana stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Piana wants it to stay on the feet.
Rich Piana has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of John Anderson.
A cross from Piana lands.
Piana scores with a three punch combo!
Anderson's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Piana connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Anderson scrambles back to his feet.
Anderson walks into a jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Piana connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Anderson momentarily.
Piana is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
Anderson fails with the takedown
and Piana counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Piana scores with the left hand. Anderson knows he should have avoided that one.
Piana digs a good body shot into Anderson's ribs.
Donk. Piana catches Anderson right on the button with a cross.
Anderson walks into a stiff left hand from Piana.
Piana is really peppering his opponent's head with punches.
Anderson shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
letting Piana counter with a right hand.
Anderson takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Piana connects with a single shot there.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Piana scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Anderson fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Piana avoids it really well and circles away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Anderson fails with the takedown
and Piana counters with a three punch combo that has Anderson backing up. Anderson nods at Piana to acknowledge the strikes.
Piana tests Anderson's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Anderson takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Anderson has a pretty nasty looking mouse under his right eye.
Piana sizes up Anderson with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Piana changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
It looks like Piana has been trying to sharpen up his punching technique, as it looks crisper than last time we saw him.
Piana works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Anderson has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Anderson there as he acknowledges the shot.
Anderson takes one to the chin there.
Piana is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Anderson ducks right into an uppercut from Piana.
Rich Piana seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Piana works the jab nicely.
Piana's corner calls for a 1-2. Piana obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Anderson.
Anderson tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Piana defends well and Anderson ends up having to push Piana into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Piana works Anderson's body with a nice hook.
Nice shot by Piana.
Anderson on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Anderson is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Piana scores with a nice head shot.
Piana scores with a one two! Anderson had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.

Anderson is rocked!
Piana scores with a jab.
Anderson is still on wobbly legs! Can Piana finish him?
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Piana works the jab nicely.
Piana shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Anderson eats them both and turns towards Piana to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Piana scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Piana is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Piana scores with a hook.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Piana throws a combination. Anderson tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Piana connects with a looping right hand.
Anderson seems to have recovered his senses.
Nice uppercut there from Piana.
Piana lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Anderson tries to move into range but Piana moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Anderson tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Piana swivels and escapes.
Anderson is trying desperately to land a takedown but Piana is having absolutely none of it. This is turning into a bit of a nightmare for Anderson.
Anderson shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Piana lands a left and a right that send Anderson crashing to the mat, dazed. Piana thinks about following him to the mat but decides to wave him back up to his feet!
Anderson tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Piana defends well and Anderson ends up having to push Piana into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Anderson misses with a takedown attempt

and Piana counters with a crisp right hand that drops Anderson! Piana lets Anderson back up to his feet, looking for a finish!
Anderson looks winded!
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Piana connects with a jab.
Piana fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Anderson throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Piana's waist but Piana gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Anderson off to one side.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rich Piana dominated that round.
The cut man is working on John Anderson's cut.
That's time! Piana's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Piana drops Anderson with a beautiful combination! Anderson stares up at his opponent, who ushers him back to his feet - Piana is looking for the KO!
Piana tests Anderson's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Anderson tries for a takedown but Piana circles away easily
letting Piana counter with a right hand.
I'm just looking down at my notes here and I see that.... oh! Piana has cracked Anderson with a big right, followed by a left! He's out on his feet! Piana lands another huge swinging hook and Anderson tumbles to the canvas! The ref dives in to save Anderson, before Piana can land any more shots!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:23 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Punches). Rich Piana!
After winning the bout, Rich Piana thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.