PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Nuclear Penguin (ranked 4288 p4p, 401 weight class) and Pierfrancesco Balli (ranked 3908 p4p, 378 weight class). Penguin comes to the cage accompanied by Mardy Bum. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Penguin
vs
Balli

179 cm
19
171 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

170 cm
25
170 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Brawler
Granite chin

Zenith Nutrition (160q/$200)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Nuclear Penguin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Pierfrancesco Balli!
The judges for this bout are Colin Fotheringham, Richard Clark and Donald Grub.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Penguin keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Balli gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Penguin counters with a low kick, right behind Balli 's knee.

Penguin shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Balli manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Balli is adopting a defensive guard.
Balli looking for a sweep. Not yet Balli, not yet.
Penguin advances to half guard.
Penguin stalling.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Balli slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

Balli is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Penguin is aware though and is defending well.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Balli is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Penguin throws a big elbow that misses.
Penguin wants to control from the top but Balli keeps moving.

Penguin thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Penguin has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Penguin connects with a couple of short punches.
Penguin with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Penguin looks to be in better condition than last time we saw him fight. Obviously he's been working hard on his cardio.
Balli keeping moving, preventing Penguin from controlling successfully.

Balli had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Penguin defends it easily.
Penguin showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Balli has his foot on Penguin's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Penguin works his way back into a safe position though.
Penguin trying to control but Balli is working from the bottom.
Balli working a defensive guard here.
Balli keeping moving, preventing Penguin from controlling successfully.
Penguin postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Penguin stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Balli swivels though and keeps the full guard.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Balli can do anything to dispel that myth.
Balli preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balli keeping moving, preventing Penguin from controlling successfully.

Balli is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Balli working a defensive guard here.
Balli tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Penguin is looking to work some ground and pound but Balli has wrist control.

Balli has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Penguin can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

Balli working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Penguin doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Penguin manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

Balli has his foot on Penguin's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Penguin works his way back into a safe position though.
We've been informed that Balli has been working hard on his conditioning in the buildup to the fight.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Penguin trying to control the position from guard on top but Balli is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Penguin throwing strikes but missing.

Balli had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Penguin defends it easily.
Penguin trying to control but Balli is working from the bottom.
Balli avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

Balli working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Penguin has passed into half guard!
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Balli is refusing to be controlled, as Penguin sits in half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nuclear Penguin dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Balli fails to land the takedown.

Balli gets a takedown into half guard.

Penguin is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Balli pulls his head out easily.

Balli is trying to work for a kimura but Penguin is defending well.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Balli content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Penguin gets back to full guard.
Balli sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Penguin bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Balli's guard.

Penguin makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Penguin looking to sit in guard and control but Balli gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Penguin looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Balli passes into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Penguin wants to control but Balli is keeping busy.
Balli is trying to control. Penguin wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

Penguin is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Balli pulls his head out easily.
Penguin tries to roll over but Balli keeps him under control.
Penguin is looking to get back to full guard here but Balli has managed to pass to side control instead.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Balli swings around for an armbar but Penguin sees it coming a mile off and turns beautifully into Balli's guard.
Penguin postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

Balli looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

Balli looking for a guillotine here but Penguin defends easily.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Penguin lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Penguin postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Penguin loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Penguin throws a big right hand that misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Penguin sitting in guard here, content to control.

Balli throws his legs up looking for a submission but Penguin uses it to pass to side control.
Balli struggling a bit here.
Balli regains half guard.
Penguin is looking to stall here but Balli recovers full guard.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Balli looking for a sweep. Not yet Balli, not yet.
Penguin lands a couple of decent looking shots.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Nuclear Penguin will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Penguin throws a nice inside leg kick.
Balli shoots in but Penguin avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Penguin plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Penguin throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Balli's head.
Balli sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Balli shoots in for a takedown but Penguin shows good takedown defense.
Penguin throws a head kick that Balli semi-blocks.

Penguin feints and as Balli raises his hands in defense, Penguin changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Penguin working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Balli working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Penguin.
Balli preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Penguin scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Penguin controls from within his opponent's guard.
Penguin sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Balli's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balli slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Penguin postures up and lands a big shot to Balli's brow.

Balli escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Penguin gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Penguin is looking to work some ground and pound but Balli has wrist control.
Penguin looking to sit in guard and control but Balli gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Penguin is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Balli can do to turn this around?
Balli wants to pass the guard but Penguin is keeping the position.
Penguin looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Balli puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Pierfrancesco Balli has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Penguin wants to control but Balli passes into side.
Balli trying to control the action but Penguin is working from the bottom.
Penguin is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Penguin is looking to improve his position.
Balli is pressing down on Penguin's thigh, looking to free his foot. Penguin is holding on for now.
Balli sitting and controlling from the half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Balli is looking for a kimura but Penguin is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Balli to get the leverage.
The fighters are battling for position here. Penguin manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

Penguin has an active guard here but Balli has managed to pass into half guard.
Penguin manages to get to full guard.
Penguin keeping moving, preventing Balli from controlling successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Penguin preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

Penguin had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Balli defends it easily.

Penguin is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Balli defends well.
Penguin utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Nuclear Penguin overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Balli postures up in Penguin's guard and throws a big left but Penguin blocks it.

And that's the end of the fight!
Nuclear Penguin showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Penguin 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 Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 30:27
Judge Richard Clark scores the fight 30:28
Judge Donald Grub scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Nuclear Penguin!
Nuclear Penguin really struggled to get his t-shirt on before his hand was raised. Making sure that Zenith Nutrition (160q/$200) logo gets some air time is pretty tricky when you're all sweaty.