PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Glass Joe (ranked 656 p4p, 33 weight class) and Frank Rizzo (ranked 1369 p4p, 75 weight class). Joe comes to the cage accompanied by La Marseillaise. There are an array of beautiful celebrities at ringside tonight! I wonder if any of them paid for their tickets.

Joe
vs
Rizzo

165 cm
30
135 lbs
12 - 4 - 0

175 cm
23
140 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Granite chin

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Groove Gear
Zenith Nutrition (160q/$200)

Groove Gear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 4 - 0, fighting out of London, Glass Joe!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Frank Rizzo !
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, and Jack Bonds.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rizzo shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Rizzo fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Joe throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Joe throws out a loose jab but Rizzo uses good head movement to avoid it.
Rizzo connects with a jab.
Joe keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Rizzo fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Rizzo lands a nice shot that snaps Joe's head back.
Rizzo pushes Joe away with a front kick.
Rizzo throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Joe has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Joe there as he acknowledges the shot.
Rizzo lands with a thumping leg kick.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Joe missing with a left hand there. Rizzo was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Rizzo throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
Joe throws a right hand that misses
and Rizzo counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Rizzo throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Joe misses with an uppercut.
Joe lands a jab to Rizzo 's midsection.
A slow jab from Joe misses its intended target.
Rizzo has done a lot of speed work in the buildup to this fight.
Rizzo fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Joe.
Rizzo throws a jab but it's blocked by Joe.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Decent striking displayed by Joe there.
Rizzo rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Joe counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Rizzo buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Joe dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Rizzo chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Joe looks to land a right hand but Rizzo moved out of range.
Joe throws an off balance right hand
and Rizzo counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Rizzo tries to land a leg kick but Joe saw it coming and moves away.
Jab from Rizzo .
Joe swings for the body but Rizzo moves out of range.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Rizzo .
A swing and a miss from Joe.
Rizzo moves into range and connects with a jab.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
A cross from Rizzo lands.
Joe is looking light on his feet compared to last time was saw him fight.
A low kick from Rizzo misses
and Joe cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Rizzo uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Joe has time to react.
Rizzo takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Rizzo goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Frank Rizzo seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Joe avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Joe keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
An inside leg kick from Rizzo misses.
Joe uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Rizzo .
Rizzo connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Rizzo throws a nice inside leg kick.
Rizzo gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Rizzo keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Joe.
Joe ducks under a wild hook from Rizzo .
Joe looks to throw the jab but Rizzo is out of range.
Joe swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Joe throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Rizzo moves away from the strike by Joe.
An inside leg kick lands from Rizzo .
Joe lands a nice hook to Rizzo 's body. Rizzo takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Rizzo buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
A big right from Rizzo misses.
It looked like Joe wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Rizzo looks to score with a jab to the body but Joe is just out of range.
Rizzo lands a leg kick that knocks Joe off balance momentarily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Joe stuns Rizzo with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Joe is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
A slapping leg kick lands for Rizzo .
Joe throws a hook to the side of Rizzo 's head but Rizzo sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Rizzo turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Donk. Joe catches Rizzo right on the button with a cross.
Joe throws a hook but Rizzo blocks it.
Joe throws a big shot that misses.
Joe throws a hook to the side of Rizzo 's head but Rizzo sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Joe looks to score with a jab to the body but Rizzo is just out of range.
Joe throws out a loose jab but Rizzo uses good head movement to avoid it.
Rizzo is landing a lot of head punches in this opening round! Joe had better start moving his head a bit unless he wants his face to turn into pâté.
Joe lands a nice hook to Rizzo 's body. Rizzo takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Joe doesn't manage to clinch there - Rizzo circles away.
Joe takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Rizzo fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Joe checks it well.
Joe throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Rizzo connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Joe misses with a looping left.
Rizzo connects with an inside leg kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Joe throws a body punch but Rizzo moves out of range.
Rizzo wants to slow Joe down by chopping away at his legs.
Joe walks forward, straight into a front kick from Rizzo .
Rizzo displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Joe throws out the jab.
Joe smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Rizzo throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
A nice leg kick lands there from Rizzo .
Rizzo lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Rizzo on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Joe throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
The crowd cheers as Joe lands an impressive looking overhand right. Rizzo doesn't seem phased though.
Rizzo throws a quick inside leg kick.
Rizzo turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Rizzo scoring well with a low kick there.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rizzo has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Joe finds it's way round the side to connect with Rizzo 's head.
Rizzo throws a wild body kick that Joe sees coming a mile off.
Rizzo ducks under a wild hook from Joe.
Joe throws a jab but it's blocked by Rizzo .
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Frank Rizzo will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Rizzo lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.
A shot to the body from Joe misses
and Rizzo connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Rizzo has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Joe connects with a body shot that sends Rizzo 's belly button to the back.
Rizzo uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Joe.
It seemed like Rizzo was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Frank Rizzo seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Joe looks to land a right hand but Rizzo moved out of range.
Joe blocks a jab.
Rizzo fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Joe has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Rizzo looks to score with a jab to the body but Joe is just out of range.
Joe misses with a body shot.
Rizzo closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Joe takes a swing at Rizzo 's ribcage but misses.
Rizzo feints a counter leg kick.
Joe throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Rizzo lands a slapping body shot.
Joe lands a jab to the head.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Joe throws a big shot that misses.
Rizzo keeps Joe at a distance using the push kick.
Rizzo defending well as Joe loads up on a big left hand.
Rizzo takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
A good leg kick by Rizzo .

That's one minute gone in the round.
Joe swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Joe misses with a body shot.
Rizzo was about to counter that last move with a leg kick but changes his mind.
Joe tries to move into range but Rizzo moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Joe throws a series of punches but Rizzo avoids them all with ease.
Joe throws a lazy right hand but Rizzo sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Rizzo connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Rizzo throws the kick towards the body but Joe avoids it.
Rizzo misses with a looping right.
Rizzo keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Joe.
Rizzo appeared to try and counter that last move with a leg kick.
Joe chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Rizzo can pounce on him.
Joe throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Joe misses with a series of wild punches.

Joe has taken the fight to the clinch.
Joe looking to slow down the pace here.
Rizzo tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rizzo prevents Joe from breaking the clinch.
Rizzo blocks a body shot from Joe.
Rizzo blocks a body shot from Joe.
Rizzo takes a shot to the head.

Rizzo breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Joe misses with a wild combination.
Rizzo scoring well with a low kick there.
Joe throws a predictable looking body shot
and Rizzo counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Joe moves in looking to clinch but Rizzo pushes him off.
Joe lands with a straight right. Rizzo didn't see that one coming.
An inside leg kick lands from Rizzo .
Joe feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Rizzo s jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Joe avoids the head kick by Rizzo .
Rizzo throws a leg kick which misses Joe's front leg but catches the back leg as Joe tries to avoid it.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Rizzo , right into the meat.
Rizzo scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Rizzo fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Joe.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Joe lands with an uppercut that bounces Rizzo off the cage and back into range.
Rizzo buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Rizzo misses the body punch
and Joe connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Joe checks a low kick from Rizzo .
The fighters circling - Joe throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Rizzo lands with an uppercut that bounces Joe off the cage and back into range.
Good shot there by Joe.
Joe ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Rizzo moves away.
A big left from Rizzo misses.
Rizzo lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Rizzo slips a jab from Joe.
Rizzo buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Rizzo slips a jab from Joe.
Rizzo staying out of range there.
Joe takes a swing at Rizzo 's ribcage but misses.
Joe darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
A head kick from Rizzo lands but Joe takes it in his stride.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Joe falls off balance throwing a combination
and Rizzo makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. Joe really felt that one!
Rizzo connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Joe throws out a loose jab but Rizzo uses good head movement to avoid it.
Rizzo throws a shot from downtown. Joe moves away and avoids it.
Rizzo scores with a nice body kick.
Rizzo lands the left hand.
Joe just misses with a punch to the body.
Rizzo scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Joe stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Rizzo .

Joe moves into range and clinches up with Rizzo .
Rizzo misses with a punch to the body.
Rizzo fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Joe.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Rizzo breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Joe scores with a sloppy right hand. Rizzo should have avoided that one.
Rizzo looks for the body kick but Joe saw that one coming.
Rizzo ducks under a wild hook from Joe.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Frank Rizzo will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Joe on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Rizzo throws a nice inside leg kick.
Joe takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
A telegraphed right hand from Rizzo misses the target.
Joe ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Rizzo moves away.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Joe, as that shot connected.
Glass Joe has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Rizzo is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Joe.
Rizzo swings for the body but Joe moves out of range.
A quick step to the side and Joe tries to counter with a shot to the body but it doesn't connect.
A nice inside leg kick there by Rizzo . That's going to slow Joe down.
The fighters circle momentarily. Rizzo darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Joe throws a body punch but Rizzo moves out of range.
Rizzo staying out of range there.
Rizzo is looking to land body kicks.
Rizzo scores with a push kick.
A telegraphed right hand from Joe misses the target.
Joe throws a body punch but Rizzo moves out of range.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Joe misses with a straight right.
Nice defenses there by Rizzo .
Rizzo has a pretty nasty looking mouse under his right eye.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rizzo lands with a good body shot.
Rizzo punishes Joe's body with a nice straight punch.
A thudding body kick lands there by Rizzo !
Joe throws a body punch but Rizzo moves out of range.
Joe has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Rizzo .
Rizzo avoids the body shot from Joe.
Joe takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Rizzo cracks the inside of Joe's front leg.
We are yet to see a takedown attempt from Rizzo in the fight. On paper you would think he is the more dominant ground fighter so let's see if these unusual tactics pay off.
Rizzo with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Joe fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Rizzo manages to avoid it.
A nice inside leg kick there by Rizzo . That's going to slow Joe down.
Joe throws a body shot but no joy.
Rizzo scores with a kick to the midsection.
Rizzo with a body punch. A glancing blow.
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!
Good exchange - Rizzo coming out on top.
Rizzo fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Joe on the side of the head.
Rizzo fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Joe.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A left lands for Rizzo .
Rizzo scores with the left hand. Joe knows he should have avoided that one.
Nice body punch from Rizzo .
Joe takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Rizzo feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Joe's calf.
Rizzo explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.
Rizzo lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Rizzo avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Joe throws an off balance right hand
and Rizzo counters with a good low kick that Joe was not able to check.
Joe lands with a nice body punch.
Rizzo slips under a jab.
Nice defenses there by Joe.
Joe on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Rizzo clobbers Joe with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Rizzo lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Joe chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Rizzo can pounce on him.
Joe will be looking to protect his midsection after taking some solid kicks to the body.
Rizzo fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Joe has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rizzo lands a right hook to the body.
Rizzo has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Joe misses with a wild body shot.
An inside leg kick lands from Rizzo .
The fighters circling - Joe throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Rizzo misses with an uppercut. Joe saw that one coming.
Rizzo keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Rizzo pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Joe is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Rizzo .
Joe lands a jab.
Rizzo swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Rizzo connects with a leg kick. Joe looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Rizzo turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Joe!

Rizzo is rocked!
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Rizzo .
Rizzo is still on wobbly legs! Can Joe finish him?
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!
Rizzo uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Joe has time to react.
Joe rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Rizzo moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Joe lands a jab.
Rizzo connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Rizzo ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Joe looks to throw the jab but Rizzo is out of range.
Rizzo seems to have recovered his senses.
Rizzo dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Joe. That did some damage!
A jab from Rizzo finds it's way through Joe's defenses.
Frank Rizzo is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Joe gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Rizzo .
Joe misses with a straight left.
Rizzo displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Joe throws out the jab.
Joe misses with an uppercut. Rizzo saw that one coming.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rizzo lands a nice leg kick that just misses Joe's sensitive parts.
An inside leg kick lands from Rizzo .
Rizzo moves out of range of the strikes.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Rizzo ! But no joy.
Joe loads up on a big right hand but Rizzo slips the punch.
Joe throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Rizzo sees it coming and avoids it easily.

And that's the end of the fight!
Frank Rizzo comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Rizzo winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 28:30
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 27:30
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Frank Rizzo !
After winning the bout, Frank Rizzo thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.