PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Darius Tanavoli (ranked 2559 p4p, 2934 weight class) and Pascal Barão (ranked 316 p4p, 362 weight class). There are an array of beautiful celebrities at ringside tonight! I wonder if any of them paid for their tickets.

Tanavoli
vs
Barão

175 cm
19
163
3 - 0 - 0

178 cm
20
167
3 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Great elbows
Granite chin

Decent wrestler
Dangerous knees
Good gas tank

Conviction

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 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Darius Tanavoli!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Pascal Barão!
The judges for this bout are Dean Styles, John Roberts and Jonathan Paton.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Barão clinches.
Tanavoli looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Tanavoli taking a breather.
Tanavoli misses with a punch to the body.
Tanavoli tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Barão's elbow.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Barão takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Barão leaning his opponent against the cage.
Tanavoli can't find room to land a body shot as Barão controls the action.
Tanavoli lands an elbow inside that Barão shrugs off.

It looks like Pascal Barão has been cut.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Barão throws a knee to the head but misses.
Barão drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Barão on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Barão slows down the pace here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Tanavoli just misses with a elbow thrown towards Barão's brow.
Tanavoli is working Barão over against the cage.
Barão changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Tanavoli fights it off and pushes away nicely.
We've been told by Tanavoli's head coaches at Intergalactic Guerrilla Boxing that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.
Barão moves out of range of the body kick from Tanavoli.
Tanavoli tries to land a leg kick but Barão saw it coming and moves away.
Nice body kick there by Tanavoli.
Tanavoli misses with a leg kick

and Barão counters with a takedown into side control.
Tanavoli on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Tanavoli tries to get out of the position.
Barão remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Barão postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Barão is staying tight to Tanavoli's torso, preventing him from escaping.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Tanavoli misses with a body kick.
Tanavoli throws a body kick that misses

and Barão counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Barão.
Barão showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tanavoli is trying to keep Barão in close.
Tanavoli wants to sweep here but Barão controlling him for the moment.
Tanavoli trying to keep a closed guard but Barão is proving a slippery customer.
Barão seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Barão pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Tanavoli is keeping the position for now.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Pascal Barão will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Pascal Barão's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Tanavoli is looking to land body kicks.
Barão drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Tanavoli defends it well.
A solid leg kick lands there for Tanavoli.
Nice sprawl there from Tanavoli as Barão shoots in.
Tanavoli shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Barão has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Tanavoli.
Barão drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Tanavoli throws the kick towards the body but Barão avoids it.
Barão avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Tanavoli gets off balance looking for a body kick

and Barão counters with a shoot takedown. Tanavoli fights it but they end up in guard.
Barão controlling from the top position.
Tanavoli is trying to keep Barão in close.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tanavoli has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Barão has passed into side control.
Barão fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Barão just content to control the position.
Barão is continuing to stall.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
You can see the frustration on Tanavoli's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Barão misses with the ground and pound.
Barão is pausing for a moment. What's he doing? It looks like he's clearing his nose. Oh dude! He's shot a load of snot all down Tanavoli's shoulder. That is not cool.
The strikes coming from Barão are missing the target in this wave of attacks.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barão scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Barão checks a low kick from Tanavoli.
Tanavoli shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Barão changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Tanavoli goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Barão is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Tanavoli moves in looking to clinch but Barão pushes him off.
Tanavoli tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Barão keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Barão fails with the takedown.
A punch lands to the side of Tanavoli 's head but he takes it in his stride.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Barão tries to score a power double leg takedown but Tanavoli sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Barão somewhat.
Darius Tanavoli has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Pascal Barão.
Barão sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Darius Tanavoli is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Barão keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Tanavoli throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Tanavoli throws a leg kick but Barão checks it.
Darius Tanavoli is winning the standup battle so far.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Barão lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Barão moves into the clinch.
Tanavoli misses with a body punch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Pascal Barão will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Pascal Barão's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Barão uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Tanavoli.
Tanavoli swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Tanavoli misses with a kick to the body.
Barão tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Tanavoli fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Barão checks it well.
Barão steps in looking to clinch after the strikes miss from Tanavoli.
Barão shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Tanavoli as he avoids it easily.
Tanavoli misses with a low kick.
Barão tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Tanavoli counters with a good low kick that Barão was not able to check.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Crunch! Tanavoli slams his shin into Barão's torso.

Barão scores with a takedown into Tanavoli's guard.
Barão is pushing down on Tanavoli's leg trying to pass to half guard. Tanavoli is fighting to maintain full guard but Barão has managed to sneak the leg through.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barão is controlling the pace.
The adventures of Barão the control monster continue. Boring.
Pascal Barão has got the better of the ground game so far.

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.
Tanavoli regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Barão.
Barão is stalling in the full guard.
Tanavoli wants to improve his position but instead Barão has moved into half guard.
Barão slows the pace down in half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tanavoli is trying to maintain the position but Barão is very close to passing his half guard.
Darius Tanavoli has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Barão stalling.
Tanavoli is trying to control but Barão manages to pass to mount!
Barão looking to control and managing it successfully.

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.
Tanavoli tries to hold on but Barão postures up.
Barão sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Tanavoli blocking the ground and pound.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Barão is landing with some decent strikes but Tanavoli is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Barão controlling from the full mount.

And that's the end of the fight!
Pascal Barão comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Barão 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 Dean Styles scores the fight 27:30
Judge John Roberts scores the fight 27:30
Judge Jonathan Paton scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Pascal Barão!
A very excited looking Pascal Barão made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.