PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Paulo Roberto (ranked 1324 p4p, 1605 weight class) and Roronoa Zoro (ranked 136 p4p, 161 weight class). Roberto's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Samba de Roda. Paulo Roberto could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Roronoa Zoro's chin.

Roberto
vs
Zoro

173 cm
24
149
8 - 2 - 2

170 cm
23
145
9 - 6 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Excellent grappler
World class boxer
Powerful

The Natural Order
Paddy's Enhancing Drugs (160Q)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 2 - 2, fighting out of Tokyo, Paulo Roberto!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Roronoa Zoro!
The judges for this bout are Gwen Towbar, George Francis and Stewart Dunkirk.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Zoro is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Roberto.
Roberto lands with a straight right. Zoro didn't see that one coming.
Some wild striking there from Roberto.
We can't be sure of the tactics at this early stage but we have heard that Zoro has been working on his takedowns a lot in the buildup to the fight and we can only assume he's going to look to take this to the mat.
Roberto scores with a sloppy right hand. Zoro should have avoided that one.
Roberto throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Zoro sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Zoro fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Roberto manages to avoid it.
Roberto cracks a nice hook into Zoro's ribs.
Zoro takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Roberto thows a left - swing and a miss!
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!
Zoro fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Roberto wants to clinch

and Zoro counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Zoro controlling the pace.
Zoro sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Roberto defending well though.
Roberto is trying to stand.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Zoro thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Roberto's head.
Roberto tries to kick Zoro off but Zoro keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

Zoro is looking for a kimura but Roberto is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Zoro to get the leverage.
Roberto is staying active underneath Zoro, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Roberto wants to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zoro thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Roberto's head.
Zoro wants to lay and pray for a moment but Roberto keeps working.
Zoro thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Roberto on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Roberto blocking the ground and pound attempt from Zoro.
Zoro takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Zoro stops Roberto from getting back to his feet.
Zoro throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Zoro passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Roberto!
Zoro scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Roberto?

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zoro breaks from Roberto's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Roberto is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.
Roberto avoids a series of strikes thrown by Zoro.
Roberto is trying to stand.
Roberto on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Roberto tries to get out of the position.
Zoro thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Zoro unloading with bombs!
Zoro lands with some strikes.

Zoro goes for an armbar but he's not got it… Roberto turns into him and now he's in Zoro's guard.
Roberto engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Roberto has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Roberto wants to control from the top but Zoro keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Zoro is on top in guard.

Roberto wants to stand but Zoro is controlling the position.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Zoro wants to control from the top but Roberto keeps moving.
Zoro throws a big right hand that misses.
Zoro pushing down on Roberto's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Zoro thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

Zoro is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Zoro seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Roberto does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Roronoa Zoro dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Roberto doesn't manage to clinch there - Zoro circles away.
Roberto digs a good body shot into Zoro's ribs.
Zoro buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Zoro throws a body shot but no joy.
Zoro looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Roberto is fending him off so far but Zoro persists. Nope, Roberto circles away and we're back to standing.
Nice uppercut there from Roberto.
Zoro takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Roberto connects with a jab.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Zoro.
Jab from Roberto.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Roberto misses with a body shot.
And Zoro tries to counter it with a takedown but Roberto pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Roberto misses with a hook.
Roberto tries to clinch up

and Zoro counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Zoro working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Zoro is looking to work some ground and pound but Roberto has wrist control.
Zoro won't allow Roberto to get back to his feet.
Zoro missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Zoro with a flurry of punches that miss.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Roberto keeping moving, preventing Zoro from controlling successfully.
Zoro lands a couple of elbows.
Roberto preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Zoro in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Zoro throwing strikes but missing.
Zoro postures up and lands a big shot to Roberto's brow.
Roberto avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Zoro postures up in Roberto's guard and throws a big left but Roberto blocks it.
Zoro is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Zoro content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Zoro slips nicely into half guard.
Zoro has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zoro looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Roberto with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Zoro moves nicely into side control.

Zoro tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Zoro working the head with strikes.
Zoro throwing ground and pound but whilst doing so, he forgets to control position and Roberto works his way back to half guard. Good composure under pressure.
Roberto is in trouble now - Zoro has advanced to mount!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Roberto is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Zoro with the ground and pound from mount.
Zoro raining down hammerfists from mount.
Zoro trying to control but he's not successful this time.

Zoro looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.

Zoro working for a submission but Roberto is keeping him at bay.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
You get the feeling that Roberto really doesn't like being in this position too much.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Roronoa Zoro showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Roberto scores with a hook to the body. Zoro takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Zoro gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Roberto misses with a hook

and Zoro counters with a nice double leg into side control. Roberto won't be happy with that.
Roberto parries the strikes from Zoro easily there. Zoro is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Roberto to escape.
Zoro in side control lands a decent elbow.
Zoro throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Zoro lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Roberto down.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Zoro swings around for an armbar but Roberto sees it coming a mile off and turns beautifully into Zoro's guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Roberto avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Roberto trying to control but Zoro is working from the bottom.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
Roberto throws a big right hand that misses.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Zoro is on top in guard.

Zoro with a nice head shot there.
Roberto definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Zoro accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Roberto knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Zoro on the ground.
Zoro with a flurry of punches that miss.
Roberto wants to stand but Zoro is controlling the position.
Zoro throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Roberto works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Zoro tries to free his leg and advance position but Roberto is retaining full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zoro postures up in Roberto's guard and throws a big left but Roberto blocks it.
Zoro is in close to Roberto's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Zoro looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Zoro stops Roberto from standing up.
Zoro slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Zoro pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Roberto is keeping the position for now.
Paulo Roberto has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zoro postures up in Roberto's guard and throws a big left but Roberto blocks it.
Zoro throwing strikes but missing.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.
The fight stays on the outside here - Roberto looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Zoro is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Roberto wants to clinch.
And Zoro tries to counter it with a takedown but Roberto pushes his down on his head and steps out.
A decent looking cross lands there for Zoro.
Roronoa Zoro is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Zoro drops his hands momentarily and Roberto takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Zoro displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Roberto throws out the jab.
Zoro slips under a jab.
Zoro with the counter takedown but Roberto avoids it easily.
Roberto connects with a body shot that sends Zoro's belly button to the back.
Nice defenses there by Zoro.
Roberto missing with a left hand there. Zoro was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Zoro tries to move into range but Roberto moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Roberto looks to land a left hand but Zoro moved out of range nicely.

Zoro looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Roberto!

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Roronoa Zoro.
I've got Zoro 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 Gwen Towbar scores the fight 27:30
Judge George Francis scores the fight 27:30
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Roronoa Zoro!
A relieved looking Roronoa Zoro thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.