PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Charles Oliveira (ranked 4527 p4p, 3874 weight class) and James William (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Oliveira
vs
William

178 cm
22
155
0 - 0 - 0

182 cm
25
145
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Solid chin

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Charles Oliveira!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, James William!
The judges for this bout are Luis Engracia, Daniel Cesar and Matheus Silva.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
William shoots in but Oliveira avoids the takedown attempt easily.
William shoots for a takedown but Oliveira saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Oliveira went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
William looks to land a combination. Oliveira sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
William scores with a three punch combo!
Oliveira fails with an attempt to clinch.
William misses with a takedown attempt - Oliveira sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Charles Oliveira has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of James William.

William darts in and clinches Oliveira up against the cage.
William keeps control of Oliveira as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
William is looking to break free of the clinch but Oliveira has double underhooks.
Oliveira tries for a takedown but William manages to get underhooks.

Oliveira breaks the clinch.
Oliveira shoots in for a takedown but William shows good takedown defense.

That's one minute gone in the round.
William tries to clinch but Oliveira is having none of it.

Oliveira has William up against the cage in a clinch.
William drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

William pulls guard successfully.
Oliveira wants to control from the top but William keeps moving.
Oliveira not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

William working for a triangle but Oliveira defends it easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Oliveira sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed William's guard.

Oliveira decides to return to a standing position.
William stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and William wants it to stay on the feet.
William stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and William wants it to stay on the feet.
Nice takedown defense from Oliveira. No joy for William on that attempt.
William tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Oliveira defends well and William ends up having to push Oliveira into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
William looks winded!
Oliveira fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
William misses with the combination.
Oliveira's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Oliveira duly obliges.
William is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
William stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and William wants it to stay on the feet.
William throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Oliveira's waist but Oliveira gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing William off to one side.
Oliveira doesn't succeed with the takedown
and William counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Oliveira gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and William counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
William slips under a jab from Oliveira.
William tries to score a power double leg takedown but Oliveira sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten William somewhat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
William throws a head kick that misses.

Oliveira moves into range and clinches up with William.
William drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Oliveira misses with a shot to the kidneys.

Oliveira breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
William slaps away a takedown attempt from Oliveira, before circling back to the center of the mat.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but James William will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

William takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Horrible takedown attempt by Oliveira or perhaps it was just good defense by William, which made it look bad.
Oliveira shoots in but no luck this time.
William throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.

Oliveira rushes William and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Oliveira is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables William to keep the fight standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Charles Oliveira. That's going to take a lot out of him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.

William pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Oliveira tries to clinch there but William circles away.
Oliveira sets himself, and William steps forward looking for the clinch! Oliveira avoids it this time.
Oliveira wants to clinch.
William looks like he wants to counter punch here.
James William seems to be getting the better of the standup.
William shoots for a double leg takedown but Oliveira sprawls well. He's pushed William's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
William shoots for a takedown but Oliveira saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Oliveira feinted with a counter takedown.
Oliveira looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

Oliveira moves into the clinch successfully.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Oliveira takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Oliveira is trying to pull guard but William has him pressed against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

William breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Oliveira tries to clinch up but William circles away and keeps his distance.
Oliveira fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
William has his takedown stuffed
and Oliveira counters with a head kick. That will keep William thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
Oliveira wants to clinch up but William keeps it at a distance.
And William tries to counter it with a takedown but Oliveira pushes his down on his head and steps out.

William takes the fight into the clinch.
William is trying to drag Oliveira to the mat but Oliveira just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
William is pushing Oliveira up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
William is pressed up against the cage. Oliveira has hold of a leg and is looking to drag William down to the mat. William avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
William looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Oliveira is fending him off so far but William persists. Nope, Oliveira circles away and we're back to standing.
Oliveira leaves William with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Nice sprawl there from Oliveira as William shoots in.
Oliveira seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
William stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and William wants it to stay on the feet.
William shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Oliveira tries for a takedown but William sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
William changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Oliveira fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

Oliveira throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. William tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Oliveira is in William's guard.
William working a defensive guard here.
Oliveira looking to sit in guard and control but William gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Oliveira wants to sweep here but William controlling him for the moment.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Oliveira has managed to wall walk up one of the corner posts to get back to his feet. William is pushing him up against the cage, looking to control the position.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Charles Oliveira will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

No luck for William with that takedown attempt.
William misses with a series of wild punches.
Oliveira fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Oliveira fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Oliveira closes the distance and clinches up with William, looking for a takedown. Oliveira pushes William against the cage but William circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Charles Oliveira. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
William connects with a body shot.
William tries to clinch there but Oliveira circles away.

William has managed to clinch.

William escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

That's one minute gone in the round.
William tries for a takedown but Oliveira sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Oliveira misses with a wild combination.
Oliveira with a poor takedown
and William counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
William doesn't manage to clinch there - Oliveira circles away.
Oliveira swung with a counter punch to the body but it didn't connect.
William lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
William dives in for a single leg takedown but Oliveira sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Oliveira fails with a takedown attempt.

William rushes Oliveira and presses him up against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Oliveira tries to break the clinch but William is controlling the position.
William wants to take the fight to the mat but Oliveira manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Oliveira blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
William goes for a takedown attempt but Oliveira pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Oliveira just misses with a punch to the body.
Oliveira shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has William pinned against the cage. William gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Oliveira dives in for a single leg takedown but William sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
William landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.

Oliveira breaks from the clinch.
Oliveira looking to land some kicks to the body here.

William clinches up against the cage.
William keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Oliveira's efforts to push away.

Oliveira jumps into guard, dragging William to the mat.
William advances position into side control!
William has knee on belly and moves into mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

William has hold of Oliveira's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Oliveira manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
William trying to control but he's not successful this time.
William misses with a head shot.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Oliveira is trying to escape the mount.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Oliveira tries to hold on but William pushes him away.

And that's the end of the fight!
James William comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think William has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Luis Engracia scores the fight 28:29
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 28:29
Judge Matheus Silva scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... James William!