PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Mario Sassaki (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Thiago Almeida (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Mario Sassaki looks tired to me. Hopefully he has got enough gas left in the tank to put in a good performance.

Sassaki
vs
Almeida

188 cm
21
205 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

180 cm
21
205 lbs
4 - 5 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
KO power

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Mario Sassaki!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Thiago Almeida!
The judges for this bout are Alexandre Firmino, Mauricio Rocha and Emerson Jorge.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Sassaki pushes Almeida up against the cage in a clinch.
Sassaki blocks an elbow strike.
Almeida is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Sassaki is keeping busy.
Almeida tries for a takedown but Sassaki manages to get underhooks.
Sassaki drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Sassaki tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Sassaki gets underhooks to prevent Almeida's takedown attempt.
Almeida displaying some good clinch control by pressing Sassaki up against the cage.

Sassaki manages to break the clinch.
Sassaki shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Almeida defends it nicely.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mario Sassaki. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sassaki pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Almeida should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
Sassaki is breathing heavily.
Almeida shoots in and drives through. Sassaki sprawls well.
Almeida is looking to clinch but Sassaki is avoiding it.
Sassaki tries to clinch but Almeida is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sassaki misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Sassaki dives in and grabs Almeida's left leg, looking for a takedown. Almeida pushes down on Sassaki's head and hops out.
Sassaki gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Almeida holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Almeida is struggling to control the position.
Almeida tries to pull guard but Sassaki holds him up against the cage and eventually Almeida drops back down to his feet.

Sassaki breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Almeida tries to close the distance and clinch but Sassaki swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Almeida moves into the clinch.
Sassaki fails to pull the fight into his guard.

Almeida manages to pull guard.

Almeida has his foot on Sassaki's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Sassaki works his way back into a safe position though.
Sassaki looking to sit in guard and control but Almeida gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Almeida stands up over Sassaki, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Almeida gets to his feet - Sassaki follows without any prompting.

Almeida is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Sassaki's half guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Almeida winds up and cracks Sassaki with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Almeida has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Almeida is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Almeida trying to mount his opponent but Sassaki defends it.
Almeida keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sassaki pushes Almeida off looking to stand but Almeida dives back in and keeps control.
Almeida keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Sassaki knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Almeida on the ground.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
I looks like Almeida might be adopting somewhat of a lay and pray gameplan here, which I'm sure won't go down too well with the paying fans in attendance... Or the ring announcers come to think of it.
Sassaki is looking to escape.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Sassaki trying to control here.

That's four 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.
Almeida moves into full mount! Sassaki won't be happy about that!
Sassaki wants to get back to his feet.
Sassaki working to try and regain half guard.
Almeida lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Sassaki is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Almeida tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Thiago Almeida dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Almeida blocks a head kick by Sassaki.
Sassaki throws a right and a left that Almeida avoids nicely.

Sassaki has managed to clinch.
Sassaki drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Almeida is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Sassaki pulls him back up using the underhooks.

Sassaki breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Sassaki displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Almeida.
Almeida tries to close the distance and clinch up but Sassaki swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Almeida shoots in for a double leg but Sassaki sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Mario Sassaki has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Thiago Almeida.
Almeida is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Sassaki changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Almeida tries to avoid it but Sassaki manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Almeida to the ground. Almeida escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Almeida shoots in for a double leg but Sassaki sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Sassaki tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Sassaki gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Almeida counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Sassaki trying to control from the bottom.
Almeida scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Sassaki is trying to stand.
Almeida scoring with strikes to the body and head.

Almeida has hold of the far side arm. He's working for the Kimura, can Sassaki defend it? Almeida steps over the head and cranks it - Sassaki is tapping out! That was textbook stuff right there - nice submission victory for Almeida!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:50 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Thiago Almeida!