PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between renato paiva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Giovanni Emelianenko (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). renato paiva has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

paiva
vs
Emelianenko

187 cm
22
195 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

180 cm
18
186 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Intelligent

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Likes ground

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, renato paiva!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Giovanni Emelianenko!
The judges for this bout are Emerson Jorge, Daniel Cesar and Thiago Cunha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Emelianenko throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around paiva's waist but paiva gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Emelianenko off to one side.
renato paiva seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Emelianenko tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Emelianenko tries to close the distance and clinch but paiva swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Emelianenko wants to clinch up but paiva keeps it at a distance.
Emelianenko tries to close the distance and clinch up but paiva swats him away and circles back towards the center.

paiva bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.

paiva decides to stand back up.
Emelianenko keeps paiva at a distance using the push kick.
Nice sprawl there from Emelianenko as paiva shoots in.
Emelianenko circles away from the clinch attempt

and Emelianenko counters with a takedown into side control.
paiva is breathing heavily.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Emelianenko has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
Emelianenko swats away the attempt to clinch by paiva.
Emelianenko throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Emelianenko fails with the takedown.
Emelianenko fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
renato paiva has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Giovanni Emelianenko.
Emelianenko throws a jab but it's blocked by paiva.

Emelianenko closes the distance and clinches.
paiva is trying to drag Emelianenko to the mat but Emelianenko just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.

Emelianenko manages to break the clinch.
Emelianenko tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but paiva paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Emelianenko clinches up with paiva and pushes him back against the cage.

paiva breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Emelianenko slips a jab and a cross from paiva.
paiva throws a right hand that Emelianenko ducks under and follows up with a left that Emelianenko also avoids with ease.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Emelianenko tries to clinch but paiva moves out of range.

paiva darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Emelianenko is looking to escape.

Emelianenko is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but paiva pulls his head out easily.
paiva is taking a breather. Emelianenko says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Emelianenko is trying to control but can't.

paiva postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Emelianenko to stand up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
paiva throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
paiva circles away from the clinch attempt.

paiva gets a takedown into half guard.
Emelianenko is looking to get full guard. It looks like he might be successful but at the last minute paiva jumps into side control!

paiva stands up and beckons Emelianenko to his feet.
paiva misses with a double jab.
Emelianenko misses with a takedown attempt

so paiva counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.

Emelianenko is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
paiva is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

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

Emelianenko had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. paiva is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Emelianenko Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take paiva's back instead.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Emelianenko is controlling the position but paiva somehow manages to roll and ends up with half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that renato paiva will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

paiva lands a jab-cross combination.

paiva bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Emelianenko tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but paiva wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Emelianenko can't do much from the bottom here.
Emelianenko sneaks back into half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

paiva decides to stand up.
Emelianenko misses with a double jab

and paiva counters by moving into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

paiva breaks the clinch.

paiva rushes Emelianenko and presses him up against the cage.

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

paiva closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - paiva lands in his opponent's guard.
paiva stopping the sweep attempt from Emelianenko.
paiva controls from within his opponent's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
paiva trying to control but Emelianenko is working from the bottom.

Emelianenko looking for a guillotine here but paiva defends easily.
paiva stands up over Emelianenko, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.

Emelianenko is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

paiva gets to his feet - Emelianenko follows without any prompting.
renato paiva is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
paiva looks to clinch

and Emelianenko counters with a nice double leg into side control. paiva won't be happy with that.

Emelianenko is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but paiva is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Emelianenko creates some space and throws a big elbow, but paiva sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
paiva regains half guard.

Emelianenko decides to return to a standing position.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by paiva!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Emelianenko goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
paiva will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
paiva is looking to clinch but Emelianenko is avoiding it.
Emelianenko misses with a takedown

and paiva decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Emelianenko's guard.
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!
Emelianenko not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

paiva decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
paiva avoids a punch combination nicely.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Emelianenko fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

Emelianenko shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Emelianenko showed some decent athleticism there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

renato paiva dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

paiva throws a nice looking combination but Emelianenko bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
paiva throws a series of punches but Emelianenko moves out of range.
paiva tries to clinch but Emelianenko is having none of it.
Emelianenko throws a jab when paiva was well out of range.
Emelianenko misses with a takedown

and paiva decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Emelianenko's guard.
Emelianenko trying to keep a closed guard but paiva is proving a slippery customer.
paiva is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

That's one minute gone in the round.
paiva looking to stop the rear naked choke attempt by controlling the hands.
renato paiva overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
paiva wants to control his opponent's hands but Emelianenko gets his hands free.
Emelianenko is working the ground and pound here and the referee is taking a close look at paiva. He must escape soon or this one will be stopped.
Emelianenko lands with a nice looking elbow that stuns paiva.
paiva is keeping busy.
Emelianenko is controlling the position but paiva somehow manages to roll and ends up with half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
paiva is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
paiva throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Emelianenko counters with a nice leg kick.
No joy there for paiva, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Emelianenko tries to close the distance and clinch but paiva swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
paiva throws a series of punches but Emelianenko moves out of range.
Emelianenko is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
A nice combination there by paiva.
Emelianenko looks to land a body kick but paiva moved away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

paiva looking for a takedown here - he's got it.

paiva decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
paiva fails to land with a series of punches.
paiva scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Emelianenko wants to clinch.
paiva looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Emelianenko is fending him off so far but paiva persists. Nope, Emelianenko circles away and we're back to standing.
Emelianenko gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and paiva counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Emelianenko's guard now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
paiva slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
paiva passes Emelianenko's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Emelianenko trying to hold on to paiva's head to control him but paiva postures up.
paiva lands strikes from half guard.
paiva passes into side control, despite Emelianenko's attempt to control the position.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Emelianenko is looking to reverse the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
renato paiva showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for paiva, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Emerson Jorge scores the fight 30:27
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 30:27
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... renato paiva!