PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Richard Lennon (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Marco Souza (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Richard Lennon has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Lennon
vs
Souza

180 cm
21
170 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

182 cm
22
182 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

Star & Star .Inc

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Richard Lennon!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Marco Souza!
The judges for this bout are Alec Ball, Steve Smith and Trevor Gratis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Lennon, right into the meat.
A head kick from Lennon lands but Souza takes it in his stride.
Souza shoots in for a double leg but Lennon sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Lennon lands with a slapping head kick.
Souza tries for a takedown but Lennon sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Souza shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Richard Lennon has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Marco Souza.
Lennon moves into range and lands a nice body kick.
Souza looks gassed!
Souza misses with a two punch combination.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Lennon lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Lennon landing knees to the body.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Lennon connects with a knee to the head.

Lennon breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Lennon pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Lennon lands with a kick to the temple. Souza shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Souza takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Souza is trying desperately to land a takedown but Lennon is having absolutely none of it. This is turning into a bit of a nightmare for Souza.

Lennon lands a big head kick that sends Souza tumbling to the mat! Lennon takes a step backwards and waves Souza back to his feet - he wants the finish!

Souza is rocked!

Lennon gets a clinch.
Souza is still on wobbly legs! Can Lennon finish him?
Lennon utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Souza seems to have recovered his senses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lennon working Souza over with knees to the body.
Knees to the body from Lennon.
Lennon lands a nice elbow.

Lennon has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Souza uses from the top position.
Souza won't allow Lennon to get back to his feet.
Souza trying to control the position from guard on top but Lennon is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Souza looking to sit in guard and control but Lennon gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Souza being controlled here, momentarily.
Lennon seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Souza for as long as he can get away with.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Lennon gets to his feet - Souza follows without any prompting.
Lennon goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Lennon cracks Souza with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Lennon scores with a body shot.
Nice body kick there by Lennon.
Lennon misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Lennon dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Lennon connects with a high kick.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Lennon scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Lennon scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Souza takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Lennon scores with a body shot.
Lennon throws a head kick that Souza semi-blocks.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lennon goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Lennon scores with a hook to the body. Souza takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Lennon moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.

Lennon changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Souza looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Lennon wants to control but Souza is keeping him busy.
Lennon is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Souza will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.

Lennon stands up.

Lennon gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Souza wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Lennon lands an elbow inside.
Souza changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Lennon fights it off and pushes away nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lennon throws a nice outside leg kick.
Lennon throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.

Lennon has taken the fight to the clinch.
Souza drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Lennon gets the underhooks and prevents it.
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!

Lennon jumps into guard, dragging Souza to the mat.
Lennon has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Lennon bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Souza's guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Lennon delivers a nice body kick.
Lennon goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Lennon works the jab nicely.
Lennon swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

Souza is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Lennon's half guard.
Souza is pressing down on Lennon's thigh, looking to free his foot. Lennon is holding on for now.

Lennon makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Souza takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Souza is breathing heavily.
Souza takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Lennon is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Souza can do to turn this around?
Lennon digs a good body shot into Souza's ribs.
Lennon lets loose with a powerful body kick. Souza will feel that in the morning.
Souza avoids a punch combination nicely.
Lennon lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Lennon scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Richard Lennon is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Lennon scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.

Lennon shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Lennon stands up over Souza, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.

Lennon gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Lennon scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.

Lennon clinches up against the cage.

Lennon decides to pull guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Souza looking to pass the guard.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Souza accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Lennon is pulling down on Souza's head. It's preventing any offense from Souza, at least for the moment.
Souza trying to control but Lennon is working from the bottom.
Souza throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lennon wants to sweep here but Souza controlling him for the moment.
Souza is looking to advance position but Lennon has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!
Souza is trying desperately to improve position.

Lennon get's back to his feet.
Lennon is looking to wear down Souza with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Lennon lands a high kick!

Lennon shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Lennon was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Lennon tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Souza working to try and regain half guard.

Lennon is standing up out of mount! Strange tactic there - he must really want this one on the feet!
Souza takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Souza takes a head kick and shrugs it off.

Lennon gets the takedown into side control.
Souza manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Souza looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Souza thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Lennon's head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Richard Lennon dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Lennon closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Souza misses with a takedown

and Lennon counters by moving into the clinch.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Lennon obliges.
Lennon is pressed up against the cage. Souza has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Lennon down to the mat. Lennon avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Lennon.

Lennon stands up.

Lennon shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Souza really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Lennon looking to control and managing it successfully.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Lennon working for a guillotine from mount but Souza is in no mood to give up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Souza wants to control but Lennon is having none of it.
Souza working to try and regain half guard.
Lennon controlling the pace for now.
Souza gets back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Lennon passes the guard and advances to mount!
Souza wants to control but Lennon is having none of it.
Souza is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Souza is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Lennon controlling from mount.
Souza is wriggling around trying to escape.
Richard Lennon overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Lennon trying to control but Souza is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Lennon stands up from the dominant position. He obviously fancies his chances standing.
Souza throws a sloppy body shot

and Lennon counters by moving into the clinch.

Lennon has Souza pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Lennon pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Souza tumbling to the mat - Lennon dives into Souza's guard.
Souza keeping moving, preventing Lennon from controlling successfully.
Lennon tries to stand but Souza is controlling from the bottom.
Lennon trying to control the position from guard on top but Souza is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Lennon stopping the sweep attempt from Souza.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Souza is working an open guard so Lennon takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.

Souza changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Lennon looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.

Souza working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.

Souza tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

And that's the end of the fight!
Richard Lennon showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Lennon has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Alec Ball scores the fight 30:26
Judge Steve Smith scores the fight 30:26
Judge Trevor Gratis scores the fight 30:26

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Richard Lennon!