PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Rivers Cuomo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Cedric Florain (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Cedric Florain has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Cuomo
vs
Florain

185 cm
19
163 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

186 cm
19
156 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Rivers Cuomo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Cedric Florain!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Florain wants to clinch.
Florain throws a sloppy head kick and Cuomo moves out of range easily.
Florain doesn't manage to clinch there - Cuomo circles away.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Florain pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Cuomo looking to land some kicks to the body here.

Cuomo closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Cuomo working the head and body with strikes.
Florain is trying to stand.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Cuomo lands a nice short elbow.
Florain blocking the ground and pound attempt from Cuomo.
Cuomo thows a huge punch but Florain dodges it nicely.
Cuomo not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Cuomo thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Florain's head.
Cuomo takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Florain regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Cuomo.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cuomo makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Florain is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Cuomo is controlling him.
Cuomo throws a big right hand that misses.
Florain wants to stand but Cuomo is controlling the position.
Cuomo wants to pass the guard but Florain is keeping the position.
Cuomo with a nice head shot there.
Florain is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Cuomo stops Florain from standing up.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

Cuomo gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Cedric Florain is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Cuomo cracks Florain with a good jab.
Cuomo lands with a kick to the temple. Florain shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Florain misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Cuomo lands with a cross.

Cuomo has managed to clinch.
Cuomo lands with a light punch inside.

Cuomo escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Cuomo lands with a nice body kick.

Cuomo darts in and clinches Florain up against the cage.
Florain wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Florain is trying to break free.
Cuomo scores with a nice hook to the head.
A right hook to the body lands for Cuomo.

Florain is fighting off a takedown attempt but Cuomo is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Florain to the mat. Florain regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
Florain really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Cuomo. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Cuomo stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Florain swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Cuomo lands a couple of decent looking shots.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cuomo throwing strikes but missing.
Cuomo has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Cuomo working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Cuomo throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Florain works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Cuomo landing with the ground and pound.
Cuomo throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Cuomo keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Florain's head.
Cuomo is working Florain over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Cuomo wants to control from the top but Florain keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cuomo postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Cuomo throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Cuomo throwing strikes but missing.
Cuomo in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Cuomo postures up and lands a big shot to Florain's brow.
Cuomo in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Cuomo content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Cuomo is looking to work some ground and pound but Florain has wrist control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rivers Cuomo dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Florain throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Florain moves in looking to clinch but Cuomo pushes him off.
Florain throws a head kick but Cuomo moves out of range.
Florain throws a head kick but Cuomo moves out of range.
Florain tries a head kick but it misses.
Cuomo misses with a double jab.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
A short right from Cuomo on the inside.
Cuomo is working for takedown but Florain is calmly controlling the position for now.
Cuomo lands a body shot in the clinch.
Florain wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Cuomo lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Cuomo lands a left hand.
Florain working hard to break the clinch.
Cuomo scores with a hook to the body.
Florain takes a shot to the head.
Florain tries to break free but Cuomo pushes him back against the cage.
Florain is breathing heavily.
A nice right hand lands inside from Cuomo.
Cuomo lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Florain looking to throw knees to the head but Cuomo is blocking nicely.
Come on Cuomo - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Cuomo is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Florain gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cuomo digs a right hand into Florain's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Florain's gas tank.
Florain takes a knee right on the jaw!
Florain is trying to break the clinch but Cuomo has him pressed against the cage.
Florain is trying to break the clinch but Cuomo has him pressed against the cage.
Cuomo keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Florain's efforts to push away.
Cuomo lands a right hand.
A hook to the body from Cuomo.

Cuomo tightens his grip and picks Florain up, before dumping him to the ground. Florain manages to land in guard.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Cuomo accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Florain utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

Cuomo gets to his feet - Florain follows without any prompting.

Cuomo closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Cuomo lands a decent elbow from side control.
Florain is not in a great position here, taking some shots.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cuomo working the ground and pound from side control.
Florain dodges the ground and pound from Cuomo.
Florain takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Cuomo fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Cuomo fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Cuomo creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.

Cuomo stands up.
Florain lands with a slapping head kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Cuomo closes the distance and clinches.
Florain tries to circle away but Cuomo has him pinned against the cage.

Cuomo has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Florain uses from the top position.
Cuomo is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Cuomo has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Florain is looking to stand up but Cuomo won't let him.
Cuomo manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Rivers Cuomo overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Florain really wants to buck Cuomo off and get back to his feet.
Cuomo throwing strikes here but Florain is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rivers Cuomo dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Florain pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Rivers Cuomo is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
A left lands for Cuomo.

Cuomo shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Cuomo is looking to work some ground and pound but Florain has wrist control.
Cuomo showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Florain utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Florain avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Cuomo working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Cuomo wants to pass the guard but Florain is keeping the position.
Cuomo throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Florain works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cuomo wanted to stand there but Florain had control of the position.
Cuomo prevents Florain from getting back to his feet.
Cuomo trying to control the position from guard on top but Florain is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Cuomo blocks a head kick by Florain.
Cuomo lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Cuomo blocks a head kick by Florain.
Florain takes one on the button.
Cuomo will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Florain tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Florain misses with a low kick.
Florain throws a head kick but Cuomo moves out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Florain takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Cuomo throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Decent striking displayed by Cuomo there.
Cuomo throws a front kick that sends Florain stumbling back into the cage.
Cuomo thuds his shin into the meat of Florain's side.
Florain misses with a head kick.
Cuomo buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.

Cuomo closes the distance and pushes Florain back into the cage.

Cuomo manages to break the clinch.

Cuomo gets a clinch.
Cuomo slows down the pace here.
Cuomo lands with a short punch from the clinch.
A short right from Cuomo.
Florain's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Florain tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Cuomo avoids it.
Cuomo lands a shoulder strike.
Cuomo lands a shoulder strike.
Florain is trying to break the clinch but Cuomo is controlling him.
A short uppercut from Cuomo.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Florain is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
A short body shot lands from Cuomo as the two fighters clinch.
A short right from Cuomo on the inside.
A short uppercut from Cuomo.
Rivers Cuomo is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
With the fighters up against the cage, Florain throws an elbow but misses.
Cuomo lands with a left to the head.
Florain looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

Cuomo has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Florain is trying to keep an underhook but Cuomo manages to get the takedown into half guard.
Cuomo trying to control the pace.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rivers Cuomo showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Cuomo 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 Andi Peters scores the fight 30:26
Judge Gordon Ramsey scores the fight 30:26
Judge Frank Skinner scores the fight 30:25

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rivers Cuomo!