PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Emporio Armando (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Thien Dinh (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Armando
vs
Dinh

183 cm
22
205 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

190 cm
24
205 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Determined

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 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Emporio Armando!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Thien Dinh!
The judges for this bout are Paulo Santos, Thiago Cunha and Mauricio Rocha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Dinh pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Dinh fails in his attempt to clinch.

Armando drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Dinh working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Armando.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Armando accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Armando throwing strikes from guard but Dinh blocks nicely.
Armando has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Armando throws a big right hand that misses.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Armando makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.

It looks like Thien Dinh has been cut.
Dinh utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Armando stops Dinh from standing up.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Armando's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

That has opened up Thien Dinh's cut even more.
Armando throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Dinh works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Dinh utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Armando content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Armando working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Armando working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Armando throws a strike but Dinh rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Dinh wants to stand but Armando has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Armando is on top in guard.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Armando accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Armando trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Armando trying to control but Dinh is working from the bottom.
Dinh preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Dinh wants to get back to his feet but Armando is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Armando is looking to work some ground and pound but Dinh has wrist control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Armando throws and elbow that misses. Dinh uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Armando's guard. Nice move by Dinh!
Armando is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Dinh stuffs the takedown.
Dinh tries to close the distance and clinch but Armando swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Emporio Armando seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Dinh fails in his attempt to clinch.
Armando steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Dinh. That one must have hurt.
Armando shoots in for a takedown but Dinh shows good takedown defense.
Dinh with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Dinh throws a head kick that half lands.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A chopping leg kick lands by Dinh.
Armando is breathing heavily.

Dinh closes the distance and clinches.
A left hand lands to the body for Dinh.
Dinh is pressed up against the cage. Armando has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Dinh down to the mat. Dinh avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Emporio Armando. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Dinh wants to clinch up but Armando keeps it at a distance.
Armando fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Dinh avoids it really well and circles away.
Dinh lands a nice leg kick that just misses Armando's sensitive parts.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Armando.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Dinh getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Armando shoots in for a double leg but Dinh sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Thien Dinh will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Thien Dinh's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Dinh lets loose with a powerful body kick. Armando will feel that in the morning.
Dinh throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Dinh wants to clinch.
Dinh throws a series of punches but Armando moves out of range.
Armando closes the distance and clinches up with Dinh, looking for a takedown. Armando pushes Dinh against the cage but Dinh circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Dinh tries to close the distance and clinch but Armando swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Dinh throws a right and a left that Armando avoids nicely.
Dinh looks to land a combination but Armando avoids it well.
Horrible takedown by Armando or perhaps it was just good defense by Dinh which made him look bad.
Armando fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Emporio Armando. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dinh doesn't manage to clinch there - Armando circles away.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Armando shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Dinh but Dinh pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Dinh will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Dinh thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Armando if he has to take too many more of those.
Dinh throws a nice head kick!
Armando tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Dinh swivels and escapes.
Dinh misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Dinh tries to clinch but Armando is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dinh tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Armando paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Emporio Armando is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Armando fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Armando fails with a takedown attempt.
Dinh misses with a head kick.
Armando closes the distance and clinches up with Dinh, looking for a takedown. Armando pushes Dinh against the cage but Dinh circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Dinh doesn't manage to clinch there - Armando circles away.
Armando will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Crunch! Dinh slams his shin into Armando's torso.
A left lands for Dinh.
The fight stays on the outside here - Dinh looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dinh smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.

Dinh gets a clinch.
Dinh taking a breather.

Dinh breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Armando shoots in looking for a takedown. Dinh tries to sprawl out of it but Armando keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Dinh manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Thien Dinh seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Armando steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Dinh.
Dinh connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.

Armando looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Dinh!
Dinh is trying to stand up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Armando connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Dinh wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
Armando lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Dinh suckers Armando into throwing a sloppy strike and uses the momentum to reverse the position beautifully! Dinh is now in Armando's guard!

Dinh stands up from Armando's guard - Dinh perhaps looking for a knockout.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Crunch! Dinh slams his shin into Armando's torso.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Thien Dinh showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Thien Dinh's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Armando shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Dinh as he jumps to the side.
Armando shoots for a double leg takedown but Dinh sprawls well. He's pushed Armando's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

Dinh pushes Armando up against the cage in a clinch.
Dinh is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Armando goes for a takedown attempt but Dinh pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Emporio Armando. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Dinh is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Armando shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Armando not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Armando thows a big elbow that misses, also allowing Dinh to regain full guard.
Dinh wants to stand but Armando is controlling the position.
Armando throws and elbow that misses. Dinh uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Armando's guard. Nice move by Dinh!
Armando working a defensive guard here.
Armando throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.

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.
Armando is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Armando drops an elbow to the side of Dinh's head.
Armando missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Armando throws a strike but Dinh avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Dinh preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Armando postures up in Dinh's guard and throws a big left but Dinh blocks it.
Armando trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Armando loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Armando stops Dinh from standing up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Armando missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Armando fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Dinh avoids it really well and circles away.
Thud! ouch! good body kick from Dinh - that will leave a mark!

Armando scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Dinh regains half guard, as Armando was trying to land strikes.
Armando looks to land a strike but Dinh avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
Armando throwing strikes but missing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Armando trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Armando is looking to work some ground and pound but Dinh has wrist control.
Armando throws a big right hand that misses.
Armando in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Armando throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Dinh works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Dinh drives through and clinches with Armando against the cage.
Armando wants a takedown but no success here.
Armando drops down looking for an ankle pick but Dinh pulls his leg out and moves away.
Armando shoots in but Dinh avoids the takedown attempt easily.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Emporio Armando.
I think Dinh 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 Paulo Santos scores the fight 27:30
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 29:29
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 28:30

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Thien Dinh!