PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Tyler Durden (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rodrigo da Cunha (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Tyler Durden has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Durden
vs
da Cunha

180 cm
24
161 lbs
5 - 5 - 0

170 cm
18
158 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Determined

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 5 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Tyler Durden!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Rodrigo da Cunha!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, Jack Bonds and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A head kick from Durden lands but da Cunha takes it in his stride.
Durden throws a combination but it was largely blocked by da Cunha.
da Cunha shoots in but Durden avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Durden tries to close the distance and clinch but da Cunha swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Durden throws a nice looking combination but da Cunha bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Durden misses with a few strikes there.
Nice body kick from Durden.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Durden decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Durden wants to stand but da Cunha has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.
da Cunha blocking the ground and pound attempt from Durden.
da Cunha regains full guard. Nicely done.
Durden preventing the sweep.
Durden wants to control from the top but da Cunha keeps moving.
Durden slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Durden wants to get up but he can't break da Cunha's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
da Cunha is trying to control the position from the bottom.
da Cunha keeping full guard, as Durden tries to pass.
Durden passes da Cunha's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Durden is breathing heavily.

da Cunha looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
da Cunha is holding on to half guard well.
Durden wants to stand up but da Cunha has a hold of him and won't allow it.
da Cunha works his way to full guard. Good work.

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.
da Cunha lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Durden!
da Cunha looking to control but Durden is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
da Cunha controlling the pace for now.
da Cunha tries to control but Durden wriggling away.

da Cunha goes for an armbar but he's not got it… Durden turns into him and now he's in da Cunha's guard.

da Cunha looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Durden passes into side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Durden is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but da Cunha is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
da Cunha gets back to half guard.
da Cunha is doing well to control the position and prevent Durden from advancing to side control.
da Cunha trying to control from the bottom.
Durden seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but da Cunha does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
da Cunha is looking to escape.

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.
da Cunha trying to control from the bottom.
da Cunha gets back to full guard.
da Cunha has his hands on Durden's head, controlling the position.
da Cunha is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
da Cunha seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Durden does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Despite being in the dominant position, Rodrigo da Cunha just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

da Cunha fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Durden sprawls well initially but da Cunha persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tyler Durden dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

da Cunha swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

da Cunha closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Durden did well to prevent da Cunha getting side control.
Durden is looking for a sweep. da Cunha is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

da Cunha is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Durden defends it well.
Durden pushes da Cunha off looking to stand but da Cunha dives back in and keeps control.
da Cunha trying to mount his opponent but Durden defends it.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
da Cunha keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
da Cunha frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
da Cunha tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
da Cunha prevents Durden from getting the reversal.
da Cunha controlling his opponent.
da Cunha can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Durden is looking to escape.
da Cunha takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.

That's two 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.

Durden defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from da Cunha.
da Cunha working Durden over with strikes here.
da Cunha controlling his opponent.
da Cunha putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!

Durden defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from da Cunha.
Durden working to try and regain half guard.
da Cunha controlling the position easily from mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Durden is desperately trying to improve his position but da Cunha has a good base and remains in mount.
Durden is bucking up trying to escape but da Cunha cracks him with another couple of good strikes.

da Cunha looking for a guillotine from mount but Durden is having none of it.
da Cunha wants to control the pace but Durden is squirming around nicely.
Durden is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
da Cunha prevents Durden from getting the reversal.
da Cunha landing shots from mount.

That's four 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.
da Cunha tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
da Cunha raining down shots from the mount!
da Cunha with good strikes from the mount here!
Durden is in a horrible position here. da Cunha smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
da Cunha connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
da Cunha fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
da Cunha lands a nice shot to the head.
da Cunha lands a nice shot to the head.
da Cunha raining down shots from the mount!
da Cunha lands a big elbow.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rodrigo da Cunha showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! And we move into the final round!

da Cunha gets the takedown into side control.
Durden is trying to get back to his feet.

da Cunha is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Durden knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

da Cunha working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Durden is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked da Cunha off and has taken his back!
Durden lands with a couple of good shots - one to the side of the head and one questionable shot that could be viewed as to the back of the head but the referee lets it go.
da Cunha tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
da Cunha tries to hold on but Durden pushes him away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
da Cunha is looking to get to half guard.
da Cunha tries to hold on but Durden pushes him away.
da Cunha is working to get back to half guard.

Durden is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But da Cunha has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from da Cunha!
Durden keeping moving, preventing da Cunha from controlling successfully.

Durden has his foot on da Cunha's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. da Cunha works his way back into a safe position though.
Durden can't keep his opponent in guard - da Cunha advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
da Cunha seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
da Cunha passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Durden!
da Cunha controlling his opponent.
da Cunha with a couple of short strikes.
da Cunha tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
da Cunha can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Durden is looking to escape.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
da Cunha looking to finish Durden with some ground and pound. This is bad for Durden!

da Cunha working for a submission but Durden is keeping him at bay.
da Cunha trying to control but Durden is having none of it.
Durden slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Durden pushes da Cunha off looking to stand but da Cunha dives back in and keeps control.
Durden is in trouble now - da Cunha has advanced to mount!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Durden really wants to buck da Cunha off and get back to his feet.
da Cunha working the ground and pound effectively.
da Cunha won't let Durden get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.
da Cunha wants to control the pace but Durden is squirming around nicely.
Durden is bucking up trying to escape but da Cunha cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Durden wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
Durden takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Durden taking shots to the head.
da Cunha with good strikes from the mount here!

And that's the end of the fight!
Rodrigo da Cunha comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think da Cunha 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 Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 27:29
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 28:29
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rodrigo da Cunha!