PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Ricardo Souza (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and MIchael Stevens (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Souza
vs
Stevens

185 cm
22
181 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

186 cm
20
170 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Self confident

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Ricardo Souza!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, MIchael Stevens!
The judges for this bout are Summer Carpenter, Eliza Hachem and Skip Squint.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Souza closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Stevens is trying to buck Souza off.
Souza throws an elbow but Stevens slips to the side and avoids it well.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Souza tries to score with some ground and pound. Stevens controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Stevens prevents Souza from moving into mount.
Souza tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Stevens regains half guard.
Stevens has his hands clasped together around Souza's back. He's all about the action.

Souza is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Stevens sees it coming and defends easily.
Stevens is concentrating on defense, preventing Souza from advancing position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Stevens trying to hold on to Souza's head to control him but Souza postures up.
Stevens keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Stevens is trying to control but can't.
Souza stops Stevens from getting back to his feet.
Stevens preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.
Souza takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Souza missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Stevens is doing well to control the position and prevent Souza from advancing to side control.
Stevens really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Souza. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Stevens throws a strike from the bottom that misses.

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.
Stevens is positioning himself well to prevent Souza advancing to mount.
Stevens is pressing down on Souza's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Stevens is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Souza trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Souza is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Souza works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Stevens moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Stevens controls Souza momentarily but Souza frees himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Souza throws a big right hand that misses.
Souza lands a couple of elbows.
Souza is breathing heavily.
Stevens looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Stevens keeping moving, preventing Souza from controlling successfully.
Stevens is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Souza tries to clinch up but Stevens circles away and keeps his distance.
Stevens lands with a slapping head kick.
Stevens circles away from the clinch attempt.
Souza stalks Stevens and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Stevens's face. Stevens staggers backwards, shaken.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Souza scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.

Stevens moves into range and clinches up with Souza.
Souza is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Stevens works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Stevens wants to control from the top but Souza keeps moving.
Stevens preventing the sweep.
Stevens sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Souza's guard.
Stevens perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

Stevens looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Souza works his way to full guard. Good work.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Stevens shoots in but Souza avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Souza looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Souza wants to clinch up but Stevens keeps it at a distance.
Stevens on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Stevens on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
A right-left combo lands from Souza.
Souza misses with a series of wild punches.
Souza tries to clinch up but Stevens circles away and keeps his distance.
Souza tries to close the distance and clinch up but Stevens swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Stevens closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Souza trying to control here.
Stevens sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Souza wants to control but Stevens is keeping busy.

Stevens is looking for a kimura here.
Souza is trying to stand back up but Stevens is controlling him

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.
Souza wants to get back to full guard.
Souza is not content to let Stevens control the position.
Stevens trying to mount his opponent but Souza defends it.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Souza throws a right and a left that Stevens avoids nicely.
A head kick misses from Stevens.
Stevens shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Souza but Souza pushes him off and we're back to square one.
A left and a right from Souza both land. Nice combination.

Souza shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Stevens manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Stevens looking to control.
Souza tries to free his leg and advance position but Stevens is retaining full guard.
Stevens wants to stand and escape but Souza is having none of it.
Stevens pulls Souza in close to prevent any damage.
Souza stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Stevens swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Stevens is pulling down on Souza's head to control his posture.
Souza prevents Stevens from getting back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Stevens looking for a guillotine here but Souza defends easily.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Stevens moves out of range of the leg kick from Souza.

Souza shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Souza showed some decent athleticism there.
Stevens pushes Souza off looking to stand but Souza dives back in and keeps control.
Souza thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Stevens is looking to escape.

Souza is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Stevens doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Souza.
Stevens is looking to improve his position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ricardo Souza dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Stevens has his takedown stuffed
and Souza counters with a straight right hand.
Souza keeps the fight on the outside.
Souza misses with a wild combination.
The fight stays on the outside here - Souza looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Souza misses with a takedown

and Stevens counters by moving into the clinch.

Stevens successfully pulls guard.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Stevens holds on and takes a little breather.
Souza stands and throws Stevens's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Stevens can't do much from the bottom here.
The strikes coming from Souza are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Stevens is looking for a sweep.
Souza lands a nice forearm strike.
Stevens tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Souza working the ground and pound but Stevens is defending the strikes.
Souza is trying to ground and pound but Stevens uses the momentary lack of control by Souza to regain half guard.

Stevens looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Souza looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

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.
Souza lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.

Stevens gets the takedown into side control.
Stevens taking a breather here.
Souza manages to work his way to half guard, despite Stevens's best efforts.
Souza is looking for a sweep. Stevens is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Stevens moves into full mount! Souza won't be happy about that!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Stevens landing punches.
Souza is looking to improve his position but Stevens isn't that keen on the idea.
Stevens looking to control and managing it successfully.
Souza working to try and regain half guard.

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.
Stevens raining down shots from the mount!
Stevens controlling from the full mount.
Stevens is landing with some decent strikes but Souza is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Stevens controlling the position easily from mount.

And that's the end of the fight!
MIchael Stevens comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Stevens 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 Summer Carpenter scores the fight 28:29
Judge Eliza Hachem scores the fight 28:29
Judge Skip Squint scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... MIchael Stevens!