PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between sergio liddell (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Chan Tapanakara (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). liddell comes into the arena with Dream On blaring out of the sound system. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

liddell
vs
Tapanakara

188 cm
23
210 lbs
6 - 4 - 0

180 cm
24
223 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Good chin

Powerful takedowns
Good low kicks
Powerful

[MMABR] WIN Nutritional
[MMABR] WIN Nutritional

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 6 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, sergio liddell!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Chan Tapanakara!
The judges for this bout are Felipe Paraventi, Leandro Rodrigues and Emerson Jorge.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Tapanakara takes one on the button.
Tapanakara misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
liddell displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Tapanakara.
liddell lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Tapanakara backs up against the cage.

liddell gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
liddell working a defensive guard here.
Tapanakara throws a big right hand that misses.
liddell wants to stand up but Tapanakara is controlling him.

Tapanakara drops back looking for a leg! liddell is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and liddell manages to kick Tapanakara off! Tapanakara jumps back into liddell's guard.
Tapanakara trying to control the position from guard on top but liddell is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Tapanakara stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. liddell swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tapanakara postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

Tapanakara is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Nice uppercut lands for liddell. That snapped Tapanakara's head back.
liddell throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Tapanakara shoots in but liddell avoids the takedown attempt easily.
sergio liddell has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Chan Tapanakara.
liddell throws a right hand that Tapanakara ducks under and follows up with a left that Tapanakara also avoids with ease.
liddell misses with an uppercut. Tapanakara saw that one coming.
liddell throws a half hearted mid kick.
liddell connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Tapanakara showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from liddell.
Tapanakara slips a jab and a cross from liddell.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tapanakara shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
liddell fails to land with a series of punches.
liddell fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
liddell moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
liddell jabbing away but nothing is landing.
liddell misses with a body shot.
liddell throws a right hand that Tapanakara ducks under and follows up with a left that Tapanakara also avoids with ease.
A combination from liddell does no damage.
Nice defenses there by Tapanakara.

Tapanakara drives through with a takedown into guard.
liddell looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Tapanakara lands a couple of digs.
Tapanakara lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Tapanakara has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Tapanakara wants to control from the top but liddell keeps moving.

Tapanakara is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Tapanakara looks gassed!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tapanakara wanted to stand there but liddell had control of the position.
Tapanakara working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Tapanakara prevents liddell from getting back to his feet.
Tapanakara looking to pass the guard.
liddell wants to sweep but no luck.
liddell managing to control the position.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
liddell displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Tapanakara blocks a jab.
Tapanakara moves away from the strike by liddell.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Tapanakara is defended easily by liddell.

That's four 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.

Tapanakara shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in liddell's guard.
Tapanakara trying to control the position from guard on top but liddell is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
liddell is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Tapanakara wants to pass the guard but liddell is keeping the position.
liddell wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
liddell keeping moving, preventing Tapanakara from controlling successfully.
liddell trying to keep a closed guard but Tapanakara is proving a slippery customer.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that sergio liddell will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Tapanakara showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from liddell.
liddell will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
liddell pushing out the jab but it's not landing.

Tapanakara gets the takedown into side control.

Tapanakara working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Tapanakara wants to control but liddell is keeping him busy.
liddell is looking for a sweep.
Tapanakara working the body and head with strikes.
liddell on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if liddell tries to get out of the position.
liddell is looking to regain half guard here but Tapanakara keeps moving and retains side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
liddell dodges the ground and pound from Tapanakara.
Tapanakara looks up at the clock and then as liddell takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Tapanakara smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
liddell stops Tapanakara from passing to mount.
Tapanakara is breathing heavily.
liddell is looking to reverse the position.
Tapanakara connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused liddell some visible discomfort.

Tapanakara thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
liddell tries to buck Tapanakara off but Tapanakara is having none of it.
liddell is working hard here to advance position.
Tapanakara wants to control but liddell is keeping him busy.
liddell tries to improve position but can't.
liddell pushes Tapanakara away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Tapanakara gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.

Tapanakara is trying to get an arm triangle but liddell is defending well.
liddell tries to get back to half guard but can't.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
liddell throws a right hand that Tapanakara ducks under and follows up with a left that Tapanakara also avoids with ease.
liddell tries to bum rush Tapanakara with a series of wild strikes but Tapanakara uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
liddell throws a right hand that Tapanakara ducks under and follows up with a left that Tapanakara also avoids with ease.
liddell throws the left hand but Tapanakara avoids the punch easily.
sergio liddell is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
liddell swinging wildly here.
Donk. liddell catches Tapanakara right on the button with a cross.
Tapanakara misses with a takedown attempt - liddell sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
liddell throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fighters circling - Tapanakara throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Tapanakara ducks right into an uppercut from liddell.
liddell misses with a looping left.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Tapanakara is defended easily by liddell.

liddell gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Tapanakara to score an easy takedown into full guard.
liddell looking to hit a scissor sweep but Tapanakara is one step ahead there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tapanakara stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. liddell swivels though and keeps the full guard.
liddell knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Tapanakara on the ground.

Tapanakara is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
liddell looking for a sweep. Not yet liddell, not yet.
liddell can't keep his opponent in guard - Tapanakara advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.

Tapanakara seems to be working for a kimura but liddell defends the submission attempt.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
liddell fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
liddell throws a shot from downtown. Tapanakara moves away and avoids it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Chan Tapanakara showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

liddell throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Tapanakara doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
A head kick misses from Tapanakara.
Tapanakara avoids a punch combination nicely.
liddell misses with a few strikes there.
Tapanakara lands a head kick!
liddell misses with a series of wild punches.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
liddell takes a head kick and shrugs it off.

It looks like sergio liddell has been cut.
liddell's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and liddell duly obliges.
liddell scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Tapanakara staying out of range there.
Tapanakara takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
liddell misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
liddell throws a series of punches but Tapanakara moves out of range.
liddell loads up on a big right hand but Tapanakara slips the punch.
liddell throws a right and a left that both miss.
liddell throws a right hand that Tapanakara ducks under and follows up with a left that Tapanakara also avoids with ease.
liddell throws a nice looking combination but Tapanakara bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
liddell fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
A swing and a miss from liddell.
liddell will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
No luck for Tapanakara with that takedown attempt.
liddell misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

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.
liddell stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and liddell wants it to stay on the feet.
liddell lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Tapanakara circles away quickly and effectively.
A combination from liddell does no damage.
liddell tries to bum rush Tapanakara with a series of wild strikes but Tapanakara uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Tapanakara shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts liddell as he jumps to the side.
sergio liddell has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Chan Tapanakara.
liddell misses with the combination.
liddell throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
liddell lands with a kick to the ribs.
liddell misses with the combination.
liddell throws out a loose jab but Tapanakara uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
liddell throws a series of punches but Tapanakara moves out of range.
liddell throws the left hand but Tapanakara avoids the punch easily.
liddell fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Tapanakara manages to avoid it.
liddell throws out a powerful jab.

Tapanakara throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. liddell was covering up waiting for the punch and Tapanakara finishes the takedown easily into guard.

Tapanakara postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! liddell is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Tapanakara, into his guard.
liddell has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
liddell wants to stand but Tapanakara has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Tapanakara preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Tapanakara is trying to control the position but liddell postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tapanakara controlling the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Tapanakara trying to control the position.
Tapanakara keeping full guard, as liddell tries to pass.
liddell keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Tapanakara's head.
liddell content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Tapanakara drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Tapanakara working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.

Tapanakara thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
liddell tries to improve position but can't.
liddell can't do much from the bottom here.
liddell is not content to let Tapanakara control the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Chan Tapanakara.
I think Tapanakara 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 Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 29:29
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 28:30
Judge Emerson Jorge scores the fight 29:29

The fight is ruled a majority draw!