PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Ronaldo Fauso (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Pat Benatar (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Benatar is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Hit Me With Your Best Shot. I'm sure you'll be fascinated to know that I was talking to some pointless Z list celebrity before the fight and he thought that Pat Benatar was going to win. Let's see if he was right.

Fauso
vs
Benatar

180 cm
18
185 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

185 cm
22
189 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Ronaldo Fauso!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Pat Benatar!
The judges for this bout are Matheus Silva, Paulo Santos and Emerson Jorge.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Fauso showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Benatar.
Fauso looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!
Benatar throws a series of punches but Fauso avoids them all with ease.
Some wild striking there from Benatar.
Benatar throws a combination. Fauso tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Fauso fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Fauso shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Benatar pinned against the cage. Benatar gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Pat Benatar seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Fauso fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ronaldo Fauso. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Benatar moves into range and throws a big uppercut. OH! Fauso goes down! Can Benatar finish him!?

Fauso is rocked!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Benatar sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Oh Fauso is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Let's hope that Benatar has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Fauso seems to have got his legs back now.

Fauso has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Benatar can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Benatar looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

Fauso working for a triangle but Benatar defends it easily.

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.

Fauso throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Fauso keeping moving, preventing Benatar from controlling successfully.
Benatar throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Fauso works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

Fauso working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Benatar doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Benatar manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

Fauso looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Benatar passes into half guard.
Fauso is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Benatar seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Fauso is looking to get full guard. It looks like he might be successful but at the last minute Benatar jumps into side control!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Benatar decides to stand back up. Benatar steps back and let's Fauso get back to his feet.
Benatar scores with a hook.
Benatar looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Benatar fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Fauso on the side of the head.
Pat Benatar is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Benatar walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Fauso checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Benatar tries to bum rush Fauso with a series of wild strikes but Fauso uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Some wild striking there from Benatar.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Fauso will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Benatar is looking to chop away at Fauso's legs.
Jab by Benatar.
Benatar misses with a double jab.
Benatar throws a series of punches but Fauso moves out of range.
Fauso shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
A punch combination from Benatar misses.
Fauso shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Benatar pinned against the cage. Benatar gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

Fauso gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pat Benatar dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Benatar rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Fauso moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Fauso closes the distance and clinches up with Benatar, looking for a takedown. Fauso pushes Benatar against the cage but Benatar circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Benatar throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Benatar clinches up against the cage.

Benatar breaks from the clinch.
Benatar throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Fauso shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Benatar but Benatar pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Benatar throws a nice head kick!
Benatar throws out a powerful jab.

Benatar fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Fauso, pushing him back against the cage.
This is turning into a torrid day at the office for Fauso. He's trying desperately to land a takedown but he's failing miserably and getting slapped silly on the feet to compound his misery.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Benatar lands a left hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The is referee keeping an eye on Benatar - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Fauso is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Benatar gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ronaldo Fauso. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Benatar manages to break the clinch.

Fauso decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

Fauso is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Benatar wants to control but Fauso is keeping busy and won't allow it.

Benatar is defending against the submission attempts here by Fauso.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Fauso wants to work for an arm triangle but Benatar is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fauso is looking to pass Benatar's guard but actually Benatar recovers to full guard.
Benatar controls Fauso momentarily but Fauso frees himself.

Fauso 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.

Fauso drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Benatar manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Fauso has Benatar in his guard.
Benatar is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.

Fauso is looking for a triangle here but Benatar uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
Fauso is looking for a sweep.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fauso is working hard here to advance position.
Benatar trying to control the position but Fauso is working away.
Fauso is looking to reverse the position.
Benatar is looking to take a break and control but Fauso is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Fauso tries to get back to half guard but can't.

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

Benatar gets a clinch.

Benatar breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Fauso has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.

Benatar fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Fauso, pushing him back against the cage.
Fauso looking for a takedown.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Benatar has Fauso pressed against the cage.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Benatar.

Benatar manages to break the clinch.

Fauso feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.

Fauso drops back, looking for a kneebar! Benatar looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Benatar looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Benatar!
Fauso is trying to improve his position.
Benatar really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Fauso. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Fauso sneaks back into half guard.
Fauso is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Benatar's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Benatar's back!

Fauso has both hooks in and is working for a choke. Benatar is in real trouble here. Fauso gets an arm under the chin and tightens the submission attempt... is this the end? Yes, Benatar is tapping out! Fauso wins by rear naked choke!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:57 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Ronaldo Fauso!