PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Raoul Duke (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jerry Cristo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both these guys are coming into the fight with injuries so let's see if that has a bearing on the fight. Well, I have no idea who's going to take this one!

Duke
vs
Cristo

150 cm
19
166 lbs
7 - 6 - 0

225 cm
18
166 lbs
4 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Experienced

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Determined

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 7 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Raoul Duke!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Jerry Cristo!
The judges for this bout are Felipe Paraventi, Alexandre Firmino and Edson Gomes.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cristo bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.
Cristo is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Duke is breathing heavily.
Duke takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Cristo throws a nice head kick!
Cristo throws a nice head kick!

Duke scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Duke working the head with strikes.
Duke lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Duke scores with a couple of short elbows.
Duke cracks Cristo with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Cristo really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Duke. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Cristo tries to wriggle free to get back to his feet but he's given up his back! Oops.
Cristo wants to get back to his feet.
Duke lands with a nice looking elbow that stuns Cristo.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Duke is throwing strikes from the back here. Oh that last one was to the back of the head. Duke gets a warning from the referee. He throws another strike to the back of the head straight away though and the referee has seen enough. He breaks up the two fighters and stands them back up. Duke gets a real talking to here and is lucky not to get a point deducted. Duke apologises and we restart here on the feet.
Cristo lands a high kick!
Duke could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Cristo lands a nice leg kick that just misses Duke's sensitive parts.
Cristo scores with a head kick.
Cristo throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Cristo.
Duke takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.

Cristo gets caught flat footed, as Duke shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Duke lands a couple of elbows.
Cristo wants to stand but Duke is controlling the position.
Duke wants to control from the top but Cristo keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cristo working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Duke.
Duke content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Duke is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Duke tries to free his leg and advance position but Cristo is retaining full guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Cristo lands with a slapping head kick.

Duke shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Cristo napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Duke works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Duke controlling the position from side mount.
Cristo is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Duke has just dragged him back down to the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Cristo is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Duke scores with a couple of short elbows.
Duke is putting a hurting on Cristo here, landing some big shots from side control.
Duke cracks Cristo with a big elbow.
Check out the look on Duke's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Duke grinds an elbow into Cristo's temple.
Duke is chipping away with strikes.
Duke looks up at the clock and then as Cristo takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Duke smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Duke wants to lay and pray for a moment but Cristo keeps working.
Cristo tries to escape but Duke is in control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Duke working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Duke landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Cristo wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Duke working the ground and pound.
Duke working the ground and pound from side control.
Duke scores with a couple of short elbows.
Cristo is trying to get back to his feet.
Duke cracks Cristo with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Cristo is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Duke has just dragged him back down to the mat.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Raoul Duke dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Duke shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Duke showed some decent athleticism there.
Cristo is looking to escape.
Duke lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Duke drops an elbow to the side of Cristo's head.
Nice strikes from Duke there.
Still in half guard, Duke seems content to control.
Duke seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Cristo for as long as he can get away with.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Cristo wants to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Duke looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Duke lands a nice short elbow.
Cristo is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Duke scores with a couple of nice shots.
Duke content to control rather than advance.
Nice strikes from Duke there.
Cristo is looking to escape.
Duke looks to score some points with some ground and pound.

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.
Cristo is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Duke scores with a couple of nice shots.
Cristo has hold of Duke's hands but Duke slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Cristo is looking to escape.
Duke is nestled in close to Cristo, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Duke seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Cristo tries to kick Duke off but Duke keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Duke trying to control from half guard but Cristo is working away.
Duke looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Duke is nestled in close to Cristo, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Duke content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Duke lands strikes from half guard.
Cristo is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Duke scores with a couple of nice shots.
Duke landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Duke drops an elbow to the side of Cristo's head.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Duke perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Duke lands a nice short elbow.
Nice strikes from Duke there.
Duke takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Duke working the head and body with strikes.
Duke seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Duke scoring with strikes to the body and head.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Duke connects with a nice short shot to Cristo's temple.
Duke drops an elbow to the side of Cristo's head.
Duke drops an elbow to the side of Cristo's head.
Duke lands with a punch from half guard.
Cristo pushes Duke off looking to stand but Duke dives back in and keeps control.
Duke working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Duke keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Cristo is trying to stand.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Duke winds up and cracks Cristo with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Cristo tries to kick Duke off but Duke keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Raoul Duke dominated that second round.
That's time! Duke's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

A slapping body kick lands there for Cristo.

Duke closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Duke lands in his opponent's guard.
Duke with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Duke working some strikes from top position.
Cristo wants to stand but Duke is controlling the position.
Duke might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Duke with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Duke is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Duke postures up in Cristo's guard and throws a big left but Cristo blocks it.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Duke trying to control the position from guard on top but Cristo is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Duke landing some decent shots from guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Duke landing with the ground and pound.
Cristo has momentary wrist control but Duke slips an elbow through the middle.
Duke is in close to Cristo's body, working some short punches and elbows.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Duke accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Duke landing some decent shots from guard.
Duke works over Cristo with some ground and pound from guard.
Duke not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Cristo is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Duke connects with a couple of short punches.
Duke seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Duke is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Cristo wants to stand but Duke is controlling the position.
Duke is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Duke wants to control from the top but Cristo keeps moving.
Duke looking to sit in guard and control but Cristo gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Duke tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Cristo has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Duke is proving hard to escape from.
Raoul Duke overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Duke wants to sweep here but Cristo controlling him for the moment.
Cristo must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Cristo throws a head kick that half lands.
Both fighters circling a little - Cristo finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.

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.

Duke bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Cristo is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Duke has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Duke connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Cristo some visible discomfort.
Duke cracks Cristo with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Duke lands a nice forearm strike.
Duke trying to control the action but Cristo is working from the bottom.
Duke tries to advance to mount but can't.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Cristo is working to avoid the ground and pound but Duke connects with a decent elbow.
Jerry Cristo has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Duke lands a few punches from side control.

And that's the end of the fight!
Raoul Duke showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Duke, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 30:27
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 30:27
Judge Edson Gomes scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Raoul Duke!