PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Wanderlei Souza (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jucilenda Lendario (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Fingers crossed for an exciting fight - I'm sure both fighters are looking for a nice under the table bonus!

Souza
vs
Lendario

180 cm
22
169 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

185 cm
18
167 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Intelligent

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 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Wanderlei Souza!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Jucilenda Lendario!
The judges for this bout are Edson Gomes, Alexandre Firmino and Seu Braga.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Lendario shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Souza but Souza pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Souza has his takedown stuffed

and Lendario counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Lendario is keen to just control but Souza is a slippery customer.
Lendario is looking to stall here but Souza recovers full guard.
Lendario won't allow Souza to sweep him here.
Lendario working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Lendario trying to control but Souza is working from the bottom.
Lendario stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Souza swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Souza on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Souza tries to get out of the position.
Lendario trying to control the position from guard on top but Souza is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Lendario is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Souza with a lazy takedown attempt

and Lendario counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Souza's guard now.
Lendario with a flurry of punches that miss.
Souza is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Souza tries to strike from the bottom.
Lendario stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Souza swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Lendario wants to control from the top but Souza keeps moving.
Lendario trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Lendario lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Lendario trying to control the position from guard on top but Souza is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lendario might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Souza kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Lendario has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Souza trying to keep a closed guard but Lendario is proving a slippery customer.
Lendario looking to pass the guard.
Lendario trying to control but Souza is working from the bottom.
Souza pulls Lendario in close to his closed guard and prevents Lendario from doing any damage or advancing position.
Lendario slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
You can see the frustration on Souza's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Lendario looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Souza is avoiding damage well.

Lendario wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Souza, who protects the arm well.
Souza avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Lendario.
Souza is not content to let Lendario control the position.

Lendario wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Souza, who protects the arm well.
Lendario looks gassed!

That's four 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.
Lendario wants to control but Souza is keeping him busy.

Lendario goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Souza has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Lendario but great work by Souza.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.
Souza working away.
Souza trying to control the position but Lendario is working away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jucilenda Lendario dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Souza tries for a takedown but Lendario circles away easily

so Lendario counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Lendario controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Lendario wants to control from the top but Souza keeps moving.
Lendario postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Lendario trying to control the position from guard on top but Souza is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Souza being controlled here, momentarily.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Jucilenda Lendario.
Lendario shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Souza counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Lendario's guard now.
Lendario is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lendario is striking but Souza is not phased and passes to half guard.

Lendario looking for submissions off his back.
Souza seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Lendario does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

Lendario has one foot on Souza's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.

Lendario pushes Souza up against the cage in a clinch.

Souza has moved round to his opponent's back and is looking for a suplex! Oh snap! He's tossed Lendario clear over his head and slammed him to the mat!
Lendario rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lendario tries to get to full guard but Souza has control of the leg.
Lendario moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.

Lendario throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Souza pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Lendario is keeping the position for now.

Lendario has his foot on Souza's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Souza works his way back into a safe position though.

Lendario working for submissions but it's allowed Souza to get to half guard.
Souza wants to pass to mount but Lendario is defending the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lendario tries to get to full guard but Souza has control of the leg.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Lendario won't allow Souza to pass to mount.
Lendario is trying to maintain the position but Souza is very close to passing his half guard.

Lendario looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

That's four 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.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Souza misses with a takedown attempt

and Lendario decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Souza's guard.
Lendario looking to sit in guard and control but Souza gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Lendario keeping moving, preventing Souza from controlling successfully.

Lendario looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Lendario not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Souza 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.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jucilenda Lendario showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Souza closes the distance and clinches up with Lendario, looking for a takedown. Souza pushes Lendario against the cage but Lendario circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Lendario with a lazy takedown attempt

and Souza counters with a nice double leg into half guard.

Lendario actively working from the bottom here.
Souza is thwarting Lendario's attempts to control the position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Lendario is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Lendario looking for a kimura from the bottom but Souza passes into side control!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lendario is looking for a sweep.
Lendario struggling a bit here.
Souza tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
Lendario tries to buck Souza off but Souza is having none of it.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Souza misses with a takedown attempt

and Lendario counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Souza's guard now.

Lendario drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Lendario jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lendario trying to control but Souza is working from the bottom.
Souza keeping full guard, as Lendario tries to pass.
Lendario thows a big elbow that misses.
Souza has momentary wrist control but Lendario slips an elbow through the middle.
Souza working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Lendario.
Lendario tries to free his leg and advance position but Souza is retaining full guard.
Lendario preventing the sweep.

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

Lendario drives through with a takedown into guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lendario wants to pass the guard but Souza is keeping the position.
Lendario throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Souza works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Lendario working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Lendario throwing strikes but missing.
Souza wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Lendario wants to control from the top but Souza keeps moving.
Lendario throwing strikes from guard but Souza blocks nicely.
Lendario wants to control from the top but Souza keeps moving.
Jucilenda Lendario is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

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.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Souza shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Souza showed some decent athleticism there.
Lendario is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Lendario is staying active underneath Souza, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Wanderlei Souza has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Lendario controlling the position for now.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Wanderlei Souza.
Well Lendario has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Edson Gomes scores the fight 28:29
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 28:29
Judge Seu Braga scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jucilenda Lendario!