PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Paulao Maluko (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Devin Black (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The key to victory for Paulao Maluko has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Maluko
vs
Black

183 cm
25
185 lbs
4 - 2 - 1

188 cm
18
190 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Decent elbows
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 4 - 2 - 1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Paulao Maluko!
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, Devin Black!
The judges for this bout are Leandro Rodrigues, Mauricio Rocha and Alexandre Firmino.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Maluko tries to close the distance and clinch up but Black swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Black walks forward, straight into a front kick from Maluko.
Maluko pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Maluko throws a nice head kick!
Maluko scoring well with a low kick there.
Black takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.
Maluko thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Black if he has to take too many more of those.
Black looks gassed!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Maluko misses with a head kick.
Black slips a jab and a cross from Maluko.
Black on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Maluko tries to clinch up but Black circles away and keeps his distance.
Black tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
The fight stays on the outside here - Maluko looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Maluko dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Black. That did some damage!
Maluko connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Black avoids a punch combination nicely.
A chopping leg kick lands by Maluko.
Maluko goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Maluko is looking to slow Black down with leg kicks.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Black sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Black takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Maluko lands with a nice body kick.
Maluko throws a series of punches but Black avoids them all with ease.
Maluko tries to clinch but Black is having none of it.
Black avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
A nice leg kick lands there from Maluko.
Maluko lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Black has developed a nice purple lump on his ribcage, as a result of some heavy body kicks from Maluko.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Maluko scores with a kick to the midsection.
Maluko throws a right and a left that Black avoids nicely.
Maluko fails with an attempt to clinch.
Black's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Maluko throws a nice inside leg kick.
Maluko lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Maluko lands a nice looking body kick.
Black keeps the fight on the outside.
Black steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Maluko. That one must have hurt.
Maluko stalks Black and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Black's face. Black staggers backwards, shaken.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maluko throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Black's head.

It looks like Devin Black has been cut.
Maluko bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.
Maluko is looking to clinch.

Maluko moves into range and clinches up with Black.
Black fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Maluko lands a damaging elbow.
Maluko scores with a knee to the head.
Maluko crunches a lovely knee into Black's ribcage.
Maluko crunches a lovely knee into Black's ribcage.
Maluko landing knees to the body.
Maluko wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Maluko landing knees to the head.
Black changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Maluko fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Black avoids the head kick by Maluko.
Maluko is looking to clinch but Black is avoiding it.
Black is looking to clinch but Maluko is avoiding it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A combination from Maluko does no damage.
The fight stays on the outside here - Maluko looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Maluko looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Maluko is looking to land body kicks.
Black pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Maluko fails in his attempt to clinch.
Horrible takedown by Black or perhaps it was just good defense by Maluko which made him look bad.
Paulao Maluko has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Devin Black.
Black steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Maluko. That one must have hurt.
Horrible takedown by Black or perhaps it was just good defense by Maluko which made him look bad.
Paulao Maluko seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Maluko rushes Black and presses him up against the cage.
Maluko using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Black tries to pull guard but Maluko holds him up against the cage and eventually Black drops back down to his feet.
Maluko lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Maluko utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Maluko gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Black.
Black working hard to break the clinch.

Maluko breaks from the clinch.
Maluko pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Black shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Maluko but Maluko pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Maluko throws a sloppy head kick and Black moves out of range easily.
Maluko misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Maluko throws a head kick that misses.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Black shoots in and drives through. Maluko sprawls well.
Black tries for a takedown but Maluko sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
A chopping leg kick lands by Maluko.
Maluko tries to clinch

and Black counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Maluko's guard now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Paulao Maluko dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Devin Black's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Black circles away from the clinch attempt

and Black counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Black.
Black is working for takedown but Maluko is calmly controlling the position for now.
Black tries to land a knee to the head but Maluko blocks with his arms.
Maluko lands a nice elbow.
Maluko crunches a lovely knee into Black's ribcage.
Black takes an elbow to the forehead.
Maluko lands an elbow inside that Black shrugs off.
Maluko creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Black's defenses.
Maluko scores a nice knee to the body.
Maluko putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Black in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Maluko lands a nice elbow.
Maluko lands an elbow just above Black 's eye.
Black tries to pull guard but Maluko won't allow it.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Maluko lands a damaging elbow.
Maluko managing to block the knees to the body from Black.
Maluko lands an elbow inside that Black shrugs off.
Maluko lands a knee to the head.
Maluko unloads a knee to the mid-section. Black lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Maluko lands an elbow inside that Black shrugs off.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maluko lands an elbow inside that Black shrugs off.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Maluko.
Black takes an elbow to the temple.
Maluko using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Maluko lands a knee to the head.
Knees in the clinch landing for Maluko.

Maluko manages to break the clinch.
Maluko throws a head kick but Black moves out of range.
Black changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Maluko tries to avoid it but Black manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Maluko to the ground. Maluko escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Paulao Maluko has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Devin Black.
Maluko doesn't manage to clinch there - Black circles away.
Black shoots for a takedown but Maluko saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Maluko throws a nice looking combination but Black bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Maluko throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Black shoots in looking for a takedown. Maluko tries to sprawl out of it but Black keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Maluko manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Maluko.
Maluko delivers a nice body kick.

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.
The fight stays on the outside here - Maluko looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Black avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Maluko closes the distance looking to clinch

so Black counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Black pushes down on Maluko's leg and manages to get into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Black moves nicely into side control.
Black working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Black trying to control the position but Maluko is working away.
Black advances nicely into full mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Black trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Maluko is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Black can do to turn this around?
Maluko wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Black.

Black get's back to his feet.
Paulao Maluko is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Maluko scores with a spinning back kick!
Maluko scores with a head kick.
A thudding body kick lands there by Maluko!
Maluko is looking to clinch.
Black avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Maluko misses with a two punch combination.
A head kick from Maluko lands but Black takes it in his stride.
Black blocks a head kick by Maluko.

Black fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Maluko, pushing him back against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Black dodges an elbow strike from Maluko.
Black is trying to force a seperation but Maluko has the dominant position.
Maluko connects with a nasty looking knee right to Black's face.
Black is trying to break free.
Maluko lands a nice knee to the body.
Maluko lands an elbow that stopped Black in his tracks for a moment.
Black has had enough of the clinch but Maluko keeps him there for the moment.
Maluko lands a damaging elbow.
Maluko with a knee to the head.
Black takes a knee to the side of the body.
Maluko lands a nice elbow.
Maluko with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Maluko is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Maluko with a knee to the head.

Black ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Black no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Maluko has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Black is proving hard to escape from.
Maluko knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Black on the ground.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Devin Black will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Devin Black's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Black misses with an attempted mid kick.
Black fails in his attempt to clinch.
Maluko tries to clinch up

and Black decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Maluko's guard.
Black landing with the ground and pound.
Maluko wants to stand and escape but Black is having none of it.
Maluko wants to get back to his feet but he's too absorbed in his own little project and Black manages to pass to side control.
Black works his way into full mount!
Maluko is really trying hard to get back to his feet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maluko trying desperately to get back to his feet here but he's not having any joy at all. He's going to tire himself out if he's not careful.
Black breaks from Maluko's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Black landing strikes from the mount.
Black has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Maluko is trying to stand but he's just given Black his back.
Black is looking to finish with some ground and pound!
Maluko is trying to get back to his feet but he's not managed it yet.
Maluko covers up after taking a massive shot to the side of the head.
Maluko controlling the position well but he knows he's in a bad position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two 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.
Black controls the position.

Maluko defending nicely against the rear naked choke attempt.
Black scores with punches and elbows.

Black tightening his grip on Maluko, looking for the choke.
Black tries to get the hooks in deep but Maluko pushed the leg off.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maluko is trying to get back to his feet but Black has full control of the position and if anything, Maluko has just worked his way into a worse spot.
Maluko looking very determined here, making life difficult for Black.
Maluko looking to stop the rear naked choke attempt by controlling the hands.
Black scores with punches and elbows.

Black working for the choke.

Black is remaining active here, looking for the choke. The more discerning members of the crowd will appreciate his efforts.
Maluko wants to get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Black biding his time, controlling Maluko.
Black lands an elbow to the side of the head.

Black working for the choke.
Maluko is trying to stand back up.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Maluko grimaces as he takes a shot to the body.

And that's the end of the fight!
Devin Black comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Black 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 Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 28:28
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 28:28
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 28:28

The fight is ruled a draw!