PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Derek Safo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rick Flare (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Safo comes to the cage accompanied by Holla If Ya Hear Me!. Flare has chosen Also Sprach Zarathustra as his entrance music. Derek Safo has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Safo
vs
Flare

186 cm
22
179 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

173 cm
25
180 lbs
10 - 7 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Powerful

Vodka Rags

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 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Derek Safo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Rick Flare!
The judges for this bout are Summer Carpenter, Bruno Hogan and Damien Edna.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Jab by Safo.
Flare shoots in but Safo avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Flare avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
A punch lands to the side of Flare 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Safo lands a lovely overhand right.
Safo throws a series of punches but Flare moves out of range.
Safo connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Safo misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Safo scores with a body shot.
Flare shoots in and drives through. Safo sprawls well.
Safo throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.

It looks like Rick Flare has been cut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Flare throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Flare walks into a jab.
Flare falls off balance throwing a combination
enabling Safo to counter with a crisp jab.
Flare throws a lazy right hand but Safo sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Flare shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Safo pinned against the cage. Safo gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Derek Safo has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rick Flare.
Flare keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Safo ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Flare is trying desperately to land a takedown but Safo is having absolutely none of it. This is turning into a bit of a nightmare for Flare.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Flare shoots in and drives through. Safo sprawls well.
Flare looks gassed!
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Safo!
Safo misses with a wild combination.
Safo slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Flare doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Safo counters with a series of strikes. Flare will be more careful next time no doubt.
Safo misses with a hook to the body

and Flare counters with a single leg into guard. Safo didn't expect that.
Flare is looking to work some ground and pound but Safo has wrist control.
Safo looking to hit a scissor sweep but Flare is one step ahead there.
Flare has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Flare trying to control but Safo is working from the bottom.
Safo looking for a sweep. Not yet Safo, not yet.
Flare in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Safo keeping moving, preventing Flare from controlling successfully.
Safo manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Flare manages to get himself to full guard.
Safo stopping the sweep attempt from Flare.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

Flare has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Safo is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Flare.
Flare is trying to improve his position.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Derek Safo dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Rick Flare's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Flare keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Safo.
Flare misses with a takedown attempt
and Safo counters with a left and a right that stings Flare.
Safo is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
Flare has his takedown stuffed
and Safo counters with a right hand to the body.
Safo throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Flare on the side of the head.
Safo is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Flare.
Flare moves out of range as Safo strikes.
Derek Safo is winning the standup battle so far.
Safo uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Flare.
Flare shoots in for a takedown but Safo shows good takedown defense.
Derek Safo has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rick Flare.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jab by Safo.
Safo misses the shot to the body.
Safo is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Flare tries for a takedown but Safo circles away easily
and Safo connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Derek Safo seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Flare is breathing heavily.
Safo scores with the left hand. Flare knows he should have avoided that one.
Safo throws a series of strikes that have Flare backpedaling.
Safo dips to his left and cracks Flare with an uppercut!
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Flare gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Safo counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Flare thinking.
Safo punishes Flare's body with a nice straight punch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Safo throws a shot to the body.
A left and a right from Safo both land. Nice combination.
Safo scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Safo fails in his attempt to clinch.
Safo listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Jab by Safo.
Safo lands a two punch combo.
Flare walks into a left hand.
Safo lands with a nice body punch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Safo drops Flare with a beautiful combination! Flare stares up at his opponent, who ushers him back to his feet - Safo is looking for the KO!

Flare is rocked!
Safo tries to close the distance and clinch but Flare swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Safo lands a really nice looking cross but Flare seems unphased.
Safo dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Flare takes one to the chin there.
Safo ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Safo lands with a cross.
Safo lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Flare tries for a takedown but Safo circles away easily
and Safo counters with a straight punch to the midsection.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Safo looks to land a combination. Flare sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Safo fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Flare manages to avoid it.
Flare with a lazy takedown attempt
and Safo counters with a nice uppercut.
Safo dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Safo is working the combinations to good effect here.
Safo stuns Flare with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Safo cracks a nice hook into Flare's ribs.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Nice body punch from Safo.
Flare has a pretty nasty looking mouse under his right eye.
Flare with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Safo to score with a decent uppercut.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Derek Safo dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Rick Flare's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Safo goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Jab, jab by Safo - just one landing.
Safo with a nice cross.
Safo lands with a cross.
Flare ducks right into an uppercut from Safo.
Safo takes a swing at Flare's ribcage but misses.
Safo connects with a single shot there.
Safo lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Flare circles away quickly and effectively.
Safo just misses with a punch to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A big left from Safo misses.
The fighters circling - Safo throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Flare doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Safo counters with a nice body shot.
Flare takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Safo scores with a punch to the head.
Safo lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Flare circles away quickly and effectively.
Flare with a poor takedown
and Safo counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Safo scores with a body shot.
Flare is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Safo.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Safo lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Safo scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Safo slaps away a takedown attempt from Flare, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Derek Safo has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rick Flare.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Flare is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Safo scores with a body shot.
Safo tries to clinch up.
A shot to the liver by Safo. Beautiful body shot.
Rick Flare has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Flare takes one on the button.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Safo lunges at Flare with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Flare's hand.
Safo misses with a jab to the body

and Flare counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Safo!
Safo holds on for dear life, controlling Flare's posture momentarily.
Flare looking to ground and pound but Safo is blocking nicely.
Safo keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Safo wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Flare.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Safo holds on to Flare around his waist, trying desperately to prevent any attacks.
Flare landing strikes from the mount.

Flare goes for an armbar but Safo turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from Safo.
Safo controls from within his opponent's guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Derek Safo showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Safo, 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 Summer Carpenter scores the fight 30:26
Judge Bruno Hogan scores the fight 30:26
Judge Damien Edna scores the fight 30:26

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Derek Safo!