PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Forza Gr (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rufio Souza (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rufio Souza will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Gr
vs
Souza

160 cm
25
190 lbs
12 - 12 - 0

175 cm
27
185 lbs
5 - 4 - 0

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Very quick

Powerful takedowns
Decent boxing
Powerful

[CBK] Smashwear Clothing

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 2 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 12 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Forza Gr!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Rufio Souza!
The judges for this bout are Ren Mimura, Hirohito Nitta and Tatsuya Matsuyama.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Gr drives through with a takedown into guard.
Gr pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Souza is keeping the position for now.

Gr has gone for a leg lock! Souza slips out almost immediately though and dives into Gr's guard.

Souza drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Souza jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Souza 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.
Gr working a defensive guard here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gr wants to sweep here but Souza controlling him for the moment.
Gr keeping moving, preventing Souza from controlling successfully.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Souza wants to pass the guard but Gr is keeping the position.
Gr is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Gr controls Souza momentarily but Souza frees himself.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Gr looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Souza misses with a takedown
and Gr counters with a nice low kick that buckles Souza's knee momentarily.
Gr fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Souza misses with a body shot.

Gr shoots in and bounces Souza off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Gr slips nicely into half guard.
Souza is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Gr is looking to take a break and control but Souza is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gr missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Gr stalling away here and it's allowed Souza to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Gr trying to control the position from guard on top but Souza is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Gr is really struggling to control Souza but he's trying to hold on to the position.
Gr throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

Souza has his foot on Gr's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Gr works his way back into a safe position though.
Gr tries to free his leg and advance position but Souza is retaining full guard.

That's four 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.
Gr pushes down on Souza's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Gr throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Gr works his way into side control.
Gr grinds an elbow into Souza's temple.
Souza tries to buck Gr off but Gr is having none of it.
Gr looking to control but instead Souza has slipped a leg in, to regain half guard.
Souza trying to hold on to Gr's head to control him but Gr postures up.
Souza is not content to let Gr control the position.

That's five minutes gone in the round.
Gr missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Souza has hold of Gr's hands but Gr slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Gr missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

Gr is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Souza is just riding it out for now. Gr eventually gives up the hold.
The fighters are battling for position here. Souza manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Gr throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Souza works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

That's six 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.
Gr loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Souza keeping moving, preventing Gr from controlling successfully.

Souza is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Souza keeping moving, preventing Gr from controlling successfully.
Gr is looking to work some ground and pound but Souza has wrist control.
Gr in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.
Gr missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Souza manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Gr has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Gr is squirming around, avoiding Souza's attempts to control the action.

Souza looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Gr keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Gr is working hard here to advance position.

That's eight minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Souza wants to finish this one by submission but Gr is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Souza.
Gr sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Souza prevents Gr from improving his position.

That's nine minutes gone in the round.
Gr has a hand on Souza's thigh, trying to get back to full guard. Souza takes advantage of the position though and mounts him!
Gr really trying hard to get back to half guard here.

Souza working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Souza prevents Gr from getting the reversal.
Souza wants to take his opponent's back but he's not managed it.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Souza manages to capitalize on a mistake by Gr to take his back!

Souza working for a choke but Gr is defending well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Forza Gr will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Souza misses with a takedown attempt

and Gr counters with a shoot takedown. Souza fights it but they end up in guard.
Souza wants to sweep here but Gr controlling him for the moment.
Souza is trying to hold Gr in close to prevent damage but Gr has managed to pass into half guard.

Gr is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Souza has managed to free his arm - good work.
Gr is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Gr is pressing down on Souza's thigh, looking to free his foot. Souza is holding on for now.
Souza is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Gr is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Souza is just riding it out for now. Gr eventually gives up the hold.
Gr is trying to control. Souza wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Gr frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Souza is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.
Gr cracks Souza with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Souza avoids a series of strikes thrown by Gr.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gr raining down hammerfists from mount.
Gr is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Souza can't stay in a position like this for much longer.

Gr is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Souza has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Souza!
Gr bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Souza's guard.
Gr lands a couple of elbows.
Souza utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Souza keeping full guard, as Gr tries to pass.
Gr is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Gr pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Souza is keeping the position for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gr postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Gr postures up in Souza's guard and throws a big left but Souza blocks it.
Gr stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Souza swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Gr distracts Souza with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Souza looking to control.

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

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.
Gr with a flurry of punches that miss.
Souza can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Gr controls the pace.
Gr throws a strike but Souza rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Gr is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Souza has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Gr is proving hard to escape from.
Gr wants to sweep here but Souza controlling him for the moment.
Forza Gr overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's five minutes gone in the round.
Gr looking to control.

Gr looking for a guillotine here but Souza defends easily.
Gr keeping moving, preventing Souza from controlling successfully.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Gr is on top in guard.
Gr trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

That's six 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.
Souza is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Gr wants to control from the top but Souza keeps moving.

Gr drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Souza dives on top into guard.
Souza wants to control from the top but Gr keeps moving.
Gr is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Souza slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Gr manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.
Gr is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Gr makes his way to full guard, as Souza worked for a kimura.
Gr keeping moving, preventing Souza from controlling successfully.
Souza advances to half guard.
Gr is looking to improve his position.

That's eight 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.

Souza is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Gr punching from the bottom.
Gr trying to control from the bottom.
Souza works his way into side control.
Souza working away.

Souza stands up.
Souza ducks under a wild hook from Gr.

That's nine minutes gone in the round.
Souza fails with the takedown

and Gr counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Gr.

Gr drops back looking for a leg! Souza is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Souza manages to kick Gr off! Gr jumps back into Souza's guard.
Gr in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Souza keeping moving, preventing Gr from controlling successfully.
Gr pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Souza is keeping the position for now.

And that's the end of the fight!
Forza Gr showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Gr has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight for Forza Gr!
Judge Hirohito Nitta scores the fight for Forza Gr!
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight for Forza Gr!

Forza Gr wins by unanimous decision!