PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Rafael Martelli (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nathan Maia (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Martelli has a slight injury, which hopefully won't affect the fight too much. Rafael Martelli has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Martelli
vs
Maia

215 cm
23
298 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

225 cm
19
300 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rafael Martelli!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Nathan Maia!
The judges for this bout are Emerson Jorge, Mauricio Rocha and Daniel Cesar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Maia lands with a kick to the ribs.
Martelli is breathing heavily.
Maia tries to clinch up but Martelli circles away and keeps his distance.

Martelli drives through and clinches with Maia against the cage.
Maia misses with a short punch on the inside.
Maia working aggressively here.
Maia scores with a shoulder strike.
Maia throws a head punch that misses.

Martelli's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Maia moves out of range as Martelli throws a body kick.
Maia throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Maia tries to clinch but Martelli is having none of it.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Maia.
Martelli is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Ooooh, nice body kick lands from Maia. Martelli shrugs it off though.
Martelli circles away from the clinch attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Martelli shoots in and drives through. Maia sprawls well.

Maia decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Maia not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Martelli trying to control but Maia postures up.
Maia throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Maia throwing shots but Martelli is blocking nicely.
Maia working the head and body with strikes.
Martelli avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Maia.
Martelli keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maia misses with a head shot. Martelli uses the momentum to regain guard.
Martelli is pulling down on Maia's head. It's preventing any offense from Maia, at least for the moment.
Martelli trying to control the position.
Maia is working Martelli over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Martelli trying to keep a closed guard but Maia is proving a slippery customer.
Maia throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Maia won't allow Martelli to sweep him here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Martelli looking to control.
Maia throws a big right hand that misses.
Martelli avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Maia preventing the sweep.
Martelli is trying to keep Maia in close.

Rafael Martelli has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Maia fakes the leg kick and cracks Martelli in the body.
Maia gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Martelli counters by moving into the clinch.
Maia misses with a punch on the inside.
Maia throws a punch but it's blocked by Martelli.

Martelli's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Martelli tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Maia swivels and escapes.
Maia keeps Martelli at a distance using the push kick.

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

Martelli looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Maia slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Martelli controls from within his opponent's guard.
Maia keeping moving, preventing Martelli from controlling successfully.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Martelli looking to pass the guard.
Maia throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nathan Maia dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Nathan Maia's cut.
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.

Nice body kick from Maia.

Maia moves into the clinch.
A head punch on the inside from Maia fails to land.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Maia.
Maia swings wildly with an uppercut but Martelli uses good head movement to avoid it.
Martelli has Maia pushed against the cage.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Martelli blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Maia has a couple of punches blocked by Martelli.
Maia misses with a hook from the clinch.
Maia throws a head punch that misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Maia scores with a shoulder strike.
Maia throws a punch but it's blocked by Martelli.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Martelli.
Martelli lands a knee to the head.
Martelli blocks a punch to the side of the head.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Martelli.
Maia lands with a short punch from the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A head punch on the inside from Maia fails to land.
Maia lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Maia misses with the head strike.

Martelli has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Maia uses from the top position.
Maia loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Martelli controlling Maia's posture.
Martelli trying to control the position.
Maia is on the wrong end of a couple of strikes there.
Martelli trying to keep a closed guard but Maia is proving a slippery customer.
Maia postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Maia prevents Martelli from getting back to his feet.

That's two 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.
Maia scoring with some ground and pound.
Maia with a nice head shot there.
Maia is looking to work some ground and pound but Martelli has wrist control.
Maia throws a big right hand that misses.
Maia throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Martelli works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Maia trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Maia missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Maia throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Martelli works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

Martelli throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Maia working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Maia postures up in Martelli's guard and throws a big left but Martelli blocks it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Martelli is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.
Maia tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.

Martelli has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Maia is trying to keep an underhook but Martelli manages to get the takedown into half guard.
Maia is not content to let Martelli control the position.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Martelli in particular looking to stall.
Martelli is trying to control. Maia wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Maia regains full guard. Nicely done.
Maia striking off his back but it's not causing Martelli any problems.
Martelli stands and throws Maia's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Maia throwing some weak shots from the bottom that do no damage.
Maia sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Maia flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Maia has hold of Martelli's hands but Martelli slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Martelli blocks the strikes from Maia.
Maia wants to improve his position but Martelli is controlling well.
Martelli is trying to control. Maia wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Martelli trying to control the pace.

Martelli seems to be working for a kimura but Maia defends the submission attempt.
Maia connecting with a few gentle strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rafael Martelli dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Nathan Maia's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Maia circles away from the clinch attempt.
Martelli tries a head kick but it misses.

Maia forces Martelli back against the cage and clinches.
Martelli blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Maia misses with some punches.
Maia swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Maia lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Maia lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Maia misses with a punch on the inside.
Maia fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Maia fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Martelli blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Maia misses with a short punch on the inside.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Maia doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Maia fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Martelli's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Martelli breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Maia tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Martelli closes the distance and clinches.
Martelli blocks an uppercut.
Maia throws a head punch that misses.

Martelli has clasped his hands together around Maia's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
Maia is looking to reverse the position.
Martelli is pausing for a moment. What's he doing? It looks like he's clearing his nose. Oh dude! He's shot a load of snot all down Maia's shoulder. That is not cool.
Maia throws a few strikes from the bottom but Martelli takes advantage and mounts!

Martelli is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Maia is surviving well by controlling Martelli's body position as best he can.
Rafael Martelli overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Martelli working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Maia taking shots to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maia sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Martelli trying to control from half guard but Maia is working away.

Martelli is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Martelli tries to stand and escape but Maia is controlling the position.
Maia slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Maia throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Maia throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Martelli stands up from Maia's guard - Martelli perhaps looking for a knockout.
Martelli shoots in looking for a takedown. Maia tries to sprawl out of it but Martelli keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Maia manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Maia shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Martelli sprawls well. Martelli wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Maia gets slowly back to his feet.

Martelli throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Maia tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Martelli is in Maia's guard.
Martelli stands and throws Maia's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Maia throws a few strikes from the bottom but Martelli takes advantage and mounts!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Martelli trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Martelli blocks Maia's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Maia throwing hammer fists to the chest of Martelli. What's that going to do exactly?
Martelli lands a heavy elbow.
Maia is wriggling around trying to escape.
Martelli looking to control and managing it successfully.
Maia is wriggling around trying to escape.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rafael Martelli showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Martelli has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Emerson Jorge scores the fight 29:28
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 29:28
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rafael Martelli!