PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Diego Rios (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Eddie Alvarez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rios comes to the cage accompanied by Forever. Alvarez has chosen Coming in Hot as his entrance music. Diego Rios has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Rios
vs
Alvarez

200 cm
27
155 lbs
3 - 4 - 0

180 cm
25
160 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Diego Rios!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Eddie Alvarez!
The judges for this bout are Frank Antenori, Timothy Bukovac and Jack Bonds.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rios wants to clinch but Alvarez slips to the side
and Alvarez connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Rios tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Rios throws a combination that misses
and Alvarez connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

Alvarez closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Alvarez lands in his opponent's guard.
Alvarez wants to pass the guard but Rios is keeping the position.
Alvarez trying to control but Rios is working from the bottom.
Alvarez slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Rios will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

Alvarez drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Rios dives on top into guard.
Rios stops Alvarez from standing up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Alvarez controls Rios momentarily but Rios frees himself.
Alvarez bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Rios's guard.
Alvarez engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rios 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.
Alvarez looking to pass the guard.
Alvarez stops Rios from standing up.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

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.
Rios working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Alvarez.

Rios pushes Alvarez off and gets back to his feet.
Alvarez shoots in but Rios avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Rios fails with a takedown attempt.
Diego Rios seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rios lands a two punch combo.
Alvarez is looking to clinch.
Rios tries to move into range but Alvarez moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Rios misses with a takedown attempt - Alvarez sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Alvarez uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Rios.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rios shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Alvarez as he avoids it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Diego Rios. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rios misses with a few strikes there.
Alvarez is looking to chop away at Rios's legs.
Rios doesn't manage to clinch there - Alvarez circles away.

Alvarez has managed to clinch.

Alvarez has picked Rios up - he's going for a ride! Alvarez dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Rios is trying to stand up here but Alvarez is controlling him well.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Alvarez in particular looking to stall.
Alvarez is looking to pass Rios's guard but actually Rios recovers to full guard.
Rios wants to stand and escape but Alvarez is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Alvarez wants to control from the top but Rios keeps moving.
Alvarez content to stall in guard here.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Eddie Alvarez was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Rios will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Rios throws a combination that misses

and Alvarez counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Rios's guard now.
Alvarez wants to control from the top but Rios keeps moving.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Alvarez showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

A solid leg kick lands there for Rios.
Alvarez rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Rios moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Alvarez throws a sloppy head kick
and Rios counters with a solid body kick.

Alvarez has taken the fight to the clinch.
Alvarez drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Rios gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Alvarez looking for a takedown.
Rios is pushing Alvarez up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Rios leaning his opponent against the cage.

Rios pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Alvarez is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rios shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Alvarez eats them both and turns towards Rios to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.

It looks like Eddie Alvarez has been cut.
Rios lands an overhand right.

Rios looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Alvarez!

Alvarez is rocked!
Rios looking to ground and pound but Alvarez is blocking nicely.
Rios really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Alvarez taking shots to the head.
Rios fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Rios is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Alvarez can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Rios punishing his opponent with strikes.
Rios lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Rios lands a heavy elbow.
Rios postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Alvarez looks a forlorn figure.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rios is landing with some decent strikes but Alvarez is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Rios postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Alvarez looks a forlorn figure.
Rios landing strikes from the mount.
Alvarez taking shots to the head.
Alvarez is desperately trying to improve his position but Rios has a good base and remains in mount.
Rios throws some wild stikes that Alvarez manages to avoid easily.
Rios lands a big shot there that rocks Alvarez but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Diego Rios overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Rios raining down hammerfists from mount.
Rios thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Alvarez taking shots to the head.
Rios landing strikes, looking to finish!
Alvarez is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Rios punishing his opponent with strikes.
Rios 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.
Alvarez is bucking up trying to escape but Rios cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Rios lands with some strikes.
Rios is landing with some decent strikes but Alvarez is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Rios lands a heavy elbow.
Alvarez is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Alvarez can't escape the position.
Rios raining down hammerfists from mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rios lands a big elbow.
Rios putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!

Rios is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Alvarez has managed to escape the submission attempt.
Rios pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Rios with a couple of short strikes.
Rios thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Alvarez is in a horrible position here. Rios smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Rios trying to control but he's not successful this time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Diego Rios dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Eddie Alvarez'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. This is the final round!

Rios tries for a takedown but Alvarez sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Rios is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Rios circles away from the clinch attempt.
Rios shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Alvarez counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Rios's guard now.
Rios not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Alvarez sitting in guard here, content to control.
Alvarez passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Alvarez wants to lay and pray for a moment but Rios keeps working.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rios prevents Alvarez from moving into mount.
Alvarez is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Rios will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.
Alvarez wants to control but Rios is keeping him busy.
Rios tries to bench press Alvarez off him but Alvarez keeps the position.
Rios seems a little lost for a moment, as Alvarez dominates the positioning.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Rios is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Alvarez off and has taken his back!

That's two 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.
Alvarez rolls, trying to escape but Rios keeps control of the position.
Rios has his opponent trapped and is landing shots. Not a good position for Alvarez.
Alvarez trying to control the position but Rios manages to sink in the hooks.
Alvarez prevents Rios from getting a body triangle.

Rios looking for the choke from the back.
Alvarez is covering up but some of the strikes from Rios are getting through and doing damage.
Rios scores with punches and elbows.

Rios is working really hard to secure the rear naked choke. Alvarez defends successfully for a significant amount of time. Both fighters are looking very determined.
Rios thows a huge left but connects with the canvas and not his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Rios has his hand under the chin of his opponent looking for the choke. He's nearly got it! This one could be all over! But no, Alvarez has freed his hand and lives to survive another… well, another couple of seconds at least!
Rios missing with punches from the back.
Rios is not going to allow Alvarez to sit and survive in this position.
Rios throws a big right hand but he misses and hits the mat. Ouch.
Rios scores with punches and elbows.

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.
Alvarez has the hand control, trying to stop the rear naked choke.
Alvarez tries to escape the position.

Rios working for a RNC but it's not happening just yet.
Rios throwing wild punches that miss their target.
Rios missing with strikes.
Watch the back of the head! Comes the shout from the referee towards Rios.

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 Diego Rios.
I think Rios 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 Frank Antenori scores the fight 29:28
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 28:28
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 29:27

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Diego Rios!