PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Sancho Zybov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Febra Velascez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Zybov
vs
Velascez

177 cm
21
150 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

175 cm
25
154 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Very quick

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Intelligent

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Sancho Zybov!
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, Febra Velascez!
The judges for this bout are Emerson Jorge, Matheus Silva and Thiago Cunha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Velascez closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Zybov did well to prevent Velascez getting side control.
Zybov is refusing to be controlled, as Velascez sits in half guard.
Zybov is pressing down on Velascez's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Zybov looking for a sweep. Not yet Zybov, not yet.
Velascez with a flurry of punches that miss.
Zybov working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Velascez.
Velascez is in close to Zybov's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Zybov wants to sweep but no luck.
Velascez postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Velascez lands a couple of digs.
Zybov wants to stand up but Velascez is controlling him.
Zybov controlling the position.
Velascez lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Velascez stands up over Zybov, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Velascez drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Velascez jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Velascez throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Zybov is trying to keep Velascez in close.

Zybov is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Velascez is aware though and is defending well.
Zybov is breathing heavily.
Velascez connects with a couple of short punches.
Zybov keeping moving, preventing Velascez from controlling successfully.
Velascez in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Velascez really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Zybov. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

Velascez 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.
Velascez wants to control from the top but Zybov keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Velascez looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Velascez scoring with punches to the head and body.
Zybov working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Velascez.
Velascez with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Velascez scores with a decent looking elbow strike.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Velascez sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Velascez throws a big right hand that misses.
Velascez working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Velascez throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Zybov works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Velascez distracts Zybov with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Velascez scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Velascez scoring with punches to the head and body.
Velascez working some strikes from top position.
Velascez postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Velascez keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Zybov's head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Velascez makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Velascez distracts Zybov with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Velascez stopping the sweep attempt from Zybov.

Velascez drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Velascez jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Velascez passes Zybov's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Zybov is trying to control but can't.
Velascez slips a nice elbow through Zybov's hands, connecting with Zybov's forehead.
Velascez is looking to take a break and control but Zybov is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Zybov missing with punches from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Febra Velascez dominated that round.
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.

Velascez looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

Velascez gets the takedown into side control.
Velascez looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Zybov is avoiding damage well.
Zybov is trying to improve his position.
Zybov is trying to control Velascez's posture but Velascez avoids it.
Velascez lands a decent elbow from side control.
Velascez wants to lay and pray for a moment but Zybov keeps working.
Velascez lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Velascez moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Velascez landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Velascez is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Zybov will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.
Velascez working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Zybov looks to move to half guard but instead Velascez has passed into mount! Damn!
A nice elbow there by Velascez.
Velascez prevents Zybov from getting the reversal.
Velascez looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Velascez is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Zybov can't stay in a position like this for much longer.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Velascez putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Febra Velascez has got the better of the ground game so far.

Velascez with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Velascez postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Zybov looks a forlorn figure.
Zybov is bucking up trying to escape but Velascez cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Velascez has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Zybov's face.
Velascez working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Velascez scores with a couple of good head shots there.

Velascez working for a submission but Zybov is keeping him at bay.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zybov is wriggling around trying to escape.
Velascez scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Zybov?
Zybov can't escape the position.
Zybov gets back to half guard.
Velascez thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Zybov is trying to control but can't.
Velascez seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Velascez connects with a nice short shot to Zybov's temple.
Velascez is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Zybov is looking to control Velascez's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Zybov avoid being mounted?

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zybov is trying to get back to full guard.
Ground and pound from Velascez.
Zybov is trying to stand back up but Velascez is controlling him
Velascez working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Velascez passes the guard and advances to mount!
Zybov tries to hold on but Velascez postures up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Febra Velascez showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Zybov walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Velascez tries to bum rush Zybov with a series of wild strikes but Zybov uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Zybov showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Velascez.

Zybov gets caught flat footed, as Velascez shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Zybov preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

Zybov working for a triangle but Velascez defends it easily.
Zybov keeping moving, preventing Velascez from controlling successfully.
Velascez throws a big right hand that misses.
Velascez must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Velascez cracks Zybov with a solid left hand.
Velascez landing some decent shots from guard.
Velascez is working Zybov over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Velascez lands a couple of elbows.
Zybov 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.
Zybov working a defensive guard here.
Zybov wants to stand and escape but Velascez is having none of it.
Velascez makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Zybov has momentary wrist control but Velascez slips an elbow through the middle.
Velascez lands a couple of elbows.
Velascez trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Zybov looking for a sweep. Not yet Zybov, not yet.
Velascez in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

Zybov is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Zybov wants to stand up but Velascez is controlling him.
Velascez working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Zybov has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Velascez 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 Zybov.
Zybov is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Zybov on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.
Velascez landing strikes.
Zybov tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Velascez trying to control the action but Zybov is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Velascez connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Zybov some visible discomfort.
Zybov is trying to buck Velascez off.
Zybov is looking for a sweep.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Check out the look on Velascez's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Velascez grinds an elbow into Zybov's temple.
Sancho Zybov has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Febra Velascez is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Velascez lands some shots froms side control.

And that's the end of the fight!
Febra Velascez comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Velascez has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 27:30
Judge Matheus Silva scores the fight 27:30
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Febra Velascez!