PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Marco Noriega (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ricardinho Gabriel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Noriega
vs
Gabriel

176 cm
24
168 lbs
11 - 6 - 0

180 cm
24
163 lbs
9 - 7 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Very strong

Powerful takedowns
Decent boxing
Good gas tank

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 11 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Marco Noriega!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Ricardinho Gabriel!
The judges for this bout are Mauricio Rocha, Seu Braga and Luis Engracia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gabriel shoots and misses

and Noriega counters with a single leg into guard. Gabriel didn't expect that.
Noriega is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Noriega trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Noriega postures up in Gabriel's guard and throws a big left but Gabriel blocks it.
Noriega working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Gabriel's head.
Noriega has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Gabriel will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.

Gabriel looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gabriel looking to control.
Gabriel pulls Noriega in to control the position.
Noriega wants to control from the top but Gabriel keeps moving.
Noriega with a flurry of punches that miss.
Gabriel not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Ricardinho Gabriel was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Noriega misses with a hook
enabling Gabriel to counter with a crisp jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Noriega throws a leg kick

and Gabriel counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Noriega's guard now.
Gabriel wants to control from the top but Noriega keeps moving.
Gabriel tries to free his leg and advance position but Noriega is retaining full guard.
Noriega looking to hit a scissor sweep but Gabriel is one step ahead there.

Gabriel thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Noriega has momentary wrist control but Gabriel slips an elbow through the middle.
Gabriel throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Gabriel content to stall in guard here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gabriel won't allow Noriega to get back to his feet.
Gabriel trying to control but Noriega is working from the bottom.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Gabriel advances to half guard.
Gabriel is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Gabriel passes to side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Gabriel landing a few strikes.
Noriega is looking for a sweep.

Gabriel decides to stand back up. Gabriel steps back and let's Noriega get back to his feet.
Noriega tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Gabriel was well out of range. Poor timing from Noriega.
Gabriel shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Noriega defends it nicely.
Gabriel fails with the takedown.
Marco Noriega has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ricardinho Gabriel.
Good work by Gabriel as he checks the leg kick.
Gabriel defending well as Noriega loads up on a big left hand.
Noriega takes one to the side of the head.
Gabriel misses with a takedown
and Noriega counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gabriel shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Noriega sprawls well. Noriega wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Gabriel gets slowly back to his feet.
Marco Noriega seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Gabriel tries for a takedown but Noriega sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Gabriel throws a front kick aimed at Noriega's knee but Noriega avoids it well.
Gabriel gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Noriega makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Gabriel takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Gabriel misses with a takedown

and Noriega counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Gabriel looks gassed!
Gabriel not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Gabriel looking to hit a scissor sweep but Noriega is one step ahead there.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Noriega postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
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 Marco Noriega will probably get the nod.
That's time! Noriega's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Gabriel misses with a takedown
and Noriega counters with a straight right hand.
Noriega with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Gabriel scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Noriega throws a lazy uppercut

and Gabriel counters with a single leg into guard. Noriega didn't expect that.
Gabriel stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Noriega swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Gabriel throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Noriega works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

Gabriel decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Noriega, up you get!
Noriega misses with a body punch
and Gabriel counters with a three punch combo that has Noriega backing up. Noriega nods at Gabriel to acknowledge the strikes.
Gabriel wants to clinch

so Noriega counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Noriega scoring with punches to the head and body.
Noriega postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Gabriel looking for a guillotine here but Noriega defends easily.
Noriega trying to control but Gabriel is working from the bottom.
Noriega throws and elbow that misses. Gabriel uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Noriega's guard. Nice move by Gabriel!
Gabriel trying to control but Noriega is working from the bottom.

Gabriel stands up from Noriega's guard - Gabriel perhaps looking for a knockout.
Nice takedown defense from Noriega. No joy for Gabriel on that attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gabriel tries to clinch but Noriega moves out of range.
Gabriel moves out of range as Noriega strikes.
Gabriel slips under a jab.
Noriega throws a leg kick

and Gabriel counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Noriega!
Noriega 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.
Noriega wants to get back to full guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Gabriel trying to control the action but Noriega is working from the bottom.
Ricardinho Gabriel has got the better of the ground game so far.
Gabriel takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Gabriel not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Noriega is refusing to be controlled, as Gabriel sits in half guard.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Ricardinho Gabriel was stalling too much, according to the referee.

Gabriel looking to score a takedown here. Noriega is defending well but Gabriel drives through and ends up in Noriega's guard.
Gabriel trying to control but Noriega is working from the bottom.

Noriega scrambles and gets back to his feet.
Gabriel uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Noriega.
Gabriel fails to land the takedown.
Marco Noriega has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ricardinho Gabriel.
Noriega keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Gabriel shoots and misses

and Noriega counters by moving into the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gabriel misses with a body punch.
Noriega misses with a hook from the clinch.
Gabriel tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Noriega just stands there and leans against the cage.
Gabriel tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Noriega just stands there and leans against the cage.
Noriega tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Gabriel working hard to break the clinch.
Noriega lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Noriega throws a head punch that misses.
Noriega doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Noriega misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Noriega struggles to land a body shot inside as Gabriel controls his hands.
A short body shot lands from Noriega as the two fighters clinch.
Noriega misses with a short punch on the inside.
Gabriel fails to pull guard.
A head punch on the inside from Noriega fails to land.

Gabriel successfully pulls guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Gabriel holds on and takes a little breather.
Gabriel is trying to control the position from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ricardinho Gabriel showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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!

Noriega misses with an uppercut

so Gabriel counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Noriega looking to hit a scissor sweep but Gabriel is one step ahead there.
Gabriel thows a big elbow that misses.

Gabriel stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Gabriel slips a jab and a cross from Noriega.
Noriega throws a predictable looking body shot

and Gabriel counters with a nice double leg into side control. Noriega won't be happy with that.
Gabriel happy to just control the position for now.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Noriega is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gabriel is trying to control the action in half guard but Noriega is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Nice strikes from Gabriel there.
Gabriel trying to control from half guard but Noriega is working away.

Gabriel is trying for a kimura here. Noriega looks like he's in a lot of pain... and he's tapping out! Gabriel wins by kimura!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:36 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Ricardinho Gabriel!