PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Stan Stainz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Brahiem Rich (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Brahiem Rich has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Stan Stainz's chin.

Stainz
vs
Rich

188 cm
21
195 lbs
3 - 3 - 0

160 cm
20
200 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Experienced

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Stan Stainz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Brahiem Rich!
The judges for this bout are Bruno Hogan, Damien Edna and Steve Erwin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rich tries to close the distance and clinch but Stainz swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Stainz looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!
Rich misses with a jab, cross combination.

Rich gets a takedown into half guard.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Stainz is trying to control but can't.
Rich wants to control but Stainz is keeping him busy.
Rich looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Rich really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Stainz. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

Rich decides to stand and escape the position.
A jab from Rich does it's job there.
Rich tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Stainz paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Rich shoots in and bounces Stainz off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Stainz working a defensive guard here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Stainz is looking for a triangle but Rich pushes his legs off easily.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rich throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
We're hearing some news coming in from back stage. It's official - Rich has eaten all the pies!
Rich tries to stand but Stainz is controlling from the bottom.
Stainz keeping moving, preventing Rich from controlling successfully.
Rich is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
Rich wants to get up but he can't break Stainz's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Stainz is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Rich is trying to control but can't.
Rich tries to roll over but Stainz keeps him under control.
Stainz missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Rich is trying to stand up here but Stainz is controlling him well.
Rich is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Rich is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Rich can do anything to dispel that myth.
Stainz thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Stainz thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Stainz missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Rich trying to control here.
Rich is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Rich is trying to control but can't.
Stainz wants to free his trapped foot but Rich is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Stainz passes to full mount!
Stainz with good strikes from the mount here!
Rich is looking to improve his position but Stainz isn't that keen on the idea.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rich tries to hold on but Stainz pushes him away.
Stainz thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Rich is trying desperately to improve position.
Stainz unloads with some shots from mount but Rich bucks and avoids them well.
Rich is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Stainz throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Rich because Stainz loaded up on that one.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Stainz is landing with some decent strikes but Rich is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Rich tries to hold on but Stainz pushes him away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Brahiem Rich dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Stainz blocks a head kick by Rich.

Rich drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Rich wants to stand but Stainz has his arm trapped.
Rich is chipping away with strikes.
Rich working away.
Stainz is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.
Rich trying to control the position but Stainz is working away.
Rich tries to stand but Stainz is controlling his head.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rich is chipping away with strikes.
Rich taking a break here but Stainz is having none of it and regains half guard.
Rich seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Stainz does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

Rich is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Stainz is trying to control but can't.
Rich wants to pass to mount but Stainz is defending the position.
Stainz punching from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rich trying to control from half guard but Stainz is working away.
Stainz moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.

Rich drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Stainz manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Rich has Stainz in his guard.
Stainz is looking to work some ground and pound but Rich has wrist control.
Stainz stopping the sweep attempt from Rich.
Rich wants to stand and escape but Stainz is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rich wants to sweep here but Stainz controlling him for the moment.
Stainz will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Rich trying to keep a closed guard but Stainz is proving a slippery customer.
Rich trying to strike off his back.
Stainz with a flurry of punches that miss.
Stainz with a flurry of punches that miss.
Rich is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Rich wants to sweep but no luck.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Stainz stands up over Rich, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Rich looking to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rich pulls Stainz in close to prevent any damage.

Brahiem Rich has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Rich misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Stainz pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Rich back to the cage. Stainz follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.
Stainz misses with a jab, cross combination.

Rich changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Stainz looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Rich prevents Stainz from escaping the position.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Stainz is trying to control Rich's posture but Rich avoids it.
Stainz manages to get back to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Brahiem Rich showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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. And we move into the final round!

A jab from Rich does it's job there.

Rich shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Rich showed some decent athleticism there.
Rich trying to mount his opponent but Stainz defends it.
Rich wants to control but Stainz is keeping him busy.

Rich is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Stainz is just riding it out for now. Rich eventually gives up the hold.
It looks like Rich is going to stand back up.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rich stalling away here and it's allowed Stainz to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Rich trying to control but Stainz is working from the bottom.
Rich postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Rich must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Rich wants to control from the top but Stainz keeps moving.
Rich looking to sit in guard and control but Stainz gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Stainz 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.
Stainz loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Stainz avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Stainz throws a big right hand that misses.
Rich working a defensive guard but Stainz passes into half guard.
Rich avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Stainz.
Brahiem Rich has got the better of the ground game so far.
Rich is looking to control Stainz's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Rich avoid being mounted?
Rich on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Stainz frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Stainz looking to ground and pound but Rich is blocking nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Stainz raining down shots from the mount!
Rich tries to hold on but Stainz pushes him away.
Rich landing with some feeble shots from his back... He should probably try escaping the position instead.
Stainz landing strikes from the mount.
Stainz avoids the attempt from Rich to control.
Poor strikes thrown by Stainz there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!
Rich is trying desperately to improve position.
Stainz sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Stainz punching from mount but Rich doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Stainz thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Stainz sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Stainz thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Rich wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Stainz.
Stainz punching from mount but Rich doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Rich holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Stainz tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
Rich is working to get back to half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Stan Stainz has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Brahiem Rich is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Stainz throws some wild stikes that Rich manages to avoid easily.

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 Stan Stainz.
Well Rich 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 Bruno Hogan scores the fight 28:29
Judge Damien Edna scores the fight 28:29
Judge Steve Erwin scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Brahiem Rich!