PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Seamus Heaney (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Juancho Rivera (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Heaney
vs
Rivera

178 cm
28
212 lbs
15 - 7 - 1

189 cm
30
216 lbs
15 - 7 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
World class boxer
Granite chin

- - - - - All Nutrients 160 - - - - -

Charlie Wang's Tattered Rags & 95% Laundry

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 15 - 7 - 1, fighting out of Montreal, Seamus Heaney!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 7 - 0, fighting out of New York, Juancho Rivera!
The judges for this bout are Alec Ball, Robert Douchet and William Peck.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rivera throws a poor cross that misses
enabling Heaney to counter with a crisp jab.
Rivera walks into a jab.
Heaney throws out a loose jab but Rivera uses good head movement to avoid it.
Rivera throws a hook but Heaney blocks it.
Heaney shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Rivera but Rivera pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Heaney fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Rivera manages to avoid it.
Rivera steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Heaney.
Rivera on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Heaney misses with a looping left.
Rivera uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Heaney.
Rivera throws the kick towards the body but Heaney avoids it.
Heaney dives in and grabs Rivera's left leg, looking for a takedown. Rivera pushes down on Heaney's head and hops out.
Rivera throws a series of punches but Heaney moves out of range.
Heaney staying out of range there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Heaney throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Heaney tries to move into range but Rivera moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.

It looks like Seamus Heaney has been cut.
Rivera misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
The fighters circling - Heaney throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Rivera ducks under a wild hook from Heaney.
Heaney tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Rivera was well out of range. Poor timing from Heaney.
Heaney lands with an overhand left.
Heaney just misses with a punch to the body.
Heaney takes a swing at Rivera's ribcage but misses.
Heaney connects with a body shot that sends Rivera's belly button to the back.

Heaney shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Rivera napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Rivera is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Heaney has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Rivera defending against the ground and pound.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rivera taking a bit of punishment here - Heaney scoring with strikes.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Heaney scoring with punches from side control.
You can see the frustration on Rivera's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Heaney working the ground and pound but Rivera is defending the strikes.
Heaney in side control, throwing shots but Rivera defends.
Heaney sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Rivera is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Rivera is trying to get back to his feet.
Heaney creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Heaney working the head with strikes.
Rivera tries to buck Heaney off but Heaney is having none of it.
Rivera wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Heaney lands a decent elbow from side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Heaney in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Rivera regains half guard, as Heaney was trying to land strikes.
Rivera avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Heaney.
Rivera is staying active underneath Heaney, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
The fighters are battling for position here. Rivera manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Heaney with a flurry of punches that miss.
Heaney is looking to work some ground and pound but Rivera has wrist control.
Heaney 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.
Heaney throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Heaney throwing strikes from guard but Rivera blocks nicely.
Rivera is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Heaney loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Rivera is trying to control the position but Heaney postures up.
Rivera can't keep his opponent in guard - Heaney advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Rivera is looking to improve his position.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Heaney lands a nice short elbow.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Heaney thows a huge punch but Rivera dodges it nicely.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Nice strikes from Heaney there.
Heaney frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Heaney lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Rivera hang on?
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Seamus Heaney dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Seamus Heaney's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

A looping hook to the body misses from Heaney. Rivera does a little dance to reset his feet.
Seamus Heaney seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rivera scores with a jab to the body.
Rivera misses with a few strikes there.
Heaney shoots in and drives through. Rivera sprawls well.
Heaney gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Rivera cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Heaney looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Rivera throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Heaney stuns Rivera with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
A telegraphed right hand from Rivera misses the target.
No joy there for Rivera, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
A looping hook to the body misses from Heaney. Rivera does a little dance to reset his feet.
Good work by Heaney as he checks the leg kick.
Seamus Heaney is winning the standup battle so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A looping hook to the body misses from Heaney. Rivera does a little dance to reset his feet.
Rivera turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Rivera looks to land a right hand but Heaney moved out of range.
Rivera pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Heaney gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Heaney takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Rivera defending well as Heaney loads up on a big left hand.
Heaney misses with a jab to the body
and Rivera counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Heaney thinking.
Rivera thows a body shot but no joy.
Heaney scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Heaney loads up on a big right hand but Rivera slips the punch.
Rivera throws a big shot that misses.
Rivera punishes Heaney's body with a nice straight punch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Jab from Heaney.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Rivera slips a jab from Heaney.
Rivera punishes Heaney's body with a nice straight punch.
Rivera throws the left hand but Heaney avoids the punch easily.
Heaney throws a left and a right that both miss
and Rivera counters with a stiff right hand.
Rivera misses with a looping left.
Heaney throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Juancho Rivera is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Heaney throws a right hand that misses
and Rivera counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Heaney misses the shot to the body.
Rivera steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Heaney.
Heaney swings for the body but Rivera moves out of range.
Heaney throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Rivera's waist but Rivera gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Heaney off to one side.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Seamus Heaney. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Heaney misses the jab.
Heaney lands a slapping body shot.
Rivera thows a body shot but no joy.
Rivera slaps away a takedown attempt from Heaney, before circling back to the center of the mat.
A looping hook to the body misses from Heaney. Rivera does a little dance to reset his feet.
Rivera ducks under a wild hook from Heaney.
Rivera darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Rivera misses the shot to the body.
Rivera throws a hook to the side of Heaney's head but Heaney sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Rivera throws a nice outside leg kick.
Rivera keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
A bone on bone clash there as Heaney blocks the leg kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rivera misses with a series of wild punches.
Heaney lands a slapping body shot.
Sloppy strikes from Rivera. Those never looked like landing.
Heaney scores with a nice head shot.
Heaney ducks under a wild hook from Rivera.
Heaney misses the shot to the body.
Heaney swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Rivera uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Heaney.
This has been an exciting period of action!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Heaney lunges at Rivera with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Rivera's hand.
Heaney waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Rivera.
Rivera moves out of range of the strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Juancho Rivera showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Seamus Heaney'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. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Heaney closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Rivera did well to prevent Heaney getting side control.
Heaney thows a huge punch but Rivera dodges it nicely.
Rivera looks like he's trying to stand up.
Rivera on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Rivera is trying to get back to full guard.
Heaney not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Heaney not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Rivera wants to improve his position but Heaney is controlling well.
Rivera pushes Heaney off looking to stand but Heaney dives back in and keeps control.
Heaney throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Heaney lands strikes from half guard.
Rivera wants to get back to his feet.
Heaney lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Heaney lands strikes from half guard.
Heaney trying to control from half guard but Rivera is working away.
Heaney throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Rivera is trying to stand back up but Heaney is controlling him
Rivera avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Heaney.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Heaney wants to lay and pray for a moment but Rivera keeps working.
Heaney not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Heaney working to pass to mount. He's got his hand pressing down on Rivera's thigh. Rivera counters though and makes it back to full guard.
Heaney scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Heaney slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Heaney postures up and lands a big shot to Rivera's brow.
Heaney looking to pass the guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rivera working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Heaney.
Rivera preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Rivera controls Heaney momentarily but Heaney frees himself.
Heaney postures up in Rivera's guard and throws a big left but Rivera blocks it.
Heaney is in close to Rivera's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Heaney tries to free his leg and advance position but Rivera is retaining full guard.
Heaney trying to control the position from guard on top but Rivera is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Heaney throwing strikes but missing.
Heaney preventing the sweep.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Heaney missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Heaney with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Heaney makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Heaney trying to control the position from guard on top but Rivera is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Heaney accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Rivera is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Heaney trying to control the position from guard on top but Rivera is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Heaney with a flurry of punches that miss.
Heaney throwing strikes but missing.

And that's the end of the fight!
Seamus Heaney showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Heaney 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 Alec Ball scores the fight 29:28
Judge Robert Douchet scores the fight 29:28
Judge William Peck scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Seamus Heaney!