PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between John Rivero (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Black Betty (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Betty has chosen Black Better as his entrance music. The key to victory for John Rivero has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Rivero
vs
Betty

184 cm
20
213 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

199 cm
18
195 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent elbows
Experienced

Good takedowns
Basic striking
Granite 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 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, John Rivero!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Black Betty!
The judges for this bout are Tiny Johnson, Chris Downing and Alan Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Betty tries to clinch up.
Betty looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Rivero is fending him off so far but Betty persists. Nope, Rivero circles away and we're back to standing.
Betty fails with the takedown.
Betty showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Rivero.
Betty misses with a takedown attempt - Rivero sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
John Rivero has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Black Betty.

Rivero closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Betty to the mat! Betty manages to get full guard.
Betty 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.
Rivero makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Rivero tries to free his leg and advance position but Betty is retaining full guard.
Betty throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Rivero cracks Betty with a solid left hand.
Rivero pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Betty is keeping the position for now.
Rivero lands a couple of decent looking shots.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Betty looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Betty working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Rivero doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Rivero manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Rivero has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Betty 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.

Betty looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Betty tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Betty looks gassed!
Rivero is working Betty over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Rivero postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Rivero trying to control but Betty is working from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Betty controls Rivero momentarily but Rivero frees himself.
Rivero wants to control from the top but Betty keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rivero with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.

Betty looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Rivero seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Rivero landing some decent shots from guard.
Rivero trying to control the position from guard on top but Betty is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Rivero is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Rivero wants to control from the top but Betty keeps moving.
Betty utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

Betty looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Rivero might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Rivero lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Betty keeping moving, preventing Rivero from controlling successfully.
Rivero is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Rivero working some strikes from top position.
Rivero trying to control but Betty is working from the bottom.
Rivero scoring with punches to the head and body.
Rivero stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Betty swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Rivero postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Rivero content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Betty is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Rivero's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Rivero chips away with some ground and pound.
Rivero wants to control from the top but Betty keeps moving.
Rivero is working Betty over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.

Betty escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Rivero gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Betty working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Rivero.
Rivero passes Betty's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Rivero is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.

Betty is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Rivero pulls his head out easily.
Rivero drops an elbow to the side of Betty's head.
Rivero is keen to just control but Betty is a slippery customer.
Betty taking some punishment here, with Rivero in his half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Rivero dominated that round.
That's time! Rivero's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Rivero shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Betty's guard.
Rivero trying to control but Betty is working from the bottom.
Rivero postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.

Betty looking for a guillotine here but Rivero defends easily.

Betty looking for a guillotine here but Rivero defends easily.
Rivero is stalling in the full guard.
Rivero postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Betty is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rivero controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

Rivero stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Betty tries for a takedown but Rivero circles away easily
and Rivero counters with a three punch combo that has Betty backing up. Betty nods at Rivero to acknowledge the strikes.
Black Betty seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rivero throws a series of punches but Betty avoids them all with ease.

Rivero clinches.
Betty wants a takedown but no success here.

Rivero breaks the clinch.
A combination from Rivero does no damage.
Rivero stalks Betty and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Betty's face. Betty staggers backwards, shaken.
Rivero lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Rivero has taken the fight to the clinch.

Rivero manages to pull guard.
Betty wants to pass the guard but Rivero is keeping the position.
Rivero lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Betty!
Rivero lands a big shot there that rocks Betty but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Rivero scoring with strikes but Betty is staying in there.
Rivero breaks from Betty's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Rivero tries to control but Betty wriggling away.

Rivero jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Betty manages to avoid the submission attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rivero lands an elbow.
Betty is working to avoid the ground and pound but Rivero connects with a decent elbow.
Rivero in side control lands a decent elbow.
Betty taking a bit of punishment here - Rivero scoring with strikes.
Rivero controls the position from side control.
Rivero working the ground and pound.
Betty tries to bench press Rivero off him but Rivero keeps the position.
Rivero lands an elbow.
Betty is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Betty seems a little lost for a moment, as Rivero dominates the positioning.
Rivero scoring with punches from side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rivero in side control lands a decent elbow.
Rivero advances nicely into full mount.
Rivero is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Betty bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Betty tries to free his leg and advance position but Rivero is retaining full guard.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Rivero striking off his back but it's not causing Betty any problems.
Rivero thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Rivero throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Betty trying to control but Rivero is working from the bottom.
Betty is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Rivero looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Rivero dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Rivero scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Rivero thows a big elbow that misses, also allowing Betty to regain full guard.

Betty working for a triangle but Rivero defends it easily.
Rivero trying to control but Betty is working from the bottom.
John Rivero overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Betty keeping busy on the bottom but Rivero has passed one foot through into half guard.
Betty tries to roll over but Rivero keeps him under control.
Rivero knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Betty on the ground.
Rivero drops an elbow to the side of Betty's head.
Betty takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rivero looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Rivero is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Rivero wants to take a breather but Betty is having none of it.
Rivero looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Betty is refusing to be controlled, as Rivero sits in half guard.

Betty is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Rivero pulls his head out easily.

Rivero decides to stand up.
A left and a right from Rivero both land. Nice combination.
Rivero works over Betty's head and body with a nice combination.
Betty fails with the takedown
and Rivero counters with a three punch combo that has Betty backing up. Betty nods at Rivero to acknowledge the strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rivero misses with the combination.
Betty fails with the takedown

and Rivero moves into the clinch.

Rivero breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Rivero gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Rivero turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!
Rivero wants to lay and pray for a moment but Betty keeps working.
Check out the look on Rivero's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!

Rivero has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rivero scores with a three punch combo!

Rivero scores a takedown into full mount!
Rivero with good strikes from the mount here!
Rivero landing strikes from the mount.
Betty tries to reverse the position but Rivero maintains control.
Betty is squirming around, avoiding Rivero's attempts to control the action.
Betty really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Rivero lands a big shot there that rocks Betty but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rivero lands a big shot there that rocks Betty but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Rivero prevents Betty from getting the reversal.
Rivero pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Rivero cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Black Betty has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Rivero looking to control but Betty is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Rivero landing shots from mount.
Betty is trying to escape the mount.
Betty in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
A nice elbow there by Rivero.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Rivero cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Rivero looking to control but Betty is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Rivero working the ground and pound effectively.

And that's the end of the fight!
John Rivero showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Rivero has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Tiny Johnson scores the fight 30:27
Judge Chris Downing scores the fight 30:27
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... John Rivero!