PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Arnaud Rio (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ryger Joaquin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters really staring each other down here, as Ryger Joaquin enters the cage!

Rio
vs
Joaquin

213 cm
26
300 lbs
3 - 4 - 0

225 cm
18
300 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Experienced

Good takedowns
Brawler
Inexperienced

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Arnaud Rio!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Ryger Joaquin!
The judges for this bout are Wagner Zegers, Patrick Alders and Radbod Blank.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Joaquin shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Rio napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Rio might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Rio looks to move to half guard but instead Joaquin has passed into mount! Damn!
Rio is wriggling around trying to escape.
Joaquin can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Rio is looking to escape.
Joaquin thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Joaquin punching from mount but Rio doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Joaquin tries to control but Rio wriggling away.
Joaquin looking to ground and pound but Rio is blocking nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Joaquin trying to control but Rio is having none of it.
Joaquin throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
Rio tries to hold on but Joaquin postures up.
Joaquin sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Rio is working to get back to half guard.
Rio is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Rio tries to get back to half guard but can't.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Joaquin thowing shots but they're missing.
Rio is really trying hard to get back to his feet.
Joaquin can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Rio is looking to escape.
Joaquin thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Rio gets back to half guard.
Rio has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Joaquin is working away from the top position though.
Joaquin has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Joaquin tries to pass to full mount but Rio defends it.
Rio tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.

Rio kicks off Joaquin and gets to his feet.
Joaquin darts in trying to clinch

and Rio counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Rio in particular looking to stall.
Rio seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Joaquin for as long as he can get away with.
Joaquin tries to regain full guard. Instead though, Rio has advanced to mount. Uh oh.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rio wants to control the pace but Joaquin is squirming around nicely.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Rio breaks from Joaquin's wrist control and lands an elbow.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Rio scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Joaquin?

Rio moves into side control, trying to work for a kimura. That looks painful! Will he finish!!?? No, Joaquin has worked his arm free - good work by Joaquin!
Joaquin wants to get back to his feet but Rio drags him back down.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Rio throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Joaquin's waist but Joaquin gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Rio off to one side.
Joaquin swings away with a body shot that misses

and Rio counters by clinching up.

Rio is trying to trip Joaquin. He has hold of a leg but Joaquin is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Rio persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Rio with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Rio stopping the sweep attempt from Joaquin.
Joaquin keeping moving, preventing Rio from controlling successfully.
Rio keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Joaquin's head.
Joaquin looking to control but Rio passes into half guard.
Rio trying to control from Joaquin's half guard. Joaquin has other ideas though and has regained full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Joaquin keeping moving, preventing Rio from controlling successfully.
Joaquin looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Rio works over Joaquin with some ground and pound from guard.
Rio showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Rio in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Joaquin looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Joaquin scrambles and gets back to his feet.
Joaquin looks to clinch

and Rio counters by clinching up.
Rio has Joaquin pressed against the cage, preventing Joaquin from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

Rio jumps guard.

Rio looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Rio preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Joaquin trying to control the position from guard on top but Rio is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Rio looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Joaquin wants to control from the top but Rio keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Rio looking for a guillotine here but Joaquin defends easily.
Rio looking to control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rio wants to control the position but Joaquin says "no thanks buddy" and passes to half guard.
Joaquin thows a huge punch but Rio dodges it nicely.
Rio is trying to control but can't.
Joaquin slows the pace down in half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rio flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Joaquin missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Joaquin wants to take a breather but Rio is having none of it.
Rio is looking for a sweep. Joaquin is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.

Rio looking for submissions off his back.
It looks like Joaquin is going to stand back up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Arnaud Rio dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Joaquin gets the takedown into side control.
Rio is trying to improve his position.
Joaquin wants to stand but Rio has his arm trapped.
Rio can't do much from the bottom here.
Joaquin sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Rio is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Joaquin is looking to take a break and control but Rio is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Rio defending against the ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rio manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!

Rio is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.

Rio is looking for a kimura. It's pretty deep but Joaquin still has the half guard so he's probably OK. Oh, Joaquin has exploded into a beautiful escape there and after a quick scramble, he's ended up in side control on top! Nice work!
Rio is not content to let Joaquin control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rio is trying to control Joaquin's posture but Joaquin avoids it.
Rio manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Joaquin is refusing to be controlled, as Rio sits in half guard.

Joaquin has one foot on Rio's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.
Joaquin tries to close the distance and clinch up but Rio swats him away and circles back towards the center.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Some wild striking there from Joaquin.
Joaquin closes the distance but Rio moves to the side

and Rio counters by moving into the clinch.
Joaquin throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Rio tries for a takedown but Joaquin manages to get underhooks.

Rio breaks the clinch.
Joaquin stuffs the takedown attempt from Rio. Rio gets slowly back to his feet.
Joaquin keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Arnaud Rio. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Joaquin fails to land the takedown.
Joaquin tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Rio manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Joaquin is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Rio.
Joaquin misses with a left hand

and Rio counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Rio.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Rio stopping the sweep attempt from Joaquin.
Joaquin is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Rio throws a strike but Joaquin rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Joaquin trying to control the position from guard on top but Rio is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Ryger Joaquin.
I think Rio 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 Wagner Zegers scores the fight 29:28
Judge Patrick Alders scores the fight 30:28
Judge Radbod Blank scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Arnaud Rio!