PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Frank Mir (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Paolo Souza (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Frank Mir had a look across the cage there at his opponent. He definitely means business

Mir
vs
Souza

186 cm
35
265 lbs
23 - 19 - 0

193 cm
34
265 lbs
23 - 22 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Very strong

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Powerful

Fenrir Fightgear - Steel Penn

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 23 - 19 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Frank Mir!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 23 - 22 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Paolo Souza!
The judges for this bout are Frank Dennis, Daniel Franklin and George Francis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mir shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Souza lands a nice looking body shot.
Souza shoots for a takedown but Mir saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Souza shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Mir pinned against the cage. Mir gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Souza shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Mir as he avoids it easily.
Frank Mir has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Paolo Souza.
Souza shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Mir counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Mir.

Souza manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Souza keeping moving, preventing Mir from controlling successfully.
Mir would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

Souza looking for a guillotine here but Mir defends easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mir works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Mir thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Souza trying to control but Mir postures up.
Souza is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Mir's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Mir's back!
Mir trying to control but not successfully.
Souza looking to hold on to the position here but Mir rolls and ends up regaining guard.
Mir avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Mir working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Souza.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Mir manages to escape and get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Souza feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Mir wants to sweep here but Souza controlling him for the moment.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Mir is striking from the bottom but Souza uses the opportunity to pass into half guard.
Mir taking some punishment here, with Souza in his half guard.
Souza is trying to control. Mir wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Souza landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Souza throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Mir tries to get to full guard but Souza has control of the leg.
Souza scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Ground and pound from Souza.
Souza throwing shots but Mir is blocking nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mir is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Mir avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Souza.
Souza scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Souza looks to land a strike but Mir avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
Mir utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

Mir is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Mir wants to get back to his feet but Souza is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Souza connects with a couple of short punches.
Mir has momentary wrist control but Souza slips an elbow through the middle.
Souza has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Mir wants to stand but Souza is controlling the position.
Souza postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Souza content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Souza scoring with punches to the head and body.
Souza throws a big elbow that misses.
Mir tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Souza throws a big elbow that misses.
Mir looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Souza throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Mir works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Mir avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Mir utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Mir avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Souza chips away with some ground and pound.
Souza scoring with some ground and pound.
Mir wants to stand and escape but Souza is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Paolo Souza dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Souza shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Mir makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Mir tries to clinch up.

Souza closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Mir quickly recovers to half guard.
Mir is trying to get back to full guard.
Mir moves into full guard.
Souza is looking to work some ground and pound but Mir has wrist control.
Souza chips away with some ground and pound.
Souza won't allow Mir to sweep him here.
Mir wants to get back to his feet but Souza is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

Mir wriggles free and stands up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Souza stuffs the takedown attempt from Mir. Mir gets slowly back to his feet.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Souza looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

Souza looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Mir!
You can see the frustration on Mir's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Souza scores with a couple of short elbows.
Mir struggling a bit here.

Souza tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Souza has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Souza working the ground and pound.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Mir is trying to control Souza's posture but Souza avoids it.
The strikes coming from Souza are missing the target in this wave of attacks.

Souza thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Souza wants to control but Mir is keeping him busy.
Mir dodges the ground and pound from Souza.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Souza cracks Mir with a big elbow.
Souza cracks Mir with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Souza working away.
Souza scoring with punches from side control.
Souza grinds an elbow into Mir's temple.
Paolo Souza has got the better of the ground game so far.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Souza grinds an elbow into Mir's temple.
Souza in side control lands a decent elbow.
Souza tries to score with some ground and pound. Mir controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Mir manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Souza throwing shots but Mir is blocking nicely.
Souza blocks the strikes from Mir.

Mir pushes Souza off and gets back to his feet.
Mir tries to clinch but Souza is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Souza fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Mir manages to avoid it.
Mir keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Frank Mir has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Paolo Souza.
Souza throws an overhand right that lands on Mir's shoulder, as Mir tries to avoid the shot.

Souza scores with a takedown into Mir's guard.
Souza throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Mir works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Souza keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Mir's head.
Souza throws a big right hand that misses.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Souza slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Souza working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Mir's head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Paolo Souza 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. And we move into the final round!

Souza shoots and misses

and Mir counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Souza has a hand on Mir's thigh, trying to get back to full guard. Mir takes advantage of the position though and mounts him!
Souza keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Mir can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Souza is looking to escape.
BOOM! Mir connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Souza is trying to get back to his feet but can't.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Mir controlling the position easily from mount.
Mir wants to control the pace but Souza is squirming around nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mir with a couple of short strikes.
Mir can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Souza is looking to escape.
Souza working to try and regain half guard.
Souza tries to hold on but Mir pushes him away.
Souza regains half guard.

Souza is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Mir pulls his head out easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mir drops an elbow to the side of Souza's head.
Souza is trying to control but can't.

Souza is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Mir pulls his head out easily.
Souza takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Mir wants to free his trapped foot but Souza is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Souza tries to get to full guard but Mir has control of the leg.
Mir trying to control the pace.
Mir is thwarting Souza's attempts to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Souza is trying to control but Mir manages to pass to mount!
Souza tries to hold on but Mir pushes him away.
Souza is in all sorts of trouble here.
Souza tries to lock up and control but Mir gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Mir trying to control but Souza is having none of it.
Souza tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Paolo Souza is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mir cracks Souza with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Souza wants to hold on but Mir pushes him away.
Mir trying to control but Souza is having none of it.
Souza really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Mir working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.

And that's the end of the fight!
Frank Mir showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Souza has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Frank Dennis scores the fight 28:29
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 28:29
Judge George Francis scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Paolo Souza!
Paolo Souza thanked the fans post fight for their support.