PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Sandro Poletto (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Brian Cowherd (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Brian Cowherd will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Poletto
vs
Cowherd

188 cm
26
260 lbs
4 - 4 - 0

200 cm
25
280 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Brawler
Powerful

GRAND Royal Wear

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 4 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Sandro Poletto!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brian Cowherd!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Cesar, Paulo Santos and Seu Braga.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cowherd misses with a straight right.

Cowherd rushes Poletto and presses him up against the cage.
Cowherd doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Cowherd swings wildly with an uppercut but Poletto uses good head movement to avoid it.
Cowherd is leaning against Poletto and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Cowherd fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Nice body punch from Cowherd - that landed with a thud.
Cowherd jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Poletto walks away with a smile on his face. Cowherd gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.

Cowherd pushes Poletto up against the cage in a clinch.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Cowherd creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Cowherd lands with a left to the head.
Poletto takes a shot to the head.
A short left from Cowherd.
Poletto's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cowherd lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Poletto backwards.
Cowherd lands a shoulder strike.
Poletto prevents Cowherd from breaking the clinch.
Cowherd lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.

Cowherd jumps guard.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Cowherd is looking to stand back up... there's a bit of a scramble and Poletto dives into side control.
Cowherd is trying to control Poletto's posture but Poletto avoids it.
Cowherd throws a few strikes from the bottom but Poletto takes advantage and mounts!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Poletto looking to control and managing it successfully.
Cowherd tries to reverse the position but Poletto maintains control.
Cowherd wants to control but Poletto is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cowherd is desperately trying to improve his position but Poletto has a good base and remains in mount.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Cowherd can do anything to dispel that myth.
Poletto trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Cowherd is looking to get to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cowherd regains half guard.
Cowherd pushes Poletto off but Poletto dives into side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Poletto working away.
We've been hearing good reports from Poletto's training camp. Apparently he has been rolling around with some good quality BJJ practitioners and has been sharpening his skills. Let's see if that has an impact on the fight today.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Cowherd is letting Poletto control him for a moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Brian Cowherd dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Cowherd misses with a jab to the body

and Poletto counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Cowherd trying to control the position here.
Cowherd is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Poletto is controlling him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Poletto pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Cowherd is keeping the position for now.
Poletto might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Brian Cowherd.
Cowherd throws an off balance right hand

and Poletto counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Cowherd pulls Poletto in close to prevent any damage.

Cowherd working for submissions but it's allowed Poletto to get to half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Cowherd trying to control here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cowherd trying to get back to full guard but Poletto takes advantage of the position and moves to full mount!
Cowherd is desperately trying to improve his position but Poletto has a good base and remains in mount.
Poletto avoids the attempt from Cowherd to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cowherd is in all sorts of trouble here.
Sandro Poletto overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Poletto trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Cowherd working to try and regain half guard.
Cowherd tries to buck Poletto off but he can't manage it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cowherd throwing hammer fists to the chest of Poletto. What's that going to do exactly?
Poletto tries to control but Cowherd wriggling away.
Cowherd wants to control but Poletto is having none of it.
Cowherd really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Sandro Poletto will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

A big right from Cowherd misses.

Cowherd gets a clinch.
Poletto blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Cowherd is leaning against Poletto and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Poletto stalling in the clinch.
Cowherd will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Poletto up against the cage.
Cowherd works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Cowherd is trying to break the clinch but Poletto has him pressed against the cage.
Cowherd tries to work over Poletto's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Poletto takes a shot to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cowherd lands a hook that snaps the head of Poletto backwards.
Cowherd works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Cowherd decides to pull guard.
Cowherd pulls Poletto in close to his closed guard and prevents Poletto from doing any damage or advancing position.
Cowherd trying to strike off his back.
Cowherd has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Poletto has passed into side control.
Cowherd tries to slip a leg under to move to half guard but Poletto presses down on the leg and jumps into full mount!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cowherd trying desperately to get to his feet.
Cowherd is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Cowherd tries to reverse the position but Poletto maintains control.
Poletto takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Cowherd tries to reverse the position but Poletto maintains control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Poletto trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Cowherd tries to lock up and control but Poletto gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Cowherd is looking to improve his position but Poletto isn't that keen on the idea.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cowherd throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Cowherd gets a clinch.
Cowherd lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Cowherd lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Poletto backwards.
Cowherd stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Cowherd is leaning against Poletto and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Cowherd will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Poletto up against the cage.
A short uppercut from Cowherd.

And that's the end of the fight!
Brian Cowherd comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Cowherd 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 Daniel Cesar scores the fight 28:29
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 28:29
Judge Seu Braga scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Brian Cowherd!