PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Rodrigo Alves (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mustafa Muhammad (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The key to victory for Rodrigo Alves has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Alves
vs
Muhammad

225 cm
19
300 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

190 cm
23
300 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Big right hand

Good wrestler
Brawler
Determined

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rodrigo Alves!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Mustafa Muhammad!
The judges for this bout are Alexandre Firmino, Daniel Cesar and Mauricio Rocha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Alves stalks Muhammad and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Muhammad's face. Muhammad staggers backwards, shaken.

Muhammad is rocked!

Muhammad shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Muhammad is still in real trouble! Can Alves finish him?
Muhammad throwing strikes from guard but Alves blocks nicely.
Muhammad seems to have recovered his senses.
Muhammad postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Alves manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Muhammad manages to get himself to full guard.
Alves trying to control the position from guard on top but Muhammad is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Muhammad wants to sweep but no luck.
Alves trying to control but Muhammad is working from the bottom.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Muhammad can do anything to dispel that myth.
Muhammad looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Alves will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Muhammad striking off his back but it's not causing Alves any problems.
Muhammad throwing strikes off his back to little effect.

That's one minute gone in the round.

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

Muhammad gets the takedown into side control.
Muhammad in side control lands a decent elbow.
Alves taking a bit of punishment here - Muhammad scoring with strikes.
Muhammad looks gassed!
Muhammad working away.
Alves regains half guard.
Alves tries to roll over but Muhammad keeps him under control.
Muhammad not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Muhammad missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Alves misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Muhammad throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Alves wants to control but Muhammad is keeping busy.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Muhammad avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Alves shoots for a takedown but Muhammad saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Alves stuffs the takedown.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Alves fails in his attempt to clinch.
Alves misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
A head kick misses from Alves.
Muhammad has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Alves wants to clinch up but Muhammad keeps it at a distance.

Muhammad shoots in and bounces Alves off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Alves working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Muhammad.
Alves working a defensive guard here.
Muhammad loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Muhammad throws a strike but Alves rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Muhammad keeping moving, preventing Alves from controlling successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Muhammad thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Muhammad throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Muhammad really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Alves. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Muhammad trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Alves lands with a slapping head kick.
Alves shoots for a takedown but Muhammad saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rodrigo Alves. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Muhammad gets the takedown into side control.
Muhammad working the head and body with strikes.
Muhammad lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Muhammad working the ground and pound from side control.
Alves is trying to control Muhammad's posture but Muhammad avoids it.
Muhammad is chipping away with strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Muhammad scoring with punches and elbows.
Muhammad cracks Alves with a big right hand but Alves just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Alves taking a bit of punishment here - Muhammad scoring with strikes.
Muhammad working away.
Muhammad scores with punches from side control.
Muhammad working away.
Muhammad lands a decent elbow from side control.
Alves wants to control but Muhammad postures up.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Muhammad scoring with punches and elbows.
Alves takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Muhammad landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Alves gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Muhammad 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.
Alves keeping full guard, as Muhammad tries to pass.
Alves is trying to keep Muhammad in close.
Muhammad is working Alves over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Muhammad with a flurry of punches that miss.

Alves is looking for a triangle but Muhammad pushes his legs off easily.
Alves manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Alves looking to finish with strikes here!
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Muhammad is trying to escape the mount.
Muhammad regains half guard.
Alves is trying to control the action in half guard but Muhammad is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Muhammad is pressing down on Alves's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.

Alves is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Muhammad keeping moving, preventing Alves from controlling successfully.
Muhammad wants to sweep but no luck.
Muhammad trying to strike off his back.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Alves lands a couple of digs.
Alves stopping the sweep attempt from Muhammad.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Muhammad scores with a takedown into Alves's guard.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Muhammad's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Alves trying to keep a closed guard but Muhammad is proving a slippery customer.
Alves looking for a sweep. Not yet Alves, not yet.
Alves is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Muhammad's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Muhammad working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Muhammad must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Alves trying to keep a closed guard but Muhammad is proving a slippery customer.
Muhammad postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Muhammad closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Alves taking a bit of punishment here - Muhammad scoring with strikes.
Alves taking a bit of punishment here - Muhammad scoring with strikes.
Muhammad grinds an elbow into Alves's temple.
Muhammad scoring with punches from side control.
Alves is trying to control Muhammad's posture but Muhammad avoids it.
Muhammad works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Muhammad cracks Alves with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Alves is trying to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Alves can't do much from the bottom here.
Muhammad cracks Alves with a big elbow.
Muhammad landing strikes.
Muhammad working the head with strikes.
Alves is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Alves wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Muhammad decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Muhammad scoring with strikes to the body and head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mustafa Muhammad showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Alves's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. And we move into the final round!

Muhammad drives through with a takedown into guard.
Muhammad chips away with some ground and pound.
Alves looking to control.
Muhammad trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Alves manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!
Alves wants to control from the top but Muhammad keeps moving.
Alves passes into half guard under a barage of strikes.
Muhammad throws a strike from the bottom but Alves passes into side control!
Alves is looking to take a break and control but Muhammad is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Muhammad is looking for a sweep.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Alves gets to mount! Muhammad was on the offensive and wasn't defending properly.
Muhammad is trying to escape the mount.
Alves can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Muhammad is looking to escape.
Muhammad is in all sorts of trouble here.
Muhammad tries to improve his position but instead Alves has taken his back!

Muhammad defending nicely against the rear naked choke attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Alves connects with a series of strikes and the referee is calling for Muhammad to escape the position.

Alves looking for the choke from the back.
Muhammad breaks Alves's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
Muhammad trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Mustafa Muhammad has got the better of the ground game so far.
Muhammad with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Muhammad won't allow Alves to sweep him here.
Muhammad landing some decent shots from guard.
Alves utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

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

Muhammad drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Alves is looking for a sweep.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Muhammad cracks Alves with a big right hand but Alves just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Muhammad lands some shots froms side control.
Muhammad cracks Alves with a big right hand but Alves just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Muhammad tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
Alves is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Muhammad has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Muhammad landing strikes.
Alves avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Muhammad.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Muhammad takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.

Muhammad looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.

Alves looking for submissions off his back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Muhammad looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Alves won't allow Muhammad to pass to mount.
Muhammad working over Alves with some ground and pound. Alves looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Alves misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Alves trying to control here.
Muhammad looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Muhammad thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Muhammad blocks a head kick by Alves.

Muhammad drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Rodrigo Alves has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Alves trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mustafa Muhammad comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Muhammad winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 27:30
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 27:30
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mustafa Muhammad!