PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Freddie Wallace (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Alexander Druz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). I can't wait for this one - let's get the fighter introductions out of the way and get this one started!

Wallace
vs
Druz

219 cm
18
140 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

180 cm
24
142 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

Good takedowns
Decent boxing
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Freddie Wallace!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Alexander Druz!
The judges for this bout are Paulo Santos, Emerson Jorge and Matheus Silva.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Wallace with a poor takedown
and Druz counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

Druz clinches.

Wallace breaks from the clinch.
Wallace takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Druz lands with a shot to the body.

Druz fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Wallace sprawls well initially but Druz persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Wallace is pressing down on Druz's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Wallace trying to keep a closed guard but Druz is proving a slippery customer.
Druz must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Wallace manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Druz manages to get himself to full guard.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Druz can do anything to dispel that myth.
Druz throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Wallace scoring with some ground and pound.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Druz working a defensive guard but Wallace passes into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Druz flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Wallace is looking to take a break and control but Druz is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Druz looks like he's trying to stand up.
Druz pushes Wallace off but Wallace dives into side control.
Druz is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Wallace asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Druz is trying to work for a sweep but Wallace has mounted him!
Wallace lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Wallace punishing his opponent with strikes.
Wallace with good strikes from the mount here!
Wallace looking to finish Druz with some ground and pound. This is bad for Druz!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wallace lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Wallace scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Wallace raining down hammerfists from mount.
Wallace landing strikes, looking to finish!
Wallace has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Druz is wriggling around trying to escape.
Druz looks winded!
Wallace looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Druz is trying to escape the mount but Wallace keeps good control and instead manages to take Druz's back.
Wallace landing with strikes.
Wallace throwing strikes from the back - he gets a warning from the referee for striking the back of the head but all these shots are hurting Druz!
Wallace will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
I really don't envy Druz right now.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Wallace punches Druz on the ear.
Wallace cracks Druz with a big shot to body and one to the head - really punishing Druz from the back mount here, looking to soften him up.
Wallace tries to get the hooks in deep but Druz pushed the leg off.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Druz is covering up but some of the strikes from Wallace are getting through and doing damage.
Wallace softening up his opponent with strikes here.
Wallace lands punches and elbows.
Druz is defending well here and trying to improve his position.
Wallace is looking to finish with some ground and pound!

Wallace is working hard for the rear naked choke here.
Wallace is throwing strikes from the back here. Oh that last one was to the back of the head. Wallace gets a warning from the referee. He throws another strike to the back of the head straight away though and the referee has seen enough. He breaks up the two fighters and stands them back up. Wallace gets a real talking to here and is lucky not to get a point deducted. Wallace apologises and we restart here on the feet.
Wallace really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
No luck for Wallace with that takedown attempt.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Wallace has his takedown stuffed
and Druz counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Freddie Wallace. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Druz displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Wallace.
Wallace tries to score a power double leg takedown but Druz sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Wallace somewhat.

Druz shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Wallace's guard.

Wallace has his foot on Druz's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Druz works his way back into a safe position though.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Wallace is on top in guard.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Wallace trying to control but Druz is working from the bottom.
Wallace passes into half guard under a barage of strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Freddie Wallace dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Druz throws a push kick but Wallace slaps the foot to one side.
Wallace has his takedown stuffed

and Druz counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Druz really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Wallace. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Druz postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Freddie Wallace overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Wallace has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Druz can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Wallace is trying to control the position but Druz postures up.
Wallace trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Wallace wants to stand up but Druz is controlling him.
Druz throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Wallace working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Druz.

Wallace throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Druz loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Druz throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Wallace works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Druz throws a strike but Wallace rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Wallace is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Wallace trying to control the position from guard on top but Druz is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wallace is standing up over Druz. Druz looks to escape but Wallace dives into side control.
Wallace working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Wallace working away.
Druz is pushing Wallace's head away, looking to escape. Wallace manages to hold on to the position though.
Wallace scoring with punches and elbows.
Wallace working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Druz is trying to strike from the bottom but Wallace has passed into full mount.
BOOM! Wallace connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Druz wants to hold on but Wallace pushes him away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Druz working to try and regain half guard.
Wallace lands with some strikes.
Wallace blocks Druz's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Wallace with the ground and pound from mount.
Wallace lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Druz hang on?
Wallace working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Wallace working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Wallace trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Druz tries to reverse the position but Wallace maintains control.
Wallace trying to control but Druz is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wallace lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
The referee warns Druz that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Wallace landing strikes from the mount.
Wallace lands a nice shot to the head.
Wallace avoids the attempt from Druz to control.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Wallace landing punches.
Wallace landing shots from mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Freddie Wallace dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Wallace misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Wallace gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Druz counters with a takedown into side control.
Wallace misses with an elbow from the bottom.
Wallace manages to work his way to half guard, despite Druz's best efforts.
Druz throws a strike but Wallace avoids it easily and moves to full guard.

Wallace looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Wallace avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Wallace is trying to control the position but Druz postures up.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Druz working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Wallace working a defensive guard here.
Druz prevents Wallace from getting back to his feet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Wallace manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Druz manages to get himself to full guard.
Wallace throws a big elbow that misses.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Wallace missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Druz is wriggling around but Wallace manages to pass to half guard.
Druz wants to control but Wallace is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Druz is looking to escape.
Wallace thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Druz's head.
Wallace throwing shots but Druz is blocking nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wallace looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Druz with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Wallace looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Druz with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Wallace looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Druz with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Wallace throwing shots but Druz is blocking nicely.
Wallace throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Druz tries to push off, looking to stand up, but Wallace manages to move to mount!
Wallace working away from the top, dropping strikes.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Wallace breaks from Druz's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Wallace is landing with some decent strikes but Druz is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Wallace with a couple of short strikes.
Wallace lands a big shot there that rocks Druz but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Wallace lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Druz tries to lock up and control but Wallace gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Druz is flailing around like a fish out of water, trying to land strikes.
Wallace landing strikes from the mount.
BOOM! Wallace connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Wallace content just to control the position here.
Wallace with the ground and pound from mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wallace lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Druz hang on?
Wallace landing strikes from the mount.
Wallace takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Wallace with shots to the head and body - Druz looks very uncomfortable down there.
A nice elbow there by Wallace.
Wallace controlling from mount.
Druz tries to hold on but Wallace pushes him away.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Wallace landing punches.
Alexander Druz has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Freddie Wallace is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Wallace tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Freddie Wallace showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Wallace, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Paulo Santos scores the fight 30:27
Judge Emerson Jorge scores the fight 30:27
Judge Matheus Silva scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Freddie Wallace!