PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Santiago Diablo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Cristiano Nascimento (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Nascimento has chosen Symptom of The Universe (1975) as his entrance music. Cristiano Nascimento has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Diablo
vs
Nascimento

178 cm
26
220 lbs
6 - 1 - 1

189 cm
39
222 lbs
35 - 17 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Sun-Tzu

Spartan Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the light heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 1 - 1, fighting out of Los Angeles, Santiago Diablo!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 35 - 17 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Cristiano Nascimento!
The judges for this bout are Ren Mimura, Hirohito Nitta and Tatsuya Matsuyama.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nascimento is looking to slow Diablo down with leg kicks.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Nascimento.
Nascimento throws a front kick that sends Diablo stumbling back into the ropes.

Nascimento clinches up with Diablo and pushes him back against the ropes.
Nascimento keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Diablo's efforts to push away.
Nascimento's coach down at Lock and Roll Grappling Gym was telling us pre-fight that they have been working on Nascimento's balance. Obviously they view that as a key factor in the outcome of this fight.

Diablo pulls guard.
Diablo working a defensive guard but Nascimento passes into half guard.
Nascimento is keen to just control but Diablo is a slippery customer.
Diablo slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Diablo wants to sweep but no luck.
Diablo looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Nascimento puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Diablo is looking to improve his position.
Nascimento wants to pass the guard but Diablo is defending well.
Diablo is looking to control Nascimento's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Diablo avoid being mounted?

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Donk. Nascimento catches Diablo right on the button with a cross.

It looks like Santiago Diablo has been cut.
Both fighters circling a little - Nascimento finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Nascimento throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nascimento uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Diablo.
A little jabbing left from Nascimento on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Nascimento tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Diablo was well out of range. Poor timing from Nascimento.
Nascimento lands the left hand.
Diablo fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Diablo misses with a hook
and Nascimento counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Cristiano Nascimento seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Nascimento feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Diablo's calf.
Nascimento connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Diablo's hands.
Diablo on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Nascimento throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Look low, kick high! Nascimento uses the oldest trick in the book to send Diablo tumbling to the canvas, in a truly brutal knockout! Nascimento is absolutely delighted - when Diablo wakes up, I doubt he'll be quite so happy!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:43 of round 1, we have a winner by way of KO (Head Kick). Cristiano Nascimento! Cristiano Nascimento retains his light heavyweight title!
Cristiano Nascimento spent the whole post fight interview bigging himself up. It didn't go down that well with the fans after a while as they thought it was a bit arrogant.