PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Alberto Sparks (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ben Dover (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ben Dover acknowledges the crowd's support as he enters the cage.

Sparks
vs
Dover

199 cm
18
177 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

189 cm
19
167 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight 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, Alberto Sparks!
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, Ben Dover!
The judges for this bout are Mauricio Rocha, Felipe Paraventi and Alexandre Firmino.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sparks takes one on the chin but seems OK.
A head kick from Dover lands but Sparks takes it in his stride.
Dover tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Sparks manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Sparks appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Dover throws a body kick that misses.
Sparks avoids a punch combination nicely.
Sparks ducks under a wild hook from Dover.

Sparks scores with a takedown into Dover's guard.
Dover is looking to stand back up but Sparks counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Dover.

Dover is trying to stand up here but Sparks is controlling him well.

Sparks is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Dover has managed to free his arm - good work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sparks throwing shots but Dover is blocking nicely.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Dover is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Sparks's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Sparks's back!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Dover scores with punches and elbows.
Sparks tries to break free.
Sparks trying to control the position but Dover manages to sink in the hooks.
Sparks is trying to stand back up.

Dover working for the choke.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sparks is trying to stand back up.
Dover tries to get the hooks in deep but Sparks pushed the leg off.
Sparks wants to escape the position.

Dover working for a choke but Sparks is defending well.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Dover keeps control of the position as Sparks tries to break free.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Sparks defending nicely against the rear naked choke attempt.
Dover trying to control momentarily.
Dover is trying to stick to Sparks's back but Sparks is turning into Dover. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Dover's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Sparks.
Dover is looking to sweep but instead, Sparks has passed into half guard.
Sparks landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Sparks is working for a submission of some sort.

Dover looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Sparks throwing shots but Dover is blocking nicely.
Sparks really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
It looks like Sparks is going to stand back up.
Sparks working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ben Dover dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Dover clinches up with Sparks and pushes him back against the cage.

Dover has hold of one of Sparks's legs. Sparks is fighting the takedown attempt but Dover gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.

Sparks wriggles free and stands up.
Sparks tries to clinch up but Dover circles away and keeps his distance.
Dover throws a right and a left that Sparks avoids nicely.

Dover gets a takedown into half guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Dover wants to get back to his feet.

Sparks has one foot on Dover's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.

Dover closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Sparks's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dover wants to control from the top but Sparks keeps moving.

Dover avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Dover makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.

Sparks working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Dover doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Dover manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Dover throwing strikes from guard but Sparks blocks nicely.
Sparks manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Dover manages to get himself to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sparks trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

Sparks stands up and waves to Dover to follow him.
Dover moves in looking to clinch but Sparks pushes him off.
Dover misses with a body shot.
Sparks swats away the attempt to clinch by Dover.
Dover tries to close the distance and clinch up but Sparks swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Dover wants to clinch.
As Dover looks to move away, Sparks throws a big counter combo but Dover just gets out of the way.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Danga de danga de dang - Dover scores with a four punch combination!
Alberto Sparks is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Dover is looking to clinch but Sparks is avoiding it.
Sparks tries to counter with a takedown but Dover is quick to defend against it.
Dover is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Dover looking for a takedown here - he's got it.

Sparks has his feet on Dover's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dover does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Ben Dover seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Dover fails in his attempt to clinch.

Dover gets the takedown into side control.
Dover is breathing heavily.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Sparks sneaks back into half guard.
Sparks is trying to stand.
Dover lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Sparks slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Sparks controlling Dover's posture.
Sparks looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alberto Sparks dominated that second round.
That's time! Sparks's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Dover looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Sparks!

Sparks sneaks out the side door and pushes Dover away - he's back to his feet. The crowd show their appreciation for the escape.
Sparks shoots for a double leg takedown but Dover sprawls well. He's pushed Sparks's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

Dover gets caught flat footed, as Sparks shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Dover wants to get back to his feet but he's too absorbed in his own little project and Sparks manages to pass to side control.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Dover is trying to stand up here but Sparks is controlling him well.
Dover really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Sparks. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Dover gets full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sparks missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Dover is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Sparks working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Dover's head.
Dover is looking to sweep but instead, Sparks has passed into half guard.

Dover manages to escape and get back to his feet!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Sparks swats away the attempt to clinch by Dover.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A nice leg kick lands there from Dover.
Sparks fails with the takedown.
The fight stays on the outside here - Dover looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Sparks thinks about countering with a head kick.

Sparks throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Dover was covering up waiting for the punch and Sparks finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Dover is looking to stand back up... there's a bit of a scramble and Sparks dives into side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

You can see the frustration on Dover's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Dover is looking for a sweep.
Dover tries to wriggle free to get back to his feet but he's given up his back! Oops.

Sparks has his opponent's back and is working for the choke.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dover is defending well here and trying to improve his position.
Even with his hooks in, Sparks manages to miss with strikes from the back.
Sparks somehow managing to miss with a strike from the back.
Dover turns into Sparks and is now in his guard.
Dover is in close to Sparks's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Sparks is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

Dover is sitting in close to Sparks's body. Sparks has gone for a guillotine from the bottom. Oh damn, that looks pretty tight! Dover is panicking - it looks like this one could be all over! Yes, Dover is tapping! That was a very nice submission by Sparks.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:55 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Guillotine). Alberto Sparks!