PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Sean Qiroga (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jean Jaques Laroque (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Qiroga comes to the cage accompanied by Conchesumare. Laroque is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Voodoo Child (Slight Return). The key to victory for Sean Qiroga has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Qiroga
vs
Jaques Laroque

180 cm
20
220 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

188 cm
19
237 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Inexperienced

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Sean Qiroga!
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, Jean Jaques Laroque!
The judges for this bout are Luis Engracia, Daniel Cesar and Alexandre Firmino.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Laroque throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Qiroga looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!
Laroque comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Laroque scores with a jab.
Qiroga throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Laroque.
Qiroga will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Qiroga takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Qiroga avoids the body shot from Laroque.
Qiroga could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Laroque connects with a single shot there.

Qiroga moves into range and clinches up with Laroque.
Qiroga looking to slow down the pace here.
Laroque is trying to break free.
Laroque lands a shot to the body.

Laroque gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Qiroga regains guard.
Laroque controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Laroque pushes down on Qiroga's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Laroque stalling.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Laroque working over Qiroga with some ground and pound. Qiroga looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Laroque is taking a breather. Qiroga says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Qiroga on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Laroque passes to side control.
Laroque takes a little break here. Qiroga wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Despite being in the dominant position, Jean Jaques Laroque just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Laroque decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Qiroga wants to improve his position but Laroque is controlling well.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Laroque in particular looking to stall.
Laroque is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Laroque missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Qiroga wants to get back to full guard.
Qiroga slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Qiroga is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Laroque is controlling him.
Laroque works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Laroque looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Qiroga with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Qiroga is pressing down on Laroque's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Qiroga is looking for a triangle but Laroque pushes his legs off easily.
Laroque preventing the sweep.
Laroque stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Qiroga swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Laroque controlling from the top position.

Qiroga pushes Laroque off and scrambles back to his feet.
Qiroga tries to clinch up.
Qiroga stuffs the takedown attempt from Laroque. Laroque gets slowly back to his feet.
Qiroga is looking to clinch.
Qiroga takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Qiroga lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Laroque backs up against the cage.

Laroque drives through with a takedown into guard.
Laroque postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Laroque postures up and lands a big shot to Qiroga's brow.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Laroque trying to control the position from guard on top but Qiroga is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Qiroga wants to sweep here but Laroque controlling him for the moment.
Laroque controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Laroque's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
I looks like Laroque might be adopting somewhat of a lay and pray gameplan here, which I'm sure won't go down too well with the paying fans in attendance... Or the ring announcers come to think of it.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Qiroga looking to hit a scissor sweep but Laroque is one step ahead there.
Laroque working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jean Jaques Laroque dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Qiroga fails with an attempt to clinch.

Laroque decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Laroque working over Qiroga with some ground and pound. Qiroga looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Laroque passes the guard and advances to mount!
Laroque looking to control and managing it successfully.
Jean Jaques Laroque has got the better of the ground game so far.
Qiroga can't escape the position.
Laroque controlling the pace for now.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Despite being in the dominant position, Jean Jaques Laroque just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Laroque avoids a punch combination nicely.
Laroque finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Laroque fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Qiroga looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Qiroga closes the distance and clinches up with Laroque, looking for a takedown. Qiroga pushes Laroque against the cage but Laroque circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

Laroque gets the takedown into side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Laroque just content to control the position.
Qiroga is trying to improve his position.

Laroque is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Qiroga has escaped the position, nice work there.
Laroque in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Laroque scores with a couple of short elbows.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.
Laroque lands a nice forearm strike.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here.
Let's hope that Laroque has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Qiroga is trying to get back to half guard.
Laroque scoring with punches and elbows.
Qiroga tries to buck Laroque off but Laroque is having none of it.
Laroque taking a breather here.
Laroque tries to advance to mount but can't.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Laroque misses with a double jab.
Qiroga tries to clinch but Laroque is having none of it.
Laroque throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Qiroga connects with a body shot.
Laroque finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Laroque tries to score with a low kick but Qiroga moves his leg out of the way.
Laroque shoots in and drives through. Qiroga sprawls well.
Laroque is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Qiroga rather than just go for the knockout.
Qiroga tries to clinch but Laroque is having none of it.

Laroque scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Laroque connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Qiroga some visible discomfort.
Laroque advances to full mount.
Laroque connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Laroque controlling the pace for now.

Laroque working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Laroque controlling his opponent.
Qiroga tries to get back to half guard but can't.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jean Jaques Laroque showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Laroque lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Laroque slips a jab and a cross from Qiroga.
Laroque lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Qiroga shoots and misses

and Laroque counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Laroque.

Laroque has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Qiroga is trying to keep an underhook but Laroque manages to get the takedown into half guard.
Laroque seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Qiroga does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Qiroga wants to get back to full guard.
Qiroga moves into full guard.
Laroque scoring with some ground and pound.
Laroque controls from within his opponent's guard.
Qiroga wants to sweep but no luck.
Laroque chips away with some ground and pound.
Laroque lands a couple of elbows.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Laroque is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Laroque cracks Qiroga with a solid left hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Qiroga wants to sweep here but Laroque controlling him for the moment.
Laroque looking to pass the guard.
Qiroga looking to control.
Laroque trying to control but Qiroga is working from the bottom.
Qiroga striking off his back but it's not causing Laroque any problems.
Qiroga throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Laroque lands a jab to the head.
Sean Qiroga seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Qiroga shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Qiroga trying to control the position from guard on top but Laroque is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Laroque trying to keep a closed guard but Qiroga is proving a slippery customer.
Laroque striking off his back but it's not causing Qiroga any problems.
Laroque bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Qiroga's guard.
Qiroga looking for a sweep. Not yet Qiroga, not yet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Laroque controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Laroque works over Qiroga with some ground and pound from guard.
Laroque content to stall in guard here.
Laroque looking to pass the guard.
Laroque passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Laroque blocks the strikes from Qiroga.
Laroque lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Qiroga is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Laroque off and has taken his back!
Qiroga misses with punches from the back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Laroque manages to reverse the position and now he's in Qiroga's guard. Nice work there by Laroque.
Laroque stops Qiroga from standing up.
Qiroga wants to hit a switch here but Laroque passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for Qiroga there!
A nice elbow there by Laroque.
Laroque prevents Qiroga from getting the reversal.
Laroque looking to control and managing it successfully.
Qiroga can't escape the position.
Laroque landing strikes from the mount.
Laroque controlling from the full mount.

Laroque quickly switches position and commits to an armbar! It's a big risk for Laroque but it's paid off an Qiroga is forced to tap! Nice work by Laroque.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:05 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Jean Jaques Laroque!