PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Joao Coves (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Zeuss Balmuda (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Joao Coves could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Zeuss Balmuda's chin.

Coves
vs
Balmuda

198 cm
22
275 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

225 cm
19
274 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Very strong

BJJ Brown Belt
Brawler
Likes ground

FIT FOR LIFE

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, Joao Coves!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Zeuss Balmuda!
The judges for this bout are Felipe Paraventi, Daniel Cesar and Paulo Santos.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Some wild striking there from Balmuda.
Coves will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Coves falls off balance throwing a combination

and Balmuda counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Balmuda.
Coves keeping full guard, as Balmuda tries to pass.

Balmuda drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Coves manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Balmuda has Coves in his guard.
Coves has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Balmuda wants to sweep here but Coves controlling him for the moment.

Balmuda is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Coves might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

Coves gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Coves swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Balmuda counters with a left and a right that stings Coves.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Coves scores with a nice right hand.
Balmuda showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Coves.
Balmuda misses with a takedown attempt - Coves sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Balmuda looks gassed!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Coves throws a combination that misses

and Balmuda holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Coves is trying to break the clinch but Balmuda has him pressed against the cage.

Balmuda breaks from the clinch.
Balmuda is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Coves misses with a double jab

and Balmuda counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Balmuda.
Balmuda is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Coves gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.

Balmuda has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Coves uses from the top position.
Coves wanted to stand there but Balmuda had control of the position.

Balmuda is working an open guard so Coves takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Some wild striking there from Coves.

Balmuda closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Coves to the mat! Coves manages to get full guard.
Coves controlling Balmuda's posture.
Balmuda won't allow Coves to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Coves working a defensive guard here.

Balmuda postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Coves is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Balmuda, into his guard.

Balmuda is looking for a triangle but Coves pushes his legs off easily.
Coves wants to get up but he can't break Balmuda's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Coves preventing the sweep.

Balmuda is looking for a triangle but Coves pushes his legs off easily.

The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Balmuda throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Coves stands up and waves to Balmuda to follow him.
Coves throws a right and a left that Balmuda avoids nicely.
Coves blocks a head kick by Balmuda.
Coves throws a right and a left that Balmuda avoids nicely.

Balmuda scores a takedown into full mount!

Balmuda moves into side control, trying to work for a kimura. That looks painful! Will he finish!!?? No, Coves has worked his arm free - good work by Coves!
Balmuda tries to move into full mount but can't pass Coves's legs.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Coves keeps Balmuda under control for a moment.

Balmuda stands up and we're back to a striking position.
Balmuda shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Joao Coves has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Zeuss Balmuda.
Coves looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Balmuda shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Coves pinned against the cage. Coves gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Balmuda.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Balmuda working away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Zeuss Balmuda dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Balmuda closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Balmuda tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Balmuda prevents Coves from escaping the position.

Balmuda decides to stand back up.
Balmuda walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Joao Coves seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Coves fails to land with a series of punches.
Balmuda takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.

Coves looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Balmuda throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Coves tries to stand but Balmuda is controlling from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Coves avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

Coves gets to his feet. Balmuda looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Coves fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Joao Coves is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Balmuda shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Coves pinned against the cage. Coves gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Balmuda gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Coves counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Balmuda looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Coves prevents Balmuda from getting back to his feet.

Balmuda looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Coves gets to his feet. Balmuda looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Coves keeps the fight on the outside.
Coves shoots in looking for a takedown. Balmuda tries to sprawl out of it but Coves keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Balmuda manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Coves!
Nice sprawl there from Coves as Balmuda shoots in.
Joao Coves has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Zeuss Balmuda.
Balmuda misses with a takedown attempt
and Coves counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Coves throws a combination that misses

and Balmuda counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Balmuda.
Balmuda has Coves pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Coves manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Coves tries to break the clinch but Balmuda is controlling the position.

Balmuda successfully pulls guard.

Balmuda looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Coves wants to control from the top but Balmuda keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Balmuda had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Coves is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Balmuda Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Coves's back instead.
Zeuss Balmuda has got the better of the ground game so far.

Balmuda is looking for the choke from the back position but Coves is controlling his hands well.

Coves is displaying good submission defense - not really looking in danger of submitting to the rear naked choke at the moment. That could change in an instant of course if Balmuda gets his way!
Coves has hold of Balmuda's arm. He needs to escape this position sooner or later but for now he's happy enough to control the position and prevent the submission attempts.
Coves tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!

Balmuda goes for an armbar but Coves turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from Coves.
Coves is standing up over Balmuda. Balmuda looks to escape but Coves dives into side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Balmuda wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Balmuda is looking to reverse the position.
Balmuda is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

Coves decides to stand back up. Coves steps back and let's Balmuda get back to his feet.
Balmuda shoots in looking for a takedown. Coves tries to sprawl out of it but Balmuda keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Coves manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Balmuda dodges the punch combination from Coves.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Coves looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Joao Coves dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Balmuda darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Coves is trying to stand back up but Balmuda is controlling him

Balmuda is trying to work for a kimura. He's got his hands clasped together - this could be trouble! No, Coves has managed to free his arm - good work.
Coves keeping control of the position.

Balmuda is trying to work for a kimura. He's got his hands clasped together - this could be trouble! No, Coves has managed to free his arm - good work.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Coves trying to hold on to Balmuda's head to control him but Balmuda postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balmuda stops Coves from getting back to his feet.

Balmuda wants to work for an arm triangle but Coves is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Balmuda looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
No joy there for Coves, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

Balmuda clinches up against the cage.

Balmuda has picked Coves up - he's going for a ride! Balmuda dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Balmuda wants to stand but his hand is trapped. Coves uses the opportunity to regain full guard.

Balmuda drops back, looking for a kneebar! Coves looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Coves looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Coves!
Balmuda is trying to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Coves decides to stand back up. Coves steps back and let's Balmuda get back to his feet.
A punch combination from Coves misses.
Balmuda closes the distance and clinches up with Coves, looking for a takedown. Balmuda pushes Coves against the cage but Coves circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Balmuda has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Coves swinging wilding here.
Coves fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Coves misses with a few strikes there.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Balmuda.

Balmuda tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Coves is pushing Balmuda's head away, looking to escape. Balmuda manages to hold on to the position though.

Balmuda stands up.
Coves falls off balance throwing a combination

and Balmuda counters by moving into the clinch.
Coves is trying to break the clinch but Balmuda has him pressed against the cage.

Balmuda is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. Coves can't fight it off and eventually Balmuda manages to take the fight to the floor. Coves looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.

Balmuda stands and steps away. Coves gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Coves looks to land a combination but Balmuda avoids it well.

Balmuda fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Coves, pushing him back against the cage.
Balmuda is struggling to control the position.
Coves tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Balmuda just stands there and leans against the cage.

Balmuda has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Coves regains guard immediately.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Balmuda drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Coves manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Balmuda has Coves in his guard.

Balmuda working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Coves doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Coves manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Balmuda has his foot on Coves's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Coves works his way back into a safe position though.

And that's the end of the fight!
Zeuss Balmuda comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Balmuda has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 28:29
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 28:29
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Zeuss Balmuda!