PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Malaki Fiso (ranked 814 p4p, 33 weight class) and Demian Azevedo (ranked 1828 p4p, 85 weight class). Fiso comes to the ring accompanied by The Lord's Prayer (In Samoan). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the ring.

Fiso
vs
Azevedo

172 cm
21
143 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

150 cm
27
130 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter fighter
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, for the bantamweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Malaki Fiso!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Demian Azevedo!
The judges for this bout are Tatsuya Matsuyama, Shigeki Sano and Shigeki Fujiwara.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Azevedo takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Fiso changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Fiso misses with an uppercut.
Fiso sets himself, and Azevedo steps forward looking for the clinch! Fiso avoids it this time.
Fiso throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Azevedo wants to counter with a clinch but Fiso pushes him away.
A combination from Fiso does no damage.
Fiso misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Azevedo.
Fiso tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Azevedo was well out of range. Poor timing from Fiso.

Azevedo closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the ropes.
Fiso pushes Azevedo back against the ropes and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Fiso slowing the pace effectively.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Fiso breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Fiso moves into the clinch.
Azevedo fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Fiso makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Azevedo is trying to pull guard but Fiso turns him against the ropes and we stay in the clinch.
Fiso scores with a shoulder strike.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Fiso breaks from the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fiso misses with an uppercut. Azevedo saw that one coming.
A shot to the body from Fiso misses

so Azevedo counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Fiso keeping full guard, as Azevedo tries to pass.

Fiso has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Azevedo can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

Azevedo got a little sloppy there for a moment and Fiso has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Azevedo has managed to get both his arms back between Fiso's legs - danger averted.
Azevedo looking to pass the guard.
Fiso wants to sweep but no luck.
Azevedo passes Fiso's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Fiso wants to improve his position but Azevedo is controlling well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Fiso looking for submissions off his back.

Azevedo looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Fiso is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Azevedo is looking to take a break and control but Fiso is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Fiso is in trouble now - Azevedo has advanced to mount!
Azevedo trying to control but Fiso is having none of it.
Fiso regains half guard.
Fiso keeping control of the position.

Azevedo is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Fiso trying to hold on to Azevedo's head to control him but Azevedo postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Fiso is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Azevedo's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Azevedo's back!

Fiso looking to break Azevedo's wrist control so he can sink in the choke. Azevedo remaining controlled and patient though - he really has to keep calm otherwise Fiso will wrap this one up with the rear naked choke!
Azevedo tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Azevedo bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!

Fiso has his foot on Azevedo's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Azevedo works his way back into a safe position though.
Azevedo pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Fiso is keeping the position for now.

Fiso has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Azevedo can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

That's five minutes gone in the round.
Fiso controls Azevedo momentarily but Azevedo frees himself.
Azevedo stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Fiso swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Azevedo won't allow Fiso to sweep him here.
Fiso keeping moving, preventing Azevedo from controlling successfully.
Azevedo passes into half guard.
Azevedo wants to free his trapped foot but Fiso is holding on for dear life with his legs.

That's six minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Azevedo is keen to just control but Fiso is a slippery customer.
Fiso works his way to full guard. Good work.
Azevedo tries to free his leg and advance position but Fiso is retaining full guard.
Fiso trying to keep a closed guard but Azevedo is proving a slippery customer.

Fiso is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Azevedo is aware though and is defending well.

Fiso is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Azevedo is aware though and is defending well.
Fiso looking to control.
Azevedo stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Fiso swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Fiso is looking for a triangle here but Azevedo uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.
Azevedo trying to control the action but Fiso is working from the bottom.
Fiso struggling a bit here.
Fiso tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Azevedo working away.
Azevedo has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for Fiso!
Azevedo looking to control but Fiso is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Fiso is in a tricky position but he's been working on his transitions down at Marty Robbin's Fight Ranch™, so we'll see if he gets out of it.
Fiso is trying to reverse the position but instead Azevedo has taken his back - oops!

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

That's eight minutes gone in the round.
Azevedo is trying to stick to Fiso's back but Fiso is turning into Azevedo. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Azevedo's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Fiso.
Fiso works a leg free and moves into half guard.

Fiso looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Azevedo is trying to maintain the position but Fiso is very close to passing his half guard.
Fiso moves nicely into side control.
Azevedo manages to get back to half guard.

That's nine minutes gone in the round.
Azevedo has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Fiso is working away from the top position though.
Azevedo slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Azevedo tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Fiso tries to free his leg and advance position but Azevedo is retaining full guard.
Azevedo manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Fiso manages to get himself to full guard.

Fiso looking for a sweep. Not yet Fiso, not yet.

Fiso escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Azevedo gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Fiso keeping moving, preventing Azevedo from controlling successfully.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Azevedo is pushing down on Fiso's leg trying to pass to half guard. Fiso is fighting to maintain full guard but Azevedo has managed to sneak the leg through.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Malaki Fiso will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the ring so we can get back down to business.

Azevedo takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Fiso smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Azevedo takes one to the side of the head.
Fiso swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Fiso sets himself, and Azevedo steps forward looking for the clinch! Fiso avoids it this time.
Fiso is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
Fiso connects with a nice looking jab.
Fiso moves into range and connects with a jab.
Fiso is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Fiso fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Azevedo manages to avoid it.
Azevedo tries to counter by closing the distance.
A big right from Fiso misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Azevedo uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Fiso.
Nice shot lands for Fiso.

Fiso clinches up with Azevedo and pushes him back against the ropes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A shot in the inside from Fiso.
Azevedo tries to pull guard but Fiso holds him up against the ropes and eventually Azevedo drops back down to his feet.

Azevedo pulls Fiso into guard.
Fiso slips nicely into half guard.
Azevedo is looking to improve his position.
Fiso is looking to pass Azevedo's guard but actually Azevedo recovers to full guard.
Fiso tries to free his leg and advance position but Azevedo is retaining full guard.
Azevedo looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Azevedo working a defensive guard here.
Fiso trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fiso is working hard here to advance position.
Fiso stopping the sweep attempt from Azevedo.
Fiso passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Fiso wants to lay and pray for a moment but Azevedo keeps working.
Azevedo is looking for a sweep.

Fiso tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Fiso has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Azevedo manages to work his way to half guard, despite Fiso's best efforts.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Azevedo moves into full guard.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.

Azevedo had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Fiso defends it easily.
Fiso trying to control the position from guard on top but Azevedo is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Azevedo keeping full guard, as Fiso tries to pass.
Fiso advances to half guard.
Azevedo is trying to maintain the position but Fiso is very close to passing his half guard.
Azevedo is looking for a sweep. Fiso is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Azevedo trying to get back to full guard but Fiso takes advantage of the position and moves to full mount!
Azevedo bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Fiso not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Fiso wants to sweep here but Azevedo controlling him for the moment.

Azevedo got a little sloppy there for a moment and Fiso has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Azevedo has managed to get both his arms back between Fiso's legs - danger averted.
Azevedo is pushing down on Fiso's leg trying to pass to half guard. Fiso is fighting to maintain full guard but Azevedo has managed to sneak the leg through.
Azevedo looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Azevedo is thwarting Fiso's attempts to control the position.
Fiso moves into full guard.

That's five minutes gone in the round.
Fiso wants to control the position but Azevedo says "no thanks buddy" and passes to half guard.
Fiso is trying is best to control the position here.
Azevedo passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Fiso!
Fiso is desperately trying to improve his position but Azevedo has a good base and remains in mount.
Fiso is trying to escape the mount but Azevedo keeps good control and instead manages to take Fiso's back.
Azevedo controlling well, preventing Fiso from escaping the position.

Fiso showing good submission defense here.
Fiso tries to escape the position.
Demian Azevedo has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's six minutes gone in the round.
Azevedo tries to get the hooks in deep but Fiso pushed the leg off.

Fiso defending nicely against the rear naked choke attempt.

Fiso has hold of Azevedo's leg, trying to break free but it's let Azevedo lock up a rear naked choke! This could be big trouble! Fiso is turning an unusual color here… he's out! Azevedo throws him to one side and jumps onto the ropes to celebrate with his fans.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 6:45 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Demian Azevedo!
Demian Azevedo is the new bantamweight champion!
Demian Azevedo seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.