PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Enzo Souza (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rafael Almeida (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Souza
vs
Almeida

188 cm
22
200 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

188 cm
22
205 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight 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, Enzo Souza!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rafael Almeida!
The judges for this bout are Thiago Cunha, Daniel Cesar and Luis Engracia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Almeida avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
A cross from Souza lands.

It looks like Rafael Almeida has been cut.
Almeida throws a right and a left that Souza avoids nicely.
Souza tries to close the distance and clinch but Almeida swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Almeida throws a series of punches but Souza moves out of range.
Enzo Souza seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Souza bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Almeida being controlled for a moment.
Souza in side control lands a decent elbow.
Souza trying to control the action but Almeida is working from the bottom.
Almeida can't do much from the bottom here.
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.
Almeida wants to control but Souza postures up.
Souza controlling the position from side mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Souza wants to stand but Almeida has his arm trapped.
Almeida seems a little lost for a moment, as Souza dominates the positioning.
Souza trying to control the position but Almeida is working away.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Enzo Souza just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Souza stuns Almeida with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Almeida lands with a nice combination. Souza backs away looking to recover.
Almeida looks gassed!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Souza ducks under a wild hook from Almeida.
No luck for Souza with that takedown attempt.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Souza.
Almeida ducks under a wild hook from Souza.
Souza throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Almeida sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Rafael Almeida is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Souza moves out of range of the strikes.
Souza misses with a takedown attempt - Almeida sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Souza lands a glancing blow to the side of Almeida's head.
Almeida stuffs the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Enzo Souza. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A jab lands there for Almeida.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Almeida defending well as Souza loads up on a big left hand.
Almeida throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Almeida looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Almeida works the jab nicely.
Souza swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Almeida counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Almeida throws a right and a left that Souza avoids nicely.
Souza will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Souza shoots in for a takedown but Almeida shows good takedown defense.
Souza walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Souza closes this distance looking for a takedown but Almeida circles away.
Almeida throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

Souza shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Almeida wants to control but Souza is keeping busy.
Almeida is holding on to half guard well.
Almeida is trying to stand.
Souza content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Almeida won't allow Souza to pass to mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Almeida trying to control from the bottom.
Souza stalling.
Almeida is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Almeida is trying to stand.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Souza performing his best blanket impression for a moment.

Souza seems to be working for a kimura but Almeida defends the submission attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Enzo Souza dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Rafael Almeida's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Souza slips a jab and a cross from Almeida.
Souza changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Almeida tries to avoid it but Souza manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Almeida to the ground. Almeida escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.

Souza shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Souza showed some decent athleticism there.
Souza wants to lay and pray for a moment but Almeida keeps working.
Almeida is trying to stand back up but Souza is controlling him
Almeida is trying to control but can't.
Souza trying to control the pace.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Souza has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Souza not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Almeida wants to get back to full guard.
Souza is trying to get back to his feet now but his leg is trapped.
Almeida looks like he's trying to stand up.
Souza is taking a breather. Almeida 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.

Almeida has one foot on Souza's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.
Almeida looks to land a combination but Souza avoids it well.
Souza fails to land the takedown.
Souza misses with a few strikes there.
Almeida scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Almeida throws a right hand that Souza ducks under and follows up with a left that Souza also avoids with ease.
Souza closes this distance looking for a takedown but Almeida circles away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Enzo Souza. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Almeida cracks Souza with a good jab.
Almeida fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Souza manages to avoid it.
Almeida stuffs the takedown attempt from Souza. Souza gets slowly back to his feet.
Almeida throws a combination. Souza tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
A head kick misses from Souza.
Souza fails to land the takedown.
Almeida takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Souza is looking to land body kicks.
Almeida throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Souza uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Almeida.
Souza throws a series of punches but Almeida avoids them all with ease.
Almeida misses with a body shot.
Souza walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Souza fails with the takedown
and Almeida counters with a nice uppercut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Souza scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Almeida on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Almeida is trying to stand up here but Souza is controlling him well.
Souza looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Almeida with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Almeida wants to control but Souza is keeping busy and won't allow it.

Almeida manages to escape and get back to his feet!
No joy there for Almeida, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Souza throws a shot from downtown. Almeida moves away and avoids it.
Good work by Almeida as he checks the leg kick.
Almeida misses with the combination.
Souza throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Souza closes the distance and clinches up with Almeida, looking for a takedown. Souza pushes Almeida against the cage but Almeida circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Souza takes one to the chin there.
A big left from Almeida misses.
Souza shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Almeida counters with a two punch combo.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Souza tries to clinch there but Almeida circles away.
Almeida misses with the combination.
Souza throws a combination that misses
and Almeida counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Almeida throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Souza fails with the takedown
and Almeida counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Almeida throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Souza.
Horrible takedown by Souza or perhaps it was just good defense by Almeida which made him look bad.
Souza misses with a few strikes there.
Almeida misses with a few strikes there.
Souza looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Almeida is fending him off so far but Souza persists. Nope, Almeida circles away and we're back to standing.
Enzo Souza is winning the standup battle so far.
Almeida throws a right and a left that both miss.
Souza shoots and misses
and Almeida counters with a one-two to the body.
Almeida misses with a few strikes there.
Souza slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.

Souza closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Souza lands in his opponent's guard.
Almeida working a defensive guard here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Enzo Souza dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Rafael Almeida's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Almeida ducks right into an uppercut from Souza.
Souza looks for a takedown but Almeida sprawls well.
Almeida works the jab nicely.
Almeida lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Souza circles away quickly and effectively.

Souza shoots in and bounces Almeida off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.

Almeida pushes Souza off and gets back to his feet.
A left lands for Almeida.
Souza looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Souza slips a jab and a cross from Almeida.
Souza shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Almeida pinned against the cage. Almeida gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Enzo Souza. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Some wild striking there from Almeida.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Souza slips under a jab.

Souza rushes Almeida and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
A bit of stalling here from Souza.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Almeida lands an uppercut.
Souza goes for a takedown attempt but Almeida pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
A punch combination from Souza misses.
Souza throws a jab when Almeida was well out of range.
Almeida connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Souza momentarily.
No luck for Souza with that takedown attempt.
Almeida throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Almeida lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Souza circles away quickly and effectively.
Souza shoots and misses
and Almeida cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Souza throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Almeida misses with a wild body shot.
Souza misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Almeida moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Almeida misses with the combination.
Souza shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Almeida pinned against the cage. Almeida gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Souza gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Almeida cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Souza showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Almeida.
Almeida misses with a body shot.
Souza shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Almeida but Almeida pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Souza slips a jab and a cross from Almeida.
Souza fails with the takedown
and Almeida counters with a one-two to the body.

Souza shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Souza showed some decent athleticism there.
Souza is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Rafael Almeida has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Almeida flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Souza is controlling the pace.
Almeida wants to control but Souza is keeping busy.
Enzo Souza is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Almeida tries to kick Souza off but Souza keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Souza sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Enzo Souza overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four 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.
Almeida tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Souza content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Souza is tying to control. Almeida wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

Almeida makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!
Souza looks to land a left hand but Almeida moved out of range nicely.
Souza misses with a wild combination.
Almeida connects with a nice looking jab.
Almeida throws a looping overhand right but Souza ducks down to avoid it.
Souza throws a head kick that misses.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Enzo Souza.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Souza, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Thiago Cunha scores the fight 30:27
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 30:27
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Enzo Souza!