PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Rui Machado (ranked 5198 p4p, 24532 weight class) and Claude Giguere (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Claude Giguere is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Machado
vs
Giguere

182 cm
18
182
0 - 0 - 0

183 cm
27
175
0 - 4 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Basic striking
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Tends to cut

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 Montreal, Rui Machado!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Claude Giguere!
The judges for this bout are Gregory Folan, Ian Loll and Yves DeLean.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Machado fails with an attempt to clinch.
Machado misses with a wild body shot.
Machado tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Giguere swivels and escapes.
Giguere throws a counter combo.

Giguere clinches with his opponent.

Giguere jumps into guard, dragging Machado to the mat.
Machado with a flurry of punches that miss.
Machado trying to control the position from guard on top but Giguere is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Giguere has control of Machado's left arm, preventing Machado from doing any damage.
Machado throwing strikes but missing.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Machado looking to pass the guard.
Machado is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Machado lands a couple of digs.
Machado has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Machado is working Giguere over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Machado is pushing down on Giguere's leg trying to pass to half guard. Giguere is fighting to maintain full guard but Machado has managed to sneak the leg through.

Machado is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Machado wants to control but Giguere is keeping him busy.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Machado winds up and cracks Giguere with a swinging punch to the side of the head.

Machado is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Giguere has managed to free his arm - good work.
Machado is nestled in close to Giguere, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.

Machado is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Giguere sees it coming and defends easily.
Machado wants to lay and pray for a moment but Giguere keeps working.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Giguere controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.

Giguere looking for submissions off his back.
Machado lands strikes from half guard.

Machado is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Giguere is just riding it out for now. Machado eventually gives up the hold.
Machado prevents Giguere from improving his position.
Machado is keen to just control but Giguere is a slippery customer.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Machado is looking for a kimura here.
Machado lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Machado passes to side control.
Giguere trying to remain calm as Machado controls from the top position.

Machado tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Machado has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Giguere is looking to reverse the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Both fighters take a look at the clock.
The referee asks Machado politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Machado prefers to stall for the moment though.
Giguere struggling a bit here.
Giguere is trying to improve his position.
Machado scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Giguere to see if he's OK.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Machado tries to move into full mount but can't pass Giguere's legs.
Giguere taking punishment in the form of punches.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Machado is putting a hurting on Giguere here, landing some big shots from side control.
Machado scores with punches from side control.
Machado wants to lay and pray for a moment but Giguere keeps working.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Rui Machado dominated that round.
That's time! Machado's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Machado misses with a looping right.

Giguere has Machado up against the cage in a clinch.
Machado is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Giguere can do to turn this around?
Giguere throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Giguere tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Machado avoids it.

Giguere's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Machado throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Giguere.
Giguere ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Giguere fails with the takedown.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Machado throws a hook to the side of Giguere's head but Giguere sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.

Giguere has managed to clinch.
Giguere is stalling here.
Machado has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Giguere is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Giguere breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Machado misses with a lunging right hand
and Giguere counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

Giguere pushes Machado up against the cage in a clinch.

Giguere breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Machado stuffs the takedown.
Horrible takedown attempt by Giguere or perhaps it was just good defense by Machado, which made it look bad.
Rui Machado has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Claude Giguere.
Giguere misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Machado.
Machado will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Machado shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Giguere defends it nicely.
Giguere is looking to land body kicks.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Machado shoots in looking for a takedown but Giguere manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Machado's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Giguere throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Giguere looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

Giguere has closed the distance and engaged Machado in a clinch.

Giguere pulls Machado into guard.
Giguere really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Machado. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Machado trying to control the position from guard on top but Giguere is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Rui Machado overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Giguere is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Giguere might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Machado haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Machado accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Giguere is trying to control the position but Machado postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Machado keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Giguere's head.
Machado working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Machado wants to control from the top but Giguere keeps moving.
Machado postures up and lands a big shot to Giguere's brow.
Machado content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Machado cracks Giguere with a solid left hand.
Giguere wants to sweep here but Machado controlling him for the moment.
Giguere utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Machado controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Machado trying to control but Giguere is working from the bottom.
Machado working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Giguere pulls Machado in close to prevent any damage.
Machado forces his way into half guard.
Machado lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Machado wants to control but Giguere is keeping him busy.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Giguere wants to control the action here but instead Machado manages to pass to full mount!
Machado working the ground and pound effectively.
Machado in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Rui Machado will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Nice takedown defense from Machado. No joy for Giguere on that attempt.
Giguere slips a jab and a cross from Machado.
Giguere keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Machado with a poor takedown
letting Giguere counter with a right hand.
Machado misses with a right hand
and Giguere counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Machado fails with an attempt to clinch.

Giguere has taken the fight to the clinch.

Giguere manages to pull guard.

Giguere is looking for a triangle but Machado pushes his legs off easily.
Machado lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Giguere is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Machado scores with a decent looking elbow strike.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Machado sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Giguere's guard.
Machado working over Giguere with some ground and pound. Giguere looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Machado lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Giguere is looking to control Machado's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Giguere avoid being mounted?
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Machado lands a nice short elbow.
Machado looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Giguere is positioning himself well to prevent Machado advancing to mount.
Machado lands strikes from half guard.

Machado is looking for a kimura here.
Giguere controlling the position well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Machado drops an elbow to the side of Giguere's head.

Giguere is defending against the submission attempts here by Machado.
Ground and pound from Machado.
Machado working Giguere over with strikes.
Giguere is looking to improve his position.
Machado wants to take a breather but Giguere is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Machado is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Machado lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Machado prevents Giguere from improving his position.
Machado stops Giguere from getting back to his feet.

Machado is working for a submission of some sort.

Machado is looking for a kimura but Giguere is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Machado to get the leverage.
Machado working over Giguere with some ground and pound. Giguere looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Machado stops Giguere from getting back to his feet.
Giguere wants to control but Machado is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Machado is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Machado passes the guard and advances to mount!
Machado with shots to the head and body - Giguere looks very uncomfortable down there.
Rui Machado is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Machado looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Giguere is squirming around, avoiding Machado's attempts to control the action.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Giguere working to try and regain half guard.
Claude Giguere has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Machado lands a couple of good shots and Giguere has given up his back, trying to escape the position!

And that's the end of the fight!
Rui Machado showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Machado, 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 Gregory Folan scores the fight 30:27
Judge Ian Loll scores the fight 30:27
Judge Yves DeLean scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rui Machado!