PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Dale Cervoni (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rafael da Costa Nunes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters will be looking to make this an exciting fight for the fans, I'm sure!

Cervoni
vs
da Costa Nunes

188 cm
21
225 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

189 cm
21
220 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Intelligent

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

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 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Dale Cervoni!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Rafael da Costa Nunes!
The judges for this bout are Wesley Smith, Cecil Peabody and Daniel Franklin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cervoni lands with a straight right. Nunes didn't see that one coming.
Nunes throws a sloppy head kick and Cervoni moves out of range easily.
Nunes tries to clinch but Cervoni moves out of range.
No joy there for Cervoni, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Cervoni shoots in but Nunes avoids the takedown attempt easily.

Nunes closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Nunes prevents Cervoni from improving his position.
Nunes trying to control the action but Cervoni is working from the bottom.
Nunes perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Cervoni won't allow Nunes to pass to mount.
Cervoni is looking to improve his position.
Cervoni is staying active underneath Nunes, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nunes sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Cervoni defending well though.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Nunes gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Cervoni counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Cervoni would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Cervoni with a flurry of punches that miss.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Cervoni pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Nunes is keeping the position for now.
Nunes keeping moving, preventing Cervoni from controlling successfully.
Nunes pulls Cervoni in close to prevent any damage.
Nunes is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cervoni is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Cervoni postures up in Nunes's guard and throws a big left but Nunes blocks it.
Nunes keeping full guard, as Cervoni tries to pass.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Cervoni's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Cervoni preventing the sweep.
Nunes bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Cervoni's guard.
Cervoni trying to keep a closed guard but Nunes is proving a slippery customer.

Nunes decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Nunes looks gassed!

Cervoni darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nunes tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Nunes is looking for a sweep. Cervoni is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

Cervoni is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Nunes tries to roll over but Cervoni keeps him under control.
Nunes trying to control here.
Cervoni is keen to just control but Nunes is a slippery customer.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Cervoni stops Nunes from getting back to his feet.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Cervoni shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Cervoni was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Cervoni can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Nunes is looking to escape.
Cervoni scoring with strikes but Nunes is staying in there.

Cervoni is going olschool here, as he tries to force Nunes to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Nunes shrugs it off.
Nunes can't escape the position.

Cervoni has hold of Nunes's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Nunes manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
A nice elbow there by Cervoni.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dale Cervoni dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Cervoni keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Nunes showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Cervoni.
Cervoni goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
The fight stays on the outside here - Nunes looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Nunes will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Nunes showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Cervoni.

Cervoni gets a takedown into half guard.
Cervoni wants to free his trapped foot but Nunes is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Nunes is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cervoni thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Nunes's head.
Cervoni missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Nunes is not content to let Cervoni control the position.
Nunes is trying to get back to full guard.
Nunes is breathing heavily.
Cervoni trying to control from half guard but Nunes is working away.
Nunes slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Cervoni has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Nunes is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Cervoni closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Cervoni creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Cervoni in side control, throwing shots but Nunes defends.
Nunes is looking for a sweep.
Nunes regains half guard.
Cervoni is pressing down on Nunes's thigh, looking to free his foot. Nunes is holding on for now.
Nunes is trying to stand back up but Cervoni is controlling him
Cervoni not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Cervoni is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Cervoni fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cervoni landing strikes, looking to finish!
Nunes tries to hold on but Cervoni postures up.
Dale Cervoni overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Cervoni lands a big shot there that rocks Nunes but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Nunes wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
Nunes is looking to get to half guard.
Cervoni lands a heavy elbow.
Cervoni with the ground and pound from mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cervoni working the ground and pound effectively.
Cervoni looking to control but Nunes is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Nunes taking shots to the head.

Nunes defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Cervoni.
Nunes is looking to get to half guard.
Cervoni lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dale Cervoni dominated that second round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Nunes takes a shot to the body in his stride.

Cervoni closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Nunes to the mat! Nunes manages to get full guard.

Nunes kicks Cervoni off and gets to his feet.
No luck for Cervoni with that takedown attempt.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Cervoni.
Cervoni in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Cervoni trying to control the action but Nunes is working from the bottom.
Nunes is pushing Cervoni's head away, looking to escape. Cervoni manages to hold on to the position though.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Nunes tries to get back to half guard but can't.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cervoni trying to control the action but Nunes is working from the bottom.

Cervoni stands up and we're back to a striking position.
Nice shot lands for Cervoni.
Dale Cervoni is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Cervoni looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Cervoni trying to control the position from guard on top but Nunes is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Cervoni passes Nunes's left leg - he's now in half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nunes wants to control but Cervoni is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Cervoni working the head and body with strikes.
Cervoni wants to control but Nunes is keeping him busy.
Nunes is trying to stand up here but Cervoni is controlling him well.
Nunes trying to control from the bottom.

Cervoni is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Nunes is just riding it out for now. Cervoni eventually gives up the hold.
Nunes wants to get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Cervoni throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Nunes's waist but Nunes gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Cervoni off to one side.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Cervoni!
Nunes doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Cervoni counters with a stiff right hand.

Cervoni drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Nunes tries to slip a leg under to move to half guard but Cervoni presses down on the leg and jumps into full mount!
Nunes keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cervoni landing strikes from the mount and Nunes is in trouble!

Cervoni jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Nunes manages to avoid the submission attempt.
Cervoni working the ground and pound but Nunes is defending the strikes.
Cervoni misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Cervoni scores with punches from side control.
Rafael da Costa Nunes has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Dale Cervoni is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Cervoni wants to lay and pray for a moment but Nunes keeps working.

And that's the end of the fight!
Dale Cervoni showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Cervoni has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Wesley Smith scores the fight 30:27
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 30:27
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Dale Cervoni!