PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Sonny Giovanni (ranked 1468 p4p, 1537 weight class) and Gilbervan Soares (ranked 223 p4p, 230 weight class). I'm sure you'll be fascinated to know that I was talking to some pointless Z list celebrity before the fight and he thought that Gilbervan Soares was going to win. Let's see if he was right.

Giovanni
vs
Soares

189 cm
28
188
4 - 0 - 0

183 cm
30
183
17 - 11 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Olympic wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Conviction

Brooklyn Threads
Voodoo Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Sonny Giovanni!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 17 - 11 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Gilbervan Soares!
The judges for this bout are Taro Takaoka, Tatsuya Matsuyama and Yukihiro Shimada.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Soares drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Giovanni is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Soares asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Giovanni is working to avoid the ground and pound but Soares connects with a decent elbow.
Soares lands a few punches from side control.

Giovanni sneaks out the side door and pushes Soares away - he's back to his feet. The crowd show their appreciation for the escape.
We've been informed that Soares has been sparring a lot of Muay Thai in the buildup to this fight so let's see if that has an impact on the result.
Soares scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Giovanni definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Soares wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A shot to the liver by Soares. Beautiful body shot.
Soares lands a nice hook to Giovanni's body. Giovanni takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Giovanni slips under a jab from Soares.
Soares moves out of range as Giovanni strikes.
Soares misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Giovanni steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Soares.
Giovanni tries a low kick but Soares avoids it.
Giovanni doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Soares works the jab nicely.
Soares paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Giovanni staying out of range there.
Soares chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Giovanni can pounce on him.
Soares throws a hook but Giovanni blocks it.
Soares lands a right hook to the body.
Soares throws the left hand but Giovanni avoids the punch easily.
Soares throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Soares avoids the body shot from Giovanni.
Soares uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Giovanni.
Sonny Giovanni is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Giovanni needs to keep his hands up - Soares had a free shot at his head there.
Giovanni throws a shot to the body.

Giovanni gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Soares to score an easy takedown into full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Soares stands up over Giovanni, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Giovanni wants to stand and escape but Soares is having none of it.
Soares scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Soares with a nice head shot there.

Giovanni has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Soares off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Giovanni staying out of range there.
Giovanni looks to land a left hand but Soares moved out of range nicely.
Soares stuns Giovanni with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Soares scores with a decent looking hook.
Giovanni slaps away a takedown attempt from Soares, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Soares lands an overhand right.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Giovanni throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
Soares throws a combination. Giovanni tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Soares stuns Giovanni with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Soares throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Soares fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Soares throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Giovanni's waist but Giovanni gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Soares off to one side.
It looked like Giovanni wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Sonny Giovanni has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Gilbervan Soares.
No luck for Soares with that takedown attempt.
Giovanni takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Giovanni lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Soares takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Soares scores with a crisp jab that stopped Giovanni in his tracks.
Giovanni connects with an inside leg kick.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Soares lands a nice looking body shot.
Giovanni throws a lazy body kick

and Soares counters with a takedown into side control.

Giovanni sneaks out the side door and pushes Soares away - he's back to his feet. The crowd show their appreciation for the escape.
Soares scores with a shot to the body.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Giovanni.
The crowd cheers as Giovanni lands an impressive looking overhand right. Soares doesn't seem phased though.
Gilbervan Soares seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Soares ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Soares stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Giovanni.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Soares looks to land a right hand but Giovanni moved out of range.
Giovanni keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Soares.
Giovanni takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Gilbervan Soares dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Soares takes a swing at Giovanni's ribcage but misses.
Giovanni looked to counter that last move with a leg kick but didn't pull the trigger.
Soares throws a nice looking combination but Giovanni bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Giovanni is looking to land body kicks.
Soares drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Giovanni defends it well.
Giovanni throws a body punch but Soares moves out of range.
Soares lands with a nice body punch.
Soares ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Giovanni connects with a jab.
Soares throws a right and a left that Giovanni avoids nicely.
Sloppy strikes from Soares. Those never looked like landing.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Giovanni misses with a body kick.
Good work by Soares as he checks the leg kick.
Soares throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Giovanni misses with a straight right.
Soares changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Giovanni throws a half hearted mid kick.
Soares throws a body shot but no joy.
Soares wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Soares throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Nice sprawl there from Giovanni as Soares shoots in.
Jab from Soares.
Soares just misses with a punch to the body.
Giovanni moves away from the strike by Soares.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Soares, as that shot connected.
Soares has a takedown stuffed.
Giovanni appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Soares throws a body punch but Giovanni moves out of range.
Giovanni was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Soares fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Giovanni manages to avoid it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Giovanni uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Soares.
Soares swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
It looked like Giovanni wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Giovanni defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Soares.
Sonny Giovanni has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Gilbervan Soares.
Soares takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
A big right from Soares misses.
Giovanni throws a lazy right hand but Soares sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Giovanni looks to land a right hand but Soares moved out of range.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Giovanni slips a jab from Soares.
Soares throws a leg kick that is checked
and Giovanni counters with a nice uppercut.
Giovanni throws a good cross that connects.
Soares connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Soares lands with a nice combination. Giovanni backs away looking to recover.
Soares goes for a double leg but Giovanni avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Giovanni continues to drive forward.
Giovanni jinks towards his opponent looking like he wants to counter with a mid kick but doesn't commit.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Giovanni lands a big uppercut and Soares crumbles to the floor! The ref thinks about stopping the fight but Soares looks OK. Giovanni waves Soares back to his feet!

Soares is rocked!
Giovanni uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Soares.
Giovanni half committed to a counter leg kick.
Soares is still on wobbly legs! Can Giovanni finish him?
Soares misses with a right hand
and Giovanni counters with a big left hand that crumples Soares! He was out before he hit the floor! Brutal knockout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:15 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Sonny Giovanni!
A very excited looking Sonny Giovanni rambled incoherently for about 5 minutes post fight about how awesome he is. It was kinda funny for a while but then everyone got annoyed.