PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Haitian Ginger (ranked 355 p4p, 743 weight class) and Manny Tavares (ranked 47 p4p, 106 weight class). There are an array of beautiful celebrities at ringside tonight! I wonder if any of them paid for their tickets.

Ginger
vs
Tavares

193 cm
28
185
12 - 5 - 0

183 cm
31
185
20 - 11 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Fast

Conviction
Bondi MMA 🏝️

NARCOS
Brooklyn Apothecary

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 12 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Haitian Ginger!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 20 - 11 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Manny Tavares!
The judges for this bout are Shirou Masuda, Sosuke Kotani and Tatsuya Matsuyama.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Tavares lands a jab to the nose.
Ginger avoids a kick to the body.
Ginger looks to land a left hand but Tavares moved out of range nicely.
Tavares throws a leg kick but Ginger sees it coming and moves out of range.
Ginger is looking to counter punch.
Ginger throws a hook to the side of Tavares's head but Tavares sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
A little jabbing left from Tavares on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Tavares with a nice cross.
Ginger moves out of range as Tavares strikes.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ginger throws a lazy uppercut
and Tavares cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Tavares moves out of range as Ginger strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tavares throws the left hand but Ginger avoids the punch easily.
Tavares waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Ginger.
Ginger throws a counter high kick but Tavares was just alert enough to avoid it.
Ginger lands with a shot to the body.
Tavares misses with a left hand
and Ginger counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Ginger with the inside leg kick.
Ginger has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Tavares finds it's way round the side to connect with Ginger's head.
Tavares wants to slow Ginger down by chopping away at his legs.
Ginger half committed to a counter leg kick.
Tavares throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Ginger stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ginger fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Tavares is out of range.
A looping hook to the body misses from Tavares. Ginger does a little dance to reset his feet.
Ginger is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Ginger lands a glancing blow to the side of Tavares's head.
Ginger tries to land a front kick but Tavares steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Tavares connects with a nice looking jab.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Tavares lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Tavares swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tavares misses with a right hand
and Ginger cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

It looks like Manny Tavares has been cut.
Ginger throws a body shot but no joy.
Tavares throws a hook but Ginger avoids it easily.
Ginger tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Tavares manages to circle out of the way.
Tavares moves out of range as Ginger strikes.
A little jabbing left from Tavares on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Ginger moves out of range as Tavares strikes.
Ginger appeared to be looking to counter that last move with a leg kick.
Ginger takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Tavares misses with a right hand
and Ginger counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tavares scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Ginger lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Tavares works Ginger's body with a nice hook.
A big left from Ginger misses.
Tavares blocks a leg kick.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Ginger rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Ginger takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Tavares swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Ginger throws a looping overhand right but Tavares ducks down to avoid it.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Manny Tavares will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Manny Tavares's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Jab from Ginger.
Manny Tavares seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Ginger throws an overhand right that lands on Tavares's shoulder, as Tavares tries to avoid the shot.
Tavares looks to land a left hand but Ginger moved out of range nicely.
It looked like Ginger wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Ginger smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Ginger throws a body kick that misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ginger misses with a jab to the body
and Tavares counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Tavares lands a glancing blow to the side of Ginger's head.
Tavares throws a shot from downtown. Ginger moves away and avoids it.
And Ginger counters with a quick kick to the body but Tavares blocks it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A jab from Tavares does it's job there.
Both fighters are looking to counter, which isn't making for the most exciting fight in the world.
Tavares chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Ginger can pounce on him.
A telegraphed right hand from Ginger misses the target.
Ginger throws out a loose jab but Tavares uses good head movement to avoid it.
Ginger jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Ginger connects with an inside leg kick.
Ginger with the inside leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A leg kick checked by Tavares.
Tavares on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Tavares's jab looks to have found its range, popping Ginger under the eye.
Tavares lands a lovely overhand right.
Tavares misses with a hook. Ginger ducked under it nicely.
Ginger appeared to be looking to counter that last move with a leg kick.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Tavares blocks a leg kick.
Ginger backing away here, and Tavares unleashes a leg kick that just misses.
Ginger smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tavares bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Ginger has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Tavares scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Tavares scores with a hook.
Tavares misses with a lunging right hand
and Ginger counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Tavares's corner calls for a 1-2. Tavares obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Tavares swings widly with a right hand
and Ginger counters with an inside leg kick.
Ginger misses with an uppercut.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tavares misses with an uppercut
and Ginger counters with an inside leg kick.
Tavares lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Tavares swats away the attempt to clinch by Ginger.
It seemed like Tavares was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Ginger on the wrong end of a nice hook.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Tavares lands a slapping body shot.
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 Haitian Ginger will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Manny Tavares's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare each other down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Ginger with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Tavares has been working his punching technique in the buildup to the fight and it appears to be paying off.
Ginger takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Ginger keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Tavares scores with a jab to the jaw.
Ginger buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tavares throws a hook but Ginger blocks it.
Tavares throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Ginger on the side of the head.
Tavares's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
A telegraphed right hand from Tavares misses the target.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A lazy left from Tavares finds it's target.
Ginger tried to score with a low kick but Tavares checks it.
Tavares misses with a right hand
and Ginger counters with a nice uppercut.
Tavares loads up on a big right hand but Ginger slips the punch.
Tavares lands a jab to the head.
A telegraphed right hand from Ginger misses the target.
Tavares lands with a right hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ginger misses with a kick to the body.
The fighters circling - Tavares throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Ginger scores with a jab.

That has opened up Manny Tavares's cut even more.
Tavares throws a quick inside leg kick.
Tavares scores with a three punch combo!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
A slow jab from Tavares misses its intended target.
Tavares lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Tavares.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ginger tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Ginger scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Ginger tries to move into range but Tavares moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Tavares lands a jab.
Ginger looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Tavares works the jab nicely.
Tavares throws a body punch but Ginger moves out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tavares uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Ginger.
Despite the aggression on Tavares's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Tavares lands with a right hand.
Tavares pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Ginger thows a left - swing and a miss!
It seemed like Tavares was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Tavares wants to slow Ginger down by chopping away at his legs.
Tavares throws a hook to the side of Ginger's head but Ginger sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Tavares throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Ginger counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

And that's the end of the fight!
Manny Tavares comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Tavares has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Shirou Masuda scores the fight 28:29
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 28:29
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Manny Tavares!
During a confident post fight interview, Manny Tavares thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.