PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Afonso Ferreira (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Alex Pierce (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). This should be fireworks!

Ferreira
vs
Pierce

177 cm
21
177 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

185 cm
22
172 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Determined

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 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Afonso Ferreira!
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, Alex Pierce!
The judges for this bout are Wesley Smith, George Francis and Cecil Peabody.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pierce tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Horrible takedown by Ferreira or perhaps it was just good defense by Pierce which made him look bad.
Pierce tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Pierce tries a head kick but it misses.
Pierce throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Pierce tries to clinch up but Ferreira circles away and keeps his distance.
Pierce tries to close the distance and clinch but Ferreira swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Pierce tries to clinch but Ferreira is having none of it.
Ferreira tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Pierce tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pierce wants to clinch.
Ferreira avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

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

Ferreira thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Ferreira postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

Ferreira postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Pierce is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Ferreira, into his guard.
Pierce trying to control but Ferreira is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pierce stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Ferreira swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Ferreira is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Pierce defends well.
Pierce trying to control the position from guard on top but Ferreira is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Ferreira wants to stand and escape but Pierce is having none of it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Ferreira looking for a guillotine here but Pierce defends easily.
Pierce sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Ferreira's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pierce is trying to control. Ferreira wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Pierce is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Pierce tries to pass to full mount but Ferreira defends it.
Pierce trying to control the action but Ferreira is working from the bottom.
Pierce tries to pass to full mount but Ferreira defends it.

Ferreira looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Ferreira is breathing heavily.
Ferreira punching from the bottom.

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.
Pierce is trying to control the action in half guard but Ferreira is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Pierce misses with a low kick.
Pierce wants to clinch.
Ferreira circles away from the clinch attempt.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Pierce misses with a two punch combination.
Ferreira pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Afonso Ferreira will probably get the nod.
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.

Pierce moves in looking to clinch but Ferreira pushes him off.
Pierce moves in looking to clinch but Ferreira pushes him off.
Pierce tries to close the distance and clinch but Ferreira swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Ferreira shoots in for a takedown but Pierce shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.

Ferreira drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.

Ferreira drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Ferreira jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Pierce looking to hit a scissor sweep but Ferreira is one step ahead there.
Pierce is looking to stand up but Ferreira isn't so interested in that idea.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ferreira wants to control from the top but Pierce keeps moving.
Ferreira looking to pass the guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Pierce is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Ferreira postures up.
Pierce wants to stand and escape but Ferreira is having none of it.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Ferreira tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Pierce swivels and escapes.

Ferreira scores with a takedown into Pierce's guard.

Ferreira thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ferreira trying to control the position from guard on top but Pierce is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Pierce is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Pierce is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Pierce manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Pierce trying to control but Ferreira is having none of it.
Ferreira really trying hard to get back to half guard here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Pierce stands up from mount. Strange move.
Pierce connects with a high kick.
Pierce turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
The fight stays on the outside here - Pierce looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Ferreira keeps the fight on the outside.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pierce throws a head kick that misses

and Ferreira counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Pierce makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Pierce.
Pierce controls Ferreira momentarily but Ferreira frees himself.
Ferreira postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Pierce looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Ferreira drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Ferreira jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

Pierce looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

Pierce throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Alex Pierce will probably get the nod - 10:9.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Ferreira avoids the head kick by Pierce.
Pierce is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Pierce tries to clinch but Ferreira is having none of it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Pierce chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Ferreira takes a kick to the side of the head.
Pierce takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Ferreira.
Ferreira checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.

Ferreira looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Ferreira wants to pass the guard but Pierce is keeping the position.

Pierce escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Ferreira gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ferreira stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Pierce swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Pierce is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Afonso Ferreira overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Ferreira is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Pierce pulls his head out easily.
Ferreira is trying to control but can't.

Pierce decides he's had enough of the ground and stands up.
Pierce fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pierce tries to clinch but Ferreira is having none of it.
Pierce darts in trying to clinch

and Ferreira counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Pierce is trying to stand back up but Ferreira is controlling him

Pierce kicks Ferreira off and gets back to his feet.
Pierce tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Ferreira counters with a takedown into side control.
Pierce is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Ferreira asserts his dominance and retains side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Ferreira is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Pierce has escaped the position, nice work there.

Ferreira wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Pierce, who protects the arm well.
Pierce is trying to improve his position.
Pierce wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!

Ferreira decides to take the fight back to the feet.

And that's the end of the fight!
Afonso Ferreira showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Ferreira has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 29:28
Judge George Francis scores the fight 30:28
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Afonso Ferreira!