PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Nicholas Espiritu (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Daniel Porter (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both these guys have solid standup skills and neither is particularly fantastic on the ground, so let's hope for a nice standup war!

Espiritu
vs
Porter

175 cm
22
185 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

183 cm
22
185 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Improved boxing
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Very confident

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Nicholas Espiritu!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Daniel Porter!
The judges for this bout are Alexandre Firmino, Luis Engracia and Thiago Cunha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Espiritu gets the takedown into side control.
Espiritu taking a breather here.
Porter tries to bench press Espiritu off him but Espiritu keeps the position.

Espiritu decides to stand back up.
Porter misses with a double jab.
Nice takedown defense from Porter. No joy for Espiritu on that attempt.

Porter gets caught flat footed, as Espiritu shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.

Porter throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Porter wants to stand up but Espiritu is controlling him.
Espiritu is breathing heavily.
Porter looking for a sweep. Not yet Porter, not yet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Espiritu pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Porter is keeping the position for now.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Espiritu controlling from the top position.
Espiritu won't allow Porter to get back to his feet.
Espiritu pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Porter is keeping the position for now.
Espiritu stays in close to Porter's body and controls the position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Espiritu misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Nice takedown defense from Porter. No joy for Espiritu on that attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Nicholas Espiritu. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Porter lands with a kick to the temple. Espiritu shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Espiritu tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Porter swivels and escapes.
Espiritu shoots in but Porter avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Porter showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Espiritu.
Porter throws a right and a left that both miss.

Espiritu closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Porter to the mat! Porter manages to get full guard.
Espiritu slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Espiritu's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Espiritu has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Espiritu stands up from guard. Let's bang!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Espiritu drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Espiritu seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Porter wants to get back to his feet but Espiritu is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Espiritu pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Porter is keeping the position for now.
Espiritu is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Porter wants to get back to his feet but Espiritu is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Espiritu is stalling in the full guard.

Espiritu gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Porter showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Espiritu.
Porter throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Espiritu's head.

Espiritu is rocked!
Espiritu misses with a two punch combination.
Oh Espiritu is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Daniel Porter is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Espiritu changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Porter looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Espiritu seems to have got his legs back now.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Espiritu wants to lay and pray for a moment but Porter keeps working.
Porter struggling a bit here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Nice sprawl there from Porter as Espiritu shoots in.
Espiritu shoots in for a double leg but Porter sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Porter dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Espiritu. That did some damage!
Espiritu takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Espiritu takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Espiritu lands a glancing blow to the side of Porter's head.
Espiritu shoots in for a takedown but Porter shows good takedown defense.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Nicholas Espiritu. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Espiritu looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Porter is fending him off so far but Espiritu persists. Nope, Porter circles away and we're back to standing.

A head kick lands from Porter that sends Espiritu to the canvas. Espiritu tries to scramble back to his feet but Porter brings him back down into side control.

It looks like Nicholas Espiritu has been cut.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Porter misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Porter tries to get to his feet but he's trapped momentarily.
Porter wants to lay and pray for a moment but Espiritu keeps working.

Espiritu throws his opponent off and manages to get back to his feet! Nicely done!
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Porter lands a head kick. Espiritu smiles back at him and beckons him forward.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Espiritu will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Espiritu shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Porter pushes Espiritu away with a front kick.
Espiritu shoots for a takedown but Porter saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
A head kick misses from Porter.
Espiritu tries to bum rush Porter with a series of wild strikes but Porter uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Espiritu shoots in and drives through. Porter sprawls well.
Porter showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Espiritu.
Espiritu looks to land a combination but Porter avoids it well.

Espiritu gets the takedown into side control.
Espiritu controls the position from side control.
Porter is trying to get back to half guard.
Porter is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Espiritu asserts his dominance and retains side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Porter is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Espiritu off and has taken his back!
Porter trying to control.
Porter lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Porter tries to keep control of the position but Espiritu is staying busy.
Porter missing with strikes.
Porter has the hooks sunk in and you can see the will to fight slowly draining out of Espiritu's body.
Porter trying to control momentarily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
You can see the frustration on Espiritu's face… He knows he is in trouble unless he improves his position sooner rather than later.
You know, I was talking to some of our celebrities at ringside tonight and they were split right down the middle on who was going to win this fight.
Espiritu is in bad spot here.
Porter struggling to land strikes to the head as Espiritu covers up.
Espiritu trying to control the hands but Porter won't let him.
Espiritu trying to survive by controlling the hands.

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.
Espiritu rolls, trying to escape but Porter keeps control of the position.
Porter struggling to keep hold of the position.
Porter controlling well, preventing Espiritu from escaping the position.
Espiritu turns into Porter and is now in his guard.
Espiritu slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Daniel Porter showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Nicholas Espiritu's cut.
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. And we move into the final round!

Espiritu shoots in but no luck this time.
Porter lands with a thumping leg kick.
Porter scores with a head kick.
Espiritu shoots for a takedown but Porter saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Daniel Porter seems to be getting the better of the standup.

A head kick lands from Porter that sends Espiritu to the canvas. Espiritu tries to scramble back to his feet but Porter brings him back down into side control.
Espiritu has control of an arm but Porter manages to advance to Porter's back!
Espiritu trying to control the hands but Porter won't let him.
Espiritu breaks Porter's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
Espiritu not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

Espiritu gets to his feet. Porter looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Porter keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Nicholas Espiritu. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Espiritu misses with a double jab.
Porter scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Porter misses with a combination

and Espiritu decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Porter's guard.
Espiritu is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Porter trying to keep a closed guard but Espiritu is proving a slippery customer.
Espiritu controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

Porter looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Espiritu is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Porter working a defensive guard here.
Espiritu stays in close to Porter's body and controls the position.
Nicholas Espiritu overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Nicholas Espiritu just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Porter lands a front kick.
Espiritu uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Porter.
Porter slips a jab and a cross from Espiritu.
Nicholas Espiritu is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Porter misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Porter stuffs the takedown attempt from Espiritu. Espiritu gets slowly back to his feet.
Porter feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Espiritu's calf.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Espiritu will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Espiritu closes this distance looking for a takedown but Porter circles away.
Porter throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Porter looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Espiritu shoots in for a takedown but Porter shows good takedown defense.
Espiritu shoots in for a takedown but Porter shows good takedown defense.
Porter lands a high kick!
Espiritu shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Porter but Porter pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Porter scores with a head kick.
Espiritu lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Jab by Porter.
Espiritu fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Espiritu throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Porter scores with a leg kick.
Porter scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.

Espiritu scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Espiritu perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Nicholas Espiritu just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
No joy there for Espiritu, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Daniel Porter.
I think Porter has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 28:29
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight 29:28
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Daniel Porter!