PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Leo Costinha (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Michael Heandler (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Heandler has chosen Theme as his entrance music. This should be a great matchup!

Costinha
vs
Heandler

173 cm
25
144 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

172 cm
20
137 lbs
2 - 9 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Cuts easily

BJJ Brown Belt
Good kicks
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Leo Costinha!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Michael Heandler!
The judges for this bout are Thiago Cunha, Edson Gomes and Felipe Paraventi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Costinha throws a head kick that Heandler semi-blocks.
Heandler circles away from the clinch attempt.
Costinha pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Heandler misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

Heandler drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Costinha is not content to let Heandler control the position.
Costinha is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Heandler throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Heandler cracks Costinha with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Costinha is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Heandler is controlling him well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Costinha is not content to let Heandler control the position.
Heandler postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Heandler is looking to take a break and control but Costinha is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Heandler keeps the fight on the outside.
Costinha is looking to clinch.
Costinha tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Heandler shoots in but Costinha avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Leo Costinha is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Heandler fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Leo Costinha has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Michael Heandler.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Heandler shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Costinha defends it nicely.
Heandler shoots in for a takedown but Costinha shows good takedown defense.
Costinha lands with a slapping head kick.
Heandler shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Costinha as he jumps to the side.
Heandler looks gassed!
Costinha lands a head kick!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Costinha wants to clinch up but Heandler keeps it at a distance.

Costinha moves into the clinch.

Costinha breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Costinha closes the distance and pushes Heandler back into the cage.

Costinha escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Heandler avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Costinha tries to close the distance and clinch but Heandler swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Heandler shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Costinha but Costinha pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Costinha tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Costinha has taken the fight to the clinch.

Costinha breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Costinha instigates a clinch.
Costinha is leaning against Heandler and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Costinha leaning his opponent against the cage.
Heandler misses with a body punch.
Costinha holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Costinha with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Costinha blocking some punches.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Leo Costinha dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Heandler takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Costinha throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Heandler's head.
Costinha wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Horrible takedown by Heandler or perhaps it was just good defense by Costinha which made him look bad.
Costinha is looking to clinch but Heandler is avoiding it.
Heandler looks for a takedown but Costinha sprawls well.
Costinha tries to close the distance and clinch up but Heandler swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Costinha wants to clinch.
Heandler is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Costinha clinches with his opponent.

Costinha breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Costinha tries to clinch up but Heandler circles away and keeps his distance.
Costinha tries to clinch up but Heandler circles away and keeps his distance.
Costinha fails in his attempt to clinch.
Costinha fails in his attempt to clinch.
Heandler swats away the attempt to clinch by Costinha.

Costinha clinches up with Heandler and pushes him back against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

Costinha breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Costinha moves into the clinch.

Costinha pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Costinha lands with a kick to the temple. Heandler shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Heandler swats away the attempt to clinch by Costinha.
Costinha wants to clinch.

Costinha has managed to clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Costinha unloads a knee to the mid-section. Heandler lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.

Costinha escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Costinha moves into the clinch.

Costinha escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Costinha scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Costinha scores with a kick to the body.
Costinha is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Nice body punch from Costinha.
Costinha is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Costinha throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.

Costinha clinches up with Heandler and pushes him back against the cage.
Costinha landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Costinha utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Costinha lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Costinha content to slow the pace in the clinch.

Costinha escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Costinha tries to close the distance and clinch up but Heandler swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Costinha lands a head kick. Heandler smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Costinha lands a jab to Heandler's midsection.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Leo Costinha 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. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Heandler has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Heandler circles away from the clinch attempt.
Heandler fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Heandler swats away the attempt to clinch by Costinha.
Costinha scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Costinha is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Leo Costinha is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Heandler takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Costinha is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Costinha clinches with his opponent.
Costinha lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Costinha lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Heandler takes a knee to the side of the body.

Costinha breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Costinha lands a head kick. Heandler smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Costinha lands a head kick. Heandler smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Costinha doesn't manage to clinch there - Heandler circles away.
Costinha tries to clinch but Heandler moves out of range.
Costinha is looking to clinch but Heandler is avoiding it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Costinha goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.

Costinha has closed the distance and engaged Heandler in a clinch.
Costinha leaning his opponent against the cage.
Costinha landing knees to the body.

Costinha manages to break the clinch.
Heandler circles away from the clinch attempt.
Costinha lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.

Costinha has Heandler up against the cage in a clinch.
Costinha avoiding damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Knees in the clinch landing for Costinha.
Costinha connects with a knee to the head.
Knees to the body from Costinha.
Costinha controlling the action here for a moment.
A hook to the body from Costinha.
Costinha crunches a lovely knee into Heandler's ribcage.
Costinha lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Costinha manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Costinha lands a body shot.
Michael Heandler has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Costinha's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Costinha fails in his attempt to clinch.
Costinha throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Heandler avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Costinha is looking to clinch but Heandler is avoiding it.
Costinha tries to close the distance and clinch but Heandler swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Costinha gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Costinha breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Costinha works Heandler's body with a nice hook.
Leo Costinha is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Costinha tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

And that's the end of the fight!
Leo Costinha showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Costinha, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Thiago Cunha scores the fight 30:26
Judge Edson Gomes scores the fight 30:26
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 30:25

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Leo Costinha!