PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Chris Maia (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gideon Gonzalez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Buckle up people - heeeeeeeeeere we go!

Maia
vs
Gonzalez

175 cm
28
200 lbs
6 - 3 - 0

200 cm
27
188 lbs
6 - 5 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Basic striking
Granite chin

BJJ Brown Belt
Lethal high kicks
Powerful

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 6 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Chris Maia!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 5 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Gideon Gonzalez!
The judges for this bout are Igor Prikhodko, Fedor Mirinova and Sergei Dronov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Maia looks for a takedown but Gonzalez sprawls well.
Gonzalez tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Maia fails with an attempt to clinch.

Maia closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Gonzalez to the mat! Gonzalez manages to get full guard.
Gonzalez is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Maia throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Gonzalez works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Maia stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Gonzalez swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Gonzalez wants to sweep here but Maia controlling him for the moment.
Maia has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Maia trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maia wants to control from the top but Gonzalez keeps moving.
Maia with a nice head shot there.
Maia throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Gonzalez works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Gonzalez keeping full guard, as Maia tries to pass.
Gonzalez can't keep his opponent in guard - Maia advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.

Maia is looking for a kimura here.

Maia is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Gonzalez defends it well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maia wants to advance to full mount but Gonzalez doesn't think that's going to happen and regains full guard instead.
Maia is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Gonzalez keeping moving, preventing Maia from controlling successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gonzalez wants to sweep but no luck.
Gonzalez is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Maia trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Gonzalez manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gonzalez wants to get up but he can't break Maia's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Gonzalez pushes down on Maia's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Maia controlling the position well.
Gonzalez thows a huge punch but Maia dodges it nicely.
Gonzalez wants to stand up but Maia has a hold of him and won't allow it.
Maia gets back to full guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Maia seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Gonzalez accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

A momentary lapse in concentration from Gonzalez enables Maia to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Gonzalez manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Maia trying to control but Gonzalez is working from the bottom.
Gonzalez preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Chris Maia overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Gonzalez working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Maia.
Maia trying to control but Gonzalez is working from the bottom.
Maia pushes down on Gonzalez's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Maia is keen to just control but Gonzalez is a slippery customer.

Maia is looking for a kimura but Gonzalez is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Maia to get the leverage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maia trying to control from half guard but Gonzalez is working away.

Maia is working for an americana but Gonzalez has been sneaky and has managed to get back to half guard, whilst Maia was thinking about the submission.
Maia pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Gonzalez is keeping the position for now.
Gonzalez not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maia trying to control but Gonzalez is working from the bottom.
Maia postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Gonzalez utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Maia throwing strikes but missing.
Gonzalez working a defensive guard here.
Maia in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gonzalez bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Maia's guard.
Maia is pulling down on Gonzalez's head. It's preventing any offense from Gonzalez, at least for the moment.
Gonzalez wants to stand but Maia has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Maia 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.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gonzalez has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Maia is proving hard to escape from.
Maia trying to control the position here.

Gonzalez drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Gonzalez jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Gonzalez preventing the sweep.
Maia keeping moving, preventing Gonzalez from controlling successfully.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Maia misses with a takedown attempt - Gonzalez sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Gonzalez scores with a kick to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Chris Maia dominated that second round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Maia takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Maia throws a front kick aimed at Gonzalez's knee but Gonzalez avoids it well.

Gonzalez pushes Maia up against the cage in a clinch.
Gonzalez prevents the takedown attempt.
Maia drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Gonzalez gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Maia tries to pull guard but Gonzalez won't allow it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Chris Maia. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Gonzalez gets underhooks to prevent Maia's takedown attempt.
Gonzalez prevents the takedown attempt.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Maia is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Gonzalez is looking to break free of the clinch but Maia has double underhooks.
Maia wants a takedown but no success here.

Gonzalez drags the fight down to the ground.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maia throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Gonzalez works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Maia stopping the sweep attempt from Gonzalez.
Gonzalez bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Maia's guard.
Gonzalez has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Maia is proving hard to escape from.
Gonzalez trying to control the position from guard on top but Maia is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Maia seems keen to control Gonzalez's posture.
Gonzalez trying to control but Maia is working from the bottom.
Gideon Gonzalez has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gonzalez trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Maia keeping moving, preventing Gonzalez from controlling successfully.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Gideon Gonzalez wasn't active enough on the ground.

Maia shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.

Maia is looking for a kimura but Gonzalez is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Maia to get the leverage.
Maia working to pass to mount. He's got his hand pressing down on Gonzalez's thigh. Gonzalez counters though and makes it back to full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gonzalez is trying to keep Maia in close.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Maia drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Gonzalez manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Maia has Gonzalez in his guard.
Maia looking to hit a scissor sweep but Gonzalez is one step ahead there.

Gonzalez thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Maia trying to control the position here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Gonzalez drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Gonzalez jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Maia seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Maia 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.
Chris Maia is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Maia holds on and takes a little breather.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Maia keeping full guard, as Gonzalez tries to pass.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Gonzalez being controlled here momentarily.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Gideon Gonzalez.
I think Maia 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 Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 29:28
Judge Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 29:28
Judge Sergei Dronov scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Chris Maia!
Chris Maia decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.