PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Ana Balestra (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Marcus Pouncy (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Balestra
vs
Pouncy

169 cm
25
130 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

178 cm
28
135 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Brawler
Self confident

Good wrestler
Brawler
Determined

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 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Ana Balestra!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Marcus Pouncy!
The judges for this bout are Paulo Santos, Mauricio Rocha and Emerson Jorge.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Balestra tries to clinch but Pouncy is having none of it.
Pouncy thows a body shot but no joy.

Balestra has Pouncy up against the cage in a clinch.
Balestra drops down looking for an ankle pick but Pouncy pulls his leg out and moves away.
Balestra tries to clinch up.
Balestra fails with a takedown attempt.

Pouncy tries to keep at a distance but Balestra has taken the fight into the clinch.

Pouncy gets a trip takedown into half guard.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Balestra is looking for a sweep. Pouncy is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Pouncy is thwarting Balestra's attempts to control the position.
Balestra is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Pouncy is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balestra slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Pouncy accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Balestra trying to keep a closed guard but Pouncy is proving a slippery customer.
Balestra trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Balestra wants to sweep here but Pouncy controlling him for the moment.
Balestra is working hard here to advance position.
Balestra striking off his back but it's not causing Pouncy any problems.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Balestra looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Balestra looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Balestra has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Pouncy in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Pouncy is stalling in the full guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Balestra shoots in looking for a takedown. Pouncy tries to sprawl out of it but Balestra keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Pouncy manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ana Balestra. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Pouncy shoots in for a takedown but Balestra shows good takedown defense.
Pouncy stuffs the takedown attempt from Balestra. Balestra gets slowly back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pouncy stuffs the takedown attempt from Balestra. Balestra gets slowly back to his feet.
Balestra misses the shot to the body.

Balestra closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Pouncy pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Balestra keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.

Balestra shoots in and bounces Pouncy off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.

Balestra drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Pouncy manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Balestra has Pouncy in his guard.
Balestra is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pouncy trying to control but Balestra is working from the bottom.
Balestra not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Pouncy trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Pouncy showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Pouncy stands and steps away. Balestra gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ana Balestra dominated that 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.

Balestra shoots for a double leg takedown but Pouncy sprawls well. He's pushed Balestra's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Pouncy tries to clinch but Balestra is having none of it.
Pouncy avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Pouncy lands with a slapping head kick.
Balestra dives in and grabs Pouncy's left leg, looking for a takedown. Pouncy pushes down on Balestra's head and hops out.
Pouncy steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Balestra.
Pouncy is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Balestra.
Balestra has a takedown stuffed.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ana Balestra. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Balestra on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Pouncy shoots in for a takedown but Balestra shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Balestra throws a lazy body kick
and Pouncy makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Balestra fails to land the takedown.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Balestra throws a right and a left that both miss.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Pouncy closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Balestra's guard.
Pouncy pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Balestra is keeping the position for now.
Balestra being controlled here, momentarily.
Balestra wants to control the position but Pouncy says "no thanks buddy" and passes to half guard.

Pouncy is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Balestra has managed to free his arm - good work.
Balestra pushes Pouncy off looking to stand but Pouncy dives back in and keeps control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pouncy controlling the action here.
Balestra makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Balestra.
Pouncy is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Balestra keeping moving, preventing Pouncy from controlling successfully.

Balestra is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Pouncy is aware though and is defending well.
Pouncy tries to free his leg and advance position but Balestra is retaining full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Balestra is looking for a triangle but Pouncy pushes his legs off easily.
Pouncy chips away with some ground and pound.
Pouncy postures up.
Balestra is really struggling to control Pouncy but he's trying to hold on to the position.

Pouncy stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Pouncy dives in and grabs Balestra's left leg, looking for a takedown. Balestra pushes down on Pouncy's head and hops out.
Pouncy misses with a takedown attempt - Balestra sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Balestra tries to sprawl but Pouncy drives through with a takedown into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Balestra makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Balestra.
Pouncy stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Balestra swivels though and keeps the full guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Balestra controls Pouncy momentarily but Pouncy frees himself.

Balestra working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Pouncy doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Pouncy manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Pouncy sitting in guard here, content to control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Marcus Pouncy showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Balestra with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Balestra shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Pouncy defends it nicely.
Balestra fails in his attempt to clinch.

Pouncy closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Pouncy lands in his opponent's guard.
Marcus Pouncy has got the better of the ground game so far.
Pouncy tries to free his leg and advance position but Balestra is retaining full guard.
Balestra bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Pouncy's guard.
Balestra trying to control but Pouncy is working from the bottom.

Pouncy is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Balestra defends well.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Pouncy can do anything to dispel that myth.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pouncy is trying to keep Balestra in close.
Balestra in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Balestra wants to control from the top but Pouncy keeps moving.
Balestra is pushing down on Pouncy's leg trying to pass to half guard. Pouncy is fighting to maintain full guard but Balestra has managed to sneak the leg through.
Pouncy trying to control from the bottom.
Balestra wants to free his trapped foot but Pouncy is holding on for dear life with his legs.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Balestra is keen to just control but Pouncy is a slippery customer.
Pouncy works his way to full guard. Good work.
Balestra throws an elbow that misses. Pouncy uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Balestra's guard. Nice move by Pouncy!
Pouncy must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Balestra is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

Balestra is looking for a triangle here but Pouncy uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Pouncy tries to advance to mount but can't.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balestra is looking to reverse the position.
Pouncy really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Balestra. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Balestra is pushing Pouncy's head away, looking to escape. Pouncy manages to hold on to the position though.
Balestra manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Balestra tries to roll over but Pouncy keeps him under control.
Pouncy is thwarting Balestra's attempts to control the position.
Balestra moves into full guard.
Balestra keeping full guard, as Pouncy tries to pass.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pouncy 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.
Balestra looking to control.
Pouncy wants to stand but Balestra has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Balestra is trying to control the position but Pouncy postures up.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Pouncy stopping the sweep attempt from Balestra.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Ana Balestra.
Pouncy lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Balestra circles away quickly and effectively.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Ana Balestra.
I think Balestra 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 Paulo Santos scores the fight for Marcus Pouncy!
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight for Ana Balestra!
Judge Emerson Jorge scores the fight as a draw!

The fight ends as a draw!