PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Rodrigo Oliveira (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tap Taparoo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rodrigo Oliveira has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Oliveira
vs
Taparoo

187 cm
18
185 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

175 cm
20
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Solid chin

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rodrigo Oliveira!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Tap Taparoo!
The judges for this bout are Alexandre Firmino, Mauricio Rocha and Leandro Rodrigues.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Oliveira shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Taparoo as he avoids it easily.
Taparoo looks really tired already! That doesn't bode well for a good, competitive fight!

Taparoo has managed to clinch.
Taparoo wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Oliveira has him pressed against the cage.

Taparoo pulls guard.
Taparoo looking to control.

Oliveira drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Oliveira jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Taparoo looking for a sweep. Not yet Taparoo, not yet.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Oliveira stands up over Taparoo, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Oliveira lands a couple of elbows.
Oliveira slips nicely into half guard.
Oliveira will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

Oliveira is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Taparoo doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Oliveira.
Taparoo trying to control from the bottom.
Taparoo is looking to improve his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Taparoo looking for submissions off his back.

Oliveira is looking for a kimura here.
Taparoo slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Oliveira tries to stand but Taparoo is controlling from the bottom.
Oliveira is fighting to break Taparoo's control of his arms but Taparoo is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Taparoo tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Taparoo is looking for a triangle here but Oliveira uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.

Oliveira decides to take the fight back to the feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Oliveira fails with the takedown.
Oliveira just misses with a punch to the body.
Taparoo avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Taparoo pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Oliveira throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Taparoo's waist but Taparoo gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Oliveira off to one side.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rodrigo Oliveira. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Taparoo gets a clinch.
Oliveira can't break the clinch.
Oliveira wants a takedown but no success here.
Oliveira tries to pull guard but Taparoo holds him up against the cage and eventually Oliveira drops back down to his feet.

Taparoo pulls guard.
Taparoo utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

Taparoo is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Oliveira trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

Taparoo has an active guard here but Oliveira has managed to pass into half guard.
Oliveira passes to full mount!
Oliveira prevents Taparoo from getting the reversal.
Taparoo manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Taparoo works his way to full guard. Good work.
Taparoo preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Taparoo wants to sweep but no luck.
Oliveira wants to control from the top but Taparoo keeps moving.
Oliveira passes Taparoo's left leg - he's now in half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Oliveira wants to work for an arm triangle but Taparoo is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.

Taparoo looking for submissions off his back.
Oliveira missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Oliveira passes to side control.

Oliveira tries for a kimura but Taparoo is defending well.
Taparoo is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Taparoo is trying to control Oliveira's posture but Oliveira avoids it.
Taparoo gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Tap Taparoo will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Taparoo has taken the fight to the clinch.
Taparoo jumps guard but Oliveira stands there with Taparoo around his waist. Taparoo gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Oliveira wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

Taparoo has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Oliveira is trying to keep an underhook but Taparoo manages to get the takedown into half guard.
Oliveira trying to hold on to Taparoo's head to control him but Taparoo postures up.
Oliveira slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Taparoo is looking to advance position but Oliveira has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!
Oliveira prevents Taparoo from getting the reversal.
Taparoo has given up his back - I don’t know if this is a deliberate ploy to try and escape or if he is just struggling down there.

Oliveira looking for the choke from the back.
Taparoo is breathing heavily.

Oliveira is looking to finish the fight by rear naked choke. Taparoo knows exactly what he's got planned though, so he's defending well. Maybe a few strikes would soften Taparoo for a finish.

Oliveira is persistently looking for the submission but Taparoo is defending it well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Oliveira is not going to allow Taparoo to sit and survive in this position.

Taparoo preventing the rear naked choke attempt from Oliveira.
Taparoo breaks Oliveira's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.

Oliveira throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Taparoo drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Oliveira manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Taparoo has Oliveira in his guard.
Taparoo can't keep his opponent in guard - Oliveira advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Oliveira uses his free foot to push down on Taparoo's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Taparoo.
Oliveira prevents Taparoo from getting the reversal.
Taparoo is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Oliveira pushing the pace here, looking to move to his opponents back and work for a finish.
Taparoo is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Taparoo is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Taparoo tries to reverse the position but Oliveira maintains control.
Oliveira throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Taparoo because Oliveira loaded up on that one.
Taparoo is squirming around, avoiding Oliveira's attempts to control the action.
Taparoo is looking to improve his position but Oliveira isn't that keen on the idea.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Oliveira has hold of Taparoo's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Taparoo manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.

Oliveira jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Taparoo manages to avoid the submission attempt.
Taparoo dodges the ground and pound from Oliveira.
Oliveira is looking to take a break and control but Taparoo is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Taparoo gets back to half guard.
Rodrigo Oliveira overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Taparoo tries to kick Oliveira off but Oliveira keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

Oliveira is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Taparoo wants to control but Oliveira is keeping busy and won't allow it.

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.

Oliveira is working for a kimura but Taparoo is defending it quite comfortably.
Oliveira trying to control from half guard but Taparoo is working away.
Taparoo is looking to get back to full guard here but Oliveira has managed to pass to side control instead.

Oliveira working for a submission but Taparoo is keeping him at bay.
Taparoo sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.

Taparoo looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Taparoo is trying to stand up here but Oliveira is controlling him well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rodrigo Oliveira dominated that second round.
That's time! Oliveira's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Taparoo closes the distance and clinches.
Taparoo keeps control of Oliveira as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Taparoo misses with an elbow strike.
Oliveira is working for takedown but Taparoo is calmly controlling the position for now.
Oliveira is working for takedown but Taparoo is calmly controlling the position for now.
Oliveira stops a takedown attempt from Taparoo.

Oliveira breaks from the clinch.
Taparoo avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Oliveira looks frusrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rodrigo Oliveira. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Oliveira closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Taparoo tries to buck Oliveira off but Oliveira is having none of it.
Taparoo struggling a bit here.
Oliveira is looking to take a break and control but Taparoo is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Taparoo sneaks back into half guard.
Taparoo takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Oliveira prevents Taparoo from improving his position.
Oliveira moves into full mount! Taparoo won't be happy about that!

Oliveira looking to secure an arm triangle but Taparoo defends it well.
Oliveira wants to take Taparoo's back but he can't do it this time.
Taparoo manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Taparoo is looking to escape.
Oliveira seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Taparoo is positioning himself well to prevent Oliveira advancing to mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Taparoo is looking to control Oliveira's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Taparoo avoid being mounted?
Oliveira wants to pass the guard but Taparoo is defending well.
Taparoo wants to get back to full guard.

Taparoo is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Oliveira pulls his head out easily.
Oliveira sitting and controlling from the half guard.

Taparoo makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!
Oliveira will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Left hook, right uppercut from Oliveira.
Oliveira tries to clinch

and Taparoo counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

Taparoo breaks the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Oliveira's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Oliveira duly obliges.

Taparoo has managed to clinch.

Oliveira pulls guard successfully.
Taparoo trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Taparoo accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

Taparoo drops back looking for a leg! Oliveira is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Oliveira manages to kick Taparoo off! Taparoo jumps back into Oliveira's guard.
Taparoo tries to free his leg and advance position but Oliveira is retaining full guard.
Taparoo forces his way into half guard.

Taparoo is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Taparoo blocks the strikes from Oliveira.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Oliveira trying to control from the bottom.

Oliveira looking for submissions off his back.
Oliveira is trying to maintain the position but Taparoo is very close to passing his half guard.

Taparoo postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Oliveira to stand up.
Oliveira throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Taparoo.
Oliveira throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Taparoo.
Taparoo moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Oliveira throws a right and a left that both miss.
Taparoo throws a low kick, looking for Oliveira's leg but Oliveira calmly moves out of range.
Oliveira throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
A low kick from Taparoo misses

and Oliveira counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Oliveira seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.
Taparoo manages to get to full guard.

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 Rodrigo Oliveira.
I think Oliveira 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 Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 30:28
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 29:28
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rodrigo Oliveira!