PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Zack Rider (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Max Almeida (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Rider
vs
Almeida

175 cm
22
135 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

181 cm
23
141 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Big heart

Decent wrestler
Counter fighter
Granite chin

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, Zack Rider!
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, Max Almeida!
The judges for this bout are Luis Engracia, Leandro Rodrigues and Felipe Paraventi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Almeida swats away the attempt to clinch by Rider.
Rider clobbers Almeida with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Rider throws a hook but Almeida blocks it.
Almeida moves out of range of the leg kick from Rider.
Rider cracks Almeida with a right hand to the side of the head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rider lands a jab to the nose.
Rider takes one to the side of the head.
Almeida takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rider throws a jab when Almeida was well out of range.
Almeida is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Rider.
Rider swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Almeida is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Rider really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Rider rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Almeida counters with a nice body shot.
Almeida jabs Rider right on the nose. Rider blinks but takes it well.

Rider closes the distance and clinches.
Almeida prevents Rider from breaking the clinch.
Almeida tries to work over Rider's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Almeida has Rider pressed against the cage, preventing Rider from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Almeida tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Rider's elbow.
Almeida has a couple of punches blocked by Rider.
Rider is trying to break free.
Almeida tries to throw a body punch but Rider avoids it by throwing Almeida back against the cage.
Rider lands a left hand.
Almeida works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Almeida lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Rider or not.
A short right from Almeida on the inside.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Rider blocks a punch to the side of the head.
A short uppercut from Almeida.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Almeida.
Almeida scores with a nice hook to the head.
Rider swings wildly with an uppercut but Almeida uses good head movement to avoid it.
Rider has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Rider can't break the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rider scores with a nice hook to the head.
Almeida lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Rider letting Almeida take a breather here.
Almeida cracks Rider with a nice body shot.
Almeida is working Rider over against the cage.
Rider wants to get back to striking at distance but Almeida won't allow it.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Almeida.
A short uppercut from Almeida.
Almeida scores with a shoulder strike.
Almeida tries to throw a body punch but Rider avoids it by throwing Almeida back against the cage.
Rider's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Almeida lands a shoulder strike.
Rider tries to break the clinch but Almeida is controlling the position.
Almeida tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Almeida lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Rider looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Rider wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Almeida has him pressed against the cage.
Almeida lands a right hand that snaps the head of Rider backwards.
Almeida lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Rider or not.
Almeida is stalling here.
Almeida prevents Rider from breaking the clinch.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Almeida creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Almeida goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Almeida tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Rider's elbow.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Rider.
Rider is trying to break the clinch but Almeida is controlling him.
Rider blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Rider wants to get back to striking at distance but Almeida won't allow it.
Rider lands a shoulder strike.
Almeida scores with a nice hook to the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Max Almeida dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Almeida scores with a decent looking hook.

Almeida cracks Rider with a big right hand that sends him to the floor! Rider looks wobbly but he's sprung back up to his feet straight away… can Almeida finish him?

Rider is rocked!
Almeida walks into a stiff left hand from Rider.
Oh Rider is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Rider thuds his right hand into Almeida's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Rider seems to have got his legs back now.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Rider connects with a jab.
Rider tries to close the distance and clinch up but Almeida swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Almeida just misses with a punch to the body.
Almeida swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Almeida has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rider slips a jab from Almeida.
Good shot there by Rider.
Almeida checks a leg kick.
Almeida looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Almeida dips to his left and cracks Rider with an uppercut!
Almeida scores with a sloppy right hand. Rider should have avoided that one.
Rider misses with a low kick.
Rider lands a jab to the nose.
Almeida checks a leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Almeida cracks Rider with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Almeida scores with a nice strike.
A lazy left from Almeida finds it's target.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Rider has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Rider there as he acknowledges the shot.
Almeida drops his hands momentarily and Rider takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Almeida misses with a wild body shot.
Rider darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Rider uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Almeida.
Rider keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rider shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Almeida scores with a decent looking hook.
Rider blocks a jab.
It looked like Rider wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
A slow jab from Almeida misses its intended target.
Rider's jab looks to have found its range, popping Almeida under the eye.
Rider tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Almeida was well out of range. Poor timing from Rider.
Almeida moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Rider wants to clinch up but Almeida keeps it at a distance.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nice shot by Almeida.
A looping hook to the body misses from Rider. Almeida does a little dance to reset his feet.
Almeida throws a body punch but Rider moves out of range.
Rider with a jab.
Rider connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Almeida connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Rider's hands.
Rider stuns Almeida with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Rider swings and misses with a hook to the body.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Almeida! But no joy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Max Almeida showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Rider keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Rider looks to land a combination but Almeida avoids it well.
Almeida now looks to counter with a shot at the body.
Almeida bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Nice shot by Rider.
Almeida works the jab nicely.
Nice body punch from Almeida.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Rider has closed the distance and engaged Almeida in a clinch.
Almeida doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Almeida keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Rider's efforts to push away.
Almeida misses with a body punch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rider is trying to push Almeida away but Almeida has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Rider lands a hook to the side of the head.
Almeida misses with a short punch on the inside.
Almeida manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Rider takes a shot to the head.
A short uppercut from Almeida.
Rider is looking to break free of the clinch but Almeida has double underhooks.
Almeida goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Almeida softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Almeida lands a hook that snaps the head of Rider backwards.
Rider has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
A right hand to the body from Almeida.
Almeida prevents Rider from breaking the clinch.
Max Almeida is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Almeida keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Rider's efforts to push away.
Almeida fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Rider working hard to break the clinch.
Almeida tries to work over Rider's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Almeida misses with a hook from the clinch.
Rider fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
A frustrated look appears on Rider's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Almeida tries to throw a body punch but Rider avoids it by throwing Almeida back against the cage.
Rider is trying to force a seperation but Almeida has the dominant position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Almeida prevents Rider from breaking the clinch.
Rider wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Almeida has him pressed against the cage.
Almeida tries to throw a body punch but Rider avoids it by throwing Almeida back against the cage.
Rider lands a right hand.
Rider throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Almeidas head.
Rider throws a head punch that misses.
Rider lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Almeida tries to throw a body punch but Rider avoids it by throwing Almeida back against the cage.
Rider is trying to push Almeida away but Almeida has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Rider wants to get back to striking at distance but Almeida won't allow it.
Rider looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Rider pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Almeida lands a jab.
Almeida scores with a nice head shot.
A punch lands to the side of Almeida 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Rider on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Rider sizes up Almeida with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Rider throws a predictable looking body shot
letting Almeida counter with a right hand.
Rider throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Almeida counters with a lovely straight right hand!

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Max Almeida.
Well Almeida has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Luis Engracia scores the fight for Max Almeida!
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight for Max Almeida!
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight for Max Almeida!

Max Almeida wins by unanimous decision!