PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Orlando Nunez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Enzo Makaronelli (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Nunez's entrance music is I Gotta Feeling by The Black Eyed Peas. A fine choice. Nunez has a slight injury, which hopefully won't affect the fight too much. Enzo Makaronelli told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Nunez
vs
Makaronelli

175 cm
23
168 lbs
1 - 6 - 0

170 cm
26
170 lbs
3 - 3 - 1

BJJ Blue Belt
Good knees
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Orlando Nunez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 3 - 1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Enzo Makaronelli!
The judges for this bout are Seu Braga, Luis Engracia and Leandro Rodrigues.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Makaronelli throws a head kick but Nunez moves out of range.
Makaronelli closes the distance and clinches up with Nunez, looking for a takedown. Makaronelli pushes Nunez against the cage but Nunez circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Nunez wants to clinch up but Makaronelli keeps it at a distance.
Nunez throws a nice looking combination but Makaronelli bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Makaronelli keeps the fight on the outside.
Makaronelli keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

Makaronelli has taken the fight to the clinch.
Nunez using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Makaronelli has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Makaronelli stalls.
Nunez prevents the takedown attempt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nunez keeps control of Makaronelli as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Nunez is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Makaronelli gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Nunez is breathing heavily.
Nunez jumps guard but Makaronelli turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
I was talking to Nunez's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nunez fails to pull guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Orlando Nunez. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Makaronelli is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Nunez is defending well.

Makaronelli drags the fight down to the ground.
Makaronelli has Nunez pulled in close to control his posture.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Makaronelli is continuing to stall.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Nunez trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Makaronelli will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Nunez tries to clinch but Makaronelli is having none of it.
Makaronelli looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nice sprawl there from Nunez as Makaronelli shoots in.
It looked like Nunez was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Makaronelli fails with the takedown.
Makaronelli shoots in but no luck this time.
Makaronelli with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Nunez connects with an inside leg kick.

Makaronelli gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Nunez wants a takedown.
Nunez is pressed up against the cage. Makaronelli has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Nunez down to the mat. Nunez avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Makaronelli misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Nunez appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Horrible takedown attempt by Makaronelli or perhaps it was just good defense by Nunez, which made it look bad.
Horrible takedown attempt by Makaronelli or perhaps it was just good defense by Nunez, which made it look bad.
Makaronelli stuffs the takedown attempt from Nunez. Nunez gets slowly back to his feet.

Makaronelli has managed to clinch.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Makaronelli pulls guard.
Nunez with a flurry of punches that miss.
Makaronelli seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Makaronelli drives through and clinches with Nunez against the cage.
Makaronelli avoiding damage.

Makaronelli manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Nunez throws a big right hand that misses.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Nunez passes Makaronelli's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Makaronelli wants to get back to full guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Makaronelli desperately trying to maintain half guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Makaronelli tries to get to full guard but Nunez has control of the leg.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Makaronelli has his hands clasped together around Nunez's back. He's all about the action.
Nunez stops Makaronelli from getting back to his feet.
Nunez tries to stand but his arm is trapped.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Makaronelli keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Makaronelli with the counter takedown but Nunez avoids it easily.

That's two 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.

Makaronelli clinches up with Nunez and pushes him back against the cage.

Makaronelli's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Makaronelli looks for a takedown but Nunez sprawls well.
Makaronelli fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

Makaronelli rushes Nunez and presses him up against the cage.
Makaronelli has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Makaronelli displaying some good clinch control by pressing Nunez up against the cage.

Makaronelli decides to pull guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Makaronelli holds on and takes a little breather.
Nunez trying to control the position from guard on top but Makaronelli is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Makaronelli seems keen to control Nunez's posture.

Makaronelli working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Nunez doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Nunez manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.

Makaronelli pushes Nunez off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Makaronelli shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Nunez but Nunez pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Orlando Nunez has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Enzo Makaronelli.
Nunez checks a low kick from Makaronelli.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Enzo Makaronelli showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Nunez is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Nunez tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Makaronelli defends well and Nunez ends up having to push Makaronelli into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.

Makaronelli clinches with his opponent.
Makaronelli is trying to break the clinch but Nunez is controlling him.
Makaronelli wants to get back to striking at distance but Nunez won't allow it.
Makaronelli wants a takedown.
Nunez avoiding damage as Makaronelli throws knees to the body.
Makaronelli taking a breather.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Makaronelli ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Makaronelli no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Nunez wants to control from the top but Makaronelli keeps moving.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The fighters are working up against the cage. Makaronelli manages to wriggle his way back to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched against the cage.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Makaronelli pulls guard successfully.
Makaronelli looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Makaronelli pulls Nunez in close to prevent any damage.
Makaronelli wants to sweep here but Nunez controlling him for the moment.
Makaronelli is pulling down on Nunez's head to control his posture.
Nunez trying to control the position from guard on top but Makaronelli is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Makaronelli holds on and takes a little breather.
The adventures of Makaronelli the control monster continue. Boring.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Nunez stuffs the takedown.
Makaronelli shoots in looking for a takedown. Nunez tries to sprawl out of it but Makaronelli keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Nunez manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Orlando Nunez has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Enzo Makaronelli.
Makaronelli stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Makaronelli wants it to stay on the feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Makaronelli looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

Makaronelli moves into the clinch.
Makaronelli tries for a takedown. No joy.
Nunez is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Makaronelli to keep the fight standing.
Nunez stops a takedown attempt from Makaronelli.

Makaronelli pulls guard.
Nunez trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Makaronelli pulls Nunez in close to prevent any damage.
Nunez wants to control from the top but Makaronelli keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Makaronelli is pulling down on Nunez's head to control his posture.

Nunez postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Makaronelli is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Nunez, into his guard.

Makaronelli stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Nunez swivels though and keeps the full guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Enzo Makaronelli comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Makaronelli winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Seu Braga scores the fight 27:30
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight 27:30
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Enzo Makaronelli!
Orlando Nunez spoke after the fight, saying 'I want a title shot!'.