PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Ciro Bottini (ranked 1013 p4p, 1674 weight class) and Ronaldo Souza (ranked 133 p4p, 215 weight class). Bottini comes to the cage accompanied by Proteus - Stravaganza. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Bottini
vs
Souza

185 cm
19
195
3 - 1 - 0

188 cm
26
195
5 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Brawler
Very quick

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Solid chin

EL ZOIDO FEEBLE FIGHTWEAR

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 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Ciro Bottini!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Ronaldo Souza!
The judges for this bout are Santiago Holmes, Michael Johnstone and Winston Alpacca.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Bottini gets a clinch.
Souza can't find room to land a body shot as Bottini controls the action.

Bottini has picked Souza up - he's going for a ride! Bottini dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Bottini scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Bottini is trying to control the action in half guard but Souza is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Bottini misses with a head shot. Souza uses the momentum to regain guard.
Bottini is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Souza looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Souza keeping moving, preventing Bottini from controlling successfully.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bottini throwing strikes from guard but Souza blocks nicely.

Souza is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Bottini is aware though and is defending well.
Souza trying to keep a closed guard but Bottini is proving a slippery customer.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Bottini got a little sloppy there for a moment and Souza has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Bottini has managed to get both his arms back between Souza's legs - danger averted.
Bottini won't allow Souza to sweep him here.
Souza looking to control.

Souza is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Bottini is aware though and is defending well.
Bottini content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Souza tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Souza is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

Souza working for a triangle but Bottini defends it easily.
Bottini sitting in guard, not really doing much.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Bottini is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bottini controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Bottini trying to control but Souza is working from the bottom.
Souza looking for a sweep. Not yet Souza, not yet.
Souza keeping full guard, as Bottini tries to pass.
Bottini is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Souza keeping moving, preventing Bottini from controlling successfully.

Souza is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Bottini is aware though and is defending well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bottini cracks Souza with a solid left hand.

Souza is looking for a triangle but Bottini pushes his legs off easily.
Bottini is stalling in the full guard.
Bottini cracks Souza with a solid left hand.
Bottini lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Bottini lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

Souza looking for a guillotine here but Bottini defends easily.
Bottini preventing the sweep.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Souza working a defensive guard but Bottini passes into half guard.

Souza looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Bottini trying to pass the guard but Souza defending well.
Bottini prevents Souza from improving his position.
Nice strikes from Bottini there.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Souza wants to improve his position but Bottini is controlling well.
Souza trying to control from the bottom.
Souza wants to get back to full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Souza pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Bottini closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Bottini blocks an elbow strike.

Bottini gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Bottini working the head and body with strikes.
Bottini lands with a punch from half guard.
Souza is refusing to be controlled, as Bottini sits in half guard.
Souza tries to roll over but Bottini keeps him under control.
Bottini works his way into full mount!
Souza wants to control but Bottini is having none of it.
Bottini working away from the top, dropping strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Souza is squirming around, avoiding Bottini's attempts to control the action.
Bottini landing strikes from the mount.
Bottini is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Souza can do to turn this around?
Bottini pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Souza tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Bottini looking to control but Souza is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Souza wants to hold on but Bottini pushes him away.
Bottini lands with some strikes.

It looks like Ronaldo Souza has been cut.
Bottini content just to control the position here.
Bottini working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Souza working to try and regain half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bottini landing punches.
Bottini looking to control and managing it successfully.
Souza is in a horrible position here. Bottini smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Ciro Bottini overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Bottini controlling the position easily from mount.
Bottini working Souza over with strikes here.

Souza is rocked!
Souza is looking to get to half guard.
Bottini landing strikes from the mount.
Souza is still in real trouble! Can Bottini finish him?
Souza bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Souza seems to have recovered his senses.
Souza looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Souza pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Bottini is keeping the position for now.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Bottini holds on and takes a little breather.
Souza passes Bottini's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Bottini on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Bottini tries to get out of the position.
Souza trying to pass the guard but Bottini defending well.
Souza slows the pace down in half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Bottini is not content to let Souza control the position.
Souza wants to free his trapped foot but Bottini is holding on for dear life with his legs.

Souza wants to work for an arm triangle but Bottini is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Souza wants to control but Bottini is keeping him busy.
Bottini tries to regain full guard. Instead though, Souza has advanced to mount. Uh oh.
Bottini wants to hold on but Souza pushes him away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ciro Bottini dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Ronaldo Souza's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Bottini gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Souza wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Bottini is trying to drag Souza to the mat but Souza just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Bottini prevents a takedown attempt there.

Bottini pulls guard.
Bottini keeping moving, preventing Souza from controlling successfully.
Bottini has his hands on Souza's head, controlling the position.
Souza passes into half guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Souza wants to control but Bottini is keeping him busy.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Souza working his ground and pound in the gym. He isn't landing a great percentage of his ground strikes so far though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Souza prevents Bottini from improving his position.

Souza is working for a kimura but Bottini is defending it quite comfortably.
Bottini holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.
Bottini is looking for a sweep. Souza is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Bottini trying to control but Souza postures up.
Souza is looking to take a break and control but Bottini is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Bottini is trying to maintain the position but Souza is very close to passing his half guard.
Ronaldo Souza has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

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.
Bottini tries to get to full guard but Souza has control of the leg.
Souza is looking to stall here but Bottini recovers full guard.
Souza stands and throws Bottini's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Souza trying to control the action but Bottini is working from the bottom.
Bottini takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Souza trying to control the action but Bottini is working from the bottom.
Souza is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.

Souza thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

Souza goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Bottini rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Souza's guard! Nice work there by Bottini!
Bottini has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Bottini with a nice head shot there.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Souza has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Bottini can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

Souza is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Bottini is aware though and is defending well.
Souza takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Bottini looking to pass the guard.
Bottini wants to control from the top but Souza keeps moving.
Bottini looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Souza keeping moving, preventing Bottini from controlling successfully.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Bottini makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ciro Bottini showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Bottini, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Santiago Holmes scores the fight 30:27
Judge Michael Johnstone scores the fight 30:27
Judge Winston Alpacca scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ciro Bottini!
An out of breath Ciro Bottini thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.