PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Joao Cajo Branca (ranked 57 p4p, 41 weight class) and Gary Sparxx (ranked 10 p4p, 9 weight class). Branca comes to the cage accompanied by original score medley. Gary Sparxx has the eye of the tiger tonight.

Branca
vs
Sparxx

194 cm
28
273
21 - 10 - 0

210 cm
36
267
25 - 6 - 1

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Altitude Clothing
Brooklyn Apothecary

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 21 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Joao Cajo Branca!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 25 - 6 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Gary Sparxx!
The judges for this bout are Taro Takaoka, Yukihiro Shimada and Ren Mimura.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Branca uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Sparxx.
Sparxx takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.

It looks like Joao Cajo Branca has been cut.
Sparxx falls off balance throwing a combination
and Branca counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Sparxx getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Branca avoids the head kick by Sparxx.
Branca lands a nice looking kick to the body. Sparxx takes a step back to recover.
Jab, jab by Branca - just one landing.
Branca has been working on his boxing with his coaches at Chakuriki LA Gym in the buildup to the fight.
Sparxx throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Sparxx misses with a right hand
and Branca counters with a stiff right hand.
A low kick from Sparxx misses

and Branca counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Branca lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Sparxx backwards.
Branca misses with a body punch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Sparxx.
Branca tries to work over Sparxx's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Branca tries a body shot but Sparxx blocks it.
Branca lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Sparxx backwards.

Sparxx breaks the clinch.
Sparxx misses with a lunging right hand
and Branca finishes the little exchange by landing a big kick to the body.
Sparxx misses with a looping left.
Sparxx throws a right hand that misses
and Branca counters with a slapping leg kick.
Branca is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Sparxx.
Branca lands with a right hand.
Branca connects with a leg kick.
Branca defending well as Sparxx loads up on a big left hand.
Branca connects with a body shot that sends Sparxx's belly button to the back.
A low kick from Sparxx is predictable there
and Branca counters with a body kick.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Branca lands a big right hand that sends Sparxx crashing to the mat! Branca stays standing though and waves Sparxx back to his feet!

It looks like Gary Sparxx has been cut.
Branca scoring well with a low kick there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sparxx shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Branca staying out of range there.
Branca lands a leg kick that knocks Sparxx off balance momentarily.
Sparxx throws a jab when Branca was well out of range.
Branca seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Branca throws a quick inside leg kick.
Branca lands a leg kick that knocks Sparxx off balance momentarily.
A low kick lands for Branca.
Branca ducks under a wild hook from Sparxx.
Sparxx bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Branca's head backwards.
Branca takes one to the side of the head.

Joao Cajo Branca's cut is getting worse.
Sparxx has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Branca finds it's way round the side to connect with Sparxx's head.
Sparxx avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Sparxx sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Branca throws a leg kick but Sparxx sees it coming and checks it nicely.
A little jabbing left from Sparxx on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Sparxx's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Branca looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Branca throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Sparxx throws a right hand that misses
and Branca counters with a leg kick.
Sparxx connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Sparxx falls off balance throwing a combination
and Branca counters with a straight right hand.
Branca lands with a kick to the ribs.
Sparxx uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Branca.
Branca throws out a loose jab but Sparxx uses good head movement to avoid it.
Sparxx throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Branca looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Sparxx looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Sparxx moves out of range of the body kick.

Branca instigates a clinch.
Branca doesn't land with the attempted body shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Branca stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Sparxx is trying to push Branca away but Branca has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Branca lands a shoulder strike.
Sparxx is looking to break free of the clinch but Branca has double underhooks.

Sparxx's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Branca pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Sparxx throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Sparxx moves out of range of the body kick.
Branca throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
A left lands for Sparxx.
Sparxx rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Branca counters with a left to the body.
Branca throws a low kick, looking for Sparxx's leg but Sparxx calmly moves out of range.
Sparxx has developed a nice purple lump on his ribcage, as a result of some heavy body kicks from Branca.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Branca throws the kick towards the body but Sparxx avoids it.
Branca avoids the body shot from Sparxx.
Branca appeared to be looking to counter that last move with a leg kick.
Sparxx misses with a low kick as Branca jumps back.
Branca is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Joao Cajo Branca dominated that round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare each other down, ready to get back to the action.

Branca blocks a jab.
Branca looked to counter that last move with a leg kick but didn't pull the trigger.
Branca misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Branca is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Sparxx can do to turn this around?
Branca on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Branca ducks under a wild hook from Sparxx.
Branca half committed to a counter leg kick.
Joao Cajo Branca is winning the standup battle so far.
Branca lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Sparxx circles away quickly and effectively.
Nice defenses there by Sparxx.
Branca throws out a loose jab but Sparxx uses good head movement to avoid it.
Sparxx throws a nice head kick!
Sparxx pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Branca scores with a kick to the midsection.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Branca displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Sparxx throws out the jab.
Nice body punch from Branca.
Branca feints and then cracks Sparxx's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Sparxx down.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Sparxx throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sparxx throws a poor cross that misses
and Branca counters with a straight right hand.

Branca moves into the clinch.
Sparxx tries to break free but Branca pushes him back against the cage.
Branca softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Branca goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Sparxx has had enough of the clinch but Branca keeps him there for the moment.
Sparxx tries to circle away but Branca has him pinned against the cage.

Sparxx breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Branca dips to his left and cracks Sparxx with an uppercut!
Sparxx swings widly with a right hand
and Branca counters with a nice leg kick.
Branca lands a lovely overhand right.
Gary Sparxx seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Branca lands a big uppercut and Sparxx crumbles to the floor! The ref thinks about stopping the fight but Sparxx looks OK. Branca waves Sparxx back to his feet!

Sparxx is rocked!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Sparxx throws a leg kick
and Branca counters with a right hand from hell and Sparxx is out cold! A vicious knockout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:51 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Joao Cajo Branca!
After the fight, Joao Cajo Branca was humble in paying tribute to his opponent but made it clear he wants to go on to bigger and better things. It seemed to go down well with the crowd who cheered him loudly.
Gary Sparxx spoke after the fight, saying 'Give me a couple hours, and I will meet you all at the dance floor!'.