PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Haile Selasi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and demian maia (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look pumped up here. Let's hope this is a good fight!

Selasi
vs
maia

186 cm
22
194 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

177 cm
23
197 lbs
5 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
KO power

Good takedowns
Basic striking
Knockout power

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 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Haile Selasi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, demian maia!
The judges for this bout are Gwen Towbar, Alan Glass and George Francis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Selasi closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming maia to the mat! maia manages to get full guard.
maia lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Selasi!
Selasi is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
maia scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Selasi?
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
maia fails to move to back control.
Selasi is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
maia unloading with bombs!
maia prevents Selasi from getting the reversal.

maia working for a submission but Selasi is keeping him at bay.
maia sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.

maia is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Selasi is surviving well by controlling maia's body position as best he can.
Selasi is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Selasi is looking to improve his position but maia isn't that keen on the idea.
Selasi tries to hold on but maia postures up.
maia unloads with some shots from mount but Selasi bucks and avoids them well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Selasi wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by maia.
maia trying to control but he's not successful this time.
maia takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
maia cracks Selasi with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Selasi is bucking up trying to escape but maia cracks him with another couple of good strikes.

maia looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
maia with the ground and pound from mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

maia is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Selasi is surviving well by controlling maia's body position as best he can.
maia throws some wild stikes that Selasi manages to avoid easily.
maia thowing shots but they're missing.
Selasi is looking to improve his position but maia isn't that keen on the idea.
Selasi is bucking up trying to escape but maia cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
maia tries to control but Selasi wriggling away.
maia moves to back control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
maia struggling to keep hold of the position.
maia really has the hooks in deep now - there seems like no escape for Selasi.
Selasi trying to control the action but maia just sinks the hooks in.
Selasi is breathing heavily.
Selasi grimaces as he takes a shot to the body.
maia is working the ground and pound here and the referee is taking a close look at Selasi. He must escape soon or this one will be stopped.
Selasi is defending well here and trying to improve his position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

maia is working really hard to secure the rear naked choke. Selasi defends successfully for a significant amount of time. Both fighters are looking very determined.

maia patiently working for the choke. Which fighter will keep their nerve here?
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

maia dodges the punch combination from Selasi.

maia fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Selasi sprawls well initially but maia persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
maia missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Selasi wants to get back to full guard.

maia is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
maia performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
maia trying to control the action but Selasi is working from the bottom.
maia not landing any meaningful shots this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Selasi has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. maia is working away from the top position though.
Ground and pound from maia.
maia has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
maia is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Selasi!
Selasi sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.

maia is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Selasi is just riding it out for now. maia eventually gives up the hold.

maia looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
maia is looking to pass Selasi's guard but actually Selasi recovers to full guard.
maia trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
maia forces his way into half guard.
demian maia has got the better of the ground game so far.
Selasi is refusing to be controlled, as maia sits in half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
maia trying to control from Selasi's half guard. Selasi has other ideas though and has regained full guard.
maia tries to free his leg and advance position but Selasi is retaining full guard.

Selasi escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. maia gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

maia drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Selasi manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now maia has Selasi in his guard.
Selasi trying to control but maia is working from the bottom.

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.

maia looking for subs off his back but Selasi has passed one foot through into half guard.
maia is looking for a sweep. Selasi is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Selasi looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
maia wants to improve his position but Selasi is controlling well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

demian maia showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

maia gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
maia working a defensive guard here.
maia lands a couple of shots from the bottom.
Selasi has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
maia looking to control but Selasi passes into half guard.
Selasi seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but maia does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
maia punching from the bottom.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

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

maia looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
maia is trying to get back to full guard.
Selasi looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Selasi is looking to advance position but maia won't allow it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
maia lands a really nice looking cross but Selasi seems unphased.
maia showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Selasi.
maia falls off balance throwing a combination

and Selasi counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

maia looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Selasi sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. maia defending well though.
maia regains full guard. Nicely done.

maia working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Selasi doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Selasi manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
maia keeping moving, preventing Selasi from controlling successfully.
maia manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
maia with shots to the head and body - Selasi looks very uncomfortable down there.
demian maia is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
maia content just to control the position here.

That's four 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.
Let's hope that maia has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Haile Selasi has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
maia works his way to his opponent's back.
maia punishes Selasi with strikes from the back mount.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to demian maia.
Well maia 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 Gwen Towbar scores the fight 27:30
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 27:30
Judge George Francis scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... demian maia!