PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Nate Masvidal (ranked 1002 p4p, 1026 weight class) and Diego Rios (ranked 139 p4p, 144 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Masvidal
vs
Rios

188 cm
34
185
25 - 28 - 1

184 cm
27
195
7 - 6 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Granite chin

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Granite chin

Bondi MMA 🏝️

Northern Zombie
Shadow Realm Apparel

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 25 - 28 - 1, fighting out of London, Nate Masvidal!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Diego Rios!
The judges for this bout are Wagner Zegers, Paulsen Ambrosius and Radbod Blank.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Masvidal throws an off balance right hand
and Rios counters with a nice uppercut.
Rios lands a head shot.
We've been told by Masvidal's head coaches at Shut Up & Train! {$1000} that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.
Masvidal misses with a hook
and Masvidal takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Rios's coach down at Alpha Brasil was telling us pre-fight that they have been working on Rios's balance. Obviously they view that as a key factor in the outcome of this fight.
Rios throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Masvidal on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Nate Masvidal seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Masvidal tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Rios manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Masvidal fails with the takedown
and Rios connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Rios scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Masvidal has a takedown stuffed.
Rios misses with an uppercut. Masvidal saw that one coming.
Masvidal is looking to counter punch.
Masvidal tries to clinch up but Rios circles away and keeps his distance.
Rios with a hook.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Masvidal throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rios with a nice calf kick.
Masvidal walks into a straight right hand from Rios.
Rios swinging wildly here.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Masvidal.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Nate Masvidal. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Masvidal slips a jab and a cross from Rios.
Rios catches Masvidal with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Rios ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Masvidal dives in for a single leg takedown but Rios sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Masvidal tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.

Rios pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Rios walks into a jab.

It looks like Diego Rios has been cut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Masvidal gets a takedown into half guard.
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Rios pushes Masvidal off looking to stand but Masvidal dives back in and keeps control.
Masvidal thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Masvidal slows the pace down in half guard.
Rios blocking the ground and pound attempt from Masvidal.
Masvidal throws a big elbow that misses, also allowing Rios to regain full guard.
Rios keeping moving, preventing Masvidal from controlling successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Rios has managed to wall walk up one of the corner posts to get back to his feet. Masvidal is pushing him up against the cage, looking to control the position.
Masvidal gets through Rios's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.

Masvidal breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Rios swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Decent striking displayed by Masvidal there.
Rios throws a leg kick
and Masvidal counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Rios fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Rios plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Masvidal ducks under a wild hook from Rios.
Rios staying out of range there.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A jab from Rios finds it's way through Masvidal's defenses.
Rios moves out of range of the strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rios fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Masvidal lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Rios throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Rios throws a combination that misses
letting Masvidal counter with a right hand.
Diego Rios is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Rios ducks under a wild hook from Masvidal.
Rios misses with a hook.
Masvidal moves out of range of the strikes.
Masvidal tries to clinch there but Rios circles away.
A big left from Masvidal misses.
Rios bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
A telegraphed right hand from Rios misses the target.

Masvidal dives in and scores a takedown into Rios's guard.

Rios wriggles free and stands up.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Diego Rios dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Diego Rios's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Rios misses with an uppercut

and Masvidal decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Rios's guard.
Masvidal trying to control but Rios is working from the bottom.
Masvidal sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Masvidal working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Masvidal prevents Rios from getting back to his feet.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Masvidal trying to control but Rios is working from the bottom.
Masvidal looking to pass the guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Masvidal throwing strikes from guard but Rios blocks nicely.
Rios keeping moving, preventing Masvidal from controlling successfully.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Diego Rios seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Rios ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Rios lands a nice looking kick to the body. Masvidal takes a step back to recover.
Diego Rios is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Masvidal misses with an uppercut.
Rios stalks Masvidal and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Masvidal's face. Masvidal staggers backwards, shaken.
Masvidal connects with a nice looking jab.
Masvidal shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Rios as he jumps to the side.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rios thows a left - swing and a miss!
Masvidal lands a head shot.
Masvidal walks into a jab.
Rios rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Masvidal moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Masvidal throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Rios stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Masvidal tries to close the distance and clinch up but Rios swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Despite the aggression on Rios's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Rios has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Masvidal tries to clinch but Rios moves out of range.
Masvidal shoots in but no luck this time.
Rios circles away from the clinch attempt.
A head kick misses from Rios.
Rios ducks under a wild hook from Masvidal.
Rios lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Rios throws a low kick but Masvidal moves out of range easily.
Masvidal pushing out the jab but it's not landing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rios misses with a few strikes there.
Masvidal misses with a takedown attempt - Rios sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Nate Masvidal. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Masvidal misses with an uppercut
and Rios counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Good exchange - Masvidal coming out on top.
A swing and a miss from Rios.
Rios lands an overhand right.
Masvidal avoids the head kick by Rios.
Masvidal lands an overhand right.
Masvidal is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Rios throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Masvidal darts in looking for a takedown but Rios gets double underhooks and turns Masvidal into the cage.
Masvidal is looking for a takedown.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rios is trying to push Masvidal away but Masvidal has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.

Masvidal breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Rios avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Rios scores with a head kick.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Masvidal takes one to the chin there.

Masvidal closes the distance and clinches.

Rios pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Rios misses with a double jab.
Masvidal swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Rios lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Rios defending well as Masvidal loads up on a big left hand.
Rios tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Masvidal was well out of range. Poor timing from Rios.
Masvidal tries to counter by clinching up but Rios breaks away and moves out of range.
Masvidal lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Nice takedown defense from Rios. No joy for Masvidal on that attempt.
Rios is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Diego Rios showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Diego Rios's cut.
That's time! Back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Rios scores with a head kick. Masvidal tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.

Masvidal clinches up with Rios and pushes him back against the cage.
Masvidal fails to pull guard.
Masvidal landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.

Rios breaks from the clinch.
Masvidal avoids the body shot from Rios.
Rios throws a right and a left that both miss.

Masvidal clinches with his opponent.
Masvidal misses with the head strike.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Masvidal throws a punch but it's blocked by Rios.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Masvidal.
Masvidal scores with a shoulder strike.
Rios has had enough of the clinch but Masvidal keeps him there for the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rios is trying to push Masvidal away but Masvidal has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Masvidal lands a hook to the side of the head.
Rios gets underhooks to prevent Masvidal's takedown attempt.
Masvidal lands a shoulder strike.

Masvidal pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Rios throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Masvidal tries for a takedown but Rios sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Nate Masvidal. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rios dodges the punch combination from Masvidal.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
A decent looking cross lands there for Masvidal.
Rios punishes Masvidal's body with a nice straight punch.
Nate Masvidal has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Masvidal will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
A countering left hand to the body from Rios misses.
Rios rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Masvidal moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Masvidal thinks about countering with a head kick.
Masvidal with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Rios to score with a decent uppercut.
Rios throws a head kick that half lands.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Rios throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Masvidal sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Rios throws a combination. Masvidal tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Rios fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Masvidal.
Masvidal tries to clinch but Rios moves out of range.

Rios tries to keep at a distance but Masvidal has taken the fight into the clinch.

Rios's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Masvidal fails with the takedown.
Rios throws out a counter right but Masvidal avoids it with no problem.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Masvidal tries to clinch there but Rios circles away.
Masvidal throws a body punch but Rios moves out of range.
Masvidal tries to close the distance and clinch but Rios swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Masvidal scores with a jab. Rios acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
A punch combination from Rios misses.
Masvidal with a lazy takedown attempt
and Masvidal takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Masvidal shoots and misses
and Rios counters with a stiff right hand.
Rios digs a good hook to Masvidal's body.
A punch lands to the side of Masvidal 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Masvidal with a lazy takedown attempt
and Rios counters with a nice uppercut.

Masvidal is rocked!
Masvidal takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Oh Masvidal is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Masvidal fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Rios manages to avoid it.
Rios looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Masvidal takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Rios lands an uppercut out of nowhere! Masvidal falls backwards - clearly groggy! Rios dives in and finishes the fight with more strikes for a TKO finish!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:18 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Diego Rios!
Diego Rios was full of energy after the big win and talked about how he thinks he can do big things in this sport. The crowd were appreciative of his determination to succeed.