PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Rui Rodrigues (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nick Gaston (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Well, I have no idea who's going to take this one!

Rodrigues
vs
Gaston

190 cm
22
250 lbs
1 - 1 - 1

194 cm
22
249 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 1, fighting out of Amsterdam, Rui Rodrigues!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Nick Gaston!
The judges for this bout are Wagner Zegers, Paul Aken and Radbod Blank.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rodrigues keeps the fight on the outside.
Gaston lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Rodrigues circles away quickly and effectively.

Rodrigues looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Rodrigues perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Gaston is trying to maintain the position but Rodrigues is very close to passing his half guard.
Rodrigues tries to pass the half guard into mount. Gaston knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Gaston is trying to control but can't.
Gaston blocking the ground and pound attempt from Rodrigues.
Gaston missing with punches from the bottom.

Gaston pushes Rodrigues off and gets back to his feet.

Gaston drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
You can see the frustration on Rodrigues's face as Gaston controls the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gaston advances to full mount.
Gaston trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Rodrigues is in all sorts of trouble here.
Gaston with good strikes from the mount here!
Rodrigues tries to lock up and control but Gaston gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Gaston wants to control the pace but Rodrigues is squirming around nicely.
Rodrigues is trying desperately to improve position.

That's two 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.
Gaston cracks Rodrigues with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.

Gaston looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Rodrigues is wriggling around trying to escape.
Gaston controlling his opponent.
Rodrigues blocking the ground and pound.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Gaston wants to finish this one by submission but Rodrigues is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Gaston.
Gaston looks gassed!
Gaston avoids the attempt from Rodrigues to control.
Gaston wants to control the pace but Rodrigues is squirming around nicely.
Rodrigues slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Gaston working Rodrigues over with strikes.
Rodrigues tries to get to full guard but Gaston has control of the leg.
Rodrigues has hold of Gaston's hands but Gaston slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.

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.
Rodrigues trying to hold on to Gaston's head to control him but Gaston postures up.

Gaston decides to stand and escape the position.
Rodrigues could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.

Gaston looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Rodrigues!
Rodrigues takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Gaston trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Rodrigues is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nick Gaston dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Gaston scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Rodrigues is looking to improve his position.
Gaston throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

Gaston is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Gaston prevents Rodrigues from improving his position.
Rodrigues is looking to get back to is feet but Gaston passes into side control.
Gaston trying to control the position but Rodrigues is working away.
You can see the frustration on Rodrigues's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rodrigues is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Gaston is controlling him well.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Gaston bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.

Gaston looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Gaston in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Gaston throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Gaston has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

Gaston is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Rodrigues knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rodrigues is not in a great position here, taking some shots.

Gaston goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Rodrigues rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Gaston's guard! Nice work there by Rodrigues!

Rodrigues stands up from Gaston's guard - Rodrigues perhaps looking for a knockout.
Rodrigues tries to clinch up but Gaston circles away and keeps his distance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gaston with a poor takedown

and Rodrigues holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

Rodrigues's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Gaston circles away from the clinch attempt.
Rui Rodrigues is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Gaston tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Rodrigues counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Gaston is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Rodrigues fails with a takedown attempt.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Rodrigues.
Rodrigues circles away from the clinch attempt.
Gaston tries to close the distance and clinch but Rodrigues swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Gaston is defended easily by Rodrigues.
Gaston tries to clinch but Rodrigues moves away

and Rodrigues counters with a single leg into guard. Gaston didn't expect that.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gaston is looking to stand up but Rodrigues isn't so interested in that idea.

Gaston had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Rodrigues is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Gaston Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Rodrigues's back instead.
Rodrigues looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.
Gaston biding his time, controlling Rodrigues.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Rui Rodrigues will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Gaston closes the distance looking to clinch
and Rodrigues makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Rodrigues tries to close the distance and clinch up but Gaston swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Gaston shoots and misses
and Rodrigues counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Gaston misses with a series of wild punches.
Rodrigues throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Gaston displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Rodrigues.
Rodrigues avoids the head kick by Gaston.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gaston tries for a takedown but Rodrigues circles away easily
and Rodrigues counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Rodrigues fails with the takedown

and Gaston counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gaston passes Rodrigues's left leg - he's now in half guard.

Rodrigues is defending against the submission attempts here by Gaston.
Rodrigues trying to control but Gaston postures up.

Rodrigues looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Gaston controlling the action here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Gaston working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Gaston trying to pass the guard but Rodrigues defending well.
Rodrigues wants to control but Gaston is keeping busy.
Rodrigues wants to get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Gaston looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Gaston throws a big right hand that misses.

Rodrigues kicks Gaston off and gets to his feet.
Rodrigues moves away from the strike by Gaston.
Rodrigues tries to clinch but Gaston moves out of range.
Rodrigues with a poor takedown

so Gaston counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rui Rodrigues. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rodrigues trying to control the position.
Gaston postures up in Rodrigues's guard and throws a big left but Rodrigues blocks it.
Gaston with a flurry of punches that miss.

Gaston decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gaston misses with a takedown attempt - Rodrigues sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Gaston changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Rodrigues tries to avoid it but Gaston manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Rodrigues to the ground. Rodrigues escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Gaston tries to clinch up
and Rodrigues makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. Gaston really felt that one!
Rodrigues looks for a takedown but Gaston sprawls well.
Gaston fails to land the takedown.

Gaston clinches up against the cage.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Gaston drops down looking for an ankle pick but Rodrigues pulls his leg out and moves away.

And that's the end of the fight!
Nick Gaston comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Gaston has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Wagner Zegers scores the fight 28:29
Judge Paul Aken scores the fight 28:29
Judge Radbod Blank scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Nick Gaston!