PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Zac Rice (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ghoster Killer (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ghoster Killer is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Rice
vs
Killer

197 cm
18
185 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

200 cm
20
195 lbs
1 - 4 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Likes ground

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Zac Rice!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Ghoster Killer!
The judges for this bout are Edson Gomes, Felipe Paraventi and Luis Engracia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Rice gets the takedown into side control.
Killer seems a little lost for a moment, as Rice dominates the positioning.

Rice stands up and beckons Killer to his feet.
Killer is looking to clinch but Rice is avoiding it.
Rice tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Killer swivels and escapes.

Killer shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Killer was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Rice really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Killer throws some wild stikes that Rice manages to avoid easily.
Rice tries to hold on but Killer postures up.
Rice slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Killer tries to pass to full mount but Rice defends it.

Rice makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!

Rice gets a takedown into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rice sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Rice thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Killer is looking to improve his position.
Killer is looking to control Rice's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Killer avoid being mounted?
The referee calls for the fighters to work.

Rice stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.
Rice fails with the takedown.

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.
Killer misses with a takedown attempt

and Rice counters with a nice double leg into side control. Killer won't be happy with that.
Rice is breathing heavily.
Killer prevents Rice from improving position.
Killer tries to improve position but can't.
Rice working the ground and pound.

Rice is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Killer is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.

Rice is trying to get an arm triangle but Killer is defending well.
Rice wants to lay and pray for a moment but Killer keeps working.
Rice is really struggling to control Killer but he's trying to hold on to the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rice tries to get to his feet but he's trapped momentarily.
Rice postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.

Rice working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Rice tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Rice swats away the attempt to clinch by Killer.
Killer misses with a takedown

and Rice counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Killer's guard now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Killer working for a triangle but Rice defends it easily.

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

Rice drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Rice jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rice trying to control but Killer is working from the bottom.
Rice is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Killer is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Zac Rice dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

A head kick from Killer lands but Rice takes it in his stride.
Rice tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Killer paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Killer stuffs the takedown attempt from Rice. Rice gets slowly back to his feet.
Rice fails with an attempt to clinch.

Rice scores with a takedown into Killer's guard.
Rice trying to control the position from guard on top but Killer is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Rice advances to half guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Killer blocking the ground and pound attempt from Rice.
Rice is looking to take a break and control but Killer is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Killer is trying to escape back to his feet but Rice uses the scramble to pass into side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rice tries to move to mount but Killer blocks the move with his legs.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rice works to advance to full mount. Killer defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
Killer is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Killer in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Killer regains half guard.

Killer looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Rice really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Rice scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Rice is trying to control the action in half guard but Killer is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Rice tries to stand and escape but Killer is controlling the position.
Rice seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Rice throws a strike but Killer avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Rice wants to control from the top but Killer keeps moving.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Killer shoots for a double leg takedown but Rice sprawls well. He's pushed Killer's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

Rice shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Killer is trying to defend but Rice finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rice sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Rice is pressing down on Killer's thigh, looking to free his foot. Killer is holding on for now.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rice thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Killer's head.
Rice looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Killer with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Rice slips a nice elbow through Killer's hands, connecting with Killer's forehead.
Rice has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Rice works his foot free and advances to mount.
Rice punishing his opponent with strikes.
Rice can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Killer is looking to escape.
Killer really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Rice. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Rice looking to finish with strikes here!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Zac Rice dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Rice moves in looking to clinch but Killer pushes him off.
Rice has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.

Rice decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

Rice is looking for a kimura but Killer is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Rice to get the leverage.
Killer tries to kick Rice off but Rice keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

Rice 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.
Killer trying to control here but he's found himself mounted! Oh no!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Rice looking to ground and pound but Killer is blocking nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Rice moves into side control, trying to work for a kimura. That looks painful! Will he finish!!?? No, Killer has worked his arm free - good work by Killer!
Rice tries to move to mount but Killer blocks the move with his legs.
Rice trying to control the position but Killer is working away.
Rice wants to stand but Killer has his arm trapped.
Rice tries to move into full mount but can't pass Killer's legs.
Rice trying to control the position but Killer is working away.

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.
Killer struggling a bit here.
Rice advances nicely into full mount.

Rice looking to secure an arm triangle but Killer defends it well.
Rice tries to control but Killer wriggling away.
Killer is desperately trying to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rice landing shots from mount.

Rice has hold of Killer's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Killer manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Rice wants to control the pace but Killer is squirming around nicely.
Killer really trying hard to get back to half guard here.

Rice stands up from the dominant position. He obviously fancies his chances standing.
A nice combination there by Killer.

Killer gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Rice to score an easy takedown into full guard.

Rice stands up from guard. Let's bang!

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Rice has Killer up against the cage in a clinch.

Rice decides to pull guard.
Rice looking to hit a scissor sweep but Killer is one step ahead there.
Killer looking to sit in guard and control but Rice gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Rice is looking to work some ground and pound but Killer has wrist control.
Ghoster Killer has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Zac Rice is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Killer is looking for a triangle but Rice pushes his legs off easily.

And that's the end of the fight!
Zac Rice showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Rice, 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 Edson Gomes scores the fight 30:27
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 30:27
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Zac Rice!