PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Matt Curtis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Luiz Dos Anjos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Well, I have no idea who's going to take this one!

Curtis
vs
Dos Anjos

175 cm
22
170 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

180 cm
21
178 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Prefers ground

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Determined

5th Round

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Matt Curtis!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Luiz Dos Anjos!
The judges for this bout are Felipe Paraventi, Paulo Santos and Matheus Silva.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Curtis tries to close the distance and clinch up but Dos Anjos swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Dos Anjos swats away the attempt to clinch by Curtis.

Dos Anjos scores with a takedown into Curtis's guard.
Dos Anjos stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Curtis swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Dos Anjos preventing the sweep.
Dos Anjos not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

Dos Anjos drops back looking for a leg! Curtis is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Curtis manages to kick Dos Anjos off! Dos Anjos jumps back into Curtis's guard.
Dos Anjos trying to control but Curtis is working from the bottom.
Curtis lands some strikes from the bottom.

Dos Anjos avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Curtis keeping moving, preventing Dos Anjos from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dos Anjos advances to half guard.
Curtis controlling the position well.
Curtis is refusing to be controlled, as Dos Anjos sits in half guard.
Curtis gets back to full guard.
Dos Anjos wants to control from the top but Curtis keeps moving.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Dos Anjos is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
Dos Anjos tries to free his leg and advance position but Curtis is retaining full guard.
Curtis on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Curtis tries to get out of the position.

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.

Curtis working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Dos Anjos doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Dos Anjos manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Dos Anjos looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Curtis trying to control the position.
Dos Anjos postures up in Curtis's guard and throws a big left but Curtis blocks it.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Dos Anjos gets caught flat footed, as Curtis shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Curtis with a flurry of punches that miss.
Curtis works over Dos Anjos with some ground and pound from guard.

Dos Anjos looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Dos Anjos looks gassed!
Dos Anjos not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Curtis trying to control the position from guard on top but Dos Anjos is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Curtis connects with a couple of short punches.
Dos Anjos is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

Dos Anjos is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Curtis connects with a couple of short punches.
Curtis is in close to Dos Anjos's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Curtis stands up over Dos Anjos, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Dos Anjos looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Curtis preventing the sweep.
Curtis scoring with some ground and pound.
Dos Anjos looking for a sweep. Not yet Dos Anjos, not yet.
Curtis wants to control from the top but Dos Anjos keeps moving.
Curtis knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Dos Anjos on the ground.
Curtis wants to get up but he can't break Dos Anjos's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Dos Anjos is trying to control the position but Curtis postures up.
Curtis postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Dos Anjos looking for a sweep. Not yet Dos Anjos, not yet.
Curtis tries to stand but Dos Anjos is controlling from the bottom.

Dos Anjos working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Curtis doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Curtis manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Curtis looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Dos Anjos on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.

Dos Anjos looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

Dos Anjos is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Curtis pulls his head out easily.
Dos Anjos is trying to maintain the position but Curtis is very close to passing his half guard.

Curtis stands up out of the half guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
A right-left combo lands from Curtis.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Curtis scores a takedown into full mount!
Curtis landing strikes from the mount and Dos Anjos is in trouble!
Dos Anjos in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Dos Anjos can't escape the position.
Dos Anjos in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.

Curtis looking for a guillotine from mount but Dos Anjos is having none of it.

Curtis moves into side control, trying to work for a kimura. That looks painful! Will he finish!!?? No, Dos Anjos has worked his arm free - good work by Dos Anjos!
Dos Anjos gets back to half guard.
It looks like Curtis is going to stand back up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Curtis tries to pass to full mount but Dos Anjos defends it.
Dos Anjos moves into full guard.
Dos Anjos working a defensive guard here.

Dos Anjos looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Dos Anjos throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Dos Anjos had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Curtis is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Dos Anjos Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Curtis's back instead.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dos Anjos lands punches and elbows.
Dos Anjos is looking to control Curtis but Curtis is wriggling around and keeping busy.

Dos Anjos working for the choke.
Curtis turns into Dos Anjos and is now in his guard.
Curtis wants to stand but Dos Anjos has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Dos Anjos lands an upkick as Curtis stands over him.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Curtis closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Curtis lands in his opponent's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Curtis looking to pass the guard.
Dos Anjos is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Curtis trying to hold on to Dos Anjos's head to control him but Dos Anjos postures up.
Dos Anjos trying to control the pace.

Dos Anjos seems to be looking for submissions.

Dos Anjos is looking for a kimura here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matt Curtis dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Curtis shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Curtis avoids the attempt from Dos Anjos to control.
Dos Anjos regains half guard.

Curtis is working for a kimura but Dos Anjos is defending it quite comfortably.
Dos Anjos is looking to control Curtis's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Dos Anjos avoid being mounted?
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Curtis wants to stand up but Dos Anjos has a hold of him and won't allow it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dos Anjos works his way to full guard. Good work.
Dos Anjos throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Dos Anjos pulls Curtis in to control the position.
Curtis lands a couple of elbows.

Dos Anjos has his foot on Curtis's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Curtis works his way back into a safe position though.
Curtis wants to stand but Dos Anjos has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Dos Anjos is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Dos Anjos might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Curtis kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.

Dos Anjos working for a triangle but Curtis defends it easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Curtis decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Curtis with a poor takedown

and Dos Anjos counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Curtis trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Dos Anjos preventing the sweep.
Curtis trying to keep a closed guard but Dos Anjos is proving a slippery customer.
Curtis has momentary wrist control but Dos Anjos slips an elbow through the middle.
Dos Anjos passes Curtis's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Dos Anjos is trying to control the action in half guard but Curtis is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Curtis tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Curtis has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Dos Anjos is working away from the top position though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Curtis with a lazy takedown attempt

and Dos Anjos counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Curtis!
Curtis is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Dos Anjos trying to control but Curtis is having none of it.

Dos Anjos looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
Dos Anjos has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Curtis's face.
Curtis is working to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dos Anjos with a couple of short strikes.
Dos Anjos unloading with bombs!
Curtis is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Curtis is wriggling around trying to escape.

Dos Anjos looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Curtis is squirming around, avoiding Dos Anjos's attempts to control the action.
Curtis regains half guard.
Luiz Dos Anjos has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Matt Curtis is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Curtis controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Luiz Dos Anjos comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Curtis has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 29:28
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 29:28
Judge Matheus Silva scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Matt Curtis!