PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Francois Robert (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Indiron Baza (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Robert comes to the cage accompanied by Tandem - Hardcore 93. The key to victory for Francois Robert has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Robert
vs
Baza

179 cm
22
170 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

176 cm
21
168 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Determined

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Francois Robert!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Indiron Baza!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Cesar, Felipe Paraventi and Emerson Jorge.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Baza throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Robert's waist but Robert gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Baza off to one side.
Baza looks really tired already! That doesn't bode well for a good, competitive fight!

Robert feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Robert pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Baza is keeping the position for now.
Robert slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Baza keeping full guard, as Robert tries to pass.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Robert is looking to stand up but Baza won't let him.
Robert looking to pass the guard.

Baza had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Robert is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Baza Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Robert's back instead.
Robert has the hand control, trying to stop the rear naked choke.
Robert is really stuck here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Baza avoiding Robert 's attempts to control his hands.
Robert turns into Baza and is now in his guard.

Baza looking for a guillotine here but Robert defends easily.
Robert slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Robert lands a couple of elbows.
Robert preventing the sweep.
Robert cracks Baza with a solid left hand.
Robert trying to control but Baza is working from the bottom.
Robert stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Baza swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Robert is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Robert makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.

Baza looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Robert passes into side control.

Robert thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Robert wants to stand but Baza is controlling his arm.
Baza struggling a bit here.
Baza tries to buck Robert off but Robert is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Robert lands with a thumping leg kick.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Robert breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Baza shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Robert counters with a nice body kick.

Robert drives through and clinches with Baza against the cage.
Robert looking for a takedown.
Baza tries for a takedown. No joy.
Francois Robert has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Indiron Baza.

Robert jumps guard.
Robert wants to get back to his feet but Baza is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Baza won't allow Robert to sweep him here.
Robert controlling the position.
Robert controls Baza momentarily but Baza frees himself.
Robert seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Baza stopping the sweep attempt from Robert.
Robert knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Baza on the ground.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Robert wants to stand but Baza is controlling the position.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Baza misses with a takedown attempt
and Robert counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Robert fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

Robert darts in and clinches Baza up against the cage.

Robert drags the fight down to the ground.
Baza throws a big right hand that misses.
Baza wants to control from the top but Robert keeps moving.
Baza looking to pass the guard.

Robert working for a triangle but Baza defends it easily.
Robert controlling the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Francois Robert dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Baza with a poor takedown
and Robert counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Robert lands a right hook to the body.

Robert closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Robert lands in his opponent's guard.
Robert wants to stand but Baza has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

Baza working for a triangle but Robert defends it easily.
Baza wants to hit a switch here but Robert passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for Baza there!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Baza reaches up to try and control the position but Robert seems to have an arm triangle now! Uh oh! Baza rolls and tries to escape and now Robert has his back!

Baza defending nicely against the rear naked choke attempt.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Baza fending off the submission attempt from Robert.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Baza staying busy and making it hard for Robert to control.
Robert controlling from the back.
You can see the frustration on Baza's face… He knows he is in trouble unless he improves his position sooner rather than later.
Robert is landing with strikes from the back.

It looks like Indiron Baza has been cut.
Robert is riding his opponent, not letting Baza buck him off.
Robert seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Baza for as long as he can get away with.
Robert's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Robert has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Francois Robert just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Baza doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Robert counters with a takedown into side control.
Robert trying to control the position but Baza is working away.
Robert lands an elbow.
Robert trying to control the action but Baza is working from the bottom.
Baza manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Robert trying to control but Baza postures up.
Baza is keen to just control but Robert is a slippery customer.
Baza passes the guard and advances to mount!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Robert sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Baza wants to stand up but Robert is controlling the position.
Baza trying to control from half guard but Robert is working away.

Baza wants to work for an arm triangle but Robert is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Baza tries to pass the half guard into mount. Robert knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Robert moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Baza advances to half guard.
Robert is looking to improve his position.
Baza tries to pass the half guard into mount. Robert knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Baza trying to control from half guard but Robert is working away.
Robert is looking to improve his position.
Baza wants to pass to mount but Robert is defending the position.
Baza uses his free foot to push down on Robert's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Robert.
Baza trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Robert keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Robert tries to hold on but Baza pushes him away.
Robert is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Robert 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.

Francois Robert dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Indiron Baza's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Robert shoots in and drives through. Baza sprawls well.

Robert drives through with a takedown into guard.
Robert trying to control but Baza is working from the bottom.
Baza is trying to keep Robert in close.
Robert is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Robert looking to pass the guard.

Baza working for a triangle but Robert defends it easily.
Robert has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Baza is proving hard to escape from.
Baza looking for a sweep. Not yet Baza, not yet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Baza not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Baza shoots and misses
and Robert makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. Baza really felt that one!

Robert instigates a clinch.

Robert breaks from the clinch.
Baza gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Robert counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Baza!
Baza is squirming around, avoiding Robert's attempts to control the action.
Robert scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Baza?
Robert wants to take his opponent's back but he's not managed it.
Baza really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Robert scores with a couple of good head shots there.

Baza is rocked!
Robert fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Baza is still in real trouble! Can Robert finish him?
This has been an exciting period of action!
Robert with shots to the head and body - Baza looks very uncomfortable down there.

That has opened up Indiron Baza's cut even more.
Robert postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Baza looks a forlorn figure.

Indiron Baza's cut is absolute horrible now. This looks like something out of a horror film with blood covering both fighters.

The referee calls the doctor in to look at Indiron Baza's cut. Oh no, the doctor has called an end to the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:05 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Cut). Francois Robert!