PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Othello Rhyme (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Alexander Sebathia (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Sebathia has chosen Mama Said Knock You Out as his entrance music. This should be a great matchup!

Rhyme
vs
Sebathia

200 cm
18
240 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

190 cm
19
245 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Counter striker
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Counter striker
Intelligent

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 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Othello Rhyme!
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, Alexander Sebathia!
The judges for this bout are Paulo Santos, Luis Engracia and Felipe Paraventi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rhyme tries to clinch but Sebathia moves out of range.
Rhyme looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!
Rhyme looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Sebathia tries to clinch up but Rhyme circles away and keeps his distance.
Rhyme circles away from the clinch attempt.
Rhyme looks frusrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Rhyme has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Sebathia finds it's way round the side to connect with Rhyme's head.
Sebathia drops Rhyme with a hook right on the temple. He thinks about going to the ground but Rhyme looks back up at him and smiles so Sebathia waves him back to his feet - he obviously thinks he can knock him out after that shot landed.

It looks like Othello Rhyme has been cut.
Sebathia tries to clinch but fails miserably

so Rhyme counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Sebathia uses the cage to get back to his feet.
The fight stays on the outside here - Sebathia looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Sebathia wants to clinch up but Rhyme keeps it at a distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rhyme swats away the attempt to clinch by Sebathia.
Sebathia stuffs the takedown.
Sebathia tries to close the distance and clinch up but Rhyme swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Othello Rhyme seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Sebathia closes the distance and clinches.
Sebathia content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Rhyme is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Othello Rhyme. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sebathia lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Rhyme takes an elbow to the temple.
Sebathia lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Sebathia using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Rhyme has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Sebathia stalling the fight.
Rhyme tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Sebathia smiles and moves away.
Rhyme shoots in but Sebathia avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Sebathia wants to clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sebathia tries to close the distance and clinch but Rhyme swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Sebathia throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Rhyme keeps the fight on the outside.
Rhyme takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Rhyme dodges the punch combination from Sebathia.
Sebathia wants to clinch.

Sebathia rushes Rhyme and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sebathia lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Rhyme trying to stall but Sebathia improves his position.
Sebathia stalling.
Rhyme throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Sebathia lands a damaging elbow.
Sebathia gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Sebathia throws a knee to the head but misses.
Sebathia with a knee to the head.
Rhyme wants to get back to striking at distance but Sebathia won't allow it.
Rhyme holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Sebathia lands a damaging elbow.
Sebathia lands a knee to the head.
Sebathia stalling.
Sebathia prevents a takedown attempt there.
Sebathia misses with a knee strike.
Sebathia looking to throw knees to the head but Rhyme is blocking nicely.

Rhyme wants the takedown. Sebathia is fighting it off but Rhyme persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Sebathia's guard against the cage.
Rhyme working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Rhyme has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Rhyme has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Sebathia is proving hard to escape from.
Sebathia controlling the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sebathia keeping full guard, as Rhyme tries to pass.
Sebathia managing to control the position.
Rhyme postures up.
Rhyme sitting in guard here, content to control.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Rhyme looking to pass the guard.
Rhyme postures up.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rhyme content to stall in guard here.
Sebathia not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rhyme tries to free his leg and advance position but Sebathia is retaining full guard.
Rhyme postures up.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Sebathia tries to clinch but Rhyme moves out of range.
Rhyme shoots in and drives through. Sebathia sprawls well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Horrible takedown by Rhyme or perhaps it was just good defense by Sebathia which made him look bad.
Sebathia tries to clinch but Rhyme moves out of range.
Rhyme looks for a takedown but Sebathia sprawls well.

Sebathia instigates a clinch.
Rhyme tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Sebathia smiles and moves away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Othello Rhyme. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sebathia lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Sebathia fails in his attempt to clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Sebathia looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Rhyme shoots in but no luck this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sebathia tries to close the distance and clinch but Rhyme swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Rhyme takes the fight into the clinch.
Rhyme can't get the takedown.
Sebathia lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Rhyme jumps guard but Sebathia stands there with Rhyme around his waist. Rhyme gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Sebathia connects with a nasty looking knee right to Rhyme's face.
Rhyme tries to pull guard but Sebathia holds him up against the cage and eventually Rhyme drops back down to his feet.
Sebathia wants to stall.
Sebathia lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Rhyme takes a knee right on the jaw!
Rhyme is trying to break free.
Sebathia tries a knee to the head but Rhyme blocks it.
Sebathia tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Rhyme tries to pull guard but Sebathia won't allow it.
Rhyme stalling in the clinch but Sebathia improves position.
Sebathia misses with a knee to the head.
Sebathia tries a knee to the head but Rhyme blocks it.
Rhyme tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Sebathia smiles and moves away.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Rhyme.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rhyme wants to lay and pray for a moment but Sebathia keeps working.
The ground and pound from Rhyme seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
You can see the frustration on Sebathia's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Sebathia is trying to keep from getting into a worse position than he's already in but Sebathia is working away and isn't letting himself get tied up.
A bit of a lull in the action here.
Sebathia sneaks back into half guard.

Sebathia kicks Rhyme off and gets back to his feet.
Rhyme fails to land the takedown.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Sebathia clinches up with Rhyme and pushes him back against the cage.
Sebathia leaning against his opponent.
Sebathia gets underhooks to prevent Rhyme's takedown attempt.
Nice elbow from Sebathia.
A knee to the head by Sebathia.
Rhyme takes a knee right on the jaw!
Sebathia trying to stall but Rhyme improves his position.
Rhyme wants to break free but Sebathia has control.
Sebathia using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Rhyme has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Sebathia landing knees to the head.
Rhyme tries for a takedown. No joy.
Sebathia lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Sebathia landing knees to the head.
Nice elbow from Sebathia.
Sebathia tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Rhyme tries for a takedown but Sebathia manages to get underhooks.
Sebathia misses with a knee strike.
Rhyme tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Sebathia smiles and moves away.
Sebathia on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rhyme looks to clinch
and Sebathia counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Rhyme circles away from the clinch attempt

and Rhyme counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Rhyme.
Rhyme trying to control the position from guard on top but Sebathia is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Sebathia trying to control the position.
Sebathia has Rhyme pulled in close to control his posture.
Sebathia trying to keep a closed guard but Rhyme is proving a slippery customer.

Sebathia pushes Rhyme off and scrambles back to his feet.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Sebathia tries to clinch but Rhyme is having none of it.
Sebathia tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alexander Sebathia showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Othello Rhyme's cut.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Sebathia wants to clinch up but Rhyme keeps it at a distance.
Othello Rhyme is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Sebathia tries to clinch

and Rhyme counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Sebathia is pressing down on Rhyme's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Rhyme stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Sebathia swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Rhyme trying to control the position from guard on top but Sebathia is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Rhyme looking to sit in guard and control but Sebathia gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Sebathia seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Let's hope that Sebathia has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Sebathia stopping the sweep attempt from Rhyme.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sebathia moves in looking to clinch but Rhyme pushes him off.

Sebathia takes the fight into the clinch.
Sebathia misses with a knee to the head.
Sebathia prevents Rhyme from breaking the clinch.
Sebathia lands a nice elbow.
Sebathia misses with a knee to the head.
Rhyme is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Rhyme is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Sebathia gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Rhyme takes an elbow to the forehead.
Sebathia lands a nice elbow.
Rhyme tries to pull guard but Sebathia won't allow it.
Sebathia lands an elbow inside that Rhyme shrugs off.
Sebathia landing knees to the head.
Sebathia is looking to control Rhyme's arms but Rhyme gets an underhook and turns him. Now Sebathia has his back to the cage.

Rhyme manages to break the clinch.

Rhyme darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.

Sebathia pushes Rhyme off and gets back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sebathia stalks Rhyme and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Rhyme's face. Rhyme staggers backwards, shaken.

Rhyme tries to keep at a distance but Sebathia has taken the fight into the clinch.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Rhyme is looking to control Sebathia's arms but Sebathia gets an underhook and turns him. Now Rhyme has his back to the cage.
Sebathia lands an elbow that stopped Rhyme in his tracks for a moment.
Sebathia gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Sebathia throws a knee to the head but misses.
Sebathia lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Rhyme drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Sebathia gets the underhooks and prevents it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Othello Rhyme. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rhyme takes an elbow to the forehead.
Sebathia lands a damaging elbow.
Sebathia tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Sebathia tries to land a knee to the head but Rhyme blocks with his arms.
Sebathia will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Rhyme up against the cage.
Sebathia gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Sebathia lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Sebathia throws a knee to the head but misses.
Sebathia scores with a knee to the head.

Rhyme manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sebathia is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Rhyme wants to stand and escape but Sebathia is having none of it.
Sebathia 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.
Sebathia trying to control the position from guard on top but Rhyme is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Sebathia stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Sebathia closes the distance and lands a one-two.

Rhyme is rocked!
Rhyme gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Sebathia counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Rhyme thinking.

Sebathia clinches up against the cage.
Rhyme jumps guard but Sebathia stands there with Rhyme around his waist. Rhyme gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Rhyme wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Sebathia lands an elbow that stopped Rhyme in his tracks for a moment.
Sebathia with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Rhyme tries to pull guard but Sebathia holds him up against the cage and eventually Rhyme drops back down to his feet.
Sebathia lands an elbow just above Rhyme 's eye.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rhyme fails to pull guard.
Sebathia tries a knee to the head but Rhyme blocks it.
Sebathia lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Sebathia is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Sebathia is looking to control Rhyme's arms but Rhyme gets an underhook and turns him. Now Sebathia has his back to the cage.
Sebathia with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Sebathia tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Rhyme lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Sebathia or not.
Sebathia stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Rhyme avoids the elbow strike from Sebathia, against the cage.

Rhyme tightens his grip and picks Sebathia up, before dumping him to the ground. Sebathia manages to land in guard.
Sebathia 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.
Sebathia trying to control the position here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Rhyme throwing strikes from guard but Sebathia blocks nicely.
Sebathia looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Othello Rhyme has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Sebathia wants to sweep but no luck.

And that's the end of the fight!
Alexander Sebathia comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Sebathia winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Paulo Santos scores the fight 27:30
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight 27:30
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Alexander Sebathia!