PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Georges Rocha (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Fabio Nascimento (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Nascimento is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: PROMENTORY. Fabio Nascimento will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Rocha
vs
Nascimento

177 cm
19
180 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

178 cm
24
182 lbs
6 - 4 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ Purple Belt
Good kicks
Solid chin

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 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Georges Rocha!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Fabio Nascimento!
The judges for this bout are Alexandre Firmino, Leandro Rodrigues and Mauricio Rocha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nascimento tries for a takedown but Rocha sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

Rocha shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Nascimento manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Rocha wants to control from the top but Nascimento keeps moving.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Nascimento trying to keep a closed guard but Rocha is proving a slippery customer.
Nascimento 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.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Nascimento looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Rocha puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Rocha winds up and cracks Nascimento with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Rocha looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Rocha throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Nascimento avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Rocha.
Rocha blocks the strikes from Nascimento.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Nascimento actively working from the bottom here.
Nascimento blocking the ground and pound attempt from Rocha.
Rocha passes into side control, despite Nascimento's attempt to control the position.
Nascimento tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Rocha wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Rocha is putting a hurting on Nascimento here, landing some big shots from side control.
Rocha in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Rocha working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Rocha working away.
Nascimento on the wrong end of some ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rocha connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Nascimento some visible discomfort.
Nascimento wants to control but Rocha postures up.
Rocha landing strikes.
Rocha lands a nice forearm strike.
Nascimento struggling a bit here.
Rocha lands an elbow.
Rocha cracks Nascimento with a big right hand but Nascimento just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Rocha tries to advance to mount but Nascimento denies him.
Nascimento is trying to get back to his feet.

Rocha tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Rocha has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
You can see the frustration on Nascimento's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Rocha cracks Nascimento with a big elbow.
Rocha misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Rocha postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Nascimento is not content to let Rocha control the position.
Nascimento wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Rocha working the head with strikes.

That's four 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.
Nascimento is trying to get back to half guard.
Nascimento is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Rocha's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Nascimento slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Nascimento preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Rocha stopping the sweep attempt from Nascimento.

Nascimento is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Nascimento looks gassed!
Nascimento is trying to keep Rocha in close.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Georges Rocha dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Rocha 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.
Rocha is working Nascimento over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Rocha loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Rocha postures up.

Nascimento has an active guard here but Rocha has managed to pass into half guard.
Nascimento is looking to control Rocha's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Nascimento avoid being mounted?
Nascimento has hold of Rocha's hands but Rocha slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.

Nascimento looking for submissions off his back.
Georges Rocha overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Rocha is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Nascimento is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ground and pound from Rocha.
Ground and pound from Rocha.
Nascimento avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Rocha.
Nascimento trying to control here.
Rocha working the head and body with strikes.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Rocha connects with a nice short shot to Nascimento's temple.
Nascimento is refusing to be controlled, as Rocha sits in half guard.

Nascimento looking for submissions off his back.
Rocha wants to free his trapped foot but Nascimento is holding on for dear life with his legs.

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.
Nascimento on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Rocha is looking to take a break and control but Nascimento is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Rocha lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Rocha working the head and body with strikes.
Rocha seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Nascimento trying to control here but he's found himself mounted! Oh no!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rocha prevents Nascimento from getting the reversal.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Rocha cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Nascimento wants to hold on but Rocha pushes him away.
Nascimento is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.
Rocha working the ground and pound effectively.
Nascimento is in a horrible position here. Rocha smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rocha working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Nascimento is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Nascimento is in a horrible position here. Rocha smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Nascimento is trying to escape the mount.
Rocha connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Rocha working the ground and pound effectively.
Nascimento wants to hold on but Rocha pushes him away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Georges Rocha dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Nascimento tries to close the distance and clinch up but Rocha swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Rocha gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Nascimento counters with a left to the body.
Rocha avoids the head kick by Nascimento.
Nascimento doesn't manage to clinch there - Rocha circles away.
Nascimento tries for a takedown but Rocha circles away easily

and Rocha counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Nascimento!
Nascimento tries to hold on but Rocha postures up.
Rocha can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Nascimento is looking to escape.
Rocha cracks Nascimento with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Nascimento tries to hold on but Rocha postures up.
Nascimento takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rocha lands a big elbow.
Rocha can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Nascimento is looking to escape.
A nice elbow there by Rocha.
Nascimento tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Rocha raining down shots from the mount!
Nascimento sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Nascimento flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Rocha trying to control from half guard but Nascimento is working away.
Rocha is thwarting Nascimento's attempts to control the position.
Georges Rocha is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Rocha is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Nascimento defends it well.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Rocha in particular looking to stall.
Nascimento manages to get to full guard.
Rocha missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Rocha postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rocha keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Nascimento's head.

Nascimento is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Nascimento is trying to keep Rocha in close.
Nascimento utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Rocha distracts Nascimento with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Rocha trying to control the position from guard on top but Nascimento is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Nascimento gets caught flat footed, as Rocha shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Nascimento keeping moving, preventing Rocha from controlling successfully.

Nascimento has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Rocha can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rocha not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Rocha scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Rocha throwing strikes from guard but Nascimento blocks nicely.
Rocha 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.

Nascimento is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

And that's the end of the fight!
Georges Rocha showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Rocha, 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 Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 30:26
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 30:26
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Georges Rocha!