PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Raker Raif (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ben Dover (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Raif
vs
Dover

185 cm
22
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

170 cm
21
185 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Self confident

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Determined

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Raker Raif!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Ben Dover!
The judges for this bout are Seu Braga, Mauricio Rocha and Felipe Paraventi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Dover avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Raif lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
The fight stays on the outside here - Dover looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Raif swats away the attempt to clinch by Dover.
Dover shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Raif but Raif pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Dover shoots for a double leg takedown but Raif sprawls well. He's pushed Dover's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Raif is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Raif closes the distance but Dover moves to the side

and Dover counters with a takedown into side control.

Dover wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Raif, who protects the arm well.
Raif is looking to reverse the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Raif wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Raif is not content to let Dover control the position.
Raif stops Dover from passing to mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
The ground and pound from Dover seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Raif getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Raif lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Raker Raif seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Raif wants to clinch

and Dover counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Raif!
Raif sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Dover looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Dover wants to control but Raif is keeping him busy.
Dover should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Raif pushes Dover off but Dover dives into side control.
Raif stops Dover from passing to mount.
Dover slows the pace down.
Raif on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Raif tries to get out of the position.
Raif is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Raif prevents Dover from improving position.

That's four 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.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Raif tries to clinch

and Dover counters by clinching up.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Dover tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Raker Raif has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ben Dover.
Raif wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Dover has him pressed against the cage.
Raif softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Raif tries to break the clinch but Dover is controlling the position.
Raif gets underhooks to prevent Dover's takedown attempt.
Dover looks gassed!
A short body shot lands from Raif as the two fighters clinch.
Raif lands a nice shot to the body.

Dover manages to break the clinch.
Raif darts in trying to clinch

and Dover counters with a takedown into side control.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Dover wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Raif, who protects the arm well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ben Dover dominated that 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.

Raif tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Dover counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Raif's guard now.

Dover stands up and waves to Raif to follow him.
Raif tries to grapple but his opponent circles

so Dover counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Dover looking to pass the guard.
Dover tries to stand but Raif is controlling from the bottom.
Dover looking to pass the guard.
Raif keeping moving, preventing Dover from controlling successfully.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Dover is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Raif is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Ben Dover has got the better of the ground game so far.
Raif keeping moving, preventing Dover from controlling successfully.

Dover drops back, looking for a kneebar! Raif looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Raif looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Raif!

Raif has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Dover on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Raif is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
Raif tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Dover counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Dover.
Raif makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Raif.
A frustrated look appears on Raif's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Dover fails to pull guard.
Dover drops down looking for an ankle pick but Raif pulls his leg out and moves away.
Dover swats away the attempt to clinch by Raif.
Dover keeps the fight on the outside.
Raif wants to clinch but Dover slips to the side

and Dover decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Raif's guard.
Raif has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Raif keeping full guard, as Dover tries to pass.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dover stops Raif from standing up.
Dover trying to control but Raif is working from the bottom.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ben Dover showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Raif closes the distance but Dover moves to the side

and Dover counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Raif trying to hold on to Dover's head to control him but Dover postures up.
Dover is trying to control the action in half guard but Raif is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Raif knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Dover on the ground.
Raif is concentrating on defense, preventing Dover from advancing position.
Raif is looking to improve his position.

Dover is working for a kimura but Raif is defending it quite comfortably.
Dover takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Raif holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Raif is trying to stand.
Dover is trying to control. Raif wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Raif, as that shot connected.
Raif tests Dover's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Ben Dover is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Decent striking displayed by Raif there.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Dover is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Raif gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Raif working hard to break the clinch.
Dover blocks the elbow strike.
Raif lands an uppercut.
Dover is trying to drag Raif to the mat but Raif just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Raif is trying to stall.
A nice right hand lands inside from Raif.
Dover goes for a takedown attempt but Raif pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Raker Raif has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ben Dover.
Raif closes the distance but Dover moves to the side

and Dover counters by clinching up.
Raif lands a nice shot to the body.
Dover keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Raif's efforts to push away.
Dover lands a damaging elbow.
Raif has Dover pressed against the cage.

Dover's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fight stays on the outside here - Dover looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Dover swats away the attempt to clinch by Raif.
Raif tests Dover's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Raif tries to close the distance and clinch but Dover swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Raif fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Dover, pushing him back against the cage.
Raif looks to throw an elbow but misses.
A short right from Raif.
With the fighters up against the cage, Raif throws an elbow but misses.
Raif holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Dover drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Raif gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Raif tries to circle away but Dover has him pinned against the cage.

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.
Raif is looking to break free of the clinch but Dover has double underhooks.
Raif prevents a takedown attempt there.
Nice body punch from Raif - that landed with a thud.
Raif throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Raif wants to stall.
Raif scores with a hook to the body.
Dover misses with an elbow over the top.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Dover wants a takedown.
Ben Dover is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Raif lands a shot to the body.
Raif pushes off an throws an elbow but Dover leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
A nice left hand lands by Raif.
Dover is looking to control Raif's arms but Raif gets an underhook and turns him. Now Dover has his back to the cage.
Dover prevents Raif from breaking the clinch.
A nice left hand lands by Raif.
Raif dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Raker Raif has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Raif lands a left hand.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ben Dover comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Dover 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 Seu Braga scores the fight 27:30
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 27:30
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ben Dover!