PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Dan Henderson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Antonio Neto (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighter's entrance songs getting the crowd jumping here.

Henderson
vs
Neto

190 cm
20
190 lbs
1 - 5 - 0

183 cm
18
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Solid chin

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 1 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Dan Henderson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Antonio Neto!
The judges for this bout are Wesley Smith, Cecil Peabody and George Francis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Neto changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Henderson tries to avoid it but Neto manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Henderson to the ground. Henderson escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Henderson is looking to clinch but Neto is avoiding it.
Henderson tries to close the distance and clinch but Neto swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Henderson throws a series of punches but Neto moves out of range.
Henderson stuffs the takedown.
Henderson fails with an attempt to clinch.
Dan Henderson seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Henderson tries to clinch up.
Neto tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Henderson tries to clinch up but Neto circles away and keeps his distance.
Henderson tries to clinch up but Neto circles away and keeps his distance.
Henderson connects with a looping right hand.

It looks like Antonio Neto has been cut.
Henderson tries to clinch up but Neto circles away and keeps his distance.
Henderson is looking to clinch.

Henderson scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.
Neto is trying to buck Henderson off.

Henderson stands up and beckons Neto to his feet.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Henderson with a poor takedown

and Neto decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Henderson's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Henderson wants to stand but Neto is controlling the position.
Neto is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Neto prevents Henderson from getting back to his feet.
Henderson is breathing heavily.

Neto stands up from Henderson's guard - Neto perhaps looking for a knockout.
Henderson clinches but Neto breaks the clinch

and Neto counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Neto wants to pass the guard but Henderson is keeping the position.

Henderson is working an open guard so Neto takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Neto leaves Henderson with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Henderson displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Neto.
Dan Henderson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Antonio Neto.
Neto misses with a takedown attempt
and Henderson makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nice sprawl there from Henderson as Neto shoots in.
Henderson closes the distance and clinches up with Neto, looking for a takedown. Henderson pushes Neto against the cage but Neto circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Henderson fails in his attempt to clinch.

Neto closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Henderson to the mat! Henderson manages to get full guard.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!

Neto gets to his feet. Henderson looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Henderson wants to clinch

and Neto counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Henderson!
Henderson is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.
Neto content just to control the position here.
Henderson wants to try and get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Neto gets to his feet and calls his opponent to stand. Here come the fireworks!
Henderson shoots in but no luck this time.
Neto shoots in but no luck this time.
Neto dives in and grabs Henderson's left leg, looking for a takedown. Henderson pushes down on Neto's head and hops out.
Henderson tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Neto swivels and escapes.
Neto with a lazy takedown attempt
and Henderson counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Henderson looks to clinch

so Neto counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.

Neto stands and steps away. Henderson gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Henderson tries to clinch up

and Neto counters with a shoot takedown. Henderson fights it but they end up in guard.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!

Neto gets to his feet - Henderson follows without any prompting.
Henderson closes the distance but Neto moves to the side

and Neto counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Henderson is trying to stand.
Neto is figuring out what he wants to do next.

Neto decides to stand and escape the position.
Henderson tries to close the distance and clinch up but Neto swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Neto pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Henderson tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Neto counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Neto.
Henderson on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Henderson tries to get out of the position.
Neto looking to pass the guard.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Neto stops Henderson from standing up.
Henderson trying desperately to get back to his feet here but he's not having any joy at all. He's going to tire himself out if he's not careful.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Neto tries for a takedown but Henderson sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Henderson fails with an attempt to clinch.
Henderson fails with an attempt to clinch.
Henderson doesn't manage to clinch there - Neto circles away.
Henderson tries to clinch but Neto moves away

and Neto counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Henderson wants to get back to his feet but Neto is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

Neto gets to his feet - Henderson follows without any prompting.
Henderson moves in looking to clinch but Neto pushes him off.
Neto throws a head kick but Henderson moves out of range.
Henderson dives in and grabs Neto's left leg, looking for a takedown. Neto pushes down on Henderson's head and hops out.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Neto misses with a head kick.
Neto closes the distance and clinches up with Henderson, looking for a takedown. Neto pushes Henderson against the cage but Henderson circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Henderson thows a body shot but no joy.
Neto shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Henderson as he jumps to the side.
Dan Henderson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Antonio Neto.
Neto is trying hard to land a takedown here. Henderson sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Henderson closes the distance but Neto moves to the side

and Neto counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Henderson!
Henderson is squirming around, avoiding Neto's attempts to control the action.
Henderson wants to try and get back to his feet.
Neto tries to control but Henderson wriggling away.
Henderson wants to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neto controlling from mount.
Neto trying to control but he's not successful this time.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Neto content just to control the position here.
Antonio Neto has got the better of the ground game so far.
Henderson trying desperately to get to his feet.
Neto controlling from the full mount.
Henderson is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Neto controlling his opponent.
Neto tries to control but Henderson wriggling away.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Henderson squirming around on the bottom, looking to escape.
Neto has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Neto controlling the position easily from mount.
Henderson's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.
Neto content just to control the position here.

Despite being in the dominant position, Antonio Neto just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Henderson clinches but Neto breaks the clinch

and Neto counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neto prevents Henderson from getting back to his feet.
Neto's corner is telling him to maintain position.

Neto gets to his feet. Henderson looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Henderson tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Neto decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Henderson's guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Henderson wants to stand up but Neto is controlling him.
Neto passes Henderson's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Henderson is looking to escape.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Neto stands up from half guard.
Neto circles away from the clinch attempt

and Neto counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Antonio Neto showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Antonio Neto's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Henderson tries to clinch but Neto moves away

and Neto counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

Henderson pushes Neto off and gets back to his feet.
Neto looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Neto tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Neto circles away from the clinch attempt

so Neto counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Neto prevents Henderson from getting back to his feet.

Neto gets to his feet. Henderson looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Neto misses with a takedown attempt - Henderson sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Dan Henderson is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Henderson clinches but Neto breaks the clinch

and Neto counters with a takedown into side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Henderson throws Neto to one side and escapes!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Neto fails with the takedown
and Henderson counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Dan Henderson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Antonio Neto.
Henderson shoots in but Neto avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Henderson tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Neto counters with a shoot takedown. Henderson fights it but they end up in guard.
Henderson wants to get back to his feet but Neto is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

Neto decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Henderson.
Henderson tries to clinch but Neto moves away

and Neto counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Henderson makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!
Neto throws a head kick that misses.
Neto shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Henderson as he avoids it easily.
Henderson wants to clinch

and Neto counters with a single leg into guard. Henderson didn't expect that.
Henderson being controlled here, momentarily.

Henderson wriggles free and stands up.

Neto scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.

Henderson manages to escape and get back to his feet!
Henderson leaves Neto with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Neto dives in and grabs Henderson's left leg, looking for a takedown. Henderson pushes down on Neto's head and hops out.
Neto shoots in for a takedown but Henderson shows good takedown defense.
Henderson closes the distance looking to clinch

and Neto counters with a takedown into side control.

Henderson explodes and escapes back to his feet! Nice escape there!
Neto pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Henderson fails in his attempt to clinch.
Neto throws a head kick that misses.
Dan Henderson has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Neto circles away from the clinch attempt

and Neto counters with a nice double leg into guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Henderson wants to stand and escape but Neto is having none of it.

Henderson has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Neto off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Henderson fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Neto avoids it really well and circles away.
Neto circles away from the clinch attempt

and Neto counters with a nice double leg into guard.

Neto stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Neto misses with a head kick.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!

Neto shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Henderson napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Antonio Neto is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Neto has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
Henderson slaps away a takedown attempt from Neto, before circling back to the center of the mat.

And that's the end of the fight!
Antonio Neto comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Neto 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 Wesley Smith scores the fight 26:30
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 26:30
Judge George Francis scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Antonio Neto!