PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Tiago Machida (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Thien Dinh (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Machida comes to the cage accompanied by Con te Partiró. Both fighters really staring eachother down here, as Thien Dinh enters the cage!

Machida
vs
Dinh

194 cm
24
218 lbs
5 - 4 - 0

190 cm
25
205 lbs
6 - 1 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Tiago Machida!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Thien Dinh!
The judges for this bout are Felipe Paraventi, Matheus Silva and Leandro Rodrigues.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Dinh shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Machida working a defensive guard but Dinh passes into half guard.
Dinh is looking to take a break and control but Machida is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Dinh wants to stand up but Machida is controlling the position.
Machida wants to control but Dinh is keeping busy.
Machida wants to get back to full guard.
Machida preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.
Dinh prevents Machida from standing back up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Machida is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Dinh shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Machida keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Dinh looking to control but Machida is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Machida can't escape the position.
Dinh sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Machida is working to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Machida slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.

Machida is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Dinh pulls his head out easily.
Machida wants to control the action here but instead Dinh manages to pass to full mount!

Dinh get's back to his feet.
Machida uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Dinh.
Dinh lands a head kick. Machida smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
No joy there for Machida, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Dinh avoids the body shot from Machida.

Machida closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Dinh to the mat! Dinh manages to get full guard.
Machida is breathing heavily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dinh is looking to stand up but Machida isn't so interested in that idea.

Dinh has his feet on Machida's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.
Machida scores with a one two! Dinh had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Good shot there by Dinh.

Dinh shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Machida manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Dinh trying to control the position from guard on top but Machida is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Dinh is working Machida over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dinh trying to control but Machida is working from the bottom.
Machida working a defensive guard here.
Dinh is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Machida seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Dinh trying to control but Machida is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Thien Dinh dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Machida gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Dinh decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Machida's guard.
Machida looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Machida is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Machida looking to control.

Machida has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Dinh is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Machida.
Machida is trying to control Dinh's posture but Dinh avoids it.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dinh is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Machida will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Dinh decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Machida with a lazy takedown attempt

and Dinh counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Machida wants to control the action here but instead Dinh manages to pass to full mount!
Machida is looking to get to half guard.
Machida is working hard here to advance position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dinh content just to control the position here.

Dinh stands up from the dominant position, so we're back on the feet.
Dinh looks to throw the jab but Machida is out of range.
Dinh dodges the punch combination from Machida.
Machida misses with a body shot.
No joy there for Dinh, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Machida takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Machida lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Dinh connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Tiago Machida seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Dinh is looking to clinch.
Machida gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Dinh counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Machida!
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tiago Machida. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Dinh looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Machida tries to hold on but Dinh postures up.
Dinh controlling the pace for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dinh dominating with strikes here.
Machida tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Dinh controlling from mount.
Machida tries to reverse the position but Dinh maintains control.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Dinh controlling from the full mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Thien Dinh showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Machida takes a swing at Dinh's ribcage but misses.
Dinh fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Machida looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Dinh lands a head kick!
Dinh throws a nice inside leg kick.
Tiago Machida is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Dinh thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Machida if he has to take too many more of those.

Dinh closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Machida to the mat! Machida manages to get full guard.
Dinh stopping the sweep attempt from Machida.
Machida keeping full guard, as Dinh tries to pass.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Dinh's corner is telling him to maintain position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dinh trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Dinh sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Dinh is looking to stand up but Machida won't let him.
Dinh looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

Machida has his foot on Dinh's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Dinh works his way back into a safe position though.

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.
Dinh is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Machida controls Dinh momentarily but Dinh frees himself.
Dinh passes Machida's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Machida wants to control but Dinh passes into side.
Machida is looking to reverse the position.
Thien Dinh has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dinh is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.
Machida is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
You can see the frustration on Machida's face as Dinh controls the position.

That's four 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.
Machida is looking to regain half guard here but Dinh keeps moving and retains side control.
Tiago Machida has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Dinh slows the pace down.
Machida is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

Dinh decides to stand back up. Dinh steps back and let's Machida get back to his feet.

And that's the end of the fight!
Thien Dinh comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Dinh has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 27:30
Judge Matheus Silva scores the fight 27:30
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Thien Dinh!