PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Michael Ozz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Manji Rigaldo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Ozz
vs
Rigaldo

180 cm
23
175 lbs
0 - 3 - 0

185 cm
21
176 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Determined

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 0 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Michael Ozz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Manji Rigaldo!
The judges for this bout are Winston Howard, Eliza Hachem and Donatello Bradman.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Ozz closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Ozz trying to stall but Rigaldo improves his position.
Rigaldo misses with a knee strike.
Rigaldo blocks an uppercut.

Ozz gets control of Rigaldo's arms and successfully pulls guard. Ozz will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Ozz is trying to control the position but Rigaldo postures up.
Rigaldo must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Rigaldo sitting in guard here, content to control.
Ozz is trying to control the position but Rigaldo postures up.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rigaldo with a flurry of punches that miss.
Ozz not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

Rigaldo decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Ozz, up you get!
Rigaldo looks to land a left hand but Ozz moved out of range nicely.
Ozz tries to close the distance and clinch up but Rigaldo swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Ozz is looking to clinch but Rigaldo is avoiding it.
Rigaldo tests Ozz's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Rigaldo misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Ozz looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Rigaldo swings and misses with a hook to the body.

Rigaldo is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Ozz's half guard.
Ozz is trying to stand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rigaldo is thwarting Ozz's attempts to control the position.
Ozz wants to improve his position but Rigaldo is controlling well.
Rigaldo stops Ozz from getting back to his feet.
Rigaldo tries to pass to full mount but Ozz defends it.

Rigaldo is working for a submission of some sort.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rigaldo tries to pass the half guard into mount. Ozz knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Ozz is trying to maintain the position but Rigaldo is very close to passing his half guard.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Ozz tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Rigaldo paws at him with a jab and circles away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Ozz takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Ozz tries a head kick but it misses.
Rigaldo blocks a head kick by Ozz.

Rigaldo scores with a takedown into Ozz's guard.
Ozz 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.
Rigaldo wants to pass the guard but Ozz is keeping the position.
Ozz keeping moving, preventing Rigaldo from controlling successfully.
Ozz is trying to control the position from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Manji Rigaldo dominated that round.
That's time! Ozz's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Ozz tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Rigaldo paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Ozz with a poor takedown

and Rigaldo counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Ozz!
Ozz wants to hold on but Rigaldo pushes him away.
Rigaldo lands a big elbow.
Ozz tries to hold on but Rigaldo postures up.
Rigaldo looking to control and managing it successfully.
Ozz tries to hold on but Rigaldo postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rigaldo controlling his opponent.
Rigaldo putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ozz can't escape the position.
Rigaldo looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Ozz tries to lock up and control but Rigaldo gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Rigaldo content just to control the position here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ozz wants to try and get back to his feet.
Rigaldo looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Rigaldo looking to control and managing it successfully.
Rigaldo punishing his opponent with strikes.
Manji Rigaldo has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
The referee warns Ozz that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Ozz looking to escape from mount but he's given up his back!
Ozz manages to reverse the position and now he's in Rigaldo's guard. Nice work there by Ozz.
Rigaldo seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Rigaldo tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Ozz is fighting to break Rigaldo's control of his arms but Rigaldo is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Rigaldo avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Manji Rigaldo showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Ozz tries to clinch

and Rigaldo counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Rigaldo.
Ozz looking to stall.

Ozz is fighting off a takedown attempt but Rigaldo is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Ozz to the mat. Ozz regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
Rigaldo really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Ozz. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Rigaldo throwing strikes from guard but Ozz blocks nicely.
Rigaldo tries to stand but Ozz is controlling from the bottom.
Ozz wants to improve his position but instead Rigaldo has moved into half guard.
Ozz trying to control from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ozz is looking for a sweep. Rigaldo is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Rigaldo perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Rigaldo thows a big elbow that misses, also allowing Ozz to regain full guard.
Ozz is controlling Rigaldo's posture.

Ozz has his feet on Rigaldo's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.
Ozz tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Rigaldo counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Ozz being controlled here, momentarily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ozz is looking to stand up but Rigaldo isn't so interested in that idea.
Rigaldo trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rigaldo prevents Ozz from getting back to his feet.
Rigaldo controls from within his opponent's guard.
Rigaldo is looking to stand up but Ozz won't let him.
Michael Ozz has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Rigaldo with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Rigaldo slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Rigaldo throws and elbow that misses. Ozz uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Rigaldo's guard. Nice move by Ozz!
Ozz working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Ozz trying to control the position from guard on top but Rigaldo is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Ozz trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

And that's the end of the fight!
Manji Rigaldo comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Rigaldo 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 Winston Howard scores the fight 26:30
Judge Eliza Hachem scores the fight 27:30
Judge Donatello Bradman scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Manji Rigaldo!