PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Faoa Sunia (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rodrigo Verson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Fingers crossed for an exciting fight - I'm sure both fighters are looking for a nice under the table bonus!

Sunia
vs
Verson

175 cm
25
158 lbs
5 - 3 - 0

173 cm
20
150 lbs
5 - 1 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Solid boxing
Very strong

Powerful takedowns
Basic striking
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Faoa Sunia!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rodrigo Verson!
The judges for this bout are Thiago Cunha, Edson Gomes and Daniel Cesar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sunia comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Sunia is trying hard to land a takedown here. Verson sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Sunia misses with a wild body shot.
A big left from Sunia misses.

Sunia drives through with a takedown into guard.
Verson keeping moving, preventing Sunia from controlling successfully.
Verson is trying to control the position but Sunia postures up.
Sunia is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Verson utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Verson pulls Sunia in close to prevent any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sunia with a flurry of punches that miss.
Sunia throws a big right hand that misses.
Sunia has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Verson is on top in guard.
Sunia has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Verson has passed into side control.
Verson wants to lay and pray for a moment but Sunia keeps working.
Sunia stuck in half guard on the bottom here.
Verson tries to advance to mount but can't.

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.
Sunia is looking to reverse the position.
A lull in the action here.
Sunia is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Verson off and has taken his back!
Sunia is working the ground and pound here and the referee is taking a close look at Verson. He must escape soon or this one will be stopped.
You can see the frustration on Verson's face… He knows he is in trouble unless he improves his position sooner rather than later.
A lull in the action here.
Sunia throwing strikes and Verson squirms under the pressure, ending up mounted.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sunia punching from mount but Verson doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Sunia trying to control but Verson is having none of it.
Sunia fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Verson is wriggling around trying to escape.
Verson holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Sunia tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
Verson tries to hold on but Sunia pushes him away.
Sunia prevents Verson from getting the reversal.

That's four 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.
Verson tries to lock up and control but Sunia gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Sunia controlling from the full mount.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Verson blocking the ground and pound.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Verson fails in his attempt to clinch.
Sunia gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Sunia shoots for a takedown but Verson saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Verson tries to clinch up.
Sunia swats away the attempt to clinch by Verson.
Verson uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Sunia.
Sunia is looking to chop away at Verson's legs.
Sunia misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Verson.
Verson moves away from the strike by Sunia.
Verson misses with a hook.
Verson fails in his attempt to clinch.
Sunia throws a jab when Verson was well out of range.
Sunia just misses with a punch to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Verson throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Sunia takes a swing at Verson's ribcage but misses.
A big right from Sunia misses.
Verson throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Sunia misses with a straight right.

Verson pushes Sunia up against the cage in a clinch.
Verson doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Verson managing to block the knees to the body from Sunia.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Still in the clinch, Sunia scores with a nice short uppercut.
A nice left hand lands by Verson.
Sunia goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Verson blocks a body shot from Sunia.
Verson blocks a body shot from Sunia.
Sunia prevents a body shot from Verson.
Verson tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Sunia tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Verson's elbow.
Verson throws a punch but it's blocked by Sunia.
Verson tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Sunia's elbow.
Sunia lands a body shot.
Sunia tries a body shot but Verson blocks it.
Verson swings wildly with an uppercut but Sunia uses good head movement to avoid it.
Verson tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Sunia's elbow.
Verson misses with a hook from the clinch.
Sunia misses with a punch to the body.
Sunia has Verson pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Verson manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Sunia.
A short body shot lands from Sunia as the two fighters clinch.
Sunia tries a body shot but Verson blocks it.
Sunia misses with a punch on the inside.
Verson fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Sunia tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Sunia misses with a punch to the body.
Sunia misses with a punch to the body.
Sunia blocks a body shot from Verson.
Verson has a couple of punches blocked by Sunia.
Verson is pressed up against the cage. Sunia has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Verson down to the mat. Verson avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Faoa Sunia. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Verson throws an overhand right that lands on Sunia's shoulder, as Sunia tries to avoid the shot.
Sunia tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Verson was well out of range. Poor timing from Sunia.
Sunia keeps the fight on the outside.
Sunia avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Donk. Sunia catches Verson right on the button with a cross.
Verson avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Sunia misses with a few strikes there.
Verson tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Sunia was well out of range. Poor timing from Verson.
Verson moves out of range of the strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sunia has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Sunia there as he acknowledges the shot.
Verson closes the distance but Sunia moves to the side
and Sunia counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Verson lands with a shot to the body.

Verson rushes Sunia and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Verson misses with a short punch on the inside.
Verson gets through Sunia's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Sunia goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Sunia tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Verson on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Sunia is leaning against Verson and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Sunia tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Verson blocks a body shot from Sunia.
Verson lands a shot to the body.
Verson swings wildly with an uppercut but Sunia uses good head movement to avoid it.
Verson gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Sunia.
Sunia tries to throw a body punch but Verson avoids it by throwing Sunia back against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sunia goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
A short body shot lands from Verson as the two fighters clinch.
Verson lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Sunia blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Sunia misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Sunia blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Verson swings wildly with an uppercut but Sunia uses good head movement to avoid it.
Sunia drops down looking for an ankle pick but Verson pulls his leg out and moves away.
Sunia throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Verson is looking to clinch.

Verson darts in and clinches Sunia up against the cage.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Sunia tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Verson prevents a body shot from Sunia.

Sunia breaks from the clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Verson looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Verson tries to close the distance and clinch but Sunia swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rodrigo Verson showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Sunia looks to land a left hand but Verson moved out of range nicely.
Sunia wants to clinch up but Verson keeps it at a distance.
Sunia swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Verson walks into a stiff left hand from Sunia.
Sunia shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Sunia uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Verson.
Verson tries to grapple but his opponent circles

so Sunia counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Verson 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.
Verson is adopting a defensive guard.
Sunia trying to control the position from guard on top but Verson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Sunia trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Verson trying to control the position.
Verson controlling the position.
Sunia wants to control from the top but Verson keeps moving.
Verson lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Sunia!
Verson trying to control but Sunia is having none of it.
Sunia is trying desperately to improve position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Sunia is working hard here to advance position.
Verson controlling the position easily from mount.
Verson trying to control but Sunia is having none of it.
Sunia is desperately trying to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Verson scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Sunia?
Verson landing shots from mount.
Sunia is trying desperately to improve position.
Verson landing strikes, looking to finish!
Sunia is wriggling around trying to escape.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Verson controlling the position easily from mount.
Verson landing strikes from the mount.
Sunia in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Verson tries to control but Sunia wriggling away.
Verson working Sunia over with strikes here.
Verson trying to control but Sunia is having none of it.
Sunia wants to hold on but Verson pushes him away.
Verson looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Sunia is looking to get to half guard.
Sunia is squirming around, avoiding Verson's attempts to control the action.
Sunia is working to get back to half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rodrigo Verson comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Verson has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Thiago Cunha scores the fight 28:29
Judge Edson Gomes scores the fight 28:29
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rodrigo Verson!