PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Samoel Croco (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dwayne Johnson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Croco comes to the cage accompanied by Bate Pesadão. Dwayne Johnson has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Croco
vs
Johnson

190 cm
24
207 lbs
6 - 6 - 0

195 cm
23
205 lbs
5 - 13 - 0

Good wrestling
Brawler
KO power

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Powerful

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 6 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Samoel Croco!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 13 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Dwayne Johnson!
The judges for this bout are Emerson Jorge, Edson Gomes and Felipe Paraventi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Croco doesn't manage to clinch there - Johnson circles away.
Johnson circles away from the clinch attempt.
Croco wants to clinch.

Johnson feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Croco wants to stand and escape but Johnson is having none of it.
Johnson looking to pass the guard.
Johnson trying to control but Croco is working from the bottom.
Johnson trying to move into half guard but instead Croco has managed to sweep!
Croco working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Johnson utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Croco with a flurry of punches that miss.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Johnson looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Croco is fending him off so far but Johnson persists. Nope, Croco circles away and we're back to standing.
Croco misses with a series of wild punches.
Croco is looking to slow Johnson down with leg kicks.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Croco looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Croco scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Croco landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Croco looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.

Croco is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Johnson is just riding it out for now. Croco eventually gives up the hold.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Johnson can do anything to dispel that myth.
Johnson is trying to stand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Croco lands with a punch from half guard.
Croco thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Croco takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Croco throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Croco stops Johnson from getting back to his feet.
Croco misses with a head shot. Johnson uses the momentum to regain guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Croco trying to control the position from guard on top but Johnson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Croco 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.
Croco trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Johnson preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Johnson keeping full guard, as Croco tries to pass.
Johnson really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Croco. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

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

Johnson throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Croco was covering up waiting for the punch and Johnson finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Johnson pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Croco is keeping the position for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Johnson preventing the sweep.
Croco keeping moving, preventing Johnson from controlling successfully.
Johnson looking to pass the guard.
Johnson trying to control the position from guard on top but Croco is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Croco keeping full guard, as Johnson tries to pass.
Johnson trying to control the position from guard on top but Croco is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Johnson must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Danga de danga de dang - Croco scores with a four punch combination!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Johnson tries for a takedown but Croco circles away easily
and Croco connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Croco shoots in looking for a takedown. Johnson tries to sprawl out of it but Croco keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Johnson manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

Johnson closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Johnson lands in his opponent's guard.
Croco keeping moving, preventing Johnson from controlling successfully.
Johnson stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Croco swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Croco is looking to stand up but Johnson isn't so interested in that idea.
Johnson wants to control from the top but Croco keeps moving.
Johnson is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Croco wants to sweep but no luck.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Croco throws a quick inside leg kick.
Croco dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Johnson gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Croco cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Johnson shoots and misses
letting Croco counter with a right hand.
Samoel Croco has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Dwayne Johnson.

Croco gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.

Croco pushes Johnson off and scrambles back to his feet.

Croco scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Croco lands a nice forearm strike.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Johnson avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Croco.
Croco sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Johnson is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Croco lands a decent elbow from side control.
The strikes coming from Croco are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
The strikes coming from Croco are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Johnson managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Croco.
Croco misses with the ground and pound.
Johnson dodges the ground and pound from Croco.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Johnson gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Croco counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Croco.
Croco working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Johnson wants to get back to his feet but Croco is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Croco's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Johnson is looking to stand up but Croco isn't so interested in that idea.
Samoel Croco overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Croco wants to control from the top but Johnson keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Croco prevents Johnson from getting back to his feet.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Croco accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Croco doesn't manage to clinch there - Johnson circles away.

Johnson decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Johnson seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Croco does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Johnson is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Croco is trying to stand back up but Johnson is controlling him
Croco is refusing to be controlled, as Johnson sits in half guard.
Johnson thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Samoel Croco dominated that second round.
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!

Johnson shoots in and bounces Croco off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Johnson trying to control the position from guard on top but Croco is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Croco preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

Croco pushes Johnson off and gets back to his feet.

Johnson decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Croco pushes Johnson off looking to stand but Johnson dives back in and keeps control.
Croco is refusing to be controlled, as Johnson sits in half guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Croco is looking to escape.
Johnson trying to control from half guard but Croco is working away.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Johnson has a takedown stuffed.
Croco stuffs the takedown.
Croco scores with a hook to the body. Johnson takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.

Croco scores a takedown into full mount!
Croco misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Croco scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Johnson?

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Croco lands a heavy elbow.
Croco throws some wild stikes that Johnson manages to avoid easily.
Croco thowing shots but they're missing.
Croco looking to finish with strikes here!
Croco thowing shots but they're missing.
Croco won't let Johnson get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Croco throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Johnson avoids a series of strikes thrown by Croco.
Croco lands a heavy elbow.
Samoel Croco is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Johnson'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.
Johnson is squirming around, avoiding Croco's attempts to control the action.
Croco looking to finish with strikes here!
Dwayne Johnson has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Johnson is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Croco blocks Johnson's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Croco cracks Johnson with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Croco with a couple of short strikes.
BOOM! Croco connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Croco blocks Johnson's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Croco lands a heavy elbow.
Croco thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!

And that's the end of the fight!
Samoel Croco showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Croco has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Emerson Jorge scores the fight 30:27
Judge Edson Gomes scores the fight 30:27
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Samoel Croco!