PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Paul Garcia (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Augusto Ricardo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Paul Garcia has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Garcia
vs
Ricardo

170 cm
21
140 lbs
5 - 4 - 0

155 cm
27
140 lbs
11 - 8 - 1

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
KO power

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Powerful

Boomerang! Costume Shop ($12 Fun Gear)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Paul Garcia!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 8 - 1, fighting out of Sydney, Augusto Ricardo!
The judges for this bout are Damien Edna, Skip Squint and John Mangel.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ricardo shoots for a takedown but Garcia saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Ricardo shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Ricardo ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Garcia moves away.

Ricardo shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Garcia is trying to defend but Ricardo finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Garcia trying to control but Ricardo postures up.
Ricardo is keen to just control but Garcia is a slippery customer.
Garcia wants to control but Ricardo is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Ricardo tries to pass to full mount but Garcia defends it.
Ricardo throwing shots but Garcia is blocking nicely.
Ricardo has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Ricardo lands strikes from half guard.
Garcia gets back to full guard.
Garcia will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Ricardo trying to control the position from guard on top but Garcia is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Garcia escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Ricardo gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

Garcia has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Ricardo can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

Garcia has his foot on Ricardo's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Ricardo works his way back into a safe position though.
Ricardo tries to free his leg and advance position but Garcia is retaining full guard.
Ricardo keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Garcia's head.
Garcia wants to sweep here but Ricardo controlling him for the moment.
Ricardo passes Garcia's right leg, so he's now in half guard.

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.
Ricardo tries to pass to full mount but Garcia defends it.
Ricardo is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Nice strikes from Ricardo there.
Ricardo stalling away here and it's allowed Garcia to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Ricardo distracts Garcia with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.

Garcia is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Ricardo not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Ricardo wants to pass the guard but Garcia is keeping the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Garcia keeping moving, preventing Ricardo from controlling successfully.
Ricardo cracks Garcia with a solid left hand.
Garcia keeping moving, preventing Ricardo from controlling successfully.
Ricardo stands up over Garcia, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Garcia is trying to keep Ricardo in close.
Ricardo working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Ricardo stands up over Garcia, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.

Garcia had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Ricardo defends it easily.
Ricardo pushes down on Garcia's leg and manages to get into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ricardo throws a strike but Garcia avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Ricardo scoring with some ground and pound.

Ricardo stands up from Garcia's guard - Ricardo perhaps looking for a knockout.
Ricardo takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Garcia lands a right hook to the body.
A shot to the body from Ricardo misses
and Garcia counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

Ricardo closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Ricardo cracks Garcia with a big right hand but Garcia just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Ricardo lands a few punches from side control.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Ricardo advances to full mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Augusto Ricardo dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

A telegraphed right hand from Garcia misses the target.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!

Ricardo shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Garcia is trying to defend but Ricardo finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Garcia wants to control but Ricardo is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Ricardo slips a nice elbow through Garcia's hands, connecting with Garcia's forehead.
Ricardo landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Garcia is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Ricardo trying to mount his opponent but Garcia defends it.
Garcia throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Ricardo missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Garcia pushes Ricardo off looking to stand but Ricardo dives back in and keeps control.
Ricardo is just content to waste time from the top position. Garcia takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.
Augusto Ricardo has got the better of the ground game so far.
Garcia looking to control.
Ricardo postures up and lands a big shot to Garcia's brow.
Garcia keeping moving, preventing Ricardo from controlling successfully.
Ricardo in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Garcia can't keep his opponent in guard - Ricardo advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Ricardo thows a huge punch but Garcia dodges it nicely.
Ricardo wants to pass the guard but Garcia is defending well.

That's two 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.
Ricardo throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Ricardo is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Garcia tries to kick Ricardo off but Ricardo keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Ricardo scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Ricardo seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Ricardo takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Ricardo is looking to take a break and control but Garcia is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Ricardo landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.

Garcia looking for submissions off his back.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Ricardo lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Garcia is not content to let Ricardo control the position.
Ricardo is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Ricardo lands a nice short elbow.
Ricardo frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Garcia is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Ricardo working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Ricardo with a couple of short strikes.
Garcia tries to hold on but Ricardo postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Garcia is in a horrible position here. Ricardo smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Ricardo looking to finish Garcia with some ground and pound. This is bad for Garcia!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Ricardo lands a big elbow.

Ricardo goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Garcia is on top in guard.
Garcia would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Ricardo tries to strike from the bottom.
Ricardo is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Ricardo is keen to just control but Garcia is a slippery customer.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Augusto Ricardo showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Garcia throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Ricardo sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Ricardo gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Garcia counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Ricardo thinking.
Garcia ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Garcia punishes Ricardo's body with a nice straight punch.
Garcia lands a really nice looking cross but Ricardo seems unphased.
Garcia throws a series of strikes that have Ricardo backpedaling.
Ricardo throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

Ricardo closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Nice strikes from Ricardo there.
Ricardo throws a strike but Garcia avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Ricardo with a flurry of punches that miss.
Garcia has momentary wrist control but Ricardo slips an elbow through the middle.
Ricardo working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

Garcia working for a triangle but Ricardo defends it easily.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Ricardo throwing strikes from guard but Garcia blocks nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ricardo is working Garcia over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Ricardo scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Ricardo landing with the ground and pound.
Garcia keeping moving, preventing Ricardo from controlling successfully.
Ricardo throws a strike but Garcia rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Ricardo can do anything to dispel that myth.
Garcia is looking to stand up but Ricardo won't let him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Ricardo trying to strike off his back.
Garcia stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Ricardo swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Garcia postures up in Ricardo's guard and throws a big left but Ricardo blocks it.
Garcia wants to control from the top but Ricardo keeps moving.
Garcia trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Garcia has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Ricardo.
Ricardo cracks Garcia with a big elbow.
Ricardo is pausing for a moment. What's he doing? It looks like he's clearing his nose. Oh dude! He's shot a load of snot all down Garcia's shoulder. That is not cool.
Ricardo grinds an elbow into Garcia's temple.
Garcia tries to bench press Ricardo off him but Ricardo keeps the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Garcia takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Garcia taking a bit of punishment here - Ricardo scoring with strikes.
Ricardo taking a break here but Garcia is having none of it and regains half guard.
Ricardo looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Garcia with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Ricardo thows a huge punch but Garcia dodges it nicely.
Ricardo missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Ricardo takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Nice strikes from Ricardo there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Garcia is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Garcia is refusing to be controlled, as Ricardo sits in half guard.
Ricardo controlling the pace.
Ricardo takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Ricardo thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Paul Garcia has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Ricardo not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Ricardo is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Garcia!
Augusto Ricardo is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Ricardo fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!

And that's the end of the fight!
Augusto Ricardo comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Ricardo 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 Damien Edna scores the fight 27:30
Judge Skip Squint scores the fight 27:30
Judge John Mangel scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Augusto Ricardo!