PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Illidan Stormrage (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rex Diablos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Stormrage
vs
Diablos

191 cm
20
218 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

188 cm
19
225 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Very strong

Powerful takedowns
Brawler
Good gas tank

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 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Illidan Stormrage!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rex Diablos!
The judges for this bout are Matheus Silva, Paulo Santos and Emerson Jorge.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Diablos fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Stormrage avoids it really well and circles away.

Diablos clinches with his opponent.

Stormrage lands a takedown into guard.
Diablos keeping full guard, as Stormrage tries to pass.
Stormrage wants to control from the top but Diablos keeps moving.
Stormrage looking to pass the guard.
Diablos wants to sweep but no luck.
Stormrage tries to free his leg and advance position but Diablos is retaining full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Diablos wants to clinch.
Rex Diablos seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Stormrage feints and as Diablos raises his hands in defense, Stormrage changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Stormrage trying to control but Diablos is working from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Stormrage throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Diablos works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Stormrage prevents Diablos from getting back to his feet.
Stormrage wants to control from the top but Diablos keeps moving.
Diablos keeping full guard, as Stormrage tries to pass.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Stormrage wants to control from the top but Diablos keeps moving.
Stormrage is in close to Diablos's body, working some short punches and elbows.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Diablos is on top in guard.
Diablos passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Stormrage tries to buck Diablos off but Diablos is having none of it.
Stormrage wants to control but Diablos postures up.
Stormrage gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Diablos seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Stormrage does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Stormrage is pressing down on Diablos's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Diablos postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Diablos wants to pass the guard but Stormrage is keeping the position.
Stormrage trying to keep a closed guard but Diablos is proving a slippery customer.
Stormrage wants to sweep but no luck.
Stormrage trying to keep a closed guard but Diablos is proving a slippery customer.
Diablos wants to control from the top but Stormrage keeps moving.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Stormrage drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Stormrage wants to control from the top but Diablos keeps moving.
Stormrage trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Stormrage wants to control from the top but Diablos keeps moving.
Stormrage tries to free his leg and advance position but Diablos is retaining full guard.
Stormrage advances position into side control!

Stormrage tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Stormrage has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Stormrage is breathing heavily.
Stormrage throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Diablos can't do much from the bottom here.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Diablos tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Illidan Stormrage dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Diablos gets caught flat footed, as Stormrage shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Stormrage has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Stormrage wants to control from the top but Diablos keeps moving.
Diablos is trying to keep Stormrage in close.

Diablos had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Stormrage defends it easily.
Stormrage wants to control from the top but Diablos keeps moving.
Diablos keeping full guard, as Stormrage tries to pass.
Stormrage is working hard here to advance position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Stormrage trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Diablos tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Stormrage paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Rex Diablos is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Diablos gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Stormrage to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Diablos keeping moving, preventing Stormrage from controlling successfully.
Diablos preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Diablos wants to get back to his feet but Stormrage is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Stormrage trying to control but Diablos is working from the bottom.
Stormrage postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Stormrage forces his way into half guard.
Stormrage is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Stormrage won't let Diablos get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.
Diablos is breathing heavily.
Diablos in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Stormrage lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Diablos hang on?
BOOM! Stormrage connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Stormrage has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Diablos's face.
Stormrage lands with some strikes.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Stormrage unloading with bombs!
Diablos gets back to half guard.
Stormrage throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Diablos is staying active underneath Stormrage, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Diablos has hold of Stormrage's hands but Stormrage slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Stormrage trying to advance position but Diablos counters by regaining guard.
Stormrage trying to control the position from guard on top but Diablos is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Stormrage is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Diablos has his hands on Stormrage's head, controlling the position.
Diablos manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Stormrage manages to get himself to full guard.
Stormrage wants to sweep here but Diablos controlling him for the moment.
Stormrage looking to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Stormrage manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Diablos manages to get himself to full guard.
Stormrage wants to pass the guard but Diablos is keeping the position.
Diablos throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Stormrage distracts Diablos with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Stormrage accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Diablos preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Stormrage wants to pass the guard but Diablos is keeping the position.
Diablos is looking to stand up but Stormrage isn't so interested in that idea.
Diablos keeping full guard, as Stormrage tries to pass.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Diablos tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Illidan Stormrage dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Diablos looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Stormrage is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Stormrage is pressing down on Diablos's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Diablos content to stall in guard here.
Diablos postures up.
Stormrage bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Diablos's guard.
Diablos takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Stormrage looking to pass the guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Stormrage wants to control from the top but Diablos keeps moving.
Stormrage trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Diablos is controlling Stormrage's posture.
Stormrage stopping the sweep attempt from Diablos.
Stormrage tries to free his leg and advance position but Diablos is retaining full guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Stormrage with a poor takedown

and Diablos counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Stormrage preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Stormrage is on top in guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Diablos manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Stormrage tries to hold on but Diablos pushes him away.

Diablos with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.

Diablos is working for a guillotine from mount but Stormrage frees his head quite easily.
Stormrage tries to reverse the position but Diablos maintains control.
Stormrage slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Stormrage looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

Diablos is working for a kimura but Stormrage is defending it quite comfortably.
Stormrage is trying to maintain the position but Diablos is very close to passing his half guard.
Diablos is taking a breather. Stormrage says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Stormrage is controlling Diablos's trapped leg to prevent Diablos from advancing to side control.
Diablos stops Stormrage from getting back to his feet.

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.
Diablos is thwarting Stormrage's attempts to control the position.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Stormrage misses with a takedown

and Diablos counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Stormrage wants to improve his position but Diablos is controlling well.
Diablos wants to get back to his feet.
Illidan Stormrage is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Stormrage wants to get back to his feet.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rex Diablos comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Stormrage has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Matheus Silva scores the fight 29:28
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 29:28
Judge Emerson Jorge scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Illidan Stormrage!