PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Dan Desouza (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rico Rodriguez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rico Rodriguez has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Desouza
vs
Rodriguez

175 cm
21
165 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

165 cm
19
160 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Good in bed

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

MADE IN GERMANY

[†CoE†]Terror-Trition 155Q[†CoE†]
Vicious Nutrition (159 Recovery With Proof)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Dan Desouza!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rico Rodriguez!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Cesar, Mauricio Rocha and Luis Engracia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Rodriguez closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Desouza tries to bench press Rodriguez off him but Rodriguez keeps the position.
Rodriguez is looking to take a break and control but Desouza is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Rodriguez working the ground and pound but Desouza is defending the strikes.
Rodriguez just content to control the position.
Desouza struggling a bit here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Desouza is looking for a sweep.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rodriguez trying to control the position but Desouza is working away.
Rodriguez working the ground and pound but Desouza is defending the strikes.

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

Rodriguez darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.

Rodriguez is looking for a kimura here.
Rodriguez sitting and controlling from the half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Desouza pushes Rodriguez off and gets back to his feet.
Desouza lands with a thumping leg kick.
Rodriguez keeps the fight on the outside.
Desouza defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Rodriguez.
Rodriguez fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Desouza stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Desouza wants it to stay on the feet.
Dan Desouza has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rico Rodriguez.
Desouza lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Some bone on bone action there as Rodriguez checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.

Rodriguez scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rodriguez is thwarting Desouza's attempts to control the position.

Desouza is defending against the submission attempts here by Rodriguez.
Rodriguez prevents Desouza from improving his position.
Desouza trying to control but Rodriguez postures up.

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.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Rodriguez tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Desouza.
Rodriguez with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Rodriguez passes the guard and advances to mount!

Rodriguez gets to his feet and calls his opponent to stand. Here come the fireworks!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Rodriguez blocks a head kick by Desouza.
A good leg kick by Desouza.
Rodriguez doesn't manage to clinch there - Desouza circles away.
Rodriguez cracks a nice hook into Desouza's ribs.
Rodriguez moves out of range as Desouza strikes.
Desouza tries to clinch but Rodriguez moves away

and Rodriguez counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Desouza!
Desouza is working to get back to half guard.
The referee warns Desouza that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Desouza gets back to half guard.

Rodriguez is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Desouza sees it coming and defends easily.
Desouza is trying to stand up here but Rodriguez is controlling him well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Desouza is refusing to be controlled, as Rodriguez sits in half guard.
Rodriguez prevents Desouza from improving his position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Desouza is not content to let Rodriguez control the position.
Desouza won't allow Rodriguez to pass to mount.

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.
Rodriguez lands with a punch from half guard.
Rodriguez is taking a breather. Desouza 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.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Desouza wants to slow Rodriguez down by chopping away at his legs.
Desouza will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Rodriguez shoots in for a takedown but Desouza shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Desouza swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Rodriguez counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Rodriguez takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.

Rodriguez scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Desouza is looking for a sweep.
Sloppy strikes there by Rodriguez.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rodriguez trying to control the action but Desouza is working from the bottom.
Desouza tries to improve position but can't.
Desouza struggling a bit here.
Desouza is looking for a sweep.
Rodriguez controls the position.

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.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Rodriguez throws a combination that misses

and Desouza holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

Rodriguez jumps guard.
Desouza looking to sit in guard and control but Rodriguez gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Desouza tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Rodriguez trying to control but Desouza is working from the bottom.
Rico Rodriguez has got the better of the ground game so far.

Rodriguez stands up from Desouza's guard - Rodriguez perhaps looking for a knockout.
Rodriguez is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rico Rodriguez showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Desouza cracks Rodriguez with a right hand to the side of the head.
Desouza thows a left - swing and a miss!
Desouza shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Rodriguez defends it nicely.
Rodriguez circles away from the clinch attempt
and Rodriguez counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Desouza throws a leg kick that is checked

and Rodriguez counters with a takedown into side control.

Rodriguez stands up.
Dan Desouza seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
No luck for Rodriguez with that takedown attempt.
Rodriguez gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Desouza counters with a stiff right hand.
Desouza throws a leg kick that is checked

and Rodriguez counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Rodriguez wants to control from the top but Desouza keeps moving.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rodriguez with a flurry of punches that miss.
Desouza pulls Rodriguez in close to prevent any damage.
Rodriguez working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Desouza is controlling Rodriguez's posture.
Desouza is trying to control the position but Rodriguez postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Desouza looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Rodriguez puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Rodriguez wants to free his trapped foot but Desouza is holding on for dear life with his legs.

Rodriguez stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Rodriguez is defended easily by Desouza.
Dan Desouza has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rico Rodriguez.
Rodriguez takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Rodriguez shoots in for a takedown but Desouza shows good takedown defense.
Rodriguez tries to close the distance and clinch up but Desouza swats him away and circles back towards the center.
A low kick from Desouza misses

and Rodriguez counters with a single leg into guard. Desouza didn't expect that.
Rodriguez takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rodriguez looking to pass the guard.
Desouza manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Rodriguez manages to get himself to full guard.
Rodriguez working a defensive guard here.
Desouza trying to control the position from guard on top but Rodriguez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Rodriguez keeping full guard, as Desouza tries to pass.

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.
Rodriguez working a defensive guard here.
Desouza connects with a couple of short punches.
Dan Desouza has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Desouza has gone for a leg lock! Rodriguez slips out almost immediately though and dives into Desouza's guard.
Rodriguez slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Desouza tries to get back to half guard but can't.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rico Rodriguez comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Rodriguez 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 Daniel Cesar scores the fight 27:30
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 27:30
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rico Rodriguez!