PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Michael Angelo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Pietro Rava (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rava has chosen Blue October - Drilled a Wire through my cheek as his entrance music. Both fighters will be looking to make this an exciting fight for the fans, I'm sure!

Angelo
vs
Rava

185 cm
18
185 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

185 cm
23
185 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Michael Angelo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Pietro Rava!
The judges for this bout are Aafke Stam, Wagner Zegers and Patrick Alders.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rava shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Angelo sprawls well. Angelo wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Rava gets slowly back to his feet.
Rava takes a head kick and shrugs it off.

It looks like Pietro Rava has been cut.
Angelo misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

Rava shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Angelo wants to get back to his feet.
Rava tries to pass to full mount but Angelo defends it.

Rava is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Angelo has managed to free his arm - good work.
Angelo looks like he's trying to stand up.
Rava not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Rava has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Angelo wants to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Angelo tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Rava paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Rava blocks a head kick by Angelo.

Rava closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Rava lands in his opponent's guard.
Rava trying to control the position from guard on top but Angelo is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Angelo wants to stand up but Rava is controlling him.
Rava makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Rava wants to control from the top but Angelo keeps moving.
Rava postures up in Angelo's guard and throws a big left but Angelo blocks it.
Rava won't allow Angelo to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Rava decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Angelo stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Angelo wants it to stay on the feet.
Angelo ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Rava moves away.
The fight stays on the outside here - Angelo looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Rava shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Angelo pinned against the cage. Angelo gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Michael Angelo has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Pietro Rava.
Rava throws a leg kick which misses Angelo's front leg but catches the back leg as Angelo tries to avoid it.
Angelo leaves Rava with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Michael Angelo is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Rava moves away from the strike by Angelo.
Angelo tries to clinch up but Rava circles away and keeps his distance.
Rava takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Rava.
Rava looks gassed!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rava in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Angelo avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Rava.
Angelo wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!

Rava working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Rava is looking to take a break and control but Angelo is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Angelo is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Rava is controlling him well.

That's four 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.
Angelo trying desperately to get back to his feet here but he's not having any joy at all. He's going to tire himself out if he's not careful.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Angelo misses with an uppercut.
Angelo will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Angelo tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Rava paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Rava has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Angelo.

Rava forces Angelo back against the ropes and clinches.

Rava breaks the clinch.
Angelo throws the kick towards the body but Rava avoids it.
Angelo misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Rava.
Angelo leaves Rava with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Angelo tries to clinch

and Rava counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rava trying to control but Angelo is working from the bottom.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Angelo is wriggling around but Rava manages to pass to half guard.
Angelo knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Rava on the ground.

Angelo has one foot on Rava's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pietro Rava dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Pietro Rava's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Rava throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Angelo was covering up waiting for the punch and Rava finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Angelo wants to get back to his feet but Rava is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Angelo working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Rava.
Angelo wants to stand up but Rava is controlling him.
Rava sitting in guard here, content to control.
Angelo is looking to stand up but Rava isn't so interested in that idea.
Rava working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Angelo utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Angelo wants to stand up but Rava is controlling him.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Angelo clinches but Rava breaks the clinch

and Rava counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Angelo!
Pietro Rava has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Angelo'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.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Rava sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Rava landing strikes from the mount.
Angelo is trying to get back to his feet but can't.
Rava scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Angelo wants to try and get back to his feet.
Rava landing strikes from the mount and Angelo is in trouble!
Rava is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Angelo is trying to stand up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Angelo takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Angelo is really trying hard to get back to his feet.
Rava working the ground and pound effectively.
Rava lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Rava looking to control but Angelo is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Angelo wants to use the ropes to get back to his feet here.
A nice elbow there by Rava.
Rava working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Angelo really wants to buck Rava off and get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rava trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Rava punishing his opponent with strikes.
Angelo is bucking up trying to escape but Rava cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Rava landing shots from mount.
Rava connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Rava landing strikes from the mount.
Angelo really wants to buck Rava off and get back to his feet.
Rava with the ground and pound from mount.
Angelo is trying to get to the ropes to help him get back to his feet.
Rava looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Angelo really wants to buck Rava off and get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rava wants to control the pace but Angelo is squirming around nicely.
Rava fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Angelo wants to try and get back to his feet.
Angelo takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Rava putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Rava lands a big shot there that rocks Angelo but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Rava trying to control but he's not successful this time.
A nice elbow there by Rava.
Angelo squirming around on the bottom, looking to escape.
Rava controlling from the full mount.
Angelo wants to use the ropes to get back to his feet here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pietro Rava showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Pietro Rava's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Rava misses with a jab, cross combination.

Rava rushes Angelo and presses him up against the ropes.
Angelo is trying to force a seperation but Rava has the dominant position.
Angelo looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Angelo is trying to force a seperation but Rava has the dominant position.

Rava manages to break the clinch.

Rava pushes Angelo up against the ropes in a clinch.
Angelo wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Angelo tries to break free but Rava pushes him back against the ropes.
Angelo looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Rava keeps control of Angelo as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Knees to the body from Angelo.
Angelo wants to break free but Rava has control.
Angelo tries to break free but Rava pushes him back against the ropes.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Angelo is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the ropes.

Rava escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Angelo misses with a leg kick

and Rava counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Rava thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Angelo tries to kick Rava off but Rava keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

Rava is looking for a kimura but Angelo is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Rava to get the leverage.
Angelo pushes Rava off looking to stand but Rava dives back in and keeps control.
Rava is taking a breather. Angelo 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.

Rava stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.
Angelo pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Rava shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Angelo is trying to defend but Rava finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Angelo pushes Rava off looking to stand but Rava dives back in and keeps control.
Michael Angelo has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Rava is working for a submission of some sort.

Angelo kicks Rava off and gets back to his feet.
Rava avoids the head kick by Angelo.

Rava drives through and clinches with Angelo against the ropes.
Rava avoiding damage as Angelo throws knees to the body.
Angelo with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.

Rava gets control of Angelo's arms and successfully pulls guard. Rava will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.

Rava manages to escape and get back to his feet.

Rava 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.
Angelo wants to stand but Rava is controlling the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Angelo is looking for a triangle but Rava pushes his legs off easily.
Rava stands up over Angelo, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Rava stops Angelo from standing up.
Angelo will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Rava scoring with some ground and pound.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Angelo looks for the body kick but Rava saw that one coming.

Rava looking for a takedown here - he's got it.

Angelo is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Rava is aware though and is defending well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rava controlling from the top position.
Angelo wants to stand and escape but Rava is having none of it.
Angelo keeping moving, preventing Rava from controlling successfully.
Angelo striking off his back but it's not causing Rava any problems.
Rava pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Angelo is keeping the position for now.
Angelo keeping moving, preventing Rava from controlling successfully.
Rava won't allow Angelo to get back to his feet.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Rava avoids the head kick by Angelo.
Pietro Rava is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Rava feints and as Angelo raises his hands in defense, Rava changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Pietro Rava comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Rava 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 Aafke Stam scores the fight 26:30
Judge Wagner Zegers scores the fight 26:30
Judge Patrick Alders scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Pietro Rava!