PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Joshua Branham (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Fernando Araujo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Branham comes to the cage accompanied by You Can Hate Me Now. This should be a great matchup!

Branham
vs
Araujo

200 cm
20
155 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

180 cm
18
163 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Determined

Malicious Intent Fight Gear
Malicious Intent Fight Gear

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Joshua Branham!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Fernando Araujo!
The judges for this bout are Gwen Towbar, Cecil Peabody and George Francis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Araujo avoids a punch combination nicely.

Branham has Araujo up against the cage in a clinch.
Branham gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Branham prevents Araujo from breaking the clinch.
Branham lands a nice uppercut.
Araujo jumps guard but Branham stands there with Araujo around his waist. Araujo gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.

Branham manages to break the clinch.

Branham has Araujo up against the cage in a clinch.
Araujo tries to score a body lock takedown but Branham shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Branham controlling the action here for a moment.
Branham lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Branham landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Branham using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Araujo has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Araujo wants a takedown but no success here.
Joshua Branham has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Fernando Araujo.
Branham lands a body punch in the clinch.
Branham scores with a knee to the head.
Araujo is pressed up against the cage. Branham has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Araujo down to the mat. Araujo avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

Branham closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Branham lands in his opponent's guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Branham connects with a couple of short punches.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Araujo is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Araujo has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Branham has passed into side control.
Araujo is looking for a sweep.
Araujo manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Branham is breathing heavily.
Araujo trying to control from half guard but Branham is working away.
Branham really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Branham tries to roll over but Araujo keeps him under control.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Branham is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Araujo is trying to control the action in half guard but Branham is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Branham punching from the bottom.
Araujo is looking to take a break and control but Branham is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Branham circles away from the clinch attempt

and Branham counters by clinching up.
Araujo goes for a body shot but it's blocked.

Branham manages to pull guard.
Araujo tries to free his leg and advance position but Branham is retaining full guard.
Branham lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Araujo!
Araujo is looking to get to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Branham in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Araujo is working to get back to half guard.
Branham connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Araujo throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
Araujo tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Araujo is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Araujo wants to hold on but Branham pushes him away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Branham 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.
Araujo is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Araujo is trying to escape the mount.
Araujo wants to control but Branham is having none of it.
Araujo slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Araujo works his way to full guard. Good work.

Araujo scrambles and gets back to his feet.
Branham stuffs the takedown.
Branham checks a leg kick.

Branham has managed to clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Araujo shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Branham but Branham pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Araujo keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Araujo swings and misses with a hook to the body.
A jab lands there for Branham.
Araujo tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Branham counters with a series of strikes. Araujo will be more careful next time no doubt.

Branham takes the fight into the clinch.
Araujo tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

Branham gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Araujo regains guard.

Branham decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Araujo, up you get!
Branham scores with a leg kick.
Araujo is breathing heavily.
Araujo closes the distance looking to clinch

and Branham counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

Branham breaks from the clinch.
Branham circles away from the clinch attempt

and Branham counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Knees in the clinch landing for Branham.
Araujo fails to pull guard.
Joshua Branham has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Fernando Araujo.

Branham pulls Araujo into guard.
Araujo keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Branham's head.
Araujo looking to pass the guard.

Branham pushes Araujo off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Branham misses with a double jab.
Joshua Branham is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Araujo swats away the attempt to clinch by Branham.
Branham is looking to clinch but Araujo is avoiding it.

Branham clinches up with Araujo and pushes him back against the cage.
Araujo tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Branham just stands there and leans against the cage.
Araujo tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

Araujo manages to pull guard.
Araujo is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Branham trying to control the position from guard on top but Araujo is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Branham stands up from Araujo's guard - Branham perhaps looking for a knockout.
Branham misses with a takedown attempt - Araujo sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Branham is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.

Araujo shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Araujo was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!

Araujo looking for a guillotine from mount but Branham is having none of it.
BOOM! Araujo connects with a massive shot to the dome!
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
The referee warns Branham that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Araujo looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
Branham manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Araujo seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Branham does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Araujo is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
Araujo looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Araujo is looking to take a break and control but Branham is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Branham on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Branham blocking the ground and pound attempt from Araujo.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Branham misses with some strikes from the bottom.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Branham has taken the fight to the clinch.

Branham jumps guard.
Branham tries to land a sweep but no joy.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Joshua Branham overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Araujo landing with the ground and pound.
Araujo passes Branham's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Branham is not content to let Araujo control the position.
Branham wants to get back to his feet.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Branham wants to get back to full guard.
Branham wants to get back to his feet.
Araujo is trying to control the action in half guard but Branham is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Joshua Branham dominated that second round.
That's time! Branham's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Branham rushes Araujo and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Araujo tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Branham smiles and moves away.
Branham throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Branham has taken the fight to the clinch.
Branham tries for a takedown. No joy.
Branham lands a knee to the head.
A body shot lands from Branham.
Araujo is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Branham pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Araujo jumps guard but Branham stands there with Araujo around his waist. Araujo gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Joshua Branham has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Fernando Araujo.

Branham escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Branham gets a clinch.
Branham lands an elbow inside.
Araujo tries to score a body lock takedown but Branham shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Araujo drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Branham gets the underhooks and prevents it.

Branham breaks from the clinch.

Branham instigates a clinch.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Branham looking to throw knees to the head but Araujo is blocking nicely.
Branham misses with a knee to the head.
Araujo crunches a lovely knee into Branham's ribcage.
Araujo jumps guard but Branham stands there with Araujo around his waist. Araujo gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Branham goes for a takedown attempt but Araujo pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Araujo closes the distance looking to clinch

and Branham counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Branham.
Araujo jumps guard but Branham stands there with Araujo around his waist. Araujo gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Araujo fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Araujo wants a takedown but no success here.
Branham lands a nice elbow.
Araujo tries to pull guard but Branham holds him up against the cage and eventually Araujo drops back down to his feet.
Araujo can't find room to land a body shot as Branham controls the action.

Branham breaks from the clinch.
Araujo wants to clinch but Branham slips to the side

and Branham counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Branham.

Branham manages to break the clinch.

Araujo shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Branham's guard.
Araujo stopping the sweep attempt from Branham.
Branham trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Branham not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

Araujo drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Araujo jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Branham throwing rabbit punches from the bottom - showing the judges that he's keeping busy.
Araujo trying to move into half guard but instead Branham has managed to sweep!
Araujo wants to hit a switch here but Branham passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for Araujo there!

Branham looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Araujo bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Branham wants to stand and escape but Araujo is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Araujo passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Araujo wants to lay and pray for a moment but Branham keeps working.
Branham being controlled for a moment.
Branham is trying to get back to half guard.
Araujo scores with a couple of short elbows.
Branham tries to get back to half guard but can't.

That's four 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.
Araujo wants to control but Branham is keeping him busy.
Araujo taking a break here but Branham is having none of it and regains half guard.
Branham is not content to let Araujo control the position.

Araujo is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Branham is just riding it out for now. Araujo eventually gives up the hold.
Fernando Araujo has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Araujo is trying to work for a kimura. He's got his hands clasped together - this could be trouble! No, Branham has managed to free his arm - good work.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Joshua Branham.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Branham, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Gwen Towbar scores the fight 30:27
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 30:27
Judge George Francis scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Joshua Branham!