PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Apollo Need (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ben Dover (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Dover has chosen Bend Over as his entrance music. Fingers crossed for an exciting fight - I'm sure both fighters are looking for a nice under the table bonus!

Need
vs
Dover

185 cm
27
195 lbs
10 - 5 - 0

170 cm
23
185 lbs
8 - 6 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Excellent boxer
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Powerful

CWFL Supplements
Lightning Fight Gear

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 10 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Apollo Need!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Ben Dover!
The judges for this bout are Edson Gomes, Alexandre Firmino and Paulo Santos.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Need throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Need throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Need fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Apollo Need seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Dover swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Dover stuffs the takedown.

Dover darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Dover working the head and body with strikes.
Dover is stalling here. Need is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Dover seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Need has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
Dover is trying to strike from the bottom but Need has passed into full mount.
Need controlling from the full mount.
Dover is desperately trying to get back to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dover is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Need lands a nice shot to the head.
Need looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Need lands a nice shot to the head.
Dover slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Need slows the pace down in half guard.
Need scores with a couple of good hammerfists.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dover gets back to full guard.
Need wants to control from the top but Dover keeps moving.

Dover working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Need has passed into half guard!
Dover is looking to get full guard. It looks like he might be successful but at the last minute Need jumps into side control!
Dover is looking for a sweep.
Need will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Dover takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Dover is looking for a sweep.
Need happy to just control the position for now.
Need has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Dover regains half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Need is nestled in close to Dover, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Need winds up and cracks Dover with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Need seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Need wants to control but Dover is keeping him busy.
Need working Dover over with strikes.
Need looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Need content to control rather than advance.
Dover punching from the bottom.
Dover throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Dover is refusing to be controlled, as Need sits in half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dover is trying to maintain the position but Need is very close to passing his half guard.
Still in half guard, Need seems content to control.

Dover looking for submissions off his back.
Need scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Dover is not content to let Need control the position.
Need trying to control the pace.
Dover is refusing to be controlled, as Need sits in half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Apollo Need dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Need is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Dover's half guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Apollo Need.
Need shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Dover counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Need cracks Dover with an open hand slap.

Need fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Dover sprawls well initially but Need persists and gets the takedown into half guard.

Need is working for a submission of some sort.

Dover looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Need thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Need slips a nice elbow through Dover's hands, connecting with Dover's forehead.

Dover looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dover is looking to control Need's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Dover avoid being mounted?

Dover looking for submissions off his back.
Dover taking some punishment here, with Need in his half guard.

Dover is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Need pulls his head out easily.
Dover is looking to control Need's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Dover avoid being mounted?
Need uses his free foot to push down on Dover's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Dover.
Apollo Need overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Need jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Dover manages to avoid the submission attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Need works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Dover can't do much from the bottom here.
Dover tries to improve position but can't.
Dover trying to remain calm as Need controls from the top position.
Dover on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Need tries to advance to mount but can't.
Dover strikes from the bottom but Need takes advantage and advances to full mount!
Dover slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Dover wants to get back to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Need is looking for a kimura here.
Dover trying to control but Need postures up.

Dover is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Need pulls his head out easily.
The fighters are battling for position here. Dover manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Need throwing strikes but missing.
Need's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Need preventing the sweep.

That's four 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.
Dover working a defensive guard here.
Need controls from within his opponent's guard.

Dover working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Need doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Need manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Dover is breathing heavily.
Dover controls Need momentarily but Need frees himself.
Need preventing the sweep.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Dover thows a left - swing and a miss!
Need throws a series of punches but Dover avoids them all with ease.

Dover fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Need sprawls well initially but Dover persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Apollo Need dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Need stuffs the takedown attempt from Dover. Dover gets slowly back to his feet.

Need feints and as Dover raises his hands in defense, Need changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Need lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Need sitting in guard here, content to control.

Dover is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Need is aware though and is defending well.
Need working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.

Dover had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Need defends it easily.
Need connects with a couple of short punches.

Dover is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Need is aware though and is defending well.
Dover takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Need content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Need working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Dover's head.
Need pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Dover is keeping the position for now.
Need is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Need wants to control from the top but Dover keeps moving.

Dover is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Need with a flurry of punches that miss.
Ben Dover has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

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.
Dover trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Dover misses the shot to the body.
Dover moves out of range of the body kick from Need.
Dover scores with a body shot.
Need darts in trying to clinch
and Dover counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Need tries for a takedown but Dover circles away easily
and Dover counters with a low kick, right behind Need 's knee.
Need jabs away that one connects to the head of his opponent.
Need with a poor takedown

and Dover counters with a nice double leg into guard.

Dover drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Need manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Dover has Need in his guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Need is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Dover looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Need slips nicely into half guard, despite the strikes coming from Dover.
Dover taking some punishment here, with Need in his half guard.
Need throwing shots but Dover is blocking nicely.

Dover actively working from the bottom here.

Dover looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Dover tries to roll over but Need keeps him under control.
Need looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Dover with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Need seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Apollo Need is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Dover misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Dover manages to get to full guard.
Need controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

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 Apollo Need.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Need, 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 Edson Gomes scores the fight 29:28
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 30:27
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Apollo Need!