PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Murilo Ninja (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Max Tavares (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Tavares is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Swedish House Mafia - One. Max Tavares is staring across the ring at his opponent, tweaking his nipples.

Ninja
vs
Tavares

182 cm
22
201 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

185 cm
23
190 lbs
2 - 4 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Big right hand

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Granite chin

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 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Murilo Ninja!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Max Tavares!
The judges for this bout are Thiago Cunha, Leandro Rodrigues and Luis Engracia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ninja circles away from the clinch attempt.
Ninja connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
A swing and a miss from Ninja.
Good shot there by Ninja.
Tavares ducks under a wild hook from Ninja.
Tavares tries to close the distance and clinch up but Ninja swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Tavares checks a leg kick.
Ninja jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Tavares slips a jab and a cross from Ninja.
Tavares plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!

It looks like Murilo Ninja has been cut.
Ninja lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Tavares circles away quickly and effectively.
Ninja throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Tavares.
Ninja keeps the fight on the outside.
Ninja looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Tavares throws a head kick but Ninja moves out of range.
Ninja closes the distance and lands a one-two.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ninja connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Tavares's hands.
Tavares avoids a kick to the body.
Ninja waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Tavares.
Ninja misses with a few strikes there.
Tavares keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Ninja.
Ninja throws a jab but it's blocked by Tavares.
Tavares fails with an attempt to clinch.
Tavares avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Ninja avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Tavares's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Tavares duly obliges.
Tavares tries to clinch up.
Ninja throws a combination that misses
and Tavares counters with a nice leg kick.
Tavares buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Ninja is breathing heavily.
Tavares tries to clinch but Ninja moves out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tavares moves in looking to clinch but Ninja pushes him off.
Tavares tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Ninja paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Tavares throws a nice head kick!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Tavares tries to clinch there but Ninja circles away.
Ninja misses with a looping right.
Tavares fails in his attempt to clinch.
Ninja loads up on a big right hand but Tavares slips the punch.
Tavares scores with a spinning back kick!
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Tavares.
Tavares wants to clinch.
Tavares is looking to clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tavares fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

Tavares instigates a clinch.
Tavares wants to get back to striking at distance but Ninja won't allow it.

Ninja gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
Tavares wants to stand but Ninja is controlling the position.
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.
Ninja trying to control but Tavares is working from the bottom.
Ninja won't allow Tavares to get back to his feet.
Ninja postures up in Tavares's guard and throws a big left but Tavares blocks it.
Ninja stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Tavares swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Ninja slips nicely into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ninja looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Tavares tries to close the distance and clinch up but Ninja swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Ninja misses with a combination
and Tavares finishes the little exchange by landing a big kick to the body.
Ninja is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Ninja is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Tavares.
Ninja throws an overhand right that lands on Tavares's shoulder, as Tavares tries to avoid the shot.
Tavares throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
A big right from Ninja misses.
Ninja blocks a head kick by Tavares.

Tavares closes the distance and clinches.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Max Tavares dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Murilo Ninja's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Ninja is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Tavares.
Tavares lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Tavares tries to close the distance and clinch but Ninja swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Ninja chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Tavares can pounce on him.
Ninja misses with a combination
and Tavares counters with a nice low kick that buckles Ninja's knee momentarily.
A punch combination from Ninja misses.
Tavares wants to clinch.
Nice sprawl there from Tavares as Ninja shoots in.
The fight stays on the outside here - Tavares looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
No joy there for Tavares, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ninja tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Tavares doesn't manage to clinch there - Ninja circles away.
Tavares is looking to clinch but Ninja is avoiding it.
Tavares fails in his attempt to clinch.
Tavares tries to clinch but Ninja moves out of range.
Max Tavares seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Tavares scores with a push kick.
Tavares tries to close the distance and clinch but Ninja swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Ninja takes a swing at Tavares's ribcage but misses.
Ninja misses with a body punch
and Tavares counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Murilo Ninja is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Ninja feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Tavares's calf.
Tavares doesn't manage to clinch there - Ninja circles away.
Murilo Ninja seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Ninja swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Tavares counters with a head kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tavares lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
A low kick from Ninja misses

and Tavares counters with a head kick that drops Ninja to the mat! Ninja scrambles across the canvas and gets back to his feet, still wobbly!

Ninja is rocked!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Ninja takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
Ninja throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Tavares counters with a two punch combo.
Oh Ninja is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Tavares fails with an attempt to clinch.
Tavares moves in looking to clinch but Ninja pushes him off.
Ninja seems to have got his legs back now.
Ninja circles away from the clinch attempt.

Tavares drops Ninja with a beautiful combination! Ninja stares up at his opponent, who ushers him back to his feet - Tavares is looking for the KO!
A jab from Ninja misses.
Ninja swats away the attempt to clinch by Tavares.
Ninja on the wrong end of a kick to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tavares doesn't manage to clinch there - Ninja circles away.
Ninja circles away from the clinch attempt.
An inside leg kick lands from Tavares.
Tavares lands a nice leg kick that just misses Ninja's sensitive parts.
Tavares tries to clinch up but Ninja circles away and keeps his distance.
Tavares tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Tavares feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Ninja's calf.
Ninja keeps the fight on the outside.
Ninja circles away from the clinch attempt.
Ninja throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Tavares sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Tavares throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Some wild striking there from Tavares.
The fight stays on the outside here - Tavares looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ninja keeps the fight on the outside.
Tavares fails in his attempt to clinch.
Ninja circles away from the clinch attempt.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Ninja throws a hook but Tavares blocks it.
Ninja cracks Tavares with a right hand to the side of the head.
A head kick misses from Tavares.
Tavares doesn't manage to clinch there - Ninja circles away.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Ninja connects with a jab.
A jab lands there for Ninja.
Tavares uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Ninja.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Max Tavares showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Murilo Ninja's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Ninja with a nice cross.
Ninja throws a leg kick
and Tavares counters with a solid body kick.
Tavares slaps away a takedown attempt from Ninja, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Tavares avoids a punch combination nicely.
Ninja moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Tavares fails in his attempt to clinch.
Tavares doesn't manage to clinch there - Ninja circles away.
Ninja will be looking to protect his midsection after taking some solid kicks to the body.
Ninja throws a leg kick that is checked
and Tavares counters with a leg kick.
Tavares tries to close the distance and clinch but Ninja swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Tavares clinches up against the ropes.
Ninja misses with a shot to the kidneys.

Tavares breaks the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tavares tries to clinch there but Ninja circles away.
Tavares is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Tavares fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Ninja.
Ninja throws a left and a right that both miss
and Tavares counters with a straight right hand.
A slapping leg kick lands for Tavares.
Tavares tries to close the distance and clinch but Ninja swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Tavares fails in his attempt to clinch.
Tavares ducks under a wild hook from Ninja.
Tavares tries to close the distance and clinch but Ninja swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Ninja circles away from the clinch attempt.
Tavares tries to close the distance and clinch but Ninja swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Ninja missing with a left hand there. Tavares was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tavares fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Ninja.
Ninja keeps the fight on the outside.
A head kick from Tavares lands but Ninja takes it in his stride.
Ninja swats away the attempt to clinch by Tavares.
Ninja throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Ninja keeps the fight on the outside.
Ninja misses with the body kick
and Tavares counters with an inside leg kick.
Ninja is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Tavares ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Tavares scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Tavares throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Ninja's head.
Tavares moves in looking to clinch but Ninja pushes him off.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tavares tries to clinch but Ninja moves out of range.
Tavares moves away from the strike by Ninja.
Tavares tries to close the distance and clinch up but Ninja swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Tavares goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Ninja misses with a looping right.
A big right from Ninja misses.
Max Tavares is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Tavares lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.

Murilo Ninja's cut is getting worse.
Max Tavares is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Tavares scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Tavares has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Ninja closes this distance looking for a takedown but Tavares circles away.
Ninja avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Tavares ducks under a wild hook from Ninja.
Tavares keeps Ninja at a distance using the push kick.
Tavares misses with the combination.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ninja keeps the fight on the outside.
A slapping leg kick lands for Tavares.
Tavares throws a front kick that sends Ninja stumbling back into the ropes.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Tavares moves in looking to clinch but Ninja pushes him off.
Tavares is looking to clinch.
Ninja misses with a looping right.
Ninja swats away the attempt to clinch by Tavares.
Tavares is looking to clinch but Ninja is avoiding it.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
The crowd cheers as Tavares lands an impressive looking overhand right. Ninja doesn't seem phased though.
Murilo Ninja has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Ninja throws a looping overhand right but Tavares ducks down to avoid it.

And that's the end of the fight!
Max Tavares comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Tavares 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 Thiago Cunha scores the fight for Max Tavares!
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight for Max Tavares!
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight for Max Tavares!

Max Tavares wins by unanimous decision!