PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Rickson Maia (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and John Doe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Maia
vs
Doe

159 cm
23
145 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

178 cm
25
145 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Basic striking
Cuts easily

Decent wrestler
Decent boxing
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Rickson Maia!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, John Doe!
The judges for this bout are Donatello Bradman, Skip Squint and Hugh Johnson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Doe throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Maia's waist but Maia gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Doe off to one side.
Maia fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Doe tries to clinch but Maia moves out of range.
Rickson Maia seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Doe keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.

Maia drives through with a takedown into guard.
Doe is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Maia is controlling him.
Doe is adopting a defensive guard.
Maia stops Doe from standing up.
Maia sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Doe's guard.
Maia moves nicely into side control.

Maia working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.

Maia tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Maia has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maia throwing shots but missing, from side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Maia trying to control the action but Doe is working from the bottom.
Doe is looking to regain half guard here but Maia keeps moving and retains side control.
Maia trying to control the action but Doe is working from the bottom.
Doe tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Maia wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

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.

Maia tries for a kimura but Doe is defending well.
Doe wants to control but Maia postures up.
Maia postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Maia wants to control but Doe is keeping him busy.

Maia working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.

Maia working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Maia is breathing heavily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Doe is looking for a sweep.
Doe struggling a bit here.
Doe pushes Maia away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Maia gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Doe tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Maia wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Doe slaps away a takedown attempt from Maia, before circling back to the center of the mat.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rickson Maia. That's going to take a lot out of him.

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.
Doe defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Maia.

Maia looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Doe lands a decent shot there.
Maia pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Doe is keeping the position for now.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Maia throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Doe works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Maia might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Maia passes Doe's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Doe missing with punches from the bottom.
Doe is refusing to be controlled, as Maia sits in half guard.
Doe is looking to control Maia's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Doe avoid being mounted?
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rickson Maia dominated that round.
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.

Doe tries for a takedown but Maia circles away easily

and Maia counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Maia.
Maia wants to control from the top but Doe keeps moving.
Maia is pushing down on Doe's leg trying to pass to half guard. Doe is fighting to maintain full guard but Maia has managed to sneak the leg through.
Maia is pressing down on Doe's thigh, looking to free his foot. Doe is holding on for now.
Maia wants to control but Doe is keeping him busy.
Doe keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.

Maia is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Doe wants to improve his position but Maia is controlling well.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Doe can do anything to dispel that myth.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Maia is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Doe is concentrating on defense, preventing Maia from advancing position.
Doe has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Maia is working away from the top position though.
Maia wants to take a breather but Doe is having none of it.
Doe trying to control here.
Doe is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

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.
Maia is looking to advance position but Doe won't allow it.
Doe really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Maia. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Maia closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Doe to the mat! Doe manages to get full guard.
Maia trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Doe holds on and takes a little breather.
Maia trying to control but Doe is working from the bottom.
Doe controls Maia momentarily but Maia frees himself.
Doe pulls Maia in to control the position.
Maia is pushing down on Doe's leg trying to pass to half guard. Doe is fighting to maintain full guard but Maia has managed to sneak the leg through.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maia uses his free foot to push down on Doe's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Doe.
Maia can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Doe is looking to escape.
Rickson Maia overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Maia throws some shoulder strikes here and then postures up. Oh, he's gone for an armbar! Doe has his hands clasped together but Maia breaks the hold and Doe is forced to tap! This one is aaaaaaaaaaall over! That was lightning fast by Maia!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:40 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Rickson Maia!