PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Sim Polls (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Luiz Gusmao (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Polls
vs
Gusmao

180 cm
23
180 lbs
10 - 5 - 2

183 cm
20
182 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Very strong

Good wrestler
Counter striker
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 10 - 5 - 2, fighting out of London, Sim Polls!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Luiz Gusmao!
The judges for this bout are Johanna Lukiainen, Ben Zyskovitsi and Marco Blurström.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Polls tries to bum rush Gusmao with a series of wild strikes but Gusmao uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Polls displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Gusmao throws out the jab.
Gusmao lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.

Gusmao shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Polls wants to control but Gusmao is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Gusmao drops an elbow to the side of Polls's head.
Gusmao missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
The fighters are battling for position here. Polls manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Polls keeping moving, preventing Gusmao from controlling successfully.
Gusmao with a flurry of punches that miss.
Polls throwing short punches from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gusmao wants to control from the top but Polls keeps moving.
Gusmao throws and elbow that misses. Polls uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Gusmao's guard. Nice move by Polls!
Gusmao trying to keep a closed guard but Polls is proving a slippery customer.
Polls thows a big elbow that misses.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Polls's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Gusmao controlling Polls's posture.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Polls looking to sit in guard and control but Gusmao gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Polls lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Gusmao!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gusmao is wriggling around trying to escape.

Polls has control of Gusmao's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Gusmao regains control of the situation pretty easily.
Polls lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Gusmao hang on?
Gusmao reaches up and holds on to Polls to control the position.
Polls is in the full mount, landing strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Polls scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Gusmao?
Gusmao is trying desperately to improve position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Polls breaks from Gusmao's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Gusmao tries to hold on but Polls pushes him away.
Gusmao is desperately trying to improve his position but Polls has a good base and remains in mount.
Gusmao is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Gusmao just holding on.
Polls pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Gusmao is looking to get to half guard.
Polls unloading with bombs!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Polls takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Polls can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Gusmao is looking to escape.
Polls in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Gusmao sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Polls is pressing down on Gusmao's thigh, looking to free his foot. Gusmao is holding on for now.
Gusmao wants to sweep but Polls has passed to side control!
Polls creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Gusmao sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Gusmao is trying to get back to half guard.
Gusmao can't do much from the bottom here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sim Polls dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Polls tries to bum rush Gusmao with a series of wild strikes but Gusmao uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Polls lands a nice shot to the body.
Polls with a nice cross.
Gusmao will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Gusmao misses with a looping right.
Nice straight punches there by Polls. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Polls.
Polls slips under a jab.
Polls cracks Gusmao with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gusmao doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Gusmao slips under a jab.
Gusmao throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Polls sees it coming and avoids it easily.
The fighters circling - Gusmao throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Polls throws a right hand that Gusmao ducks under and follows up with a left that Gusmao also avoids with ease.
Polls slips under a jab from Gusmao.
Polls throws a nice looking combination but Gusmao bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Sim Polls is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Polls misses with an uppercut.
Polls lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gusmao takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Polls throws a big shot that misses.
Sim Polls seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Polls ducks under a wild hook from Gusmao.
Polls moves out of range of the strikes.
Gusmao displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Polls throws out the jab.
No luck for Gusmao with that takedown attempt.
A big right from Gusmao misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Polls keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Gusmao.
Polls defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Gusmao.
Sim Polls has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Luiz Gusmao.
Polls lands a nice hook to Gusmao's body. Gusmao takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Gusmao is breathing heavily.
Gusmao tries to score a power double leg takedown but Polls sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Gusmao somewhat.
Polls misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Gusmao.
Polls throws a right hand that Gusmao ducks under and follows up with a left that Gusmao also avoids with ease.
A nice combination there by Gusmao.
Gusmao might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gusmao swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Polls ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Gusmao moves away.

Gusmao 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.
Gusmao postures up in Polls's guard and throws a big left but Polls blocks it.
Polls utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Polls working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Gusmao.
Polls is trying to control the position but Gusmao postures up.
Gusmao lands a couple of elbows.
Gusmao looking to sit in guard and control but Polls gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Gusmao tries to land a sweep but no joy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sim Polls dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. And we move into the final round!

Gusmao on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Gusmao needs to keep his hands up - Polls had a free shot at his head there.
A looping hook to the body misses from Polls. Gusmao does a little dance to reset his feet.
Gusmao ducks right into an uppercut from Polls.
Polls looks to score with a jab to the body but Gusmao is just out of range.
Gusmao will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Polls fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Gusmao manages to avoid it.
Gusmao looks for a takedown but Polls sprawls well.
Polls is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Gusmao.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gusmao moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Gusmao misses with a straight right.
Polls thows a left - swing and a miss!
Gusmao keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Polls just misses with a punch to the body.
Nice defenses there by Gusmao.
Polls lands a nice shot to the body.
Gusmao takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Polls connects with the punch.
Polls misses with a double jab.
Polls throws a looping overhand right but Gusmao ducks down to avoid it.
Polls throws a body punch but Gusmao moves out of range.
Polls scores with the left hand. Gusmao knows he should have avoided that one.
Gusmao throws out a powerful jab.
Polls throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
A punch combination from Polls misses.
Polls throws a body punch but Gusmao moves out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Polls misses with the combination.
Gusmao avoids the body shot from Polls.
Polls misses the shot to the body.
Nice takedown defense from Polls. No joy for Gusmao on that attempt.
Sim Polls has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Luiz Gusmao.
Nice cross by Polls.
Gusmao keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Gusmao will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
A punch lands to the side of Gusmao 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Gusmao on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Polls bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.

Gusmao closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Polls did well to prevent Gusmao getting side control.
Polls gets full guard.
Polls wants to sweep here but Gusmao controlling him for the moment.
Polls utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Gusmao sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Luiz Gusmao has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Gusmao throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

And that's the end of the fight!
Sim Polls showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Polls has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 30:27
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 30:27
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Sim Polls!