PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Maek Houzo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dionicio Pizarro (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Pizarro has chosen Globus - Europa (Instrumental Version) as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Houzo
vs
Pizarro

177 cm
28
192 lbs
14 - 9 - 0

178 cm
24
200 lbs
14 - 7 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Powerful

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 14 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Maek Houzo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 14 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Dionicio Pizarro!
The judges for this bout are Taro Takaoka, Yasuomi Hirokawa and Shirou Masuda.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Houzo bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Pizarro misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Houzo.

Houzo looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Pizarro!
Pizarro is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Houzo lands a big shot there that rocks Pizarro but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.

It looks like Dionicio Pizarro has been cut.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Pizarro sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Houzo is thwarting Pizarro's attempts to control the position.
Houzo landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Houzo throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Houzo landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Houzo wants to pass the guard but Pizarro is defending well.
Houzo missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Houzo not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Houzo sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Pizarro defending well though.
Pizarro avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Houzo.
Houzo is thwarting Pizarro's attempts to control the position.
Houzo throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Houzo is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Pizarro lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Pizarro prevents the takedown attempt.
Houzo goes for a takedown attempt but Pizarro pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
A big right from Pizarro misses.
Pizarro throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Houzo is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Pizarro stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Pizarro wants it to stay on the feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Maek Houzo. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Nice defenses there by Houzo.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A looping hook to the body misses from Pizarro. Houzo does a little dance to reset his feet.
Pizarro swinging wildly here.
Pizarro connects with a nice looking jab.
Pizarro fails in his attempt to clinch.
Houzo moves away from the strike by Pizarro.
A big right from Pizarro misses.

Pizarro gets caught flat footed, as Houzo shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.

Pizarro has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Houzo is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Pizarro.
Houzo working the ground and pound but Pizarro is defending the strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pizarro is looking for a sweep.
Houzo working the ground and pound but Pizarro is defending the strikes.
Pizarro wants to control but Houzo postures up.
Houzo landing a few strikes.
Pizarro sneaks back into half guard.

Houzo is working for a kimura but Pizarro is defending it quite comfortably.
Pizarro regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Houzo.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Maek Houzo dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Dionicio Pizarro's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Pizarro tries to close the distance and clinch but Houzo swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Houzo lands with a cross.
Pizarro uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Houzo.
Pizarro wants to clinch but Houzo slips to the side
and Pizarro takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Pizarro thows a left - swing and a miss!
Pizarro swings away with a body shot that misses

and Houzo counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Pizarro tries to throw a body punch but Houzo avoids it by throwing Pizarro back against the cage.

Houzo pulls guard.
Houzo tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Houzo trying to keep a closed guard but Pizarro is proving a slippery customer.
Houzo managing to control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Houzo not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Houzo manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Pizarro manages to get himself to full guard.
Pizarro is pulling down on Houzo's head. It's preventing any offense from Houzo, at least for the moment.
Houzo tries to free his leg and advance position but Pizarro is retaining full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.

Houzo drops back, looking for a kneebar! Pizarro looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Pizarro looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Pizarro!
Pizarro is trying to ground and pound but Houzo uses the momentary lack of control by Pizarro to regain half guard.
Houzo gets back to full guard.
Houzo working a defensive guard but Pizarro passes into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Houzo gets back to full guard.
Pizarro wants to control from the top but Houzo keeps moving.

Houzo looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Houzo wants to sweep here but Pizarro controlling him for the moment.
Houzo striking off his back but it's not causing Pizarro any problems.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Houzo looking to hit a scissor sweep but Pizarro is one step ahead there.
Houzo is working hard here to advance position.
Pizarro postures up.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Houzo swings for the body but Pizarro moves out of range.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Pizarro swings for the body but Houzo moves out of range.
A punch combination from Pizarro misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Maek Houzo dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Dionicio Pizarro's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Pizarro misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Houzo counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Pizarro misses with a hook. Houzo ducked under it nicely.
Pizarro misses with a double jab
and Houzo counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Houzo keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

Houzo gets a clinch.

Houzo breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Pizarro tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Houzo was well out of range. Poor timing from Pizarro.
Pizarro misses with a takedown

and Houzo counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Houzo not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Houzo lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Pizarro takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Houzo is stalling here. Pizarro is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Houzo seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Pizarro has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
Houzo is trying to control Pizarro's posture but Pizarro avoids it.
Houzo is looking for a sweep.
Houzo struggling a bit here.
Houzo is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Dionicio Pizarro has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

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.

Houzo actively working from the bottom here.
Houzo is trying to get back to full guard.
Houzo makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Houzo.
Pizarro trying to control the position from guard on top but Houzo is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Houzo is looking to sweep but instead, Pizarro has passed into half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Houzo trying to control but Pizarro postures up.
Pizarro trying to control the action but Houzo is working from the bottom.
Houzo won't allow Pizarro to pass to mount.
Houzo is trying to control but can't.

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.
Pizarro slows the pace down in half guard.
Houzo is looking to get back to full guard here but Pizarro has managed to pass to side control instead.
Houzo has given up his back here.
Pizarro somehow managing to miss with a strike from the back.
Pizarro throws a series of strikes and Houzo wriggles onto his back, so he's now mounted. He's in real trouble here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Maek Houzo showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Houzo 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 Taro Takaoka scores the fight 30:27
Judge Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 30:27
Judge Shirou Masuda scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Maek Houzo!