PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Ricky Tapps (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Carlos Solrac (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Tapps
vs
Solrac

182 cm
21
160 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

172 cm
19
164 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Ricky Tapps!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Carlos Solrac!
The judges for this bout are Cecil Peabody, Alan Glass and Frank Dennis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Solrac misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Tapps.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Tapps.
Solrac throws a half hearted mid kick.

Tapps drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Solrac looking to control but Tapps passes into half guard.
Tapps wants to lay and pray for a moment but Solrac keeps working.
Tapps slows the pace down in half guard.
Solrac trying to control from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tapps is looking to stall here but Solrac recovers full guard.
Solrac controls Tapps momentarily but Tapps frees himself.
Tapps has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Solrac has a closed guard, preventing Tapps from standing up.
Tapps trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Solrac manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!
Solrac stopping the sweep attempt from Tapps.
Solrac postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Solrac wanted to stand there but Tapps had control of the position.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Tapps misses with a jab, cross combination.
Solrac avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Tapps scores with a crisp jab that stopped Solrac in his tracks.
Tapps shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Solrac as he avoids it easily.
Tapps shoots for a double leg takedown but Solrac sprawls well. He's pushed Tapps's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ricky Tapps. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Solrac lands a nice looking kick to the body. Tapps takes a step back to recover.
Tapps is breathing heavily.
Tapps shoots for a double leg takedown but Solrac sprawls well. He's pushed Tapps's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Nice takedown defense from Solrac. No joy for Tapps on that attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Solrac closes the distance but Tapps moves to the side

and Tapps counters with a single leg into guard. Solrac didn't expect that.
Solrac has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Solrac manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Tapps manages to get himself to full guard.
Solrac postures up.

Tapps escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Solrac gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

Tapps has his foot on Solrac's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Solrac works his way back into a safe position though.
Tapps is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tapps preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Solrac trying to control but Tapps is working from the bottom.

Tapps escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Solrac gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

Tapps throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Solrac escapes and throws Tapps's legs to the side, diving into side control!
Tapps manages to get back to half guard.
Solrac wants to take a breather but Tapps is having none of it.
Tapps is trying to get back to full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ricky Tapps dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Tapps closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Solrac trying to hold on to Tapps's head to control him but Tapps postures up.
Solrac slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Tapps passes Solrac's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Tapps misses with a head shot. Solrac uses the momentum to regain guard.

Tapps drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Solrac dives on top into guard.
Solrac trying to control but Tapps is working from the bottom.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Solrac stops Tapps from standing up.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Tapps has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Solrac 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 Tapps.
Solrac working away.
You can see the frustration on Tapps's face as Solrac controls the position.
Solrac wants to lay and pray for a moment but Tapps keeps working.
Tapps is trying to improve his position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Solrac wants to control but Tapps is keeping him busy.
Tapps tries to improve position but can't.
Tapps manages to get back to half guard.
Tapps wants to get back to full guard.
Tapps is trying to stand back up but Solrac is controlling him

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Tapps fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Solrac sprawls well initially but Tapps persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Solrac trying to control but Tapps postures up.
Tapps stalling away here and it's allowed Solrac to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Tapps wants to stand but Solrac is controlling his posture from full guard.

Tapps drops back, looking for a kneebar! Solrac looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Solrac looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Solrac!
Ricky Tapps overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Solrac taking a breather here.
Tapps wants to control but Solrac postures up.
Solrac misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
You can see the frustration on Tapps's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Tapps tries to bench press Solrac off him but Solrac keeps the position.

Solrac looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.

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.
Tapps is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Tapps pushes Solrac away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Solrac gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Solrac misses with a takedown attempt - Tapps sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Solrac throws a hook but Tapps blocks it.
Tapps swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Tapps closes the distance and clinches up with Solrac, looking for a takedown. Tapps pushes Solrac against the cage but Solrac circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

Tapps darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Solrac makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Solrac.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ricky Tapps dominated that second 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. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Solrac throws a sloppy head kick and Tapps moves out of range easily.
Tapps swats away the attempt to clinch by Solrac.
Tapps shoots and misses
and Solrac counters with a series of strikes. Tapps will be more careful next time no doubt.

Tapps gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Tapps has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Solrac avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.

Tapps breaks the clinch.

Tapps gets a takedown into half guard.

Tapps is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Solrac takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Tapps is looking for the mount but instead finds himself back in full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tapps trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Solrac manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!
Tapps working a defensive guard here.

Tapps is looking for a triangle but Solrac pushes his legs off easily.

Tapps is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Tapps is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

Tapps looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Solrac passes into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.

Tapps looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Tapps moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Tapps looking for a sweep. Not yet Tapps, not yet.

Tapps has an active guard here but Solrac has managed to pass into half guard.

Tapps kicks off Solrac and gets to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Solrac avoids the head kick by Tapps.
Tapps tries for a takedown but Solrac circles away easily
and Solrac counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ricky Tapps. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Tapps misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

Tapps closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Tapps looking to control but instead Solrac has slipped a leg in, to regain half guard.

Tapps is trying to work for a kimura but Solrac is defending well.
Tapps is thwarting Solrac's attempts to control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Solrac tries to roll over but Tapps keeps him under control.
Solrac trying to control from the bottom.
Solrac moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Solrac is trying to control the position but Tapps postures up.
Solrac is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Tapps is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Carlos Solrac has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

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

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 Ricky Tapps.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Tapps, 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 Cecil Peabody scores the fight 30:27
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 30:27
Judge Frank Dennis scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ricky Tapps!