PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Sheldon Maia (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sonny Giovanni (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Maia's entrance music is Bleed It Out. A fine choice. Giovanni comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Til I Collapse [ Eminem ] kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Maia
vs
Giovanni

185 cm
22
193 lbs
8 - 1 - 0

186 cm
26
199 lbs
14 - 4 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Lethal high kicks
Granite chin

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Heavy handed

Hades

Conviction
Conviction

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 8 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Sheldon Maia!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 14 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Sonny Giovanni!
The judges for this bout are , Jack Bonds and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Maia shoots in for a takedown but Giovanni shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
A telegraphed right hand from Giovanni misses the target.
Giovanni misses with a leg kick.
Giovanni throws a series of punches but Maia avoids them all with ease.
A big right from Giovanni misses.
Giovanni misses with the combination.
Maia looks for a takedown but Giovanni sprawls well.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Giovanni stuffs the takedown attempt from Maia. Maia gets slowly back to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Sheldon Maia. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Giovanni throws the left hand but Maia avoids the punch easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maia looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
A looping hook to the body misses from Giovanni. Maia does a little dance to reset his feet.
Maia fails with a takedown attempt.
A looping hook to the body misses from Giovanni. Maia does a little dance to reset his feet.
Maia fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Sonny Giovanni is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Maia fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Maia throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Giovanni's waist but Giovanni gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Maia off to one side.

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.
Maia slips under a jab from Giovanni.
Giovanni scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Maia uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Giovanni.
Maia shoots in but Giovanni avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Giovanni pushing out the jab but it's not landing.

Giovanni tries to sprawl but Maia drives through with a takedown into half guard.

Maia is looking for a kimura but Giovanni is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Maia to get the leverage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Giovanni is controlling Maia's trapped leg to prevent Maia from advancing to side control.
Let's hope that Giovanni has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Maia has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Maia moves to the back position.

Giovanni defends a rear naked choke attempt by controlling one of Maia's arms.

Maia is staying calm and holding on to the back position, whilst working on a rear naked choke. Giovanni is defending well though. Maia let's go of the attempt for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Giovanni rolls, trying to escape but Maia keeps control of the position.

Maia is working for the rear naked choke. He has one arm under the chin but Giovanni has hold of the other arm. A bit of a stalemate here.
Giovanni staying busy and making it hard for Maia to control.

Maia looking to break Giovanni's wrist control so he can sink in the choke. Giovanni remaining controlled and patient though - he really has to keep calm otherwise Maia will wrap this one up with the rear naked choke!
A bit of a pause in the action here. Maia controlling the positon.
Maia's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Maia is trying hard to land a takedown here. Giovanni sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Maia.
Giovanni tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Maia was well out of range. Poor timing from Giovanni.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Maia closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.

Maia is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Giovanni defends it well.
Giovanni wants to get back to full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maia wants to lay and pray for a moment but Giovanni keeps working.
Maia tries to pass the half guard into mount. Giovanni knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Maia wants to take a breather but Giovanni is having none of it.
Maia trying to mount his opponent but Giovanni defends it.
Maia is working hard here to advance 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.
Giovanni is not content to let Maia control the position.
Maia is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!

Maia is standing up out of mount! Strange tactic there - he must really want this one on the feet!
Maia steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Giovanni.
Maia chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Giovanni misses with a body shot.
Giovanni stuffs the takedown attempt from Maia. Maia gets slowly back to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Sheldon Maia. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Giovanni lands a jab to Maia's midsection.
Maia shoots for a takedown but Giovanni saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Maia tries for a takedown but Giovanni sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Giovanni thows a body shot but no joy.
Giovanni digs a good hook to Maia's body.
Giovanni lands a nice shot to the body.

Maia looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Maia is trying to control. Giovanni wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Giovanni won't allow Maia to pass to mount.
Maia is keen to just control but Giovanni is a slippery customer.

Maia is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Giovanni doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Maia.
Maia tries to pass the half guard into mount. Giovanni knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Giovanni is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sheldon Maia 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. This is the final round!

Giovanni misses the shot to the body.
A looping hook to the body misses from Giovanni. Maia does a little dance to reset his feet.
Maia misses with a takedown attempt - Giovanni sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Maia uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Giovanni.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Maia closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Giovanni to the mat! Giovanni manages to get full guard.
Maia trying to control the position from guard on top but Giovanni is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Maia looking to pass the guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maia wants to control from the top but Giovanni keeps moving.
Maia tries to free his leg and advance position but Giovanni is retaining full guard.
Giovanni looking to hit a scissor sweep but Maia is one step ahead there.
Giovanni being controlled here, momentarily.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Sheldon Maia wasn't doing enough on the ground.

Maia shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Sonny Giovanni has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maia wants to control but Giovanni is keeping him busy.
Maia frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Maia controlling the position easily from mount.
Maia moves to back control.
Maia biding his time, looking for the opening.
Giovanni is in a world of trouble here. He's outmatched on the ground here and he'd better get Maia off his back sharpish unless he wants to be submitted.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Giovanni prevents Maia from getting a body triangle.

Maia is working for the choke. I would put my money on him to finish from this position. He's rolled onto his back and has dragged Giovanni with him. Giovanni is trying to defend but Maia has an arm under the chin now! Giovanni grimaces and is forced to tap out!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:32 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Sheldon Maia!