PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Mehk Daniel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Matt Major (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Matt Major is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Daniel
vs
Major

195 cm
21
165 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

176 cm
20
167 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ White Belt
Good elbows
Granite chin

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 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Mehk Daniel!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Matt Major!
The judges for this bout are Felipe Paraventi, Leandro Rodrigues and Emerson Jorge.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Major tries to clinch up but Daniel circles away and keeps his distance.
Daniel lands with a kick to the ribs.
Daniel lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Daniel shoots for a double leg takedown but Major sprawls well. He's pushed Daniel's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Major displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Daniel.

Daniel shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Major napping and manages to drive through into side control!
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Major can do anything to dispel that myth.
Major can't do much from the bottom here.
Major is not content to let Daniel control the position.
Major wants to control but Daniel postures up.

Daniel stands up and beckons Major to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Daniel closes the distance and clinches.
Major looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Major lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Daniel drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Major gets the underhooks and prevents it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mehk Daniel. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Daniel looking to stall.
Major throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Major scores with a nice hook to the head.
Major lands a shoulder strike.
Daniel tries to pull guard but Major won't allow it.

Major breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Major blocks a head kick by Daniel.
Daniel is breathing heavily.
Major fails in his attempt to clinch.
Major doesn't manage to clinch there - Daniel circles away.
Major lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Daniel circles away quickly and effectively.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fight stays on the outside here - Major looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Mehk Daniel seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Major tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Daniel counters with a one-two to the body.

It looks like Matt Major has been cut.

Major gets in close and instigates a clinch.
A left hand lands to the body for Major.
The referee is keeping an eye on Major - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Daniel blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Major slowing the pace effectively.
Major keeps control of Daniel as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Major lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Daniel backwards.
A short right from Major on the inside.
Major taking a breather.
Major is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Daniel gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Major creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Daniel's defenses.
Major softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Major throws an elbow but it misses.
Major slowing the pace effectively.
Daniel unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Daniel tries to circle away but Major has him pinned against the cage.
Major lands a knee to the body.
Daniel drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Major has Daniel pressed against the cage.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Matt Major.
Daniel ducks down and throws a hook to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Major darts in trying to clinch
and Daniel counters with a head kick. That will keep Major thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!

Major pushes Daniel up against the cage in a clinch.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Major lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Major slows down the pace here.
Daniel really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Daniel tries to pull guard but Major holds him up against the cage and eventually Daniel drops back down to his feet.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Major looks to throw an elbow but misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mehk Daniel dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Matt Major's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Major clinches up against the cage.
Major controlling the action here for a moment.
Daniel fails to pull guard.
Major lands an elbow inside that Daniel shrugs off.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Major takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Daniel tries to pull guard but Major won't allow it.
Major is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Daniel blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Daniel breaks from the clinch.
Daniel goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Daniel avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Daniel closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Daniel lands in his opponent's guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Major looking for a sweep. Not yet Major, not yet.
Major is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Daniel looking to pass the guard.
Daniel trying to control but Major is working from the bottom.
Major looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

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.
Daniel scoring with some ground and pound.
Major managing to control the position.
Major is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Daniel wanted to stand there but Major had control of the position.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Major moves into the clinch.
Daniel takes an elbow to the temple.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Daniel breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Daniel shoots for a double leg takedown but Major sprawls well. He's pushed Daniel'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 Mehk Daniel. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Daniel shoots for a takedown but Major saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

Major clinches up against the cage.
Major misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Daniel.
Major tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Daniel avoids it.
Major manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Major keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Daniel's efforts to push away.
Major utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Major's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.

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.
Daniel fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Daniel avoids the elbow strike from Major, against the cage.

Major manages to break the clinch.
Major fails in his attempt to clinch.
Daniel misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Major tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Daniel counters with a head kick.

Major shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Daniel is trying to defend but Major finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Daniel is trying to control but can't.
Major works his way into full mount!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matt Major showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Matt Major's cut.
That's time! Back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Major forces Daniel back against the cage and clinches.
A bit of stalling here from Major.
Daniel avoids a wild elbow strike from Major.

Major pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Daniel shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Daniel won't allow Major to get back to his feet.
Major is trying to keep Daniel in close.
Major really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Daniel. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Daniel won't allow Major to get back to his feet.
Daniel postures up.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Daniel slips nicely into half guard.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Daniel wants to take a breather but Major is having none of it.
Major wants to control but Daniel is keeping busy.
Daniel is nestled in close to Major, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Daniel wants to lay and pray for a moment but Major keeps working.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Major is looking to improve his position.

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.
Daniel takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Major trying to control but Daniel postures up.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Major fails with an attempt to clinch.

Major has taken the fight to the clinch.
Daniel tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Major just stands there and leans against the cage.

Daniel has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Major uses from the top position.
Major controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Major trying to control the position from guard on top but Daniel is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Daniel is trying to control the position but Major postures up.
Daniel being controlled here, momentarily.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Matt Major was stalling too much, according to the referee.
The fight stays on the outside here - Major looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
A head kick from Daniel lands but Major takes it in his stride.
Major looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Major takes a kick to the side of the head.
Major fails with an attempt to clinch.
Major is looking to clinch.
Daniel tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Major counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Major just leaning against Daniel, taking a breather.
Daniel is trying to break the clinch but Major is controlling him.
Daniel takes a knee to the side of the body.
Major slows down the pace here.
Major continues to stall. The referee tells him to work or he's going to break them up.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Major trying to stall but Daniel improves his position.

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 Mehk Daniel.
I think Daniel has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Felipe Paraventi scores the fight for Matt Major!
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight for Mehk Daniel!
Judge Emerson Jorge scores the fight for Mehk Daniel!

Mehk Daniel wins by split decision!