PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Lauro Henrique (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ryu Nakamura (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Lauro Henrique had real problems making weight for this fight. After initially coming in at 157.1lbs, he had two hours to make the official fight weight. He made it but it will have taken a lot out of him to cut those extra few pounds. Both fighter's entrance songs getting the crowd jumping here.

Henrique
vs
Nakamura

179 cm
26
170 lbs
6 - 11 - 0

180 cm
25
155 lbs
6 - 9 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Solid 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 6 - 11 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Lauro Henrique!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Ryu Nakamura!
The judges for this bout are Paulo Santos, Leandro Rodrigues and Seu Braga.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nakamura throws a series of punches but Henrique avoids them all with ease.
Nakamura fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Nakamura misses with a series of wild punches.
Henrique shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Nakamura lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Nakamura throws an overhand right that lands on Henrique's shoulder, as Henrique tries to avoid the shot.
Henrique doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Nakamura holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Henrique drops down looking for an ankle pick but Nakamura pulls his leg out and moves away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Lauro Henrique. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Henrique gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Nakamura counters with a left and a right that stings Henrique.

Henrique closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Henrique is breathing heavily.
Nakamura avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Henrique.
Nakamura is looking for a sweep. Henrique is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Henrique throwing shots but Nakamura is blocking nicely.
Nakamura is trying to maintain the position but Henrique is very close to passing his half guard.
Henrique not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Henrique slips a nice elbow through Nakamura's hands, connecting with Nakamura's forehead.
Nakamura keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Henrique not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Henrique thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Nakamura's head.
Henrique lands with a punch from half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Nakamura blocking the ground and pound attempt from Henrique.
Nakamura wants to get back to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Henrique thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Henrique throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Henrique throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

Henrique is working for a kimura but Nakamura is defending it quite comfortably.
Henrique throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

Henrique is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Nakamura defends it well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Henrique throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Henrique throwing shots but Nakamura is blocking nicely.
Henrique looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Nakamura trying to keep hold of his opponent's head but Henrique manages to pass to mount!
Henrique thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Henrique unloads with some shots from mount but Nakamura bucks and avoids them well.
Henrique has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Henrique throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.

That's four 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.
Henrique working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Henrique landing punches.
A nice elbow there by Henrique.
Nakamura tries to lock up and control but Henrique gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Henrique lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Henrique postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Nakamura looks a forlorn figure.
Henrique landing strikes, looking to finish!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Poor strikes thrown by Henrique there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!
Nakamura tries to lock up and control but Henrique gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Nakamura gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Henrique in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Nakamura not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Nakamura looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Henrique thows a big elbow that misses.
Nakamura trying to control the position.
Henrique throws a big right hand that misses.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Henrique postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Lauro Henrique overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Henrique throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Henrique lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Henrique is looking to work some ground and pound but Nakamura has wrist control.
Nakamura has momentary wrist control but Henrique slips an elbow through the middle.
Henrique throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Nakamura works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Henrique working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Henrique lands a couple of elbows.
Henrique scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Henrique scoring with some ground and pound.
Henrique working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Henrique thows a big elbow that misses.
Henrique with a flurry of punches that miss.
Henrique missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Henrique is looking to work some ground and pound but Nakamura has wrist control.
Nakamura wants to get back to his feet but Henrique is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

Henrique drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Henrique jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Nakamura is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Henrique lands a couple of digs.
Henrique missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Henrique throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Nakamura works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Henrique with a nice head shot there.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Henrique's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Henrique trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Nakamura avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Henrique throwing strikes but missing.
Henrique postures up and lands a big shot to Nakamura's brow.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Henrique postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Henrique missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Henrique throwing strikes from guard but Nakamura blocks nicely.
Henrique won't allow Nakamura to sweep him here.
Henrique is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Henrique missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Henrique throwing strikes but missing.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Lauro Henrique dominated that second round.
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.

Henrique misses with a takedown attempt
and Nakamura counters with a right hand to the body.
Henrique takes a head kick and keeps coming.

It looks like Lauro Henrique has been cut.
Donk. Nakamura catches Henrique right on the button with a cross.
Henrique shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Nakamura sprawls well. Nakamura wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Henrique gets slowly back to his feet.
Nakamura scores with a jab to the body.
Nakamura tries to close the distance and clinch up but Henrique swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Nakamura misses with a few strikes there.
Nakamura throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Henrique tries for a takedown but Nakamura sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Lauro Henrique. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Nakamura fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Nakamura misses with a two punch combination.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nakamura lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Henrique circles away quickly and effectively.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Henrique shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Henrique trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Henrique throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Nakamura preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Nakamura working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Henrique.
Henrique throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Nakamura is pulling down on Henrique's head. It's preventing any offense from Henrique, at least for the moment.
Nakamura looking to control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Henrique throws a big right hand that misses.
Nakamura really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Henrique. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Henrique postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Henrique is looking to work some ground and pound but Nakamura has wrist control.
Henrique content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Henrique throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Henrique in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

Henrique thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Henrique is looking to work some ground and pound but Nakamura has wrist control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Henrique postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Nakamura utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Henrique throws a big right hand that misses.
Nakamura is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Henrique working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Nakamura's head.
Ryu Nakamura has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Henrique preventing the sweep.

Henrique is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Lauro Henrique is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

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.
Henrique's corner is telling him to maintain position.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

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 Lauro Henrique.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Henrique, 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 Paulo Santos scores the fight 30:27
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 30:27
Judge Seu Braga scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Lauro Henrique!