PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Sam Hitz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rodrigo Reis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Reis is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Blood Brothers. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Hitz
vs
Reis

182 cm
23
190 lbs
11 - 9 - 0

180 cm
24
200 lbs
13 - 8 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
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 11 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Sam Hitz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 13 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rodrigo Reis!
The judges for this bout are Leandro Rodrigues, Edson Gomes and Paulo Santos.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Reis throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Hitz.
The fighters circling - Reis throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Hitz throws a head kick but Reis moves out of range.
Hitz connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Reis uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Hitz.
Hitz lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Reis blocks a head kick by Hitz.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hitz throws a looping overhand right but Reis ducks down to avoid it.
Reis throws an off balance right hand
and Hitz counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Reis takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Rodrigo Reis is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hitz throws a head kick that misses.
Reis misses with a hook
and Hitz counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Hitz avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Hitz on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Hitz throws an overhand right that lands on Reis's shoulder, as Reis tries to avoid the shot.
Reis throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Hitz counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Hitz tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Reis was well out of range. Poor timing from Hitz.
Reis misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Hitz counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Reis throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
enabling Hitz to counter with a crisp jab.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Reis fails to land with a series of punches.
Reis misses with a body shot
and Reis takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Hitz lands a jab to Reis's midsection.
Reis swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Hitz counters with a straight right hand.
Hitz throws an overhand right that lands on Reis's shoulder, as Reis tries to avoid the shot.
Reis misses with a body punch
and Hitz cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Reis misses with a hook
and Hitz cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Reis swings for the body but Hitz moves out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hitz misses with a hook. Reis ducked under it nicely.
Reis throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Hitz connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Reis staying out of range there.
Reis throws a poor cross that misses
and Hitz counters with a nice uppercut.
Hitz looks to score with a jab to the body but Reis is just out of range.
Reis tries to bum rush Hitz with a series of wild strikes but Hitz uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

Hitz bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Hitz lands a decent elbow from side control.

Hitz is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Reis is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hitz trying to control the action but Reis is working from the bottom.
Hitz in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Hitz cracks Reis with a big right hand but Reis just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Reis struggling a bit here.
Hitz postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Reis struggling a bit here.
Hitz lands some shots froms side control.
Reis is working to avoid the ground and pound but Hitz connects with a decent elbow.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sam Hitz dominated that round.
That's time! Hitz's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Reis misses with a lunging right hand
enabling Hitz to counter with a crisp jab.
Reis rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Hitz counters with a stiff right hand.
A slow jab from Hitz misses its intended target.
Reis throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Hitz counters with a straight right hand.
Reis misses with a wild body shot.
Sloppy strikes from Reis. Those never looked like landing.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Reis rushes in with a sloppy looking punch

and Hitz counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Reis's guard now.
Hitz keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Reis's head.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hitz is working Reis over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Hitz lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Reis controls Hitz momentarily but Hitz frees himself.
Hitz stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Reis swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Hitz is looking to work some ground and pound but Reis has wrist control.
Hitz lands a couple of elbows.
Reis is trying to control the position from the bottom.

Hitz has gone for a leg lock! Reis slips out almost immediately though and dives into Hitz's guard.

Reis got a little sloppy there for a moment and Hitz has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Reis has managed to get both his arms back between Hitz's legs - danger averted.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Reis stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Hitz swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Reis trying to stand up but can't free himself from Hitz's guard.
Reis preventing the sweep.

Reis postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Hitz is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Reis, into his guard.
Reis has momentary wrist control but Hitz slips an elbow through the middle.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hitz throwing strikes from guard but Reis blocks nicely.
Reis keeping full guard, as Hitz tries to pass.
Hitz wants to control from the top but Reis keeps moving.
Hitz is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Hitz is working Reis over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Hitz scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Hitz throws a big right hand that misses.
Hitz won't allow Reis to sweep him here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hitz trying to control the position from guard on top but Reis is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Hitz missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Hitz in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

Hitz drops back, looking for a kneebar! Reis looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Reis looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Reis!
Hitz sneaks back into half guard.

Reis is looking for a kimura but Hitz is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Reis to get the leverage.
Reis is breathing heavily.
Hitz trying to control from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sam Hitz 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. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Hitz swings away with a body shot that misses
and Reis connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Jab from Reis.
Reis swings widly with a right hand
and Hitz connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Hitz swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Reis misses with a hook to the body

and Hitz counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Reis's guard now.
Hitz with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Hitz postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Reis 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.
Hitz is fighting to break Reis's control of his arms but Reis is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hitz throws and elbow that misses. Reis uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Hitz's guard. Nice move by Reis!
Hitz can't keep his opponent in guard - Reis advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Reis tries to stand but his arm is trapped.
Reis takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Hitz looking for submissions off his back.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Reis is looking for a kimura here.
Rodrigo Reis has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

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.
Reis is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Hitz!

Reis gets to his feet and calls his opponent to stand. Here come the fireworks!
Hitz throws a head kick that misses.
Hitz swings widly with a right hand
enabling Reis to counter with a crisp jab.
Hitz lands with a straight right. Reis didn't see that one coming.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hitz throws a sloppy head kick and Reis moves out of range easily.
Reis misses the shot to the body.
Hitz throws a head kick that misses.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Hitz.
Hitz doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Reis misses with an uppercut
and Hitz counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

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.
Reis works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Reis misses with a right hand
and Hitz counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Reis misses with a hook
and Hitz counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Reis throws a predictable looking body shot
and Hitz counters with a two punch combo.
Reis will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Reis throws a nice looking combination but Hitz bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Rodrigo Reis.
Well Hitz 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 Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 29:28
Judge Edson Gomes scores the fight 29:28
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Sam Hitz!