PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Michael Kelso (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jacare Souza (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). On his way into the cage it seems that Michael Kelso has been attacked by a crazed fan! It looks like it might have been the just bleed guy! Luckily Michael Kelso seems to be OK! I thought that lunatic was in prison!?

Kelso
vs
Souza

190 cm
28
217 lbs
14 - 11 - 0

187 cm
25
215 lbs
17 - 11 - 1

Abu Dhabi Champ
Solid boxing
Very strong

Good wrestler
Lethal high kicks
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 14 - 11 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Michael Kelso!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 17 - 11 - 1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Jacare Souza!
The judges for this bout are Matheus Silva, Seu Braga and Felipe Paraventi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Souza waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Kelso.
Souza is looking to clinch but Kelso is avoiding it.
Souza misses with an uppercut. Kelso saw that one coming.
Souza scores with a jab to the head.

Souza clinches with his opponent.
Kelso tries to score a body lock takedown but Souza shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Kelso on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Souza with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Souza tries a knee to the head but Kelso blocks it.
Kelso wants a takedown but no success here.
Kelso on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Souza missing with knees to the body.
Souza lands a knee to the body.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Souza gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Kelso regains guard.

Souza avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Souza wants to pass the guard but Kelso is keeping the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Souza trying to stand up but can't free himself from Kelso's guard.
Souza must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Kelso being controlled here, momentarily.

Kelso looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Souza trying to control but Kelso is working from the bottom.

Kelso throws his legs up looking for a submission but Souza uses it to pass to side control.
Kelso is looking for a sweep.
Souza trying to control the action but Kelso is working from the bottom.
Souza just content to control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Souza wants to lay and pray for a moment but Kelso keeps working.
Kelso trying to remain calm as Souza controls from the top position.
Kelso manages to get back to half guard.
Kelso is looking for a sweep. Souza is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Jacare Souza wasn't active enough on the ground.
Souza is looking to clinch but Kelso is avoiding it.
Souza looks to land a left hand but Kelso moved out of range nicely.
Kelso moves out of range of the strikes.
Souza slips a jab and a cross from Kelso.
Kelso scores with the left hand. Souza knows he should have avoided that one.
Souza tries to clinch there but Kelso circles away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Souza tries to clinch up but Kelso circles away and keeps his distance.
Souza looks to land a left hand but Kelso moved out of range nicely.
Souza wants to clinch up but Kelso keeps it at a distance.
Souza is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Kelso.

Kelso shoots in and gets a takedown into Souza's guard.
Souza can't keep his opponent in guard - Kelso advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Kelso trying to control the action but Souza is working from the bottom.
Souza wants to control but Kelso is keeping busy.
Souza moves into full guard.
Souza looking to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kelso postures up and lands a big shot to Souza's brow.
Kelso trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Souza wants to stand and escape but Kelso is having none of it.
Kelso thows a big elbow that misses.
Kelso preventing the sweep.
Kelso makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Kelso 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.

Souza throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Kelso throwing strikes but missing.
Souza 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.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Kelso works over Souza with some ground and pound from guard.

Souza working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Kelso doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Kelso manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Kelso lands a couple of digs.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jacare Souza dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Kelso misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Souza tries to clinch up.

Souza gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Souza misses with a knee to the head.
Souza lands a good knee to the midsection. Kelso won't want to take too many of those.
Stalling in the clinch from Souza.
Kelso has Souza pressed against the cage.
Souza is pushing Kelso up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Souza using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Souza pressing his opponent against the cage.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Souza just misses with a elbow thrown towards Kelso's brow.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Souza misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Kelso.
Souza is struggling to control the position.

Souza gets control of Kelso's arms and successfully pulls guard. Souza will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Kelso trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Kelso scoring with punches to the head and body.
Kelso lands a couple of elbows.
Souza is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

Kelso 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.
Souza preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

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.
Kelso tries to free his leg and advance position but Souza is retaining full guard.
Souza lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Kelso!
Kelso is trying to escape the mount.
Kelso is working hard here to advance position.
Souza controlling the pace for now.
Souza avoids the attempt from Kelso to control.
Kelso is looking to improve his position but Souza isn't that keen on the idea.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Souza working for a submission but Kelso is keeping him at bay.
Souza trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Kelso tries to reverse the position but Souza maintains control.
Kelso is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Kelso prevents Souza from taking his back.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Souza is standing up, even though he is in mount.
Souza misses with a straight left.
Kelso shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Souza defends it nicely.
Jacare Souza seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Souza tries to clinch up but Kelso circles away and keeps his distance.
Kelso throws a nice looking combination but Souza bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Souza wants to clinch.
Nice defenses there by Souza.
Kelso shoots in for a takedown but Souza shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Souza fails in his attempt to clinch.
Kelso keeps the fight on the outside.
Kelso swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jacare Souza showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Kelso avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Michael Kelso is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Souza thows a left - swing and a miss!
Souza keeps the fight on the outside.

Souza clinches up with Kelso and pushes him back against the cage.
Souza trying to land knees to the body.
Souza with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Kelso tries for a takedown. No joy.
Souza lands a nice knee to the body.
Souza has Kelso pressed against the cage.
The crowd are getting on Souza's back here. They're not happy about his lack of aggression in the clinch.
Souza misses with a knee strike.
Souza tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Kelso avoids it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Souza connects with a nasty looking knee right to Kelso's face.

It looks like Michael Kelso has been cut.
Nice elbow from Souza.
Kelso on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Kelso is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.

Souza lands a takedown into guard.
Souza stopping the sweep attempt from Kelso.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Souza sitting in guard here, content to control.
Souza would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Kelso is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Kelso is looking for a triangle here but Souza uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kelso manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.

Souza is working for a kimura but Kelso is defending it quite comfortably.
Michael Kelso has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Souza decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.
Kelso circles away from the clinch attempt

and Kelso counters with a nice double leg into side control. Souza won't be happy with that.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Souza is in a bad spot here and he knows it... just holding on for now.
Kelso working away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Souza is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Souza on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Souza manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.

Kelso is working for a submission of some sort.
Souza is trying to maintain the position but Kelso is very close to passing his half guard.
Souza might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Kelso kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Kelso is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Souza is looking to get to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Kelso moves into side control, trying to work for a kimura. That looks painful! Will he finish!!?? No, Souza has worked his arm free - good work by Souza!
Souza wants to control but Kelso postures up.
Kelso is chipping away with strikes.
Kelso working the ground and pound.
Souza tries to buck Kelso off but Kelso is having none of it.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Souza manages to get back to half guard.

Souza looking for submissions off his back.
Kelso missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jacare Souza comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Souza winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Matheus Silva scores the fight 27:30
Judge Seu Braga scores the fight 27:30
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jacare Souza!