PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Mike Steven (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Fernando Pontes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Steven's entrance music is "Hip To Be Square," by Huey Lewis and the News. A fine choice. Fernando Pontes has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Mike Steven's chin.

Steven
vs
Pontes

185 cm
29
220 lbs
17 - 8 - 0

188 cm
24
210 lbs
6 - 0 - 1

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Very strong

ADCC Champion
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

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 17 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Mike Steven!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 0 - 1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Fernando Pontes!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Cesar, Paulo Santos and Edson Gomes.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Steven shoots in for a takedown but Pontes shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Pontes shoots and misses

and Steven counters with a nice double leg into side control. Pontes won't be happy with that.
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.

Steven is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Pontes has escaped the position, nice work there.
Steven landing strikes.
Pontes is trying to control Steven's posture but Steven avoids it.
Steven scoring with punches and elbows.
Steven working away.
Pontes is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Steven off and has taken his back!
You can see the frustration on Steven's face… He knows he is in trouble unless he improves his position sooner rather than later.
Pontes is not going to allow Steven to sit and survive in this position.
Pontes misses with punches from the back.
Pontes lands strikes to the head.
Pontes has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Pontes has his opponent's back and is working for the choke.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Steven wriggles onto his back under a barage of strikes.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Pontes landing strikes from the mount and Steven is in trouble!
Pontes cracks Steven with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Steven wants to hold on but Pontes pushes him away.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Pontes fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Pontes postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Steven looks a forlorn figure.
Steven tries to reverse the position but Pontes maintains control.

Pontes jumps to the side looking to secure the arm triangle…. Ooooh, that looks tight… Steven is gargling but he's managed to escape! Nice work there by Steven and Pontes has given up the dominant position trying to land that submission.
Steven parries the strikes from Pontes easily there. Pontes is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Steven to escape.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pontes wants to control but Steven is keeping him busy.

Pontes tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Pontes trying to control the position but Steven is working away.
Pontes with the ground and pound but Steven regains half guard under the barage of strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Steven has hold of Pontes's hands but Pontes slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Steven is refusing to be controlled, as Pontes sits in half guard.
Steven keeps control of the position for the meantime.
Steven regains full guard. Nicely done.
Pontes trying to control but Steven is working from the bottom.
Pontes cracks Steven with a solid left hand.
Pontes working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pontes postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Steven 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.
Pontes throws and elbow that misses. Steven uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Pontes's guard. Nice move by Steven!
Pontes 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.

Pontes has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Steven can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Pontes not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Pontes looking to hit a scissor sweep but Steven is one step ahead there.
Pontes keeping moving, preventing Steven from controlling successfully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

A slapping leg kick lands for Steven.
Steven throws a hook but Pontes blocks it.
Pontes shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Steven counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Steven.
Pontes utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Steven trying to control the position from guard on top but Pontes is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Pontes looking to control.
Steven working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.

Pontes is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Pontes trying to keep a closed guard but Steven is proving a slippery customer.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pontes looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Steven puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Pontes is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.

Steven is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Pontes is trying to get back to full guard.
Pontes is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Steven's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Steven's back!
Pontes is landing with strikes. Steven can't take much more of this.
Pontes throwing lazy shots from the back mount that aren't doing any damage.
Steven is keeping busy.

Pontes working for a RNC but it's not happening just yet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pontes controlling the position well here. Steven rolled but Pontes kept the hooks locked in and stayed in the dominant position.
Pontes is looking to finish with some ground and pound!
Pontes cracks Steven with a big shot to body and one to the head - really punishing Steven from the back mount here, looking to soften him up.
Steven covers up after that shot from Pontes.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Pontes struggling to land strikes to the head as Steven covers up.
Well, with Pontes on his back, surely it's only a matter of time before Steven is tapping out... Can he escape the position?
Pontes connects with a series of strikes and the referee is calling for Steven to escape the position.
Steven is keeping busy.
Steven takes a big shot to the side of the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pontes throws a big right hand but he misses and hits the mat. Ouch.
Steven can't escape the position.
Pontes lands strikes to the head.
Pontes throwing strikes from the back - he gets a warning from the referee for striking the back of the head but all these shots are hurting Steven!
Pontes lands a punch that was close to the back of the head but the ref thinks it's OK.
Pontes is scoring with a succession of shots from the back. Steven is covering up - he's had enough and the ref steps in to end the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:49 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Fernando Pontes!