PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Paro Karysian (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tong Po (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Tong Po will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Karysian
vs
Po

174 cm
22
162 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

176 cm
22
162 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Determined

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Paro Karysian!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Tong Po!
The judges for this bout are Thiago Cunha, Daniel Cesar and Leandro Rodrigues.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Karysian takes the fight into the clinch.
Po lands an elbow inside that Karysian shrugs off.
Po lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Karysian connects with a knee to the head.

It looks like Tong Po has been cut.
Karysian with a knee to the head.

Po is rocked!
Karysian takes a knee right on the jaw!
Po is still on wobbly legs! Can Karysian finish him?
Karysian unloads a knee to the mid-section. Po lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Karysian misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Po.

Karysian gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Po seems to have recovered his senses.
Po wants to improve his position but Karysian is controlling well.
Po wants to get back to his feet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Po looks gassed!

That's one minute gone in the round.

Po is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Karysian pulls his head out easily.
Karysian looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Po tries to kick Karysian off but Karysian keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

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

Karysian scores with a takedown into Po's guard.
Karysian throwing strikes from guard but Po blocks nicely.
Po wants to sweep but no luck.
Karysian won't allow Po to get back to his feet.
Po is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Karysian won't allow Po to get back to his feet.
Po manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Karysian manages to get himself to full guard.
Po looking to pass the guard.
Po wants to control from the top but Karysian keeps moving.
Karysian is looking to stand up but Po isn't so interested in that idea.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Po trying to control the position from guard on top but Karysian is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Po wants to stand but Karysian has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Karysian is looking to stand back up... there's a bit of a scramble and Po dives into side control.
Karysian on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Karysian tries to get out of the position.
Karysian tries to improve position but can't.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Karysian gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Karysian goes for a takedown in the clinch but Po prevents it.
Karysian trying to land knees to the body.

That's four 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.
Po comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.

Karysian breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Karysian drives through with a takedown into guard.
Karysian is stalling in the full guard.
Karysian has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Karysian wants to pass the guard but Po is keeping the position.
Karysian controlling from the top position.
Karysian trying to control the position from guard on top but Po is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Paro Karysian dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Tong Po's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Karysian avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
The fight stays on the outside here - Karysian looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Karysian tries to clinch up but Po circles away and keeps his distance.

Karysian has Po up against the cage in a clinch.
Karysian tries a knee to the head but Po blocks it.
Po stops a takedown attempt from Karysian.

Karysian breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Po moves in looking to clinch but Karysian pushes him off.
Po tries to clinch up but Karysian circles away and keeps his distance.
Po with a poor takedown

and Karysian counters with a nice double leg into side control. Po won't be happy with that.
Po is trying to improve his position.
Po is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Karysian has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Karysian remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
Karysian working away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Karysian tries to advance to mount but can't.
Po gets back to half guard.
Karysian stops Po from getting back to his feet.
Karysian trying to control from half guard but Po is working away.
Karysian prevents Po from standing back up.
Po is trying to control but can't.
Po is looking to escape.

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.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Karysian fails in his attempt to clinch.
Karysian misses with an uppercut.
Karysian tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Po counters by clinching up.
Karysian prevents the takedown attempt.
Po works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Po lands a nice elbow.
Po gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Karysian tries to pull guard but Po holds him up against the cage and eventually Karysian drops back down to his feet.
Karysian blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Po using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Karysian has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

Karysian decides to pull guard.
Po passes into half guard.
Karysian is trying to maintain the position but Po is very close to passing his half guard.
Po looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Po trying to control from half guard but Karysian is working away.
Karysian pushes Po off looking to stand but Po dives back in and keeps control.
Karysian has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Po is working away from the top position though.
Po stops Karysian from getting back to his feet.
Karysian tries to get to full guard but Po has control of the leg.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Po tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Po tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Karysian paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Po misses with a takedown

and Karysian counters by clinching up.
Paro Karysian has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Tong Po.
Po tries to land knees in the clinch but Karysian avoids the damage to the body.
Po is looking to control Karysian's arms but Karysian gets an underhook and turns him. Now Po has his back to the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Po tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Po gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Karysian.

Karysian breaks the clinch.
Po misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Tong Po is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Karysian clinches up with Po and pushes him back against the cage.
Karysian landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Karysian goes for a takedown in the clinch but Po prevents it.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.

Karysian lands a takedown into guard.
Po wants to sweep here but Karysian controlling him for the moment.
Karysian seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Karysian trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Paro Karysian dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Tong Po's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Po swats away the attempt to clinch by Karysian.
Karysian tries to land a front kick but Po steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Po gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Karysian moves into the clinch.

Karysian works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Po looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Karysian puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Po is looking to escape.
Karysian looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Po is trying to stand.
Karysian looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Po trying to hold on to Karysian's head to control him but Karysian postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Karysian tries to pass the half guard into mount. Po knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Po is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Po shoots for a double leg takedown but Karysian sprawls well. He's pushed Po's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

Karysian pushes Po up against the cage in a clinch.
Po landing knees to the head.
Po misses with a knee strike.
Karysian is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Po gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Po lands an elbow that stopped Karysian in his tracks for a moment.
Karysian avoiding damage as Po throws knees to the body.
Po using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Karysian has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Po misses with a short punch on the inside.
Karysian misses with a knee strike.
Po prevents the takedown attempt.

Karysian manages to pull guard.
Po preventing the sweep.
Po would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Karysian working a defensive guard here.

Karysian throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Karysian has a closed guard, preventing Po from standing up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Karysian wants to clinch.
Po moves in looking to clinch but Karysian pushes him off.
Karysian swats away the attempt to clinch by Po.

Karysian looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Po is looking to escape.
Well, if Karysian is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Po is trying to stand up here but Karysian is controlling him well.

Karysian wants to work for an arm triangle but Po is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Karysian is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Karysian wants to pass the guard but Po is defending well.

And that's the end of the fight!
Paro Karysian showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Karysian, 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 Thiago Cunha scores the fight 30:27
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 30:27
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Paro Karysian!