PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Joel Savage (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and joseph Shelley (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). joseph Shelley has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Joel Savage's chin.

Savage
vs
Shelley

181 cm
19
185 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

177 cm
23
178 lbs
6 - 4 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter striker
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Joel Savage!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, joseph Shelley!
The judges for this bout are Thiago Cunha, Seu Braga and Leandro Rodrigues.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Shelley throws a sloppy head kick
and Savage counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Shelley shoots and misses
and Savage counters with a straight right hand.
Savage connects with a jab.
Shelley gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Savage counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Shelley's guard now.

Shelley is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Savage defends well.
Shelley keeping full guard, as Savage tries to pass.
Savage working some strikes from top position.
Savage controlling from the top position.
Savage sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Shelley's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Savage thows a huge punch but Shelley dodges it nicely.
Savage throwing shots but Shelley is blocking nicely.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Savage prevents Shelley from improving his position.

Shelley actively working from the bottom here.
Shelley moves into full guard.
Shelley is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Savage gets full guard.
Savage has Shelley pulled in close to control his posture.
Savage 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.
Savage bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Shelley's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Savage wants to control from the top but Shelley keeps moving.

Shelley working for a triangle but Savage defends it easily.

Shelley is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Shelley looks gassed!

The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Shelley working for a triangle but Savage defends it easily.
Savage landing with the ground and pound.
Savage engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shelley bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Savage's guard.
Savage pulls Shelley in close to prevent any damage.
Savage avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Shelley preventing the sweep.
Savage utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Shelley preventing the sweep.
Shelley trying to control the position from guard on top but Savage is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Savage trying to control the position here.

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.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Savage looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

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

Shelley scores a takedown into full mount!
Shelley looking to control but Savage is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Shelley sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Savage is looking to get to half guard.
Savage wants to hold on but Shelley pushes him away.
Shelley misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Savage really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Joel Savage dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Shelley enables Savage to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Shelley manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Savage wants to control from the top but Shelley keeps moving.
Shelley looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Shelley is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Savage trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Savage wants to control from the top but Shelley keeps moving.

Shelley is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Savage is aware though and is defending well.
Savage trying to control the position from guard on top but Shelley is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Savage missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Savage engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Savage pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Shelley is keeping the position for now.
Savage throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Savage preventing the sweep.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Savage working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Shelley keeping moving, preventing Savage from controlling successfully.
Savage with a nice head shot there.
Shelley is trying to keep Savage in close.

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.

Shelley working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Savage doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Savage manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Shelley is breathing heavily.
Savage throws a big right hand that misses.
Shelley not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Shelley throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Savage connects with a couple of short punches.
Savage working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Shelley throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Savage passes into half guard.
Savage lands strikes from half guard.
Savage is trying to control the action in half guard but Shelley is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shelley trying to control here but he's found himself mounted! Oh no!
Shelley tries to reverse the position but Savage maintains control.
Savage lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Shelley hang on?
Savage unloading with bombs!
Savage can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Shelley is looking to escape.
Savage with shots to the head and body - Shelley looks very uncomfortable down there.
Shelley working to try and regain half guard.
Savage trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Savage in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Savage raining down hammerfists from mount.
Shelley tries to lock up and control but Savage gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Savage cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Shelley is working to get back to half guard.
Savage raining down shots from the mount!
Savage working away from the top, dropping strikes.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Savage lands with some strikes.
Savage controlling from mount.
Savage in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Joel Savage dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Savage throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Shelley counters with a three punch combo that has Savage backing up. Savage nods at Shelley to acknowledge the strikes.
Savage jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Shelley tries for a takedown but Savage circles away easily

so Savage counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Shelley keeping moving, preventing Savage from controlling successfully.
Shelley is trying to control the position from the bottom.

Shelley had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Savage defends it easily.
Shelley takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Savage looking to pass the guard.
Savage looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Savage wants to control from the top but Shelley keeps moving.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Savage works over Shelley with some ground and pound from guard.
Savage postures up and lands a big shot to Shelley's brow.
Savage scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Shelley manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Savage manages to get himself to full guard.
Savage wants to sweep here but Shelley controlling him for the moment.
Shelley trying to control the position from guard on top but Savage is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Joel Savage is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Savage manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Savage connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Savage content just to control the position here.
Shelley tries to reverse the position but Savage maintains control.
Savage tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Shelley wants to control but Savage is having none of it.
Savage fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Shelley is desperately trying to improve his position but Savage has a good base and remains in mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shelley tries to lock up and control but Savage gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Savage sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Shelley tries to lock up and control but Savage gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Savage controlling the position easily from mount.
Savage prevents Shelley from getting the reversal.
Savage landing punches.
Shelley is looking to get to half guard.
Joel Savage overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Savage controlling from the full mount.
joseph Shelley has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Shelley wants to hold on but Savage pushes him away.
Savage controlling the pace for now.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Joel Savage wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Shelley falls off balance throwing a combination

and Savage counters with a nice double leg into guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Joel Savage showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Savage 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 Thiago Cunha scores the fight 30:27
Judge Seu Braga scores the fight 30:27
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Joel Savage!