PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Frank St Pierre (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tex Ranger (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ranger has chosen Eaten by Bloodbath as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. The key to victory for Frank St Pierre has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

St Pierre
vs
Ranger

182 cm
23
180 lbs
8 - 6 - 0

184 cm
22
183 lbs
5 - 0 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Excellent boxer
Very quick

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, for the welterweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Frank St Pierre!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Tex Ranger!
The judges for this bout are Edson Gomes, Leandro Rodrigues and Paulo Santos.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ranger moves out of range as St Pierre strikes.
St Pierre scores with a decent looking hook.
St Pierre misses with a straight right.

Ranger throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. St Pierre was covering up waiting for the punch and Ranger finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Ranger preventing the sweep.
St Pierre working a defensive guard here.

St Pierre has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Ranger is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for St Pierre.
St Pierre prevents Ranger from moving into mount.
Ranger has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for St Pierre!
Ranger avoids the attempt from St Pierre to control.
St Pierre is in a bad position, trying to hold on for dear life but he is really struggling to maintain any sort of control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ranger takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Let's hope that Ranger has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Ranger wants to take his opponent's back but St Pierre doesn't allow it.
St Pierre is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

Ranger jumps to the side looking to secure the arm triangle…. Ooooh, that looks tight… St Pierre is gargling but he's managed to escape! Nice work there by St Pierre and Ranger has given up the dominant position trying to land that submission.
St Pierre wants to control but Ranger postures up.
St Pierre sneaks back into half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Ranger is pressing down on St Pierre's thigh, looking to free his foot. St Pierre is holding on for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
St Pierre is trying to control but can't.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
St Pierre wants to improve his position but Ranger is controlling well.
Ranger tries to pass to full mount but St Pierre defends it.
Ranger is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.

Ranger looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Ranger wants to advance to full mount but St Pierre doesn't think that's going to happen and regains full guard instead.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ranger trying to control the position from guard on top but St Pierre is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Ranger sitting in guard, not really doing much.
St Pierre not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

St Pierre had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Ranger defends it easily.
St Pierre looking for a sweep. Not yet St Pierre, not yet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Ranger tries to free his leg and advance position but St Pierre is retaining full guard.
Ranger passes St Pierre's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
St Pierre is pressing down on Ranger's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
St Pierre wants to sweep here but Ranger controlling him for the moment.
Ranger trying to control the position from guard on top but St Pierre is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
St Pierre keeping full guard, as Ranger tries to pass.
Ranger forces his way into half guard.
Ranger passes to full mount!
St Pierre wants to control but Ranger is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tex Ranger dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

St Pierre ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Ranger has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Ranger there as he acknowledges the shot.
St Pierre fails with a takedown attempt.
St Pierre slips under a jab from Ranger.
Ranger misses with a body shot

and St Pierre counters with a nice double leg into side control. Ranger won't be happy with that.
Ranger is trying to control St Pierre's posture but St Pierre avoids it.
St Pierre misses with the ground and pound.
Ranger is trying to get back to half guard.
St Pierre wants to lay and pray for a moment but Ranger keeps working.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ranger tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but St Pierre wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

St Pierre decides to stand back up.

St Pierre closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Ranger to the mat! Ranger manages to get full guard.
St Pierre trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

St Pierre drops back, looking for a kneebar! Ranger looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Ranger looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Ranger!
St Pierre struggling a bit here.
You can see the frustration on St Pierre's face as Ranger controls the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ranger tries to move to mount but St Pierre blocks the move with his legs.
St Pierre gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.

St Pierre actively working from the bottom here.
Ranger is taking a breather. St Pierre says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
St Pierre tries to roll over but Ranger keeps him under control.
St Pierre trying to control here.
Ranger looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
St Pierre works his way to full guard. Good work.
Ranger trying to control the position from guard on top but St Pierre is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
St Pierre is trying to keep Ranger in close.
Ranger pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. St Pierre is keeping the position for now.
Ranger is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Ranger wants to pass the guard but St Pierre is keeping the position.
Frank St Pierre overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
A lazy left from St Pierre finds it's target.

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.
Ranger misses with a hook
and St Pierre counters with a straight right hand.
Ranger cracks St Pierre with a right hand to the side of the head.
St Pierre throws an off balance right hand

and Ranger counters with a nice double leg into guard.

St Pierre looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
St Pierre 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.
Ranger pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. St Pierre is keeping the position for now.
St Pierre keeping moving, preventing Ranger from controlling successfully.
Ranger looking to pass the guard.
St Pierre keeping moving, preventing Ranger from controlling successfully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Frank St Pierre dominated that second round.
That's time! St Pierre's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Ranger misses with a wild body shot.
St Pierre comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Ranger takes a swing at St Pierre's ribcage but misses.
Ranger looks to score with a jab to the body but St Pierre is just out of range.
St Pierre digs a good body shot into Ranger's ribs.
St Pierre misses with an uppercut.
St Pierre fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
St Pierre throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Ranger sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Ranger misses with a looping right.
Ranger just misses with a punch to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ranger moves away from the strike by St Pierre.
Ranger misses with a body shot
and St Pierre counters with a left to the body.
St Pierre throws a half hearted mid kick.
Ranger looks to score with a jab to the body but St Pierre is just out of range.
A jab lands there for St Pierre.

That's one minute gone in the round.
St Pierre keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Ranger moves out of range of the strikes.
Tex Ranger seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Ranger ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Ranger takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
St Pierre shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Ranger as he jumps to the side.

St Pierre changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Ranger looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
St Pierre wants to stand but Ranger has his arm trapped.

St Pierre is trying to get an arm triangle but Ranger is defending well.

St Pierre goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Ranger has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for St Pierre but great work by Ranger.
Ranger 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.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
St Pierre can't do much from the bottom here.
St Pierre trying his best to control but Ranger has mounted him.
Ranger avoids the attempt from St Pierre to control.
St Pierre is looking to improve his position but Ranger isn't that keen on the idea.
Ranger wants to take his opponent's back but St Pierre doesn't allow it.
Ranger manages to capitalize on a mistake by St Pierre to take his back!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Ranger is remaining active here, looking for the choke. The more discerning members of the crowd will appreciate his efforts.

Ranger looking to break St Pierre's wrist control so he can sink in the choke. St Pierre remaining controlled and patient though - he really has to keep calm otherwise Ranger will wrap this one up with the rear naked choke!
St Pierre controlling the position well but he knows he's in a bad position.
Ranger controlling from the back.
St Pierre controlling the position well but he knows he's in a bad spot.
St Pierre trying to control the position but Ranger manages to sink in the hooks.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.

Ranger is working for the rear naked choke. He has one arm under the chin but St Pierre has hold of the other arm. A bit of a stalemate here.
Ranger trying desperately to keep hold of the dominant position.

St Pierre defending nicely against the rear naked choke attempt.
Ranger takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Will Ranger go for the finish here or will he try and keep control of the position?

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Tex Ranger.
I think Ranger has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Edson Gomes scores the fight 28:29
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 28:29
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tex Ranger! Tex Ranger retains his welterweight title!