PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Zidane Sephiroth (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Michael Kelso (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Sephiroth
vs
Kelso

190 cm
24
205 lbs
9 - 6 - 0

190 cm
30
217 lbs
16 - 13 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

ADCC Champion
Decent boxing
Powerful

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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 9 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Zidane Sephiroth!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 16 - 13 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Michael Kelso!
The judges for this bout are Leandro Rodrigues, Thiago Cunha and Emerson Jorge.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kelso closes the distance looking to clinch
and Sephiroth counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Sephiroth tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Kelso manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Kelso misses with a right hand
and Kelso takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Sephiroth lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Sephiroth looks to score with a jab to the body but Kelso is just out of range.
Sephiroth throws a poor cross that misses
and Kelso counters with a straight right hand.
Kelso swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Sephiroth counters with a nice uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Sephiroth closes the distance and clinches.

Sephiroth's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Kelso throws a lazy uppercut
and Sephiroth counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Sephiroth doesn't manage to clinch there - Kelso circles away.
Kelso tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Sephiroth counters with a left to the body.

Sephiroth rushes Kelso and presses him up against the cage.
Kelso wants a takedown but no success here.
Kelso goes for a takedown in the clinch but Sephiroth prevents it.
Kelso tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Sephiroth just stands there and leans against the cage.
Zidane Sephiroth has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Michael Kelso.
Sephiroth makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.

Sephiroth breaks the clinch.
Kelso takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Sephiroth gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Kelso tries for a takedown. No joy.
Sephiroth softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Sephiroth lands a body punch in the clinch.

Sephiroth escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Sephiroth misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Sephiroth tries to bum rush Kelso with a series of wild strikes but Kelso uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

Kelso scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Kelso tries to move to mount but Sephiroth blocks the move with his legs.
Sephiroth is trying to buck Kelso off.
Sephiroth trying desperately to get back to his feet here but he's not having any joy at all. He's going to tire himself out if he's not careful.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kelso works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sephiroth is not content to let Kelso control the position.
Sephiroth tries to escape but Kelso is in control.
Kelso has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Kelso is working Sephiroth over with some ground and pound from side control.
Sephiroth is trying to buck Kelso off.
Kelso misses with the ground and pound.
Kelso throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Sephiroth takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Kelso wants to control but Sephiroth is keeping him busy.
Kelso lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Sephiroth takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sephiroth is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Kelso asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Kelso landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.

Kelso tries for a kimura but Sephiroth is defending well.
Sephiroth wants to get back to his feet but Kelso drags him back down.

Kelso is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Sephiroth has escaped the position, nice work there.
Sephiroth is trying to escape and get back to his feet.

Kelso is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Sephiroth knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Kelso connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Sephiroth some visible discomfort.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Michael Kelso will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Sephiroth shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Kelso showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Sephiroth.
Kelso with a poor takedown
and Sephiroth counters with a nice uppercut.
Kelso tries for a takedown but Sephiroth circles away easily
and Sephiroth counters with a head kick. That will keep Kelso thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
Zidane Sephiroth is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Sephiroth throws a head kick but Kelso moves out of range.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kelso fails with the takedown
and Sephiroth counters with a big head kick but Kelso shrugs it off.
Zidane Sephiroth has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Michael Kelso.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sephiroth throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Kelso looks to land a right hand but Sephiroth moved out of range.
Kelso with a jab.
Sephiroth is looking to clinch.
Kelso misses with a combination
and Sephiroth counters with a big head kick but Kelso shrugs it off.
Sephiroth slips a straight right by Kelso.
Sephiroth ducks under a wild hook from Kelso.

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.
Sephiroth swinging wildly here.
Kelso tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Sephiroth gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Kelso throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Sephiroth works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Kelso postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.

Sephiroth scrambles and gets back to his feet.
Sephiroth on the wrong end of a nice hook.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sephiroth connects with a solid leg kick.
Kelso throws a right hand that misses
and Sephiroth counters with an inside leg kick.
Kelso throws a leg kick that is checked
and Sephiroth counters with a stiff right hand.
Kelso thows a leg kick but Sephiroth checks it
and Sephiroth counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Kelso misses with a shot to the body
letting Sephiroth counter with a right hand.

Sephiroth moves into the clinch.

Sephiroth breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Sephiroth misses with a head kick.
Kelso dives in and grabs Sephiroth's left leg, looking for a takedown. Sephiroth pushes down on Kelso's head and hops out.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kelso misses with a hook
and Sephiroth counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Sephiroth wants to clinch
and Kelso counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Kelso works over Sephiroth's head and body with a nice combination.
Sephiroth circles away from the clinch attempt
and Sephiroth counters with a body kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Zidane Sephiroth dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Sephiroth cracks Kelso with an open hand slap.
Sephiroth throws a combination that misses
and Kelso counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Kelso throws a poor cross that misses
and Sephiroth counters with a straight right hand.
Sephiroth lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Kelso circles away quickly and effectively.
Sephiroth tries a head kick but it misses.
Kelso bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Sephiroth's head backwards.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
No luck for Kelso with that takedown attempt.
Kelso misses with a takedown attempt
and Sephiroth counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Kelso is lucky that one didn't land flush.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kelso misses with a takedown
and Sephiroth counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Zidane Sephiroth has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Michael Kelso.
A solid leg kick lands there for Sephiroth.
Sephiroth pulls out of a head kick attempt.
A cross from Kelso lands.
Kelso is looking to chop away at Sephiroth's legs.
Sephiroth tries to clinch but Kelso is having none of it.
Sephiroth connects with a single shot there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sephiroth catches Kelso with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Kelso blocks a head kick by Sephiroth.
Sephiroth pulls out of a head kick attempt.
A cross from Sephiroth lands.
Sephiroth tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Kelso counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Zidane Sephiroth is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Sephiroth closes the distance and clinches.
Sephiroth lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Kelso.
Sephiroth lands with a right to the head.
Sephiroth working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Sephiroth tries to break free but Kelso pushes him back against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sephiroth is trying to break the clinch but Kelso has him pressed against the cage.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Sephiroth.
Sephiroth lands a body shot.
Kelso takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Sephiroth lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Kelso.
Nice body punch from Sephiroth - that landed with a thud.

Sephiroth's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Sephiroth fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Kelso.

Sephiroth moves into the clinch successfully.
Sephiroth lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Kelso jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Sephiroth walks away with a smile on his face. Kelso gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Kelso takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Kelso fails with the takedown

and Sephiroth counters by moving into the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Sephiroth digs a right hand into Kelso's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Kelso's gas tank.

Sephiroth breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Kelso is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Sephiroth's half guard.

Sephiroth manages to escape and get back to his feet!
Sephiroth will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Kelso has his takedown stuffed
and Sephiroth counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Sephiroth darts in and clinches Kelso up against the cage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Zidane Sephiroth showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Sephiroth has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 29:28
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 30:27
Judge Emerson Jorge scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Zidane Sephiroth!