PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Silvio Briatore (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Junior Paulista (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Paulista is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Champagne Supernova. Junior Paulista has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Silvio Briatore's chin.

Briatore
vs
Paulista

170 cm
28
198 lbs
12 - 3 - 1

180 cm
26
195 lbs
8 - 4 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Very strong

Good wrestler
Great elbows
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 3 - 1, fighting out of St Petersburg, Silvio Briatore!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 4 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Junior Paulista!
The judges for this bout are Sergei Dronov, Igor Prikhodko and Valeri Chadov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Paulista throws a hook but Briatore blocks it.
Paulista scores with a nice head shot.
Good exchange - Briatore coming out on top.
Paulista misses with a series of wild punches.
Sloppy strikes from Briatore. Those never looked like landing.
Paulista throws a lazy uppercut
and Briatore counters with a lovely straight right hand!
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Paulista.

Paulista darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Briatore is trying to stand back up but Paulista is controlling him
Briatore is looking to improve his position.

Paulista is working for a submission of some sort.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Paulista throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

Paulista is looking for a kimura but Briatore is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Paulista to get the leverage.
Briatore gets back to full guard.
Briatore manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Paulista manages to get himself to full guard.

Paulista is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Briatore trying to control but Paulista is working from the bottom.
Paulista is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.

Paulista is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Briatore wants to pass the guard but Paulista is keeping the position.
Paulista wants to sweep here but Briatore controlling him for the moment.
Briatore with a nice head shot there.
Briatore tries to free his leg and advance position but Paulista is retaining full guard.
Briatore won't allow Paulista to sweep him here.
Briatore landing some decent shots from guard.
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!
Paulista utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

Paulista is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

Paulista throws his legs up looking for a submission but Briatore uses it to pass to side control.
Paulista taking punishment in the form of punches.
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.
Briatore trying to control the action but Paulista is working from the bottom.
Briatore lands a decent elbow from side control.
Paulista tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Briatore is working Paulista over with some ground and pound from side control.
Briatore is working Paulista over with some ground and pound from side control.
Paulista is not content to let Briatore control the position.
Briatore is chipping away with strikes.
Briatore cracks Paulista with a big right hand but Paulista just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Paulista manages to get back to half guard.
Briatore passes into side control, despite Paulista's attempt to control the position.
Briatore has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Briatore scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Paulista to see if he's OK.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Briatore is putting a hurting on Paulista here, landing some big shots from side control.
Paulista manages to get back to half guard.
Briatore missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Briatore thows a big elbow that misses, also allowing Paulista to regain full guard.
Briatore forces his way into half guard.
Paulista wants to control but Briatore is keeping busy.
Briatore sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Paulista manages to get to full guard.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Briatore with a flurry of punches that miss.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Silvio Briatore dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Briatore lands a glancing blow to the side of Paulista's head.
Paulista throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Briatore.
Briatore ducks right into an uppercut from Paulista.
Paulista tries to clinch but Briatore is having none of it.
Paulista scores with a leg kick.
Paulista shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Briatore as he avoids it easily.
Paulista looks to land a left hand but Briatore moved out of range nicely.
Paulista throws a quick inside leg kick.
Paulista waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Briatore.
Paulista slips a jab from Briatore.
Paulista throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Briatore's waist but Briatore gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Paulista off to one side.
Briatore slaps away a takedown attempt from Paulista, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Silvio Briatore has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Junior Paulista.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Briatore uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Paulista.
Paulista misses with a right hand
enabling Briatore to counter with a crisp jab.

Paulista scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Briatore wants to control but Paulista postures up.
Briatore is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Briatore wants to control but Paulista postures up.
Briatore is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Paulista has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Paulista trying to control the action but Briatore is working from the bottom.
Briatore tries to improve position but can't.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Briatore is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Paulista has just dragged him back down to the mat.

Paulista tries for a kimura but Briatore is defending well.
Paulista throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Paulista trying to control the action but Briatore is working from the bottom.
Briatore taking a bit of punishment here - Paulista scoring with strikes.
Paulista trying to control the position but Briatore is working away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Paulista wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Briatore, who protects the arm well.
Briatore takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Briatore tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Paulista wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Paulista working away.

Paulista tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Paulista has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Paulista in side control, throwing shots but Briatore defends.
Briatore manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Paulista tries to kick Briatore off but Briatore keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Paulista is breathing heavily.

Briatore seems to be working for a kimura but Paulista defends the submission attempt.
Briatore not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Briatore takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Paulista is pressing down on Briatore's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.

Paulista is looking for a triangle but Briatore pushes his legs off easily.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Briatore scoring with some ground and pound.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Briatore accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Briatore lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Briatore landing with the ground and pound.
Briatore scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Briatore postures up and lands a big shot to Paulista's brow.

Paulista looking for a guillotine here but Briatore defends easily.

Paulista is looking for a triangle but Briatore pushes his legs off easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Junior Paulista showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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!

The fight stays on the outside here - Paulista looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Paulista throws a head kick that misses.
Paulista pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Paulista tries to clinch but Briatore moves out of range.
Briatore fails with the takedown.
Briatore misses with a looping left.
A jab from Paulista misses.
Briatore avoids the body shot from Paulista.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Horrible takedown by Paulista or perhaps it was just good defense by Briatore which made him look bad.
Paulista shoots in looking for a takedown. Briatore tries to sprawl out of it but Paulista keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Briatore manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Paulista takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Paulista throws a lazy right hand but Briatore sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Paulista misses with a looping right.
Paulista throws a predictable looking body shot
letting Briatore counter with a right hand.

Paulista is rocked!
Some wild striking there from Briatore.
Paulista is still on wobbly legs! Can Briatore finish him?
Paulista uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Briatore.
Nice defenses there by Paulista.
Sloppy strikes from Briatore. Those never looked like landing.
Paulista slips under a jab.
Paulista ducks under a wild hook from Briatore.
Paulista avoids a punch combination nicely.
Briatore throws a hook but Paulista blocks it.
Paulista staying out of range there.
A punch combination from Briatore misses.
Briatore misses with a wild combination.
Briatore swinging wildly here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
No joy there for Briatore, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Nice defenses there by Paulista.
Paulista misses with a body punch
and Briatore counters with a left to the body.
Junior Paulista is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Briatore circles away from the clinch attempt.
Paulista shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Briatore but Briatore pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Silvio Briatore has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Junior Paulista.
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!
Briatore rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Paulista moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Paulista tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Briatore counters with a huge uppercut, hook combination that drops Paulista! The ref has seen enough - he's dived in to stop the fight! Brutal strikes by Briatore!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:17 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Silvio Briatore!