PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Donnie Darko (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mountain Rivera (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). I don't know about you partner, but I'm pumped for this one!

Darko
vs
Rivera

210 cm
18
285 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

197 cm
22
274 lbs
4 - 15 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter striker
Very quick

Decent wrestler
Solid Muay Thai
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Donnie Darko!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 15 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Mountain Rivera!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, Wesley Smith and Chris Downing.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Rivera closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Darko to the mat! Darko manages to get full guard.
Darko being controlled here, momentarily.
Rivera in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Darko avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Darko is trying to control the position but Rivera postures up.
Darko 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.
Rivera wants to control from the top but Darko keeps moving.

Darko has his foot on Rivera's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Rivera works his way back into a safe position though.
Rivera controlling from the top position.
Darko will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.

Rivera drops back, looking for a kneebar! Darko looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Darko looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Darko!
Rivera tries to improve position but can't.
Darko in side control, throwing shots but Rivera defends.
Darko in side control, throwing shots but Rivera defends.
The ground and pound from Darko seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Rivera really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Darko. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Darko throws a strike aimed at the side of Rivera's head but Rivera avoids it well.
Rivera struggling a bit here.

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.
Rivera manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Rivera slips a nice elbow through Darko's hands, connecting with Darko's forehead.
Rivera slows the pace down in half guard.
Rivera is looking to take a break and control but Darko is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Rivera is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Rivera trying to control the pace.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rivera wants to take a breather but Darko is having none of it.

Rivera is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Darko sees it coming and defends easily.
Rivera not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Darko moves into full guard.
Rivera preventing the sweep.
Rivera controls from within his opponent's guard.

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.
Rivera trying to control the position from guard on top but Darko is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Rivera landing some decent shots from guard.
Darko utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Darko keeping moving, preventing Rivera from controlling successfully.
Rivera landing some decent shots from guard.
Rivera trying to control but Darko is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mountain Rivera dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Rivera looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Rivera performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Rivera is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Darko!
Rivera lands a big elbow.
Rivera can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Darko is looking to escape.
Rivera lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Darko is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Rivera working Darko over with strikes here.
Rivera throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Rivera sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Darko is squirming around, avoiding Rivera's attempts to control the action.

Rivera looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
Darko avoids a series of strikes thrown by Rivera.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rivera tries to control but Darko wriggling away.
Darko working to try and regain half guard.
Poor strikes thrown by Rivera there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!
Darko is looking to get to half guard.
Rivera lands a big elbow.
Darko blocking the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rivera sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Darko is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Darko holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Rivera tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
Darko keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Rivera looking to control but Darko is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Rivera throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Rivera fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Rivera punching from mount but Darko doing a good job of avoiding damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rivera throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rivera controlling his opponent.
Mountain Rivera has got the better of the ground game so far.
Rivera throws some wild stikes that Darko manages to avoid easily.
Rivera sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

Rivera goes for an armbar but he's not got it… Darko turns into him and now he's in Rivera's guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rivera pulls Darko in close to his closed guard and prevents Darko from doing any damage or advancing position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mountain Rivera showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Rivera tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

Rivera closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Darko did well to prevent Rivera getting side control.
Rivera trying to mount his opponent but Darko defends it.
Rivera throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Rivera is trying to control. Darko wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Darko moves into full guard.
Darko utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rivera missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Darko keeping moving, preventing Rivera from controlling successfully.
Darko working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Rivera.
Rivera trying to control the position from guard on top but Darko is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Darko avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Rivera's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Rivera trying to control but Darko is working from the bottom.

Rivera drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Darko dives on top into guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Darko thows a big elbow that misses.
Rivera has Darko pulled in close to control his posture.
Darko loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Darko wants to pass the guard but Rivera is keeping the position.
Rivera utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Darko working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Rivera can do anything to dispel that myth.
Darko postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Darko postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Rivera 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.
Rivera is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Darko trying to control the position from guard on top but Rivera is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Darko scoring with punches to the head and body.
Rivera is trying to control the position but Darko postures up.
Darko lands a couple of digs.
Darko throwing strikes but missing.
Darko loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Darko loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Rivera has Darko pulled in close to control his posture.
Darko postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Mountain Rivera is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Mountain Rivera hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Darko with a poor takedown

and Rivera counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Rivera looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Darko with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Rivera slows the pace down in half guard.
Darko is looking for a sweep. Rivera is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Darko gets back to full guard.
Rivera stays in close to Darko's body and controls the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mountain Rivera comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Rivera has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Daniel Franklin scores the fight 27:30
Judge Wesley Smith scores the fight 27:30
Judge Chris Downing scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mountain Rivera!