PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Thiago Souza (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Justin Roza (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Souza
vs
Roza

170 cm
21
155 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

180 cm
27
155 lbs
13 - 10 - 0

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Experienced

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Thiago Souza!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 13 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Justin Roza!
The judges for this bout are Alexandre Firmino, Felipe Paraventi and Daniel Cesar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Souza swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Roza counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Roza scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Souza gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Roza.

Souza forces Roza back against the cage and clinches.

Roza's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Roza lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Souza circles away quickly and effectively.

Roza drives through with a takedown into Souza's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Roza stays in close to Souza's body and controls the position.

Souza looking for a guillotine here but Roza defends easily.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Souza looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Roza passes into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Roza moves into side control, avoiding a weak kimura attempt from Souza.
Souza gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Roza stalling.
Souza is trying to get back to full guard.

Roza moves into side control, avoiding a weak kimura attempt from Souza.
Souza tries to improve position but can't.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Souza is trying to escape the position but Roza is controlling the position.
Souza tries to bench press Roza off him but Roza keeps the position.
Roza is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Souza will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.
Souza manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Roza performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Souza wants to get back to full guard but Roza has passed into side control.
Roza controlling the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Roza gets to mount! Souza was on the offensive and wasn't defending properly.
Souza tries to improve his position but instead Roza has taken his back!
Souza tries to break free.
Souza is working hard here to advance position.
A bit of a pause in the action here. Roza controlling the positon.
Souza is in bad spot here.
Roza has the hooks sunk in and you can see the will to fight slowly draining out of Souza's body.

Roza is working hard for the rear naked choke here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Roza is staying calm and holding on to the back position, whilst working on a rear naked choke. Souza is defending well though. Roza let's go of the attempt for now.
Souza breaks Roza's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
Souza sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Roza's guard.

Souza is working for an americana but Roza has been sneaky and has managed to get back to half guard, whilst Souza was thinking about the submission.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Souza pushing down on Roza's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Souza seems to be working for a kimura but Roza defends the submission attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Justin Roza dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Excellent takedown into side control there by Roza.
Roza 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.
Souza is looking to reverse the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Souza looking for a sweep but Roza has passed into full mount! Oh no!
Souza is working to get back to half guard.
Souza tries to improve his position but instead Roza has taken his back!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Roza keeps control of the position as Souza tries to break free.
Roza is controlling his opponent, waiting for an opportunity to finish.
Souza tries to break free.
Roza biding his time, controlling Souza.
Roza is hanging on to Souza's back as he tries to escape.
Roza is trying to stick to Souza's back but Souza is turning into Roza. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Roza's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Souza.

Souza got a little sloppy there for a moment and Roza has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Souza has managed to get both his arms back between Roza's legs - danger averted.

Souza is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Roza is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Roza has escaped and now he's on top!

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Souza throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Roza escapes and throws Souza's legs to the side, diving into side control!
Roza taking a breather here.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Souza tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Roza wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Souza gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Roza performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Roza's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Justin Roza was stalling too much, according to the referee.

Roza closes the distance and clinches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Roza stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Roza manages to break the clinch.
Roza uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Souza has time to react.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Roza changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Souza looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Roza controlling the position from side mount.
Souza is looking for a sweep.
Roza gets to mount! Souza was on the offensive and wasn't defending properly.
Roza looking to control and managing it successfully.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Justin Roza showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. And we move into the final round!

Roza throws a series of punches but Souza moves out of range.
Souza tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Roza swivels and escapes.

Roza shoots in and bounces Souza off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.

Souza has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Roza 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 Souza.
Roza is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Souza will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.
Souza looks to move to half guard but instead Roza has passed into mount! Damn!
Souza working to try and regain half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Roza controlling the position easily from mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Souza is in all sorts of trouble here.
Roza working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Souza is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Roza sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Souza is working to get back to half guard.
Roza sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Souza is trying desperately to improve position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Roza controlling his opponent.
Souza tries to reverse the position but Roza maintains control.
Souza wants to improve position but instead he's given up his back.
Souza is trying to break free.
Roza has good solid back control here.
I really don't envy Souza right now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Roza slows the pace down here. Having a little breather whilst he's in a dominant position, looking to rest and regain some energy, ready to go for the finish.
Souza tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Souza wants to improve position but instead he's given up his back.
Souza covers up after taking a massive shot to the side of the head.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Souza tries to escape but Roza has the hooks in and won't let him break free.
Roza has good solid back control here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Thiago Souza has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Justin Roza has got the better of the ground game so far.

And that's the end of the fight!
Justin Roza comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Roza 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 Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 27:30
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 27:30
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Justin Roza!