PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Nate Riley (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Enzo Cardozo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Enzo Cardozo will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Riley
vs
Cardozo

160 cm
20
174 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

175 cm
26
184 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
KO power

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Nate Riley!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Enzo Cardozo!
The judges for this bout are Felipe Paraventi, Matheus Silva and Paulo Santos.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cardozo avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Riley looks for the body kick but Cardozo saw that one coming.
Riley throws a leg kick but Cardozo sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Nate Riley seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Cardozo rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Riley moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Cardozo fails to land with a series of punches.
Cardozo throws a left and a right that both miss

and Riley holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Cardozo avoids the elbow strike from Riley, against the cage.
Riley throws an elbow but it misses.
Riley prevents Cardozo from breaking the clinch.
Riley really is a fat lump.
Riley has a couple of punches blocked by Cardozo.
Riley misses with a hook to the ribs.
Riley misses with a short punch on the inside.
Cardozo blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Riley tries to land knees in the clinch but Cardozo avoids the damage to the body.
Cardozo scores with a shoulder strike.

That's one minute gone in the round.
With the fighters up against the cage, Riley throws an elbow but misses.
Cardozo makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Riley misses with a knee strike.
Riley misses with a short punch on the inside.
Riley pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Riley has a couple of punches blocked by Cardozo.
Riley content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Riley looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Riley pushes off an throws an elbow but Cardozo leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Riley with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Cardozo blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Cardozo's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Cardozo gets through Riley's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Cardozo is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.

Cardozo's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Riley misses with a body kick.
Some wild striking there from Cardozo.
Riley throws a head kick but Cardozo moves out of range.
Riley throws a body kick that misses.
Riley misses with a head kick.
No joy there for Cardozo, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cardozo throws a series of punches but Riley avoids them all with ease.
Cardozo displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Cardozo rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Riley moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Cardozo lands with a hook. Riley tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Riley tries to close the distance and clinch but Cardozo swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Riley throws a leg kick that misses.
Riley tries to clinch there but Cardozo circles away.
Cardozo scores with a one two! Riley had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Riley takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Riley throws a sloppy head kick and Cardozo moves out of range easily.
Cardozo moves out of range as Riley throws a body kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
No joy there for Cardozo, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Riley misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Cardozo counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Riley misses with a head kick.
Cardozo avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Sloppy strikes from Cardozo. Those never looked like landing.
Cardozo punishes Riley's body with a nice straight punch.
Cardozo throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Riley.
Riley moves out of range of the leg kick from Cardozo.
Riley takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Riley doesn't manage to clinch there - Cardozo circles away.
Some wild striking there from Cardozo.
Riley doesn't manage to clinch there - Cardozo circles away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Enzo Cardozo dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Riley throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Riley throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Riley jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Riley checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Cardozo is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Cardozo walks forward, straight into a front kick from Riley.
Cardozo fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Cardozo throws a shot to the body.
Cardozo throws a series of punches but Riley avoids them all with ease.
Cardozo throws a nice looking combination but Riley bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Cardozo keeps the fight on the outside.
Riley tries to land a front kick but Cardozo steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Cardozo avoids a kick to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cardozo scores with a jab to the head.
Enzo Cardozo seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Riley checks the leg kick nicely there.
Cardozo lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Riley backs up against the cage.
Cardozo throws a nice looking combination but Riley bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Cardozo shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Riley lets loose with a powerful body kick. Cardozo will feel that in the morning.
Riley throws a shot from downtown. Cardozo moves away and avoids it.
Riley swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Riley fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Cardozo manages to avoid it.
Cardozo misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Cardozo uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Riley.
Cardozo fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Riley checks it well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Riley throws a half hearted mid kick.
Riley goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Riley misses with a head kick.
Cardozo avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
A low kick from Cardozo is predictable there
and Riley counters with a nice body kick.
Cardozo misses with a series of wild punches.
Riley wants to clinch
and Cardozo counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Riley throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Riley tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Riley misses with a kick to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A punch combination from Riley misses.
Riley throws a shot from downtown. Cardozo moves away and avoids it.
Cardozo misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Cardozo connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Riley slips a jab and a cross from Cardozo.
Cardozo throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Cardozo ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Riley moves away.
Left hook, right uppercut from Cardozo.
Cardozo misses with a wild combination.
Cardozo swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Some wild striking there from Cardozo.
A thudding body kick lands there by Riley!
Riley is looking to clinch but Cardozo is avoiding it.
Riley wants to clinch.
Cardozo throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Riley.
Cardozo moves out of range of the body kick.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Riley throws a wild body kick that Cardozo sees coming a mile off.
Riley misses with a lunging right hand
and Cardozo counters with a lovely straight right hand!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Cardozo has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Riley.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Enzo Cardozo showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Riley's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Cardozo fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Cardozo swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
A jab from Cardozo does it's job there.
Riley tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Riley throws a wild body kick that Cardozo sees coming a mile off.
Cardozo throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Riley.
Cardozo lands a jab to the nose.
Cardozo throws a right and a left that both miss.
Riley throws the kick towards the body but Cardozo avoids it.
Riley fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Cardozo on the side of the head.
Cardozo lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Riley circles away quickly and effectively.
Riley fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Riley misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Cardozo scores with a punch to the head.
Cardozo staying out of range there.
Cardozo rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Riley moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Cardozo tries to bum rush Riley with a series of wild strikes but Riley uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Cardozo moves out of range as Riley throws a body kick.
Riley is really struggling to find his range with his punches. Cardozo's reach advantage is clearly causing him problems.
Riley scores with a push kick.
No joy there for Cardozo, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Cardozo uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Riley has time to react.
Riley with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Cardozo to score with a decent uppercut.
A combination from Cardozo does no damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Riley looks to land a body kick but Cardozo moved away.
Riley tries to clinch but Cardozo moves out of range.

Riley clinches up with Cardozo and pushes him back against the cage.
Riley throws a knee to the head but misses.
Riley has a couple of punches blocked by Cardozo.
Riley lands a left hand that snaps the head of Cardozo backwards.
Riley stalling against the cage.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Riley tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cardozo's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Riley tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Cardozo avoids it.
Riley looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Cardozo taking a breather.
Cardozo's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Riley creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Cardozo's defenses.
Riley working aggressively here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cardozo will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Riley up against the cage.
Riley throws a head punch that misses.
Riley landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Cardozo taking a breather.
Riley keeps control of Cardozo as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Riley misses with the head strike.
Riley creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
A head punch on the inside from Riley fails to land.
Riley throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Cardozo blocks it with crossed arms.
Nate Riley has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Riley throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Cardozo blocks it with crossed arms.

And that's the end of the fight!
Nate Riley showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Cardozo 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 Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 28:29
Judge Matheus Silva scores the fight 28:29
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Enzo Cardozo!