PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Danilo Alves (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rai Leonardo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rai Leonardo has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Danilo Alves's chin.

Alves
vs
Leonardo

190 cm
29
265 lbs
12 - 8 - 0

202 cm
25
280 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Danilo Alves!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rai Leonardo!
The judges for this bout are Paulo Santos, Thiago Cunha and Felipe Paraventi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Leonardo dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Alves. That did some damage!
Leonardo loads up on a big right hand but Alves slips the punch.

Leonardo clinches up against the cage.
Alves has had enough of the clinch but Leonardo keeps him there for the moment.
Alves tries to break free but Leonardo pushes him back against the cage.
Leonardo misses with a knee to the head.

Alves has picked Leonardo up - he's going for a ride! Alves dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Leonardo is looking for a sweep. Alves is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Alves wants to free his trapped foot but Leonardo is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Alves working over Leonardo with some ground and pound. Leonardo looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Alves seems to be looking for submissions.
Alves thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Leonardo's head.
Leonardo is staying active underneath Alves, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Leonardo preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.
Leonardo keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Leonardo keeps control of the position for the meantime.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Alves is looking for a kimura but Leonardo is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Alves to get the leverage.
Leonardo keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Leonardo regains full guard. Nicely done.
Alves throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Leonardo is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Alves trying to control but Leonardo is working from the bottom.
Leonardo manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Leonardo wants to control the pace but Alves is squirming around nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Leonardo looking to control and managing it successfully.
Alves tries to reverse the position but Leonardo maintains control.
Leonardo fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Leonardo trying to control but Alves is having none of it.
Leonardo prevents Alves from getting the reversal.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Leonardo misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Leonardo has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Alves's face.
Alves wants to hold on but Leonardo pushes him away.
Leonardo trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Leonardo controlling his opponent.
Alves is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Leonardo tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Leonardo tries to control but Alves wriggling away.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Rai Leonardo wasn't active enough on the ground.
Leonardo slips a jab and a cross from Alves.
Leonardo dodges the punch combination from Alves.
Leonardo lands a leg kick that knocks Alves off balance momentarily.
Rai Leonardo is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
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!
Leonardo fails with an attempt to clinch.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Nice shot by Leonardo.

It looks like Danilo Alves has been cut.
Leonardo takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
Leonardo tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Alves paws at him with a jab and circles away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rai Leonardo dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Danilo Alves's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Leonardo throws a hook to the side of Alves's head but Alves sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Alves ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Leonardo throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Alves sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Alves throws a series of punches but Leonardo avoids them all with ease.
Leonardo with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Alves to score with a decent uppercut.
Alves lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Leonardo circles away quickly and effectively.
Alves dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Leonardo tries to clinch but Alves moves out of range.
Leonardo throws a chopping leg kick but Alves manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Alves throws a right and a left that Leonardo avoids nicely.
Danilo Alves seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Alves misses with a two punch combination.
Leonardo bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Alves's head backwards.
Sloppy strikes from Alves. Those never looked like landing.
Danilo Alves is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Leonardo uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Alves.
Alves lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Alves thows a body shot but no joy.
Leonardo just misses with a punch to the body.
Alves takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Alves lands a head kick. Leonardo smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Alves avoids the body shot from Leonardo.
Leonardo connects with a jab.
Leonardo slips a jab and a cross from Alves.
Leonardo is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Alves fails to land with a series of punches.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Leonardo throws a quick inside leg kick.
Alves throws a solid leg kick but Leonardo takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Alves.
A looping hook to the body misses from Alves. Leonardo does a little dance to reset his feet.
Alves doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Alves is countered with a crisp right hand from Leonardo that sends him to the canvas! Leonardo follows him to the mat into side control.

Alves is rocked!
Alves is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Oh Alves is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Leonardo slows the pace down.
Let's hope that Leonardo has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Alves seems to have got his legs back now.
Leonardo sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Alves is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Leonardo controls the position.
Leonardo trying to control the position but Alves is working away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Leonardo is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Rai Leonardo hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
A solid leg kick lands there for Leonardo.
Leonardo misses the jab.
Leonardo tries to clinch up.
Leonardo slips under a jab.
Alves falls off balance throwing a combination
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Alves misses with a jab, cross combination.
Alves misses with a head kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Leonardo uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Alves.

Alves takes the fight into the clinch.
Knees to the body from Leonardo.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Leonardo comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Alves taking a breather.
Leonardo is working Alves over with knees. Oh, he's thrown a big one to the head! Alves is out! One big shot and it's all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:35 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Knee). Rai Leonardo!
Rai Leonardo is the new heavyweight champion!
A very excited looking Rai Leonardo made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.