PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Paulo Cabral (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Thiago Moreira (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Cabral
vs
Moreira

185 cm
20
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

177 cm
22
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Plays chess

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Paulo Cabral!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Thiago Moreira!
The judges for this bout are Paulo Santos, Mauricio Rocha and Thiago Cunha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Moreira throws a right and a left that both miss.

Moreira feints and as Cabral raises his hands in defense, Moreira changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Cabral looking to hit a scissor sweep but Moreira is one step ahead there.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Cabral is on top in guard.

Moreira looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Cabral wanted to stand there but Moreira had control of the position.
Cabral throwing strikes from guard but Moreira blocks nicely.
Moreira looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Cabral puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Moreira tries to get to full guard but Cabral has control of the leg.

Cabral looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cabral is thwarting Moreira's attempts to control the position.
Moreira is staying active underneath Cabral, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Moreira wants to get back to full guard.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Moreira wants to clinch up but Cabral keeps it at a distance.
Cabral closes this distance looking for a takedown but Moreira circles away.
Cabral shoots in for a takedown but Moreira shows good takedown defense.
Cabral fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Moreira looks to land a body kick but Cabral moved away.
Cabral clinches but Moreira breaks the clinch
and Moreira counters with a nice leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Moreira rushes Cabral and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Moreira wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

Moreira escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Cabral fails with an attempt to clinch.

Moreira shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Cabral's guard.
Moreira stopping the sweep attempt from Cabral.
Moreira stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Cabral swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Cabral looking to hit a scissor sweep but Moreira is one step ahead there.

Cabral isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Moreira stacks Cabral on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Moreira!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Cabral is breathing heavily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Moreira just content to control the position.
Cabral taking punishment in the form of punches.
Moreira looking to control but instead Cabral has slipped a leg in, to regain half guard.
Cabral won't allow Moreira to pass to mount.
Cabral is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Moreira's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Moreira's back!
Moreira breaks Cabral's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.

Moreira gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Cabral moves in looking to clinch but Moreira pushes him off.
Moreira tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Moreira shoots in but Cabral avoids the takedown attempt easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cabral throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Cabral fails in his attempt to clinch.
Cabral misses with a takedown attempt - Moreira sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Paulo Cabral. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Cabral closes the distance and clinches.
A right handed body shot lands from Moreira.
Moreira tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Cabral just stands there and leans against the cage.
Moreira on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Cabral wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

Moreira breaks the clinch.

Moreira moves into the clinch successfully.
A right hand to the body from Moreira.

Moreira gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
Moreira stops Cabral from standing up.
Cabral striking off his back but it's not causing Moreira any problems.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Thiago Moreira 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.

Cabral shoots and misses

and Moreira counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Cabral avoids the elbow strike from Moreira, against the cage.
Moreira content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Moreira is trying to break free.
Cabral managing to block the knees to the body from Moreira.
Cabral wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Moreira has him pressed against the cage.
Knees to the body from Moreira.
Cabral tries to land knees in the clinch but Moreira avoids the damage to the body.

Moreira breaks the clinch.
Cabral is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Cabral misses with a takedown attempt

and Moreira counters by moving into the clinch.
Cabral wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cabral is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.

Moreira gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Moreira is nestled in close to Cabral, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Cabral trying to control here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cabral tries to get to full guard but Moreira has control of the leg.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Cabral moves into full guard.

Cabral had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Moreira is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Cabral Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Moreira's back instead.
Moreira turns into Cabral and is now in his guard.
Cabral wants to sweep but no luck.

Moreira avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Moreira won't allow Cabral to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cabral is trying to keep Moreira in close.
Cabral lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Moreira!

Cabral is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Moreira is surviving well by controlling Cabral's body position as best he can.
Moreira blocking the ground and pound.
Cabral pushing the pace here, looking to move to his opponents back and work for a finish.

Cabral is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Moreira can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Cabral prevents Moreira from getting the reversal.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Moreira is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Cabral looking to ground and pound but Moreira is blocking nicely.

Cabral is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Moreira has managed to escape the submission attempt.
Moreira is working to get back to half guard.
Cabral is looking to stand but Cabral has his arms wrapped tightly around him, looking to prevent the damage.
Cabral thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Cabral looking to finish with strikes here!
Moreira is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Cabral has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Moreira's face.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.

Cabral jumps to the side looking to secure the arm triangle…. Ooooh, that looks tight… Moreira is gargling but he's managed to escape! Nice work there by Moreira and Cabral has given up the dominant position trying to land that submission.

Cabral is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Moreira knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Moreira gives up the full mount - oops, sloppy defensive grappling there!
Cabral wants to control the pace but Moreira is squirming around nicely.
Moreira blocking the ground and pound.
Cabral throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
Cabral takes Moreira's back. Could be looking for a rear naked choke here - either way, Moreira is in trouble.

Moreira defends a rear naked choke attempt by controlling one of Cabral's arms.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Paulo Cabral dominated that second round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Cabral clinches up with Moreira and pushes him back against the cage.
Moreira can't break the clinch.
Cabral tries to land a knee to the head but Moreira blocks with his arms.
Cabral is trying to break free.
Cabral landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Moreira missing with knees to the body.
Moreira changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Cabral fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Cabral throws a head kick but Moreira moves out of range.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cabral tries to clinch

and Moreira counters by moving into the clinch.
Cabral is trying to break free.
Cabral is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Cabral tries to stall but Moreira uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Moreira jumps guard but Cabral stands there with Moreira around his waist. Moreira gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cabral throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Moreira managing to block the knees to the body from Cabral.

Cabral breaks the clinch.
Nice sprawl there from Moreira as Cabral shoots in.

Moreira has managed to clinch.
Moreira avoiding damage.
Cabral wants to get back to striking at distance but Moreira won't allow it.
Cabral wants to break free but Moreira has control.
Cabral tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

Moreira manages to break the clinch.
Moreira swinging wilding here.
Cabral walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Moreira checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Moreira throws a leg kick

and Cabral counters by clinching up.

Moreira breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A good leg kick by Cabral.
Cabral closes the distance but Moreira moves to the side

and Moreira counters with a shoot takedown. Cabral fights it but they end up in guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Moreira landing with the ground and pound.

Cabral working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Moreira has passed into half guard!
Moreira prevents Cabral from improving his position.
Cabral is trying to stand back up but Moreira is controlling him

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Moreira scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Cabral slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Cabral manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Moreira manages to get himself to full guard.
Cabral trying to control the position from guard on top but Moreira is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Cabral throwing strikes from guard but Moreira blocks nicely.
Cabral wants to pass the guard but Moreira is keeping the position.
Moreira wants to get back to his feet but Cabral is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Moreira keeping moving, preventing Cabral from controlling successfully.
Cabral throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Moreira works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Cabral wanted to stand there but Moreira had control of the position.

Cabral drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Moreira dives on top into guard.
Cabral lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Moreira!
Cabral tries to control but Moreira wriggling away.
Cabral moves to the back position.

Cabral is looking for the choke from the back position but Moreira is controlling his hands well.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Thiago Moreira.
Well Moreira 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 Paulo Santos scores the fight 28:29
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 28:29
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Thiago Moreira!