PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Thiago Baptista (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Edevanil Belinazi (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.

Baptista
vs
Belinazi

180 cm
21
195 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

189 cm
24
186 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Inexperienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Determined

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, Thiago Baptista!
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, Edevanil Belinazi!
The judges for this bout are Paulo Santos, Daniel Cesar and Seu Braga.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Belinazi shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Baptista pinned against the cage. Baptista gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Belinazi fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Belinazi is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Belinazi lands a right hook to the body.
Belinazi misses with a body kick.
Baptista slaps away a takedown attempt from Belinazi, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Thiago Baptista has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Edevanil Belinazi.

Belinazi moves into the clinch.
Belinazi slows down the pace here.
Baptista is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Belinazi stalling the fight.
A frustrated look appears on Baptista's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Belinazi dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Belinazi drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Baptista drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Belinazi's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Baptista shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Belinazi pinned against the cage. Belinazi gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Belinazi shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Baptista counters with a single leg into guard. Belinazi didn't expect that.
Belinazi manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Baptista is in all sorts of trouble here.
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!
Belinazi looking to control and managing it successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Belinazi throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Baptista avoids a series of strikes thrown by Belinazi.
Belinazi content just to control the position here.
Belinazi throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Baptista because Belinazi loaded up on that one.
Baptista wants to control but Belinazi is having none of it.
Baptista taking shots to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Belinazi trying to control but Baptista is having none of it.
Belinazi thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Baptista keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Belinazi tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Edevanil Belinazi dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Belinazi looks to score with a jab to the body but Baptista is just out of range.

Belinazi clinches with his opponent.
Belinazi wants a takedown but no success here.

Belinazi breaks the clinch.

Baptista fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Belinazi, pushing him back against the cage.
Baptista tries for a takedown. No joy.

Belinazi pulls guard successfully.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Baptista postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Belinazi controlling the position.
Baptista landing with the ground and pound.

Baptista drops back looking for a leg! Belinazi is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Belinazi manages to kick Baptista off! Baptista jumps back into Belinazi's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Baptista preventing the sweep.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Belinazi holds on and takes a little breather.
Baptista trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Belinazi manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!
Baptista controls Belinazi momentarily but Belinazi frees himself.
Belinazi engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Belinazi wants to get up but he can't break Baptista's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Baptista manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Baptista looking to control but Belinazi is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Baptista punishing his opponent with strikes.
Belinazi is trying desperately to improve position.
Baptista looking to finish Belinazi with some ground and pound. This is bad for Belinazi!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Baptista lands a big elbow.
Belinazi is looking to improve his position but Baptista isn't that keen on the idea.
Baptista lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Baptista can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Belinazi is looking to escape.
Belinazi is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Baptista is landing with some decent strikes but Belinazi is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Belinazi can't escape the position.
Baptista with the ground and pound from mount.
Baptista landing punches.
Belinazi wants to hold on but Baptista pushes him away.
Belinazi is breathing heavily.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Baptista lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Baptista looking for a guillotine from mount but Belinazi is having none of it.
Belinazi is looking to get to half guard.
Baptista tries to control but Belinazi wriggling away.
Baptista working the ground and pound effectively.
Baptista scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Thiago Baptista overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Baptista postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Belinazi looks a forlorn figure.
Baptista working Belinazi over with strikes here.
Baptista landing shots from mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Thiago Baptista dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Baptista shoots for a takedown but Belinazi saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Belinazi tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Baptista paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Baptista instigates a clinch.

Belinazi's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Belinazi moves into the clinch successfully.

Belinazi breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Belinazi defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Baptista.

Belinazi gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Belinazi manages to pull guard.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Baptista's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Baptista trying to control the position from guard on top but Belinazi is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Belinazi trying to keep a closed guard but Baptista is proving a slippery customer.
Belinazi looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Baptista puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Baptista wants to control but Belinazi is keeping him busy.

Belinazi has one foot on Baptista's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.
Baptista shoots in for a takedown but Belinazi shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Thiago Baptista. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Baptista shoots for a double leg takedown but Belinazi sprawls well. He's pushed Baptista's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Baptista looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Belinazi is fending him off so far but Baptista persists. Nope, Belinazi circles away and we're back to standing.

Belinazi moves into the clinch.
Baptista is working for takedown but Belinazi is calmly controlling the position for now.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Belinazi fails to pull guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Baptista drops down looking for an ankle pick but Belinazi pulls his leg out and moves away.
Belinazi shoots for a takedown but Baptista saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Baptista looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

Belinazi gets a clinch.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Belinazi slows down the pace here.

Belinazi breaks from the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fight stays on the outside here - Belinazi looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
A nice combination there by Belinazi.
Baptista swats away the attempt to clinch by Belinazi.
Baptista shoots in for a takedown but Belinazi shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.

Belinazi gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Baptista tries to score a body lock takedown but Belinazi shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Stalling in the clinch from Belinazi.

Belinazi breaks from the clinch.
Belinazi shoots for a takedown but Baptista saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Baptista takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Belinazi stuffs the takedown attempt from Baptista. Baptista gets slowly back to his feet.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Belinazi closes the distance and clinches.

And that's the end of the fight!
Edevanil Belinazi comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Belinazi 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 Paulo Santos scores the fight 28:29
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 28:29
Judge Seu Braga scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Edevanil Belinazi!