PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Daniel Goncalves (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Matheus Felipe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). There are an array of beautiful celebrities at ringside tonight! I wonder if any of them paid for their tickets.

Goncalves
vs
Felipe

164 cm
27
154 lbs
6 - 5 - 0

188 cm
26
143 lbs
0 - 4 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Determined

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 6 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Daniel Goncalves!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Matheus Felipe!
The judges for this bout are Paulo Santos, Seu Braga and Thiago Cunha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Goncalves throws a half hearted mid kick.
Felipe tries to bum rush Goncalves with a series of wild strikes but Goncalves uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Felipe throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

Goncalves closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Felipe did well to prevent Goncalves getting side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Felipe won't allow Goncalves to pass to mount.

Goncalves decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.
Felipe throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Felipe stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Felipe wants it to stay on the feet.
Felipe scores with a punch to the head.
Goncalves moves out of range of the body kick from Felipe.
Felipe misses with a few strikes there.
Goncalves moves in looking to clinch but Felipe pushes him off.
Goncalves takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Goncalves looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Goncalves.
Goncalves shoots in looking for a takedown but Felipe manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Goncalves's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Daniel Goncalves. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Goncalves shoots in for a double leg but Felipe sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Goncalves shoots in for a double leg but Felipe sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Felipe shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Goncalves eats them both and turns towards Felipe to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Felipe scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Felipe comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Felipe connects with a leg kick. Goncalves looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Goncalves tries to close the distance and clinch up but Felipe swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Felipe keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Felipe swinging wildly here.
Felipe throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Goncalves.
Felipe looks gassed!
Goncalves misses with a combination
and Felipe counters with a nice low kick that buckles Goncalves's knee momentarily.
Goncalves shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Felipe sprawls well. Felipe wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Goncalves gets slowly back to his feet.
Felipe scores with a kick to the midsection.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Goncalves tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Felipe manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Goncalves darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Goncalves content to control rather than advance.
Felipe has his hands clasped together around Goncalves's back. He's all about the action.
Goncalves trying to control the action but Felipe is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Felipe desperately trying to maintain half guard.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.

Felipe looking for submissions off his back.
Felipe is refusing to be controlled, as Goncalves sits in half guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Daniel Goncalves.
Goncalves dives in and grabs Felipe's left leg, looking for a takedown. Felipe pushes down on Goncalves's head and hops out.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Daniel Goncalves will probably get the nod.
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.

Felipe lands a two punch combo.
Felipe fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Goncalves manages to avoid it.

Goncalves drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Felipe is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Felipe is not content to let Goncalves control the position.

Goncalves decides to stand back up. Goncalves steps back and let's Felipe get back to his feet.
Felipe stuffs the takedown.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Felipe!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Goncalves tries to clinch but Felipe moves away
and Felipe counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Goncalves is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Felipe is breathing heavily.
Felipe moves out of range of the body kick from Goncalves.
Goncalves fails to land the takedown.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Goncalves.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Daniel Goncalves. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Goncalves fails in his attempt to clinch.
Goncalves fails in his attempt to clinch.
Felipe moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Felipe avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Goncalves dives in and grabs Felipe's left leg, looking for a takedown. Felipe pushes down on Goncalves's head and hops out.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Felipe scores with a jab.
Goncalves could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Goncalves throws a right hand that Felipe ducks under and follows up with a left that Felipe also avoids with ease.
Matheus Felipe is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Left hook, right uppercut from Felipe.
Felipe dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Goncalves fails with a takedown attempt.
Goncalves shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Felipe defends it nicely.
Felipe lands a nice hook to Goncalves's body. Goncalves takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Felipe is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Goncalves rather than just go for the knockout.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fighters circle momentarily. Felipe darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Felipe swinging wildly here.
Goncalves tries to clinch
and Felipe counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Goncalves is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Goncalves shoots in for a takedown but Felipe shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Some wild striking there from Felipe.
Matheus Felipe seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Nice sprawl there from Felipe as Goncalves shoots in.
Daniel Goncalves is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Goncalves tries to land a front kick but Felipe steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Felipe feints a jab promting Goncalves to slip. Felipe then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Goncalves slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.
Goncalves tries to clinch but Felipe moves out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Felipe pulls out of a head kick attempt.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Goncalves.

Goncalves darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Goncalves trying to pass the guard but Felipe defending well.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Goncalves wants to take a breather but Felipe is having none of it.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Goncalves controlling the action here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Daniel Goncalves will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Felipe stuffs the takedown attempt from Goncalves. Goncalves gets slowly back to his feet.
Felipe throws a series of punches but Goncalves avoids them all with ease.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Felipe enables Goncalves to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Felipe manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Felipe looking to control.
Goncalves throwing strikes but missing.
Felipe keeping moving, preventing Goncalves from controlling successfully.
Felipe takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Felipe keeping full guard, as Goncalves tries to pass.
Daniel Goncalves overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Felipe wants to stand but Goncalves is controlling the position.

Felipe is working an open guard so Goncalves takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Goncalves fails with an attempt to clinch.

Goncalves clinches with his opponent.
Felipe blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.

Felipe breaks from the clinch.
Felipe is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Felipe avoids a punch combination nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Felipe stuffs the takedown attempt from Goncalves. Goncalves gets slowly back to his feet.
Goncalves moves in looking to clinch but Felipe pushes him off.
Felipe lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Felipe.
Felipe just misses with a punch to the body.
Goncalves shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Felipe as he jumps to the side.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Daniel Goncalves. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Goncalves tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Felipe swivels and escapes.
Goncalves slips a jab and a cross from Felipe.

Goncalves shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Goncalves passes to full mount!

Goncalves is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Felipe to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Felipe shrugs it off.
Goncalves with a couple of short strikes.
Goncalves wants to control the pace but Felipe is squirming around nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Goncalves is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Felipe is surviving well by controlling Goncalves's body position as best he can.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Goncalves can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Felipe is looking to escape.
Goncalves controlling the position easily from mount.
Matheus Felipe has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Daniel Goncalves is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

And that's the end of the fight!
Daniel Goncalves showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Goncalves, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 30:27
Judge Seu Braga scores the fight 30:27
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Daniel Goncalves!