PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Bruno Falcone (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Orlando Bloom (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Falcone kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is BLACK HAWK DOWN. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Falcone
vs
Bloom

183 cm
36
142 lbs
19 - 20 - 0

172 cm
31
140 lbs
21 - 22 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 19 - 20 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Bruno Falcone!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 21 - 22 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Orlando Bloom!
The judges for this bout are Paulo Santos, Alexandre Firmino and Thiago Cunha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Falcone tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Bloom swivels and escapes.

Falcone forces Bloom back against the cage and clinches.
Bloom misses with a short punch on the inside.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Falcone just misses with a elbow thrown towards Bloom's brow.
Bloom wants to take the fight to the mat but Falcone manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Falcone has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Bloom after a bit of a struggle.
Falcone takes a knee to the side of the body.
Falcone avoiding damage as Bloom throws knees to the body.
Bloom swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Bloom trying to stall but Falcone improves his position.

Bloom turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Bloom manages to end up in side control.
Bloom tries to get to his feet but he's trapped momentarily.

Bloom decides to stand up, so the ref orders Falcone to his feet.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Falcone shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Bloom as he jumps to the side.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bruno Falcone. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Falcone circles away from the clinch attempt.

Bloom closes the distance and clinches.
Falcone tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Bloom smiles and moves away.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Bloom swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Falcone on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Bloom throws a punch but it's blocked by Falcone.
Falcone really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

Falcone has picked Bloom up - he's going for a ride! Falcone dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Bloom is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Falcone lands strikes from half guard.
Bloom is looking to control Falcone's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Bloom avoid being mounted?
Falcone takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Falcone is pressing down on Bloom's thigh, looking to free his foot. Bloom is holding on for now.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Falcone connects with a nice short shot to Bloom's temple.
Bloom is trying to stand.
Falcone has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Falcone passes the guard and advances to mount!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Falcone with a couple of short strikes.
Falcone working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Falcone can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Bloom is looking to escape.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Falcone cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Falcone working Bloom over with strikes here.
Falcone with shots to the head and body - Bloom looks very uncomfortable down there.
Falcone landing punches.
Bloom is wriggling around trying to escape.
Bloom is squirming around, avoiding Falcone's attempts to control the action.
Falcone will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Bloom tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Bloom in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Falcone working Bloom over with strikes here.
BOOM! Falcone connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Falcone throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Bloom because Falcone loaded up on that one.
Falcone landing strikes from the mount.
Falcone is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Bloom can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Bloom tries to buck Falcone off but he can't manage it.
Bloom is working to get back to half guard.
Falcone trying to control but Bloom is having none of it.
Bloom regains half guard.
Bloom has hold of Falcone's hands but Falcone slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Falcone thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Falcone thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Bloom's head.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Bloom is trying to stand back up but Falcone is controlling him

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Falcone lands strikes from half guard.
Falcone is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Bloom!
Bloom in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Falcone with a couple of short strikes.
Falcone lands a big shot there that rocks Bloom but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Bloom tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Falcone working the ground and pound effectively.
Falcone raining down shots from the mount!
Falcone in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Falcone fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Falcone controlling from mount.
Bloom gets back to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bruno Falcone dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Falcone forces Bloom back against the cage and clinches.
Falcone is trying to drag Bloom to the mat but Bloom just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Bloom has a couple of punches blocked by Falcone.
Falcone misses with an elbow strike.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.

Falcone has moved round to his opponent's back and is looking for a suplex! Oh snap! He's tossed Bloom clear over his head and slammed him to the mat!
Falcone is trying to stick to Bloom's back but Bloom is turning into Falcone. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Falcone's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Bloom.
Bloom wants to stand but Falcone is controlling his posture from full guard.
Falcone lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Bloom!
Falcone working the ground and pound effectively.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bloom tries to reverse the position but Falcone maintains control.
Bloom is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Falcone cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Bloom is squirming around, avoiding Falcone's attempts to control the action.
Bloom working to try and regain half guard.
Falcone landing punches.
Bloom really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Bloom wants to hold on but Falcone pushes him away.
Falcone scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Falcone connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Falcone trying to control but Bloom is having none of it.
Falcone in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Bloom tries to lock up and control but Falcone gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Falcone landing strikes from the mount.
Falcone landing strikes, looking to finish!
Bloom taking shots to the head.
Falcone tries to control but Bloom wriggling away.
Falcone working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Falcone cracks Bloom with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Falcone landing punches.

Bloom is rocked!
Bloom is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Falcone landing punches.
Falcone connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Bloom is still in real trouble! Can Falcone finish him?
Falcone prevents Bloom from getting the reversal.
Bloom seems to have recovered his senses.
Bruno Falcone overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Falcone landing shots from mount.
Falcone scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Bloom?
Falcone fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Falcone lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Bloom hang on?
Falcone trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Falcone postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Bloom looks a forlorn figure.
Falcone controlling the pace for now.
Falcone with the ground and pound from mount.
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!
Falcone working Bloom over with strikes here.
Falcone can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Bloom is looking to escape.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Falcone lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Falcone in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Falcone prevents Bloom from getting the reversal.
Falcone scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Bloom?
Bloom tries to hold on but Falcone pushes him away.
Bloom keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
A nice elbow there by Falcone.
Falcone lands a heavy elbow.
Falcone is landing with some decent strikes but Bloom is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Falcone landing strikes from the mount and Bloom is in trouble!
Bloom tries to lock up and control but Falcone gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Falcone breaks from Bloom's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Falcone has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Bloom's face.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bruno Falcone dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Falcone has a takedown stuffed.
Bloom tries to clinch up.

Bloom takes the fight into the clinch.
Falcone prevents a body shot from Bloom.
Falcone tries for a takedown. No joy.
Bloom tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Bloom is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Falcone to keep the fight standing.
Falcone is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Bloom is defending well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bruno Falcone. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Falcone blocks an uppercut.
Falcone changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Bloom fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Falcone circles away from the clinch attempt.

Falcone gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Falcone wants to take the fight to the mat but Bloom manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Falcone takes a shot to the head.
Bloom throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Falcone blocks it with crossed arms.
Bloom tries a knee to the head but Falcone blocks it.
A short uppercut from Bloom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bloom tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Bloom creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Falcone's defenses.
A short right from Bloom.
Falcone is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Bloom stalling against the cage.
Bloom misses with a body punch.
Bloom is pressed up against the cage. Falcone has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Bloom down to the mat. Bloom avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Bruno Falcone seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Falcone shoots in for a takedown but Bloom shows good takedown defense.
Falcone will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Bloom tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Falcone tries for a takedown but Bloom sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

Falcone gets tackled into the cage by Bloom. Bloom maintains the clinch.
Bloom scores with a shoulder strike.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bloom lands with a right to the head.
Falcone is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Bloom to keep the fight standing.
Bloom tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Falcone is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Bloom pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Bloom pushes Falcone back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Bloom tries to pull guard but Falcone won't allow it.
Bloom lands with a short head shot on the inside.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Falcone trying to stall but Bloom improves his position.
Bloom is looking to take this one to the mat.
Bruno Falcone is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Bloom misses with a knee strike.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
A shot in the inside from Bloom.
Falcone fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Bloom tries to stall but Falcone uses the opportunity to gain a better position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Falcone.
A short left from Bloom.
Bloom swings wildly with an uppercut but Falcone uses good head movement to avoid it.
Bloom is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Bloom is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Falcone is defending well for now.
Bloom gets underhooks to prevent Falcone's takedown attempt.
Falcone gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Bloom avoiding damage.
Falcone changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Bloom fights it off and pushes away nicely.

Bloom has closed the distance and engaged Falcone in a clinch.

Falcone pulls guard effortlessly.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bloom wanted to stand there but Falcone had control of the position.

Bloom stands and steps away. Falcone gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Falcone shoots for a double leg takedown but Bloom sprawls well. He's pushed Falcone's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Orlando Bloom has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Falcone fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Bloom, pushing him back against the cage.
Falcone is looking to take this one to the mat.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Bloom gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Bloom tries a knee to the head but Falcone blocks it.
A head punch on the inside from Bloom fails to land.
Bloom can't find room to land a body shot as Falcone controls the action.
A nice left hand lands by Bloom.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Falcone takes an elbow to the forehead.
A head punch on the inside from Bloom fails to land.
Bloom works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.

And that's the end of the fight!
Orlando Bloom comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Falcone has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 29:28
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 29:28
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Bruno Falcone!