PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Eric Ericsson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ali Baba (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters really staring eachother down here, as Ali Baba enters the cage!

Ericsson
vs
Baba

225 cm
22
265 lbs
0 - 6 - 0

170 cm
18
270 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Poweful takedowns
Counter striker
Very strong

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Eric Ericsson!
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, Ali Baba!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Cesar, Paulo Santos and Mauricio Rocha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ericsson shoots for a double leg takedown but Baba sprawls well. He's pushed Ericsson's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Ericsson looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!
Baba has his takedown stuffed

and Ericsson counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Ericsson.
Baba wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.

Baba is looking for a triangle but Ericsson pushes his legs off easily.
Ericsson trying to control the position from guard on top but Baba is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Baba wants to stand and escape but Ericsson is having none of it.
Baba looking for a sweep. Not yet Baba, not yet.
Baba wants to stand up but Ericsson is controlling him.
Baba is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Baba is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Baba swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Baba changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Ericsson tries to avoid it but Baba manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Ericsson to the ground. Ericsson escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Baba tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Ericsson circles away from the clinch attempt

and Ericsson counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Baba missing with punches from the bottom.
Baba is trying to get back to full guard.
Baba has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Ericsson is working away from the top position though.
Ericsson trying to pass the guard but Baba defending well.
Baba is trying to stand back up but Ericsson is controlling him

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Baba wants to improve his position but Ericsson is controlling well.
Ericsson really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Ericsson not doing much here.
Baba wants to improve his position but Ericsson is controlling well.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Baba tries to clinch but Ericsson moves away

and Ericsson decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Baba's guard.
Ericsson will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Ericsson trying to control but Baba is working from the bottom.
Ericsson is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Baba is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Baba looking to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ericsson prevents Baba from getting back to his feet.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Baba is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Baba can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Ericsson controls the pace.
Baba is trying to control the position but Ericsson postures up.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Baba with a lazy takedown attempt

and Ericsson counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Baba!
Eric Ericsson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ali Baba.
Baba working to try and regain half guard.
Baba tries to hold on but Ericsson pushes him away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Baba is trying desperately to improve position.
Baba is squirming around, avoiding Ericsson's attempts to control the action.
Baba is wriggling around trying to escape.
Ericsson wants to take Baba's back here but Baba is holding on to an arm, himself looking to escape.
Baba wants to control but Ericsson is having none of it.
Baba is looking to improve his position but Ericsson isn't that keen on the idea.
Baba is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eric Ericsson dominated that round.
That's time! Ericsson's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Baba fails with an attempt to clinch.
Baba misses with a takedown

and Ericsson counters with a nice double leg into side control. Baba won't be happy with that.
Ericsson taking a breather here.
Baba tries to bench press Ericsson off him but Ericsson keeps the position.
Ericsson controlling the position.
Ericsson wants to control but Baba is keeping him busy.
Baba wants to control but Ericsson postures up.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ericsson wants to lay and pray for a moment but Baba keeps working.
Baba tries to bench press Ericsson off him but Ericsson keeps the position.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Baba tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Baba fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Baba closes the distance but Ericsson moves to the side

so Ericsson counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Baba keeping moving, preventing Ericsson from controlling successfully.
Ericsson tries to free his leg and advance position but Baba is retaining full guard.
Baba wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ericsson content to stall in guard here.
Ericsson passes Baba's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Baba misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Baba won't allow Ericsson to pass to mount.
Baba is not content to let Ericsson control the position.
Baba trying to control but Ericsson postures up.
Ericsson works his foot free and advances to mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Baba keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Ericsson pushing the pace here, looking to move to his opponents back and work for a finish.
Ericsson content just to control the position here.
Baba is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Ericsson tries to control but Baba wriggling away.
Ericsson avoids the attempt from Baba to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Ericsson content just to control the position here.
Ericsson prevents Baba from getting the reversal.
Ericsson looking to control and managing it successfully.
Ericsson looking to control but Baba is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eric Ericsson dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Baba throws a right hand that Ericsson ducks under and follows up with a left that Ericsson also avoids with ease.
Baba misses with a takedown

so Ericsson counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Baba is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Ericsson showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Ericsson looking to pass the guard.
Ericsson sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Baba is trying to keep Ericsson in close.
Eric Ericsson overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ericsson trying to control the position from guard on top but Baba is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Eric Ericsson just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Baba doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Ericsson counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Ericsson.
Baba looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Ericsson content to stall in guard here.
Ericsson wants to control from the top but Baba keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ericsson stopping the sweep attempt from Baba.
Ericsson trying to control the position from guard on top but Baba is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Ericsson wants to pass the guard but Baba is keeping the position.
Baba can't keep his opponent in guard - Ericsson advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Baba wants to get back to full guard.
Ericsson wants to control but Baba is keeping him busy.
Baba wants to control but Ericsson is keeping busy and won't allow it.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Baba darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Baba is thwarting Ericsson's attempts to control the position.
Ericsson regains full guard. Nicely done.
Baba must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Ericsson working a defensive guard here.
Ericsson is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Baba trying to control but Ericsson is working from the bottom.
Ericsson wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Ericsson's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Ericsson keeping moving, preventing Baba from controlling successfully.
Baba wants to stand but Ericsson has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Ericsson pulls Baba in close to his closed guard and prevents Baba from doing any damage or advancing position.
Ericsson trying to keep a closed guard but Baba is proving a slippery customer.

And that's the end of the fight!
Eric Ericsson showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Ericsson has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Daniel Cesar scores the fight 30:27
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 30:27
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Eric Ericsson!