PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Thiago Souza (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Alexander Gauthier (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Souza comes into the arena with Out Here Grinding_DJ Khaled blaring out of the sound system. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Souza
vs
Gauthier

188 cm
20
192 lbs
9 - 3 - 0

188 cm
22
189 lbs
5 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Intelligent

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 9 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Thiago Souza!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Alexander Gauthier!
The judges for this bout are Stewart Dunkirk, George Francis and Cecil Peabody.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gauthier shoots for a takedown but Souza saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Gauthier will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

Souza closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Gauthier takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.

Souza thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The strikes coming from Souza are missing the target in this wave of attacks.

Souza tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Souza has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Souza creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Gauthier sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
Souza working away.
Souza is working Gauthier over with some ground and pound from side control.
Gauthier tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Souza wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

Souza is working to tighten is grip on Gauthier's neck. He's isolated an arm and is working for an arm triangle. Gauthier has recognised the danger and is trying to turn with the submission but Souza is really squeezing tight and eventually Gauthier passes out! Souza breaks the hold and jumps onto the cage to celebrate! Submission of the night, I'd say!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:05 of round 1, we have a winner by way of Submission (Arm Triangle). Thiago Souza!