PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Greg Giraldo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ricardo Martinez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ricardo Martinez is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Giraldo
vs
Martinez

170 cm
20
145 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

168 cm
28
145 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

Good takedowns
Excellent MT
Granite chin

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter fighter
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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Greg Giraldo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Ricardo Martinez!
The judges for this bout are Hirohito Nitta, Tatsuya Matsuyama and Taro Takaoka.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Martinez gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.

Giraldo closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Martinez to the mat! Martinez manages to get full guard.
Giraldo working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Martinez's head.

Giraldo avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Giraldo with a flurry of punches that miss.
Martinez avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Giraldo scoring with some ground and pound.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Giraldo's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Giraldo scoring with punches to the head and body.
Giraldo chips away with some ground and pound.
Giraldo missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Giraldo has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Giraldo got a little sloppy there for a moment and Martinez has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Giraldo has managed to get both his arms back between Martinez's legs - danger averted.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Giraldo in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Giraldo trying to control but Martinez is working from the bottom.
Giraldo trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Giraldo content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Giraldo postures up and lands a big shot to Martinez's brow.
Giraldo pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Martinez is keeping the position for now.
Martinez keeping moving, preventing Giraldo from controlling successfully.
Giraldo distracts Martinez with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Martinez wants to improve his position but instead Giraldo has moved into half guard.
Martinez flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Giraldo misses with a head shot. Martinez uses the momentum to regain guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Martinez looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Giraldo cracks Martinez with a solid left hand.
Giraldo is working Martinez over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Giraldo throwing strikes from guard but Martinez blocks nicely.
Giraldo throws an elbow that misses. Martinez uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Giraldo's guard. Nice move by Martinez!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Giraldo has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Martinez has passed into side control.
Giraldo is trying to buck Martinez off.
Giraldo is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Giraldo looks to move to half guard but instead Martinez has passed into mount! Damn!

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Martinez jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Giraldo manages to avoid the submission attempt.
Giraldo tries to control but end up mounted... ooooh, that's bad.
Giraldo on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Giraldo tries to get out of the position.

Martinez working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Giraldo looking to escape from mount but he's given up his back!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Greg Giraldo dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Giraldo shoots in looking for a takedown. Martinez tries to sprawl out of it but Giraldo keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Martinez manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Giraldo fails with a takedown attempt.

Martinez gets caught napping as Giraldo dives in and scores a takedown. Martinez manages to retain guard.
Giraldo is looking to work some ground and pound but Martinez has wrist control.

Martinez is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Giraldo is aware though and is defending well.
Giraldo is looking to work some ground and pound but Martinez has wrist control.
Martinez manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Giraldo manages to get himself to full guard.
Giraldo looking for a sweep. Not yet Giraldo, not yet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Martinez trying to control but Giraldo is working from the bottom.
Greg Giraldo overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Giraldo wants to get back to his feet but Martinez is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Giraldo holds on and takes a little breather.
Giraldo keeping moving, preventing Martinez from controlling successfully.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Giraldo changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Martinez tries to avoid it but Giraldo manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Martinez to the ground. Martinez escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Greg Giraldo. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Giraldo shoots and misses

and Martinez counters with a nice double leg into guard.

Giraldo pushes Martinez off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Giraldo shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Martinez as he jumps to the side.
Greg Giraldo seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Giraldo scores with a hook.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Giraldo is defended easily by Martinez.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Giraldo shoots in but no luck this time.
Giraldo stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Giraldo wants it to stay on the feet.
Giraldo shoots in for a takedown but Martinez shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Giraldo tries for a takedown but Martinez sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Martinez stuffs the takedown.
Martinez stuffs the takedown.
Giraldo shoots in but no luck this time.
Martinez fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Giraldo shoots in looking for a takedown. Martinez tries to sprawl out of it but Giraldo keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Martinez manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Giraldo.
Giraldo shoots in but no luck this time.
Giraldo with a lazy takedown attempt

and Martinez counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Martinez.
Martinez postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Giraldo is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Martinez trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Greg Giraldo.
Giraldo dives in and grabs Martinez's left leg, looking for a takedown. Martinez pushes down on Giraldo's head and hops out.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Martinez leaves Giraldo with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Giraldo dives in and grabs Martinez's left leg, looking for a takedown. Martinez pushes down on Giraldo's head and hops out.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Ricardo Martinez will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Martinez defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Giraldo.
Giraldo lands a right hook to the body.
Horrible takedown by Martinez or perhaps it was just good defense by Giraldo which made him look bad.
No luck for Giraldo with that takedown attempt.
Giraldo changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Martinez tries to avoid it but Giraldo manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Martinez to the ground. Martinez escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Greg Giraldo. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Giraldo fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Giraldo.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Giraldo is defended easily by Martinez.
Nice uppercut there from Giraldo.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Martinez stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Martinez wants it to stay on the feet.
Martinez takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Giraldo tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Martinez swivels and escapes.
Martinez misses with a takedown attempt - Giraldo sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Giraldo changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Martinez looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Giraldo cracks Martinez with a big elbow.
Giraldo wants to take a breather but Martinez manages to regain guard - a lesson learnt for Giraldo.
Martinez being controlled here, momentarily.
Giraldo trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Giraldo cracks Martinez with a solid left hand.
Giraldo trying to control the position from guard on top but Martinez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Martinez has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Giraldo can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Giraldo postures up and lands a big shot to Martinez's brow.
Giraldo with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Giraldo throws an elbow that misses. Martinez uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Giraldo's guard. Nice move by Martinez!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Giraldo pulls Martinez in to control the position.
Martinez wants to control from the top but Giraldo keeps moving.
Martinez looking to sit in guard and control but Giraldo gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Giraldo is in close to Martinez's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Martinez utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Giraldo scoring with some ground and pound.
Giraldo looking to pass the guard.
Giraldo throws a big elbow that misses.
Giraldo postures up in Martinez's guard and throws a big left but Martinez blocks it.
Giraldo throws an elbow that misses. Martinez uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Giraldo's guard. Nice move by Martinez!
Giraldo pulls Martinez in close to prevent any damage.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

And that's the end of the fight!
Greg Giraldo showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Giraldo 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 Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 29:28
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 29:28
Judge Taro Takaoka scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Greg Giraldo!