PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Shael Connen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Renato Laranja (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Laranja's choice of entrance music: best of renato. Renato Laranja struggled to make weight for this fight. He only made it down to 187.6lbs at the first attempt and had to take the additional two hours to make the official bout weight. Let's see how much it's taken out of him. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Connen
vs
Renato Laranja

185 cm
21
201 lbs
5 - 6 - 0

185 cm
21
205 lbs
1 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
Brawler
Experienced

Good takedowns
Brawler
Solid chin

Merciless Gladiators
FinnFighter Nutrition (Five 160Q supps!)

Merciless Gladiators

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 5 - 6 - 0, fighting out of London, Shael Connen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 5 - 0, fighting out of London, Renato Laranja!
The judges for this bout are Chris Edwards, James Atkins and James Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Laranja will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

Connen closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Laranja quickly recovers to half guard.

Laranja looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Connen prevents Laranja from improving his position.

Laranja looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Connen missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Connen is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Laranja tries to reverse the position but Connen maintains control.
Laranja is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Connen throwing strikes here but Laranja is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Laranja wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Connen.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Connen cracks Laranja with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Laranja wants to hold on but Connen pushes him away.
Connen trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Connen breaks from Laranja's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Connen lands a big shot there that rocks Laranja but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Connen tries to control but Laranja wriggling away.

Connen is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Laranja to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Laranja shrugs it off.
Laranja wants to improve position but instead he's given up his back.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Laranja is keeping busy.
Connen has the hooks in. Laranja is trying to push off one leg but he has to do so cautiously to avoid being submitted.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Connen is remaining active here, looking for the choke. The more discerning members of the crowd will appreciate his efforts.
Laranja tries to roll but Connen sticks to his back.

Connen is looking to finish the fight by rear naked choke. Laranja knows exactly what he's got planned though, so he's defending well. Maybe a few strikes would soften Laranja for a finish.
Laranja rolls, trying to escape but Connen keeps control of the position.

Connen looking for the choke from the back.
Connen trying desperately to keep hold of the dominant position.
Laranja can't escape the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Connen lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Laranja staying busy and making it hard for Connen to control.
Laranja is trying to break free.
Laranja keeps trying to improve his position.
Laranja is still trying to improve position.
Connen avoiding Laranja 's attempts to control his hands.

Connen working for the choke.
Laranja tries to escape but Connen has the hooks in and won't let him break free.
I would not like to be Laranja right now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Laranja can't escape the position.
You know, I was talking to some of our celebrities at ringside tonight and they were split right down the middle on who was going to win this fight.
Laranja wants to control his opponent's hands but Connen gets his hands free.

Connen has his opponent's back and is working for the choke.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Laranja rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Connen is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Shael Connen dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Connen shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Laranja is trying to defend but Connen finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Laranja makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Laranja.
Connen trying to control but Laranja is working from the bottom.
Laranja 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.
Laranja preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Connen looking to pass the guard.
Laranja wants to sweep but no luck.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Connen landing with the ground and pound.

Laranja working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Connen doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Connen manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Connen knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Laranja on the ground.
Connen is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

Laranja escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Connen gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Laranja keeping full guard, as Connen tries to pass.
Connen has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Laranja keeping moving, preventing Connen from controlling successfully.

Connen is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Connen working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Connen pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Laranja is keeping the position for now.
Laranja throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Connen trying to control but Laranja is working from the bottom.
Connen stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Laranja swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Laranja trying to keep a closed guard but Connen is proving a slippery customer.
Laranja throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Connen gets to his feet - Laranja follows without any prompting.
Laranja shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Connen counters with a nice uppercut.
Laranja shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Connen sprawls well. Connen wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Laranja gets slowly back to his feet.
Connen misses the shot to the body.

Laranja gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Connen wanted to stand there but Laranja had control of the position.
Laranja striking off his back but it's not causing Connen any problems.
Laranja controls Connen momentarily but Connen frees himself.
Connen trying to control but Laranja is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Laranja throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Connen escapes and throws Laranja's legs to the side, diving into side control!
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!
Laranja struggling a bit here.
Connen controls the position.

Connen is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Laranja has escaped the position, nice work there.
Connen misses with the ground and pound.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Laranja looking for a sweep but Connen has passed into full mount! Oh no!
Connen sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Shael Connen dominated that second round.
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. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Connen closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Laranja quickly recovers to half guard.
Connen is thwarting Laranja's attempts to control the position.
Connen scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Laranja won't allow Connen to pass to mount.
Connen is looking to take a break and control but Laranja is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Laranja is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
The fighters are battling for position here. Laranja manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

Laranja has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Connen can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Laranja can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Connen controls the pace.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Laranja looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Connen is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

Laranja is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

Laranja looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Connen trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Laranja keeping moving, preventing Connen from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Connen slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Laranja tries to bench press Connen off him but Connen keeps the position.
A control attempt from Laranja but he's now mounted!
Connen lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Connen has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Laranja's face.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Laranja can't escape the position.
Laranja is squirming around, avoiding Connen's attempts to control the action.
Connen working the ground and pound effectively.
Laranja is working to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Connen blocks Laranja's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Connen with good strikes from the mount here!
Laranja can't escape the position.
Connen trying to control but Laranja is having none of it.
Laranja tries to lock up and control but Connen gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Laranja is flailing around like a fish out of water, trying to land strikes.
Laranja is squirming around, avoiding Connen's attempts to control the action.
Laranja can't escape the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Connen trying to control but Laranja is having none of it.
Connen working Laranja over with strikes here.
Laranja is flailing around like a fish out of water, trying to land strikes.
Laranja bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Connen wants to stand up but Laranja is controlling him.
Laranja trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Shael Connen overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Connen wants to get back to his feet but Laranja is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Renato Laranja has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Shael Connen is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Laranja thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Shael Connen showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Connen 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 Chris Edwards scores the fight for Shael Connen!
Judge James Atkins scores the fight for Shael Connen!
Judge James Glass scores the fight for Shael Connen!

Shael Connen wins by unanimous decision!
Shael Connen really struggled to get his t-shirt on before his hand was raised. Making sure that Merciless Gladiators logo gets some air time is pretty tricky when you're all sweaty.