PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Johnathon Puckett (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ronaldo Souza (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Puckett
vs
Souza

214 cm
24
194 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
25
185 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Cuts easily

Good takedowns
Brawler
Tends to cut

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Johnathon Puckett!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Ronaldo Souza!
The judges for this bout are Leandro Rodrigues, Thiago Cunha and Emerson Jorge.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Puckett shoots in looking for a takedown but Souza manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Puckett's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Souza throws a lazy head kick
and Puckett cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

It looks like Ronaldo Souza has been cut.
Souza throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Puckett's waist but Puckett gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Souza off to one side.
Souza looks winded!
Puckett fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Souza avoids it really well and circles away.

Puckett moves into range and clinches up with Souza.
Puckett prevents the takedown attempt.
Puckett drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Souza gets the underhooks and prevents it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Johnathon Puckett. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Souza can't get the takedown.
Puckett jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Souza walks away with a smile on his face. Puckett gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.

Puckett clinches.

Puckett manages to break the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Puckett fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Souza manages to avoid it.
Puckett fails with the takedown.

Puckett pushes Souza up against the cage in a clinch.

Puckett breaks from the clinch.
Puckett misses with a head kick.
Puckett doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Souza counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Souza is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Puckett tries to pull guard but Souza forces him back to his feet, against the cage.

Puckett ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Puckett no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Souza stopping the sweep attempt from Puckett.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Souza wants to stand but Puckett has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Puckett has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Puckett looking to hit a scissor sweep but Souza is one step ahead there.
My spies in Cozad MMA Rio inform me that Souza has been getting involved in the gym's BJJ sparring sessions. Let's see whether that pays dividends!
Souza wants to stand but Puckett has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Puckett knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Souza on the ground.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Puckett keeping moving, preventing Souza from controlling successfully.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Puckett shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Souza as he jumps to the side.
Souza fails with a takedown attempt.
Puckett shoots in for a takedown but Souza shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.

Puckett clinches up against the cage.
Puckett tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Souza smiles and moves away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Souza shoots in but no luck this time.
Puckett looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Puckett with a poor takedown

so Souza counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
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!
Souza wants to control from the top but Puckett keeps moving.
Souza postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Souza preventing the sweep.
Souza postures up.
Souza wants to stand but Puckett has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Johnathon Puckett will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Ronaldo Souza's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

A slow jab from Souza misses its intended target.
Puckett lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Puckett is defended easily by Souza.
Puckett is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Souza goes for a double leg but Puckett avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Puckett continues to drive forward.
Puckett goes for a takedown attempt but Souza pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

Souza darts in and clinches Puckett up against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Puckett tries to throw a body punch but Souza avoids it by throwing Puckett back against the cage.
Souza is breathing heavily.
Puckett fails to pull guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Johnathon Puckett. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Puckett pulls guard successfully.
Souza passes into half guard.
Puckett trying to control here.
Souza looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Puckett is trying to control but can't.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Puckett throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Souza tries to pass the half guard into mount. Puckett knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Puckett scrambles, trying to get to his feet, but Souza manages to mount him!
Puckett regains half guard.
Puckett controlling the position for now.
Souza is looking to take a break and control but Puckett is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Puckett is trying to control but can't.
Souza tries to stand and escape but Puckett is controlling the position.
Souza thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Puckett's head.
Puckett pushes Souza off looking to stand but Souza dives back in and keeps control.

Souza is looking for a kimura but Puckett is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Souza to get the leverage.
Puckett is trying to get back to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Puckett trying to keep hold of his opponent's head but Souza manages to pass to mount!
Puckett is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Souza scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Puckett?
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Souza lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Puckett hang on?
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Johnathon Puckett will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Ronaldo Souza's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Puckett will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

Souza is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Puckett's half guard.
Puckett is trying to stand.
Souza prevents Puckett from improving his position.
Puckett pushes Souza off looking to stand but Souza dives back in and keeps control.
Souza seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Puckett does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Puckett tries to get to full guard but Souza has control of the leg.
Puckett is trying to control but can't.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Puckett throws a right and a left that both miss.
Puckett keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

Puckett closes the distance and clinches.

Souza pulls Puckett into guard.
Puckett postures up.
Puckett stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Souza swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Puckett avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Souza striking off his back but it's not causing Puckett any problems.
Puckett trying to control but Souza is working from the bottom.

Souza working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Puckett doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Puckett manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Puckett really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Puckett controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Souza looking to hit a scissor sweep but Puckett is one step ahead there.
Puckett has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Souza not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Puckett controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Johnathon Puckett.
Souza fails in his attempt to clinch.
Puckett shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Souza as he avoids it easily.
Puckett fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Johnathon Puckett. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Souza is looking to clinch but Puckett is avoiding it.
Sloppy strikes from Puckett. Those never looked like landing.

Souza closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Puckett's guard.
Souza sitting in guard here, content to control.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Souza postures up.
Ronaldo Souza has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Johnathon Puckett is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Puckett is looking to stand back up... there's a bit of a scramble and Souza dives into side control.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ronaldo Souza comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Puckett 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 Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 29:28
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 29:28
Judge Emerson Jorge scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Johnathon Puckett!