PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Stacey Reyes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Florian Knaf (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Florian Knaf has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Stacey Reyes's chin.

Reyes
vs
Knaf

167 cm
18
193 lbs
2 - 4 - 0

200 cm
25
194 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Determined

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 2 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Stacey Reyes!
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, Florian Knaf!
The judges for this bout are Matheus Silva, Paulo Santos and Thiago Cunha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Knaf fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Reyes to the ground. Knaf is now in Reyes's guard.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Knaf stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Reyes swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Reyes trying to keep a closed guard but Knaf is proving a slippery customer.
Reyes could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Knaf trying to control the position from guard on top but Reyes is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Knaf advances position into side control!
Reyes might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Knaf wants to lay and pray for a moment but Reyes keeps working.

Knaf tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Knaf has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Reyes manages to work his way to half guard, despite Knaf's best efforts.
Reyes is trying to stand up here but Knaf is controlling him well.
Knaf is looking to take a break and control but Reyes is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Knaf is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Reyes is trying to stand back up but Knaf is controlling him
Knaf trying to control the action but Reyes is working from the bottom.
Knaf wants to free his trapped foot but Reyes is holding on for dear life with his legs.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Reyes is trying to control but can't.
Knaf trying to control from Reyes's half guard. Reyes has other ideas though and has regained full guard.

Knaf decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.

Knaf looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Reyes!
Reyes struggling a bit here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Reyes avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Knaf.
Knaf landing a few strikes.
Knaf misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Reyes is trying to control Knaf's posture but Knaf avoids it.
Reyes prevents Knaf from moving into mount.
Knaf is looking to take a break and control but Reyes is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Knaf works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.

Knaf thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Knaf trying to control the position but Reyes is working away.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Knaf tries for a kimura but Reyes is defending well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Florian Knaf dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Knaf fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Reyes to the ground. Knaf is now in Reyes's guard.
Florian Knaf has got the better of the ground game so far.
Knaf trying to control but Reyes is working from the bottom.
Knaf throws a big elbow that misses.
Reyes lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Knaf!
Knaf can't escape the position.
Reyes with a couple of short strikes.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Knaf just holding on.
Knaf is desperately trying to improve his position but Reyes has a good base and remains in mount.
Knaf tries to hold on but Reyes postures up.

Reyes has hold of Knaf's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Knaf manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Reyes avoids the attempt from Knaf to control.
Reyes is landing with some decent strikes but Knaf is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Reyes looking to control and managing it successfully.
Knaf regains half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Knaf is trying to get back to full guard.
Reyes looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.

Knaf is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Reyes pulls his head out easily.

Reyes is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Knaf is just riding it out for now. Reyes eventually gives up the hold.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Knaf blocking the ground and pound attempt from Reyes.
Reyes keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Reyes working over Knaf with some ground and pound. Knaf looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Reyes wants to lay and pray for a moment but Knaf keeps working.
Knaf has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Reyes is working away from the top position though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Reyes lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Reyes connects with a nice short shot to Knaf's temple.
Still in half guard, Reyes seems content to control.
Reyes not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Knaf wants to get back to full guard.
Reyes not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Nice strikes from Reyes there.

Knaf is defending against the submission attempts here by Reyes.
Reyes thows a huge punch but Knaf dodges it nicely.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Stacey Reyes 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. This is the final round!

Knaf shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Reyes is trying to defend but Knaf finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Knaf trying to control the action but Reyes is working from the bottom.

Knaf stands up from half guard.

Knaf looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Reyes seems keen to control Knaf's posture.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Knaf wants to control from the top but Reyes keeps moving.
Reyes seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.

We're going to have a standup here because Stacey Reyes wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Knaf throws a wild body kick that Reyes sees coming a mile off.

Knaf scores with a takedown into Reyes's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Knaf controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Reyes pulls Knaf in to control the position.
Reyes wants to stand up but Knaf is controlling him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Knaf wants to control from the top but Reyes keeps moving.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Florian Knaf was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Reyes tries to clinch but Knaf moves out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Knaf manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Reyes on his heels. He'll look to pass Reyes's guard now, I'm sure.
Knaf would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Reyes is pulling down on Knaf's head. It's preventing any offense from Knaf, at least for the moment.
Knaf tries to free his leg and advance position but Reyes is retaining full guard.
Knaf passes into half guard.
Knaf controlling the action here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Reyes keeping hold of Knaf's head, controlling as best he can.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Reyes is trying to stand.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Knaf wants to take a breather but Reyes is having none of it.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Knaf looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Reyes!

And that's the end of the fight!
Florian Knaf comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Knaf has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Matheus Silva scores the fight 28:29
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 28:29
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Florian Knaf!