PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Walter Alexander Zelaya (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rodrigo Almeida (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Almeida is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Rock You Like a Hurricane. Walter Alexander Zelaya could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Rodrigo Almeida's chin.

Alexander Zelaya
vs
Almeida

175 cm
23
168 lbs
9 - 7 - 0

176 cm
26
182 lbs
7 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
World class MT
Big right hand

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Walter Alexander Zelaya!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rodrigo Almeida!
The judges for this bout are Paulo Santos, Leandro Rodrigues and Seu Braga.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Zelaya thuds a left hand into Almeida's body.
Zelaya lands with a good body shot.
Zelaya misses the shot to the body.
Almeida shoots in looking for a takedown. Zelaya tries to sprawl out of it but Almeida keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Zelaya manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Zelaya throws out a powerful jab.
Almeida has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.
A swing and a miss from Zelaya.
Zelaya cracks Almeida with a right hand to the side of the head.
Zelaya lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Zelaya throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Almeida sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Almeida fails to land the takedown.
Zelaya connects with a solid leg kick.
Almeida looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Zelaya is fending him off so far but Almeida persists. Nope, Zelaya circles away and we're back to standing.
Walter Alexander Zelaya has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rodrigo Almeida.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zelaya misses with a head kick.
Almeida defending well as Zelaya loads up on a big left hand.
Zelaya waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Almeida.
Zelaya looks to land a combination but Almeida avoids it well.
Zelaya lands a glancing blow to the side of Almeida's head.
Almeida ducks under a wild hook from Zelaya.
Zelaya shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Almeida pinned against the cage. Almeida gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Almeida uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Zelaya.
Zelaya misses the shot to the body.
Zelaya scores with a jab to the jaw.
Zelaya tries to land a front kick but Almeida steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Almeida stalks Zelaya and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Zelaya's face. Zelaya staggers backwards, shaken.
Zelaya lands a lovely overhand right.
Nice defenses there by Almeida.
Zelaya scores with a jab to the head.
Almeida shoots in looking for a takedown but Zelaya manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Almeida's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
A looping hook to the body misses from Zelaya. Almeida does a little dance to reset his feet.
Zelaya looks to land a right hand but Almeida moved out of range.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
A swing and a miss from Zelaya.
Zelaya closes this distance looking for a takedown but Almeida circles away.
Zelaya looks to score with a jab to the body but Almeida is just out of range.
Almeida is trying desperately to land a takedown but Zelaya is having absolutely none of it. This is turning into a bit of a nightmare for Almeida.
Almeida has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Zelaya finds it's way round the side to connect with Almeida's head.
Zelaya ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Almeida moves away.
Almeida fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zelaya lands a nice looking kick to the body. Almeida takes a step back to recover.
Walter Alexander Zelaya seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Zelaya throws a poor cross that misses

and Almeida counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Zelaya trying to control the position here.
Zelaya looking to control.
Almeida connects with a couple of short punches.
Almeida with a flurry of punches that miss.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Almeida'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!
Almeida throwing strikes from guard but Zelaya blocks nicely.
Almeida passes Zelaya's right leg, so he's now in half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Almeida not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Zelaya wants to improve his position but Almeida is controlling well.
Zelaya trying to control here.
Zelaya avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Almeida.
Almeida prevents Zelaya from improving his position.
Almeida is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Zelaya tries to roll over but Almeida keeps him under control.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Almeida wants to control but Zelaya is keeping him busy.
Zelaya trying to control here.
Nice strikes from Almeida there.
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 Walter Alexander Zelaya will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Zelaya misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Zelaya lands a head shot.
Zelaya is looking to score with low kicks.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Almeida fails with a takedown attempt.
Walter Alexander Zelaya is winning the standup battle so far.
Zelaya throws a sloppy head kick and Almeida moves out of range easily.
Almeida on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Almeida blocks the body kick.
Zelaya lands a glancing blow to the side of Almeida's head.
Zelaya swings for the body but Almeida moves out of range.
Almeida uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Zelaya.
Almeida closes this distance looking for a takedown but Zelaya circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Some bone on bone action there as Almeida checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Zelaya fails with a takedown attempt.
Zelaya throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Almeida ducks under a wild hook from Zelaya.
Zelaya looks to land a right hand but Almeida moved out of range.
Zelaya tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Zelaya lands a slapping body shot.
Almeida avoids the body shot from Zelaya.
A head kick misses from Zelaya.
Zelaya lands with a thumping leg kick.
Almeida ducks under a wild hook from Zelaya.
Zelaya scores with a shot to the body.
Zelaya has been working on his balance at Soco na mãe - Stand Up Striking, so perhaps that has help him stuff some of the takedown attempts by Almeida.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zelaya misses with an attempted mid kick.
Zelaya tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Almeida is able to avoid easily.
Almeida displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Zelaya throws out the jab.
An inside leg kick from Zelaya misses.
Zelaya scores with a kick to the body.
Zelaya plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!

Almeida gets the takedown into side control.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Almeida looks up at the clock and then as Zelaya takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Almeida smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Zelaya dodges the ground and pound from Almeida.
Zelaya taking a bit of punishment here - Almeida scoring with strikes.
Zelaya regains half guard.
Zelaya has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Almeida is working away from the top position though.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Almeida winds up and cracks Zelaya with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Zelaya tries to roll over but Almeida keeps him under control.
Zelaya trying to control from the bottom.
Zelaya keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Almeida prevents Zelaya from improving his position.
Zelaya is trying to control but can't.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Almeida working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Zelaya keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Almeida lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Zelaya keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Almeida wants to pass the guard but Zelaya is defending well.
Almeida throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Zelaya is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Almeida thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Almeida thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Zelaya's head.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Zelaya is looking to get full guard. It looks like he might be successful but at the last minute Almeida jumps into side control!
Almeida scores with a couple of short elbows.
Zelaya wants to get back to his feet but Almeida drags him back down.
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 Walter Alexander Zelaya will probably get the nod.
That's time! Zelaya's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. And we move into the final round!

Zelaya scores with a jab to the jaw.
Zelaya digs a good hook to Almeida's body.
Zelaya misses with an uppercut.
A combination from Zelaya does no damage.
Decent striking displayed by Zelaya there.
Zelaya swings for the body but Almeida moves out of range.
Almeida has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Zelaya.
Almeida avoids a kick to the body.
Zelaya misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Almeida.
Zelaya scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Zelaya misses with a body kick.
Zelaya throws a jab when Almeida was well out of range.
A nice leg kick lands there from Zelaya.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zelaya swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Almeida blocks the body kick.
Zelaya misses with an uppercut.
Zelaya defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Almeida.
Zelaya tries a head kick but it misses.
Almeida checks a low kick from Zelaya.
Zelaya rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Almeida moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Almeida shoots in but Zelaya avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Almeida walks into a stiff left hand from Zelaya.
Almeida displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Zelaya throws out the jab.
Zelaya scores with a kick to the midsection.
Walter Alexander Zelaya is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zelaya goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Almeida checks a leg kick.
Almeida on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Almeida fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Walter Alexander Zelaya has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rodrigo Almeida.
Zelaya tried to score with a low kick but Almeida checks it.
Zelaya throws a head kick but Almeida moves out of range.
Zelaya misses with a straight right.
A solid body kick from Zelaya.
Zelaya throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Zelaya goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
A looping hook to the body misses from Zelaya. Almeida does a little dance to reset his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Almeida keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Almeida goes for a double leg but Zelaya avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Zelaya continues to drive forward.

Almeida pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Almeida takes a kick to the side of the head.
Zelaya looks to throw the jab but Almeida is out of range.
Zelaya lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Zelaya tried to score with a low kick but Almeida checks it.
Almeida slips a straight right by Zelaya.
Zelaya fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Good exchange - Zelaya coming out on top.
Zelaya throws a chopping leg kick but Almeida manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Rodrigo Almeida has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A solid leg kick lands there for Zelaya.
Almeida looks for a takedown but Zelaya sprawls well.
Almeida shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Zelaya defends it nicely.
A chopping leg kick lands by Zelaya.
Almeida takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Zelaya connects with a body shot that sends Almeida's belly button to the back.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Almeida throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Zelaya throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Zelaya throws a body kick that misses.

And that's the end of the fight!
Walter Alexander Zelaya showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Zelaya, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Paulo Santos scores the fight 29:28
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 30:27
Judge Seu Braga scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Walter Alexander Zelaya!
During a confident post fight interview, Walter Alexander Zelaya thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.