PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Basil Helmers (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tito Cortez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Helmers comes to the cage accompanied by Sorrow - Last cry. This should be fireworks!

Helmers
vs
Cortez

179 cm
18
167 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

170 cm
18
180 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Basil Helmers!
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, Tito Cortez!
The judges for this bout are Leandro Rodrigues, Paulo Santos and Luis Engracia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cortez throws a nice looking combination but Helmers bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Helmers.
Helmers is trying hard to land a takedown here. Cortez sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Helmers throws a lazy uppercut
and Cortez counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
A big right from Helmers misses.
Helmers closes this distance looking for a takedown but Cortez circles away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Basil Helmers. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A swing and a miss from Helmers.
A combination from Cortez does no damage.
Helmers misses with a straight left.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Helmers is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Cortez.
Helmers throws an off balance right hand
and Cortez counters with a stiff right hand.
Cortez looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Cortez defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Helmers.
Cortez misses with the combination.
Helmers rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Cortez counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Cortez steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Helmers.
Helmers fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Cortez avoids it really well and circles away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cortez looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Helmers thows a body shot but no joy.
Helmers throws a shot from downtown. Cortez moves away and avoids it.
Helmers misses with a takedown attempt - Cortez sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Cortez staying out of range there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cortez throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Cortez just misses with a punch to the body.
Helmers throws a jab when Cortez was well out of range.
Helmers is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Helmers swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Cortez throws a right and a left that both miss.
Helmers throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Helmers misses with a looping right.
Cortez throws a right and a left that both miss.
Basil Helmers seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sloppy strikes from Cortez. Those never looked like landing.
Cortez slips under a jab from Helmers.
Cortez avoids the body shot from Helmers.
Helmers throws a big shot that misses.
Helmers looks to land a left hand but Cortez moved out of range nicely.
Helmers ducks under a wild hook from Cortez.
Cortez looks to score with a jab to the body but Helmers is just out of range.
Helmers just misses with a punch to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Tito Cortez will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Decent striking displayed by Cortez there.
Helmers throws the left hand but Cortez avoids the punch easily.
Helmers misses the jab.
Helmers takes one on the button.
Cortez should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
Cortez moves away from the strike by Helmers.
Cortez defending well as Helmers loads up on a big left hand.
Cortez misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Helmers uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Cortez.
Tito Cortez seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Cortez slaps away a takedown attempt from Helmers, before circling back to the center of the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cortez connects with a body shot.
Cortez keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Cortez dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Helmers throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Cortez sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Tito Cortez is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Helmers throws an off balance right hand
and Cortez counters with a nice body shot.
Cortez stalks Helmers and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Helmers's face. Helmers staggers backwards, shaken.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Helmers throws an off balance right hand
and Cortez counters with a one-two to the body.
Helmers throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Cortez sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Tito Cortez is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Cortez misses with the combination.
Helmers fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Cortez manages to avoid it.
Cortez misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Cortez lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Helmers throws out a token jab with nothing on it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Helmers fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Cortez manages to avoid it.
Helmers shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Cortez pinned against the cage. Cortez gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Cortez's jab looks to have found its range, popping Helmers under the eye.
Helmers misses with a hook.
Nice body punch from Cortez.
Cortez steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Helmers.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Cortez enables Helmers to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Cortez manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Helmers preventing the sweep.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Helmers controlling from the top position.
Helmers stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Cortez swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Cortez working a defensive guard but Helmers manages to pass into side control anyway.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Cortez can do anything to dispel that myth.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Helmers tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Helmers sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Cortez is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tito Cortez showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Cortez uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Helmers.
Cortez uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Helmers.
Helmers slips a jab and a cross from Cortez.
Helmers fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Cortez manages to avoid it.
Helmers throws a shot from downtown. Cortez moves away and avoids it.

Helmers gets a double leg takedown into Cortez's guard.
Helmers postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Helmers scoring with some ground and pound.
Cortez 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.
Cortez is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Helmers makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Helmers is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Helmers's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Helmers looking to pass the guard.
Helmers preventing the sweep.
Helmers's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Helmers has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

We're going to have a standup here because Basil Helmers wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
The fighters circling - Cortez throws out the jab but it was never going to land.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Helmers misses with a left hand
and Cortez counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Helmers throws the left hand but Cortez avoids the punch easily.
Helmers misses with a hook to the body
and Cortez counters with a series of strikes. Helmers will be more careful next time no doubt.

Helmers shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Helmers was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Cortez tries to bench press Helmers off him but Helmers keeps the position.
Basil Helmers overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Helmers grinds an elbow into Cortez's temple.
Cortez tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Helmers wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Cortez keeps trying to improve his position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cortez struggling a bit here.
Helmers lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Cortez down.
Cortez tries to bench press Helmers off him but Helmers keeps the position.
Helmers in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Helmers scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Cortez to see if he's OK.
Helmers grinds an elbow into Cortez's temple.
Helmers is working Cortez over with some ground and pound from side control.
Cortez is trying to get back to half guard.

Helmers tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Helmers has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Helmers cracks Cortez with a big elbow.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Helmers content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
Cortez is trying to get back to half guard.
Helmers working the ground and pound.
Cortez is looking for a sweep.
Cortez wants to control but Helmers postures up.
Cortez is trying to get back to half guard.
Helmers works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Cortez is working to avoid the ground and pound but Helmers connects with a decent elbow.
Helmers controls the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Basil Helmers showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Cortez has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 for Basil Helmers!
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight for Basil Helmers!
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight for Basil Helmers!

Basil Helmers wins by unanimous decision!
A very excited looking Basil Helmers made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.