PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Hipolito Mercer (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Pedro Correa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Correa is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: jurassic 5. Hipolito Mercer has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Mercer
vs
Correa

189 cm
18
177 lbs
2 - 5 - 1

178 cm
20
170 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Tends to cut

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 2 - 5 - 1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Hipolito Mercer!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Pedro Correa!
The judges for this bout are Mauricio Rocha, Leandro Rodrigues and Emerson Jorge.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Correa throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.

Correa has closed the distance and engaged Mercer in a clinch.
Mercer working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Correa lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.

It looks like Hipolito Mercer has been cut.
Mercer tries for a takedown but Correa manages to get underhooks.

Mercer gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Correa regains guard.
Correa is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Correa is pulling down on Mercer's head. It's preventing any offense from Mercer, at least for the moment.
Mercer wants to stand but Correa has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Mercer is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

Correa has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Mercer can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Correa is trying to control the position but Mercer postures up.
Mercer is looking to stand up but Correa won't let him.
Mercer controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Correa looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Correa swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Correa fails to land with a series of punches.
Correa misses with a kick to the body.
Correa misses with a head kick.
Mercer sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Mercer takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.

Mercer clinches with his opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Mercer has Correa pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Correa manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Correa stalling in the clinch but Mercer improves position.
Correa throws an elbow but it misses.
Correa lands a knee to the body.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Mercer lands an uppercut.
Mercer tries for a takedown. No joy.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Hipolito Mercer. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Correa tries to stall but Mercer uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Mercer misses with some punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mercer keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Correa's efforts to push away.
Correa tries to pull guard but Mercer won't allow it.
Correa is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Mercer changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Correa fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Pedro Correa seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A decent looking cross lands there for Correa.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Correa enables Mercer to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Correa manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Mercer is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Correa is trying to keep Mercer in close.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Correa working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Mercer doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Mercer manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Mercer content to stall in guard here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

We're going to have a standup here because Hipolito Mercer wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Correa misses with a head kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Pedro Correa will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Hipolito Mercer's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Mercer checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Mercer shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Correa but Correa pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Correa misses with a two punch combination.
Correa pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Correa has taken the fight to the clinch.

Mercer manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.

Mercer looking for a guillotine here but Correa defends easily.
Mercer throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Mercer keeping full guard, as Correa tries to pass.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Correa trying to control the position from guard on top but Mercer is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Mercer wants to get back to his feet but Correa is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Correa is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Mercer keeping moving, preventing Correa from controlling successfully.

Pedro Correa has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Mercer moves out of range of the body kick from Correa.
Correa lands the left hand.

Correa has closed the distance and engaged Mercer in a clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mercer tries to pull guard but Correa forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Correa creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Mercer is working for takedown but Correa is calmly controlling the position for now.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Hipolito Mercer. That's going to take a lot out of him.
The referee is keeping an eye on Correa - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Correa taking a breather.
Correa blocks a body shot from Mercer.
Mercer stalling.
Mercer avoiding damage as Correa throws knees to the body.
Correa throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Mercer blocks it with crossed arms.
Mercer tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Correa just stands there and leans against the cage.

Correa breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Hipolito Mercer is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Correa has closed the distance and engaged Mercer in a clinch.
Mercer avoiding damage as Correa throws knees to the body.
Mercer wants a takedown but no success here.
Correa is pushing Mercer up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Correa trying to stall but Mercer improves his position.
Correa with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Correa wants to stall.
Mercer has Correa pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Correa manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Correa has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Correa lands with a light punch inside.
Mercer drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Mercer gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Mercer content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Correa wants to control but Mercer is keeping busy.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Still in half guard, Mercer seems content to control.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pedro Correa showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Hipolito Mercer's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Mercer moves into the clinch successfully.
Correa's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Mercer wants a takedown.
Correa missing with knees to the body.
Mercer wants a takedown but no success here.

Correa breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Correa with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Correa thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Mercer if he has to take too many more of those.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Correa buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.

Correa rushes Mercer and presses him up against the cage.
Pedro Correa seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Correa is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Correa is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Mercer is defending well for now.
Mercer blocks an uppercut.
Correa is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Mercer gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Correa wants to stall.
Correa pushes off an throws an elbow but Mercer leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
A shot in the inside from Correa.
Correa lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mercer is looking for a takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Hipolito Mercer. That's going to take a lot out of him.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Correa creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Correa working aggressively here.
Mercer leaning against his opponent.
Correa looking to slow down the pace here.
Correa looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Correa misses with an elbow over the top.
Correa tries to pull guard but Mercer holds him up against the cage and eventually Correa drops back down to his feet.
Mercer fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Correa throws an elbow but it misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Correa lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Correa is looking to break free of the clinch but Mercer has double underhooks.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Correa.
Correa looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Correa working Mercer over with knees to the body.
Mercer tries to score a body lock takedown but Correa shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Mercer jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Correa walks away with a smile on his face. Mercer gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.

Correa rushes Mercer and presses him up against the cage.
A battle for position here, against the cage.

Mercer gets a trip takedown into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Correa wants to get back to full guard.
Mercer tries to stand and escape but Correa actually recovers to full guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Correa looking for a guillotine here but Mercer defends easily.
Correa is trying to keep Mercer in close.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Correa might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Mercer haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Correa is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

And that's the end of the fight!
Pedro Correa comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Correa winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 28:29
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 27:30
Judge Emerson Jorge scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Pedro Correa!