PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Eduardo Dias (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Cliff Carriggian (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Dias comes to the cage accompanied by Jorge Ben - Bebete Vãobora. Cliff Carriggian has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Dias
vs
Carriggian

173 cm
20
154 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

175 cm
25
154 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

Supreme Nutrition
GREEN!160

Supreme Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Dias!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Cliff Carriggian!
The judges for this bout are Luis Engracia, Emerson Jorge and Alexandre Firmino.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Carriggian gets a clinch.
Dias comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Dias connects with a nasty looking knee right to Carriggian's face.
Carriggian has had enough of the clinch but Dias keeps him there for the moment.
Dias using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Carriggian has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Dias lands an elbow inside.
Carriggian can't break the clinch.
Dias scores with a knee to the head.
Carriggian goes for a takedown in the clinch but Dias prevents it.
Dias lands an elbow that stopped Carriggian in his tracks for a moment.
Dias tries to work over Carriggian's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Dias lands an elbow inside that Carriggian shrugs off.
Carriggian avoiding damage as Dias throws knees to the body.
Dias throws a knee to the head but misses.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Carriggian on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Dias lands a nice elbow.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dias connects with a knee to the head.
Carriggian wants to take the fight to the mat but Dias manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Dias lands an elbow that stopped Carriggian in his tracks for a moment.
Dias landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Dias missing with knees to the body.
Dias's Muay Thai looks sharper than normal. He has obviously been working on it in the gym.
Dias lands a left hand that snaps the head of Carriggian backwards.
Dias throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Carriggian blocks it with crossed arms.
Carriggian tries to break the clinch but Dias is controlling the position.
Carriggian gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Dias.
Carriggian throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Carriggian tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Eduardo Dias has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Cliff Carriggian.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Carriggian fails to pull guard.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Dias obliges.
Dias lands a good knee to the midsection. Carriggian won't want to take too many of those.
Dias lands an uppercut.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Dias utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Carriggian looks winded!
Dias misses with a knee strike.
Carriggian is trying to break the clinch but Dias is controlling him.
Carriggian wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Carriggian managing to block the knees to the body from Dias.
Carriggian tries to circle away but Dias has him pinned against the cage.
Dias unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Dias lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Dias unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Dias connects with a nasty looking knee right to Carriggian's face.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dias slows down the pace here.
Dias leaning against his opponent.
Carriggian blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Carriggian with an attempt at a knee that misses.
A body shot lands from Dias.
Carriggian has had enough of the clinch but Dias keeps him there for the moment.

Dias pulls guard.
Dias wants to sweep here but Carriggian controlling him for the moment.

Dias is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Carriggian tries to free his leg and advance position but Dias is retaining full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dias tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Carriggian pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Dias is keeping the position for now.
Carriggian preventing the sweep.
Carriggian chips away with some ground and pound.
Dias looking to hit a scissor sweep but Carriggian is one step ahead there.
Carriggian stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Dias swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Dias looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Dias manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Carriggian manages to get himself to full guard.

Carriggian keeping moving, preventing Dias from controlling successfully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eduardo Dias 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.

Dias throws a nice outside leg kick.
Carriggian fails with a takedown attempt.
An inside leg kick from Carriggian misses.
Carriggian chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Dias can pounce on him.

Dias gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Dias holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Dias is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Carriggian can do to turn this around?
Dias tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dias creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Carriggian's defenses.
Carriggian blocking some punches.
Dias tries to land knees in the clinch but Carriggian avoids the damage to the body.
Carriggian gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Dias.

Carriggian pulls guard successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dias controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Dias working some strikes from top position.
Dias is looking to work some ground and pound but Carriggian has wrist control.
Dias trying to control but Carriggian is working from the bottom.
Carriggian looking for a sweep. Not yet Carriggian, not yet.
Dias throws an elbow that misses. Carriggian uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Dias's guard. Nice move by Carriggian!

Carriggian is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Dias wants to sweep here but Carriggian controlling him for the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Dias working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Carriggian doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Carriggian manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

Dias looking for a guillotine here but Carriggian defends easily.

Dias is looking for a triangle here but Carriggian uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
Dias is looking for a sweep.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Dias looks to move to half guard but instead Carriggian has passed into mount! Damn!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Carriggian wants to control the pace but Dias is squirming around nicely.
Dias slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Carriggian wants to take a breather but Dias is having none of it.
Dias is looking for a sweep. Carriggian is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Dias manages to get to full guard.

Dias is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

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

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Carriggian trying to control the position from guard on top but Dias is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Carriggian looking to pass the guard.
Dias 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.
Carriggian advances to half guard.

Carriggian looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.

Carriggian seems to be looking for submissions.
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 Eduardo Dias will probably get the nod.
That's time! Dias's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Dias connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.

Carriggian drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.

Dias throws Carriggian to one side and escapes!
Carriggian avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Carriggian is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.
That kick from Dias tenderised Carriggian's leg. Carriggian is trying to keep his angry face on.
Dias throws a quick inside leg kick.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Carriggian shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Eduardo Dias overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Dias makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Dias.
Carriggian preventing the sweep.
Carriggian passes into half guard.
Dias tries to get to full guard but Carriggian has control of the leg.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Carriggian is looking for a kimura but Dias is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Carriggian to get the leverage.
Dias wants to get back to full guard.
The fighters are battling for position here. Dias manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

Dias working for a triangle but Carriggian defends it easily.
Dias tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Dias looking for a guillotine here but Carriggian defends easily.
Carriggian preventing the sweep.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Dias had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Carriggian defends it easily.
Carriggian trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Carriggian trying to control the position from guard on top but Dias is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Dias wants to improve his position but instead Carriggian has moved into half guard.

Carriggian is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Dias is looking to control Carriggian's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Dias avoid being mounted?

Dias actively working from the bottom here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Carriggian prevents Dias from improving his position.
Dias regains full guard. Nicely done.
Dias looking to hit a scissor sweep but Carriggian is one step ahead there.
Dias looking to control but Carriggian passes into half guard.
Carriggian content to control rather than advance.
Eduardo Dias is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Dias is controlling Carriggian's position as best he can from this difficult position.
Carriggian passes to side control.
Dias is looking to reverse the position.
Dias isn't going anywhere.

Carriggian tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Carriggian has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Dias is looking to reverse the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Eduardo Dias.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Dias, 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 Luis Engracia scores the fight 30:26
Judge Emerson Jorge scores the fight 30:27
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Eduardo Dias!
A relieved looking Eduardo Dias thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.