PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Naku Ayub (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mauricio Costa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Naku Ayub could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Mauricio Costa's chin.

Ayub
vs
Costa

197 cm
18
195 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

190 cm
25
185 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Heavy handed

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Naku Ayub!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Mauricio Costa!
The judges for this bout are Leandro Rodrigues, Emerson Jorge and Alexandre Firmino.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Ayub moves into the clinch successfully.

Ayub jumps guard.
Costa is fighting to break Ayub's control of his arms but Ayub is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Costa stopping the sweep attempt from Ayub.
Ayub throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Costa wants to get up but he can't break Ayub's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Ayub looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Ayub is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ayub moves nicely into side control.
Costa tries to improve position but can't.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Ayub decides to stand back up.
Costa misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Costa scores with a one two! Ayub had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.

It looks like Naku Ayub has been cut.
Mauricio Costa seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Ayub forces Costa back against the cage and clinches.
Ayub taking a breather.
Ayub is trying to pull guard but Costa turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Ayub is working for takedown but Costa is calmly controlling the position for now.
Ayub keeps control of Costa as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Ayub takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.

Ayub works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Ayub wants to control from the top but Costa keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Costa throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Ayub slips nicely into half guard.
Ayub content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Costa tries to kick Ayub off but Ayub keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Ayub lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Ayub seems to be looking for submissions.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ayub is nestled in close to Costa, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.

Ayub is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Costa doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Ayub.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Ayub is thwarting Costa's attempts to control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Ayub content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

Ayub stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.
Costa feints a jab promting Ayub to slip. Costa then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Ayub slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Costa misses with a head kick.
A right-left combo lands from Costa.

Ayub is rocked!
Ayub finds himself stumbling back on wobbly legs after being clipped by a right hand. He's up against the cage, ducking and weaving under Costa's strikes but an uppercut finds it's way through and Ayub falls! - He's completely out of it and the ref jumps in to save him!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:57 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Mauricio Costa!