PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Lenard Rivera (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Keris Joen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Keris Joen will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Rivera
vs
Joen

207 cm
24
178 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

178 cm
25
170 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Solid chin

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Lenard Rivera!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Keris Joen!
The judges for this bout are Bruno Hogan, Ron Honeybunn and Topper Green.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Joen fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Rivera to the ground. Joen is now in Rivera's guard.
Rivera will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

Rivera looking for a guillotine here but Joen defends easily.

Rivera had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Joen defends it easily.
Joen slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Joen trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

Rivera throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Joen escapes and throws Rivera's legs to the side, diving into side control!
You can see the frustration on Rivera's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rivera tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Joen wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Joen is looking to take a break and control but Rivera is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Joen decides to stand up, so the ref orders Rivera to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.

Joen gets a clinch.
Joen keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Rivera's efforts to push away.
The referee calls for Rivera to work.

Joen breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Joen looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Rivera!

Rivera throws Joen to one side and escapes!
Joen looks winded!

A momentary lapse in concentration from Joen enables Rivera to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Joen manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Rivera really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Rivera postures up and lands a big shot to Joen's brow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rivera scoring with some ground and pound.
Rivera is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Rivera is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Rivera is working Joen over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Joen 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.
Rivera scoring with some ground and pound.
Rivera is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Rivera stands up over Joen, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Rivera makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rivera lands a couple of digs.
Rivera postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Rivera distracts Joen with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Rivera keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Joen's head.
Joen looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Rivera puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Rivera looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Rivera 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.
Rivera winds up and cracks Joen with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Rivera scoring with strikes to the body and head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Lenard Rivera dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Rivera closes the distance and clinches.
Rivera misses with a punch on the inside.
Rivera has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

Joen breaks from the clinch.

Rivera gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Rivera tries to break the clinch but Joen is controlling the position.
Rivera pushes Joen back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.

Rivera pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Rivera tries to clinch there but Joen circles away.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rivera tries to clinch but Joen is having none of it.
Rivera wants to clinch up but Joen keeps it at a distance.

Rivera clinches up with Joen and pushes him back against the cage.
Rivera misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Joen.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rivera is trying to push Joen away but Joen has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Rivera is looking to break free of the clinch but Joen has double underhooks.
Joen keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Rivera's efforts to push away.

Joen breaks the clinch.

Rivera instigates a clinch.
Rivera wants to break the clinch but can't.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Joen is breathing heavily.
A frustrated look appears on Rivera's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Rivera is trying to push Joen away but Joen has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.

Joen turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!

Rivera explodes and escapes back to his feet! Nice escape there!
Rivera fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Joen gets tackled into the cage by Rivera. Rivera maintains the clinch.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Rivera breaks the clinch.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Rivera tries to circle away but Joen has him pinned against the cage.

Joen drags the fight down to the ground.
Rivera is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Rivera is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Joen can do to turn this around?
Rivera stands up over Joen, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Rivera wants to get up but he can't break Joen's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Joen tries to land a sweep but no joy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Joen is trying to control the position but Rivera postures up.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Rivera fails with an attempt to clinch.

Joen gets tackled into the cage by Rivera. Rivera maintains the clinch.
Rivera tries to circle away but Joen has him pinned against the cage.

Rivera breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Rivera scores with a takedown into Joen's guard.
Joen is looking to stand back up but Rivera counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Joen.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Rivera lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Rivera is nestled in close to Joen, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Ground and pound from Rivera.
Rivera lands strikes from half guard.
Rivera working the head and body with strikes.
Rivera 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.
Joen is trying to get back to full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Lenard Rivera dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Joen drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Rivera 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.
Rivera lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Lenard Rivera overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Rivera lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Rivera is working Joen over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Rivera is working Joen over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rivera landing some decent shots from guard.
Joen takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Rivera working some strikes from top position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rivera postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Rivera works over Joen with some ground and pound from guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rivera content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Joen not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Rivera working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Rivera scoring with some ground and pound.
Rivera working some strikes from top position.
Rivera lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Rivera landing with the ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rivera lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Rivera stands up over Joen, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Rivera content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Rivera scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Rivera working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Joen's head.
Joen looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Rivera puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Rivera working over Joen with some ground and pound. Joen looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Rivera winds up and cracks Joen with a swinging punch to the side of the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Rivera lands a nice short elbow.
Rivera is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Nice strikes from Rivera there.
Rivera is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Rivera lands a nice short elbow.
Rivera working over Joen with some ground and pound. Joen looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Rivera looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Rivera lands with a punch from half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rivera lands strikes from half guard.
Rivera scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Rivera scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Joen is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Rivera scores with a couple of nice shots.
Rivera working over Joen with some ground and pound. Joen looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Joen is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Rivera scores with a couple of nice shots.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Joen wants to control but Rivera passes into side.
Joen is trying to work for a sweep but Rivera has mounted him!

And that's the end of the fight!
Lenard Rivera showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Rivera, 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 Bruno Hogan scores the fight 30:27
Judge Ron Honeybunn scores the fight 30:27
Judge Topper Green scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Lenard Rivera!