PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Leon Valentine (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gabriel Dias (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rumors backstage are that the fighters have been paid to keep it standing but we know that would never happen in MMA!

Valentine
vs
Dias

200 cm
23
265 lbs
5 - 0 - 0

199 cm
25
275 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

Good takedowns
Basic striking
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Leon Valentine!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Gabriel Dias!
The judges for this bout are Thiago Cunha, Leandro Rodrigues and Daniel Cesar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Dias instigates a clinch.
Valentine stalling against the cage.

Valentine breaks from the clinch.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Valentine.
Valentine avoids the head kick by Dias.
Valentine shoots in but no luck this time.
Dias shoots in for a double leg but Valentine sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Dias shoots in and drives through. Valentine sprawls well.
Dias walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Valentine tries to work over Dias's front leg with a kick but Dias checks it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dias lands a nice hook to Valentine's body. Valentine takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Dias tries to close the distance and clinch up but Valentine swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Valentine takes a swing at Dias's ribcage but misses.
Despite the aggression on Dias's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.

Valentine shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Dias napping and manages to drive through into side control!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Valentine is looking to take a break and control but Dias is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Valentine wants to take a breather but Dias manages to regain guard - a lesson learnt for Valentine.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Dias keeping moving, preventing Valentine from controlling successfully.
Valentine postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Valentine tries to free his leg and advance position but Dias is retaining full guard.
Dias wants to sweep here but Valentine controlling him for the moment.
Valentine passes into half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Valentine slips a nice elbow through Dias's hands, connecting with Dias's forehead.
Valentine throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Valentine trying to control from half guard but Dias is working away.
Valentine is pressing down on Dias's thigh, looking to free his foot. Dias is holding on for now.
Valentine lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Dias is trying to stand up here but Valentine is controlling him well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dias has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Valentine is working away from the top position though.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Valentine lands a nice short elbow.
Valentine wants to pass the guard but Dias is defending well.
Dias on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Dias won't allow Valentine to pass to mount.
Valentine is looking to stall here but Dias recovers full guard.
Valentine wants to control from the top but Dias keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Valentine tries to free his leg and advance position but Dias is retaining full 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.
Dias is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Valentine is controlling him.
Valentine controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Valentine working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Dias wants to clinch up but Valentine keeps it at a distance.
Dias dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Leon Valentine dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Valentine lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.

Valentine shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Valentine throws a big elbow that misses.
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.
Valentine loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Valentine showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Valentine looking to pass the guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dias working a defensive guard but Valentine manages to pass into side control anyway.
Dias is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Dias misses with a strike from the bottom.
Valentine works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Valentine is looking to take a break and control but Dias is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Dias takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Valentine tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Valentine has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Dias is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Valentine has knee on belly and moves into mount.
Valentine scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Valentine landing strikes from the mount.
Valentine landing strikes, looking to finish!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Valentine cracks Dias with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Valentine working Dias over with strikes here.
Valentine looking to control and managing it successfully.
Dias is trying desperately to improve position.
Dias tries to lock up and control but Valentine gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Dias really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Valentine. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Valentine lands a couple of good shots and Dias has given up his back, trying to escape the position!
Valentine seems to have improved his submission grappling technique since last time we saw him. Let's see if he can pull off a submission.
Valentine lands punches and elbows.
Valentine is looking cool and calm here, just waiting for a good opportunity to attack and finish the fight from this dominant position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Oooh a big shot gets through from Valentine. Many more shots like that and the referee will have to think about stepping in!
Valentine controlling from the back.
I really don't envy Dias right now.
Valentine lands with a nice looking elbow that stuns Dias.
Dias tries to escape but Valentine has the hooks in and won't let him break free.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Leon Valentine dominated that second round.
That's time! Valentine's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Dias shoots in looking for a takedown but Valentine manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Dias's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Dias avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Valentine throws a hook to the side of Dias's head but Dias sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Dias lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Gabriel Dias is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Valentine looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Dias!
Dias holding on.
Valentine trying to control the position but Dias is working away.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dias takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Valentine trying to control the position but Dias is working away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Valentine landing a few strikes.
Valentine 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.
Dias sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Valentine seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Dias does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Valentine is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Valentine is thwarting Dias's attempts to control the position.
Valentine scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Valentine trying to mount his opponent but Dias defends it.
Dias makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Dias.
Leon Valentine is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Valentine wants to pass the guard but Dias is keeping the position.
Dias looking to hit a scissor sweep but Valentine is one step ahead there.
Valentine looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Leon Valentine overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Dias will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
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.
Valentine content to stall in guard here.
Dias is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Valentine throws a lazy right hand but Dias sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
A shot to the body from Valentine misses
and Dias counters with a lovely straight right hand!

Valentine drives through with a takedown into Dias's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Dias preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Dias is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Valentine is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Dias can do to turn this around?

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dias has momentary wrist control but Valentine slips an elbow through the middle.
Valentine pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Dias is keeping the position for now.
Dias looking for a sweep. Not yet Dias, not yet.
Dias keeping moving, preventing Valentine from controlling successfully.
Dias wants to stand and escape but Valentine is having none of it.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Valentine chips away with some ground and pound.
Valentine trying to control the position from guard on top but Dias is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Gabriel Dias has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Valentine slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.

And that's the end of the fight!
Leon Valentine showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Valentine, 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 Thiago Cunha scores the fight 30:26
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 30:26
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 30:26

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Leon Valentine!
After the fight, Leon Valentine was humble in paying tribute to his opponent but made it clear he wants to go on to bigger and better things. It seemed to go down well with the crowd who cheered him loudly.