PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Derrick Cervantes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bruce Lee Nguyen Minh (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Buckle up people - heeeeeeeeeere we go!

Cervantes
vs
Lee Nguyen Minh

168 cm
18
193 lbs
0 - 0 - 1

186 cm
22
195 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

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 - 1, fighting out of Sydney, Derrick Cervantes!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Bruce Lee Nguyen Minh!
The judges for this bout are Ben Hemmingworth, Damien Edna and Winston Howard.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Lee Nguyen Minh fails with a takedown attempt.
Lee Nguyen Minh will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Lee Nguyen Minh tries to close the distance and clinch up but Cervantes swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Lee Nguyen Minh moves to clinch but Cervantes breaks away

and Cervantes counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cervantes is looking to stand up but he'll have to free his leg first. Instead, Lee Nguyen Minh manages to get to full guard.
Lee Nguyen Minh wants to sweep here but Cervantes controlling him for the moment.
Cervantes trying to control the position from guard on top but Lee Nguyen Minh is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lee Nguyen Minh wants to control but Cervantes passes easily into half guard.
Lee Nguyen Minh looks like he's trying to stand up.
Cervantes wants to stand but Lee Nguyen Minh has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.

Cervantes decides to stand and escape the position.
Lee Nguyen Minh throws a combination. Cervantes tries to block but a couple of punches get through.

It looks like Derrick Cervantes has been cut.

Cervantes throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Lee Nguyen Minh was covering up waiting for the punch and Cervantes finishes the takedown easily into guard.

Lee Nguyen Minh pushes Cervantes off and gets back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!

A momentary lapse in concentration from Cervantes enables Lee Nguyen Minh to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Cervantes manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.

Cervantes wriggles free and stands up.
Cervantes swats away the attempt to clinch by Lee Nguyen Minh.
Cervantes is looking for a counter combo.
Lee Nguyen Minh looks to clinch

and Cervantes counters with a single leg into guard. Lee Nguyen Minh didn't expect that.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Cervantes stands up from Lee Nguyen Minh's guard - Cervantes perhaps looking for a knockout.
Cervantes wants to slow Lee Nguyen Minh down by chopping away at his legs.

Lee Nguyen Minh drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Cervantes is looking for a sweep.
Cervantes looks to move to half guard but instead Lee Nguyen Minh has passed into mount! Damn!
Lee Nguyen Minh tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Cervantes is working to get back to half guard.
Lee Nguyen Minh landing strikes from the mount and Cervantes is in trouble!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cervantes slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Cervantes is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Cervantes actively working from the bottom here.
Cervantes is trying to control but Lee Nguyen Minh manages to pass to mount!
Cervantes manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Cervantes is breathing heavily.

Lee Nguyen Minh is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Lee Nguyen Minh in particular looking to stall.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Derrick Cervantes will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Derrick Cervantes's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Lee Nguyen Minh shoots in looking for a takedown. Cervantes tries to sprawl out of it but Lee Nguyen Minh keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Cervantes manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Cervantes keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Cervantes throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Lee Nguyen Minh.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Lee Nguyen Minh gets the takedown into side control.
Lee Nguyen Minh wants to control but Cervantes is keeping him busy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cervantes tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Lee Nguyen Minh wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Cervantes might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Cervantes sneaks back into half guard.

Lee Nguyen Minh decides to stand and escape the position.
Lee Nguyen Minh closes this distance looking for a takedown but Cervantes circles away.
Derrick Cervantes has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bruce Lee Nguyen Minh.
No luck for Lee Nguyen Minh with that takedown attempt.
Lee Nguyen Minh is breathing heavily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cervantes shoots in for a takedown but Lee Nguyen Minh shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.

Cervantes tries to sprawl but Lee Nguyen Minh drives through with a takedown into half guard.
The fighters are battling for position here. Cervantes manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Connects with an elbow from the bottom, proving to the judges that he's still active off his back.
Cervantes bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Lee Nguyen Minh's guard.

Lee Nguyen Minh is trying to control the position but Cervantes postures up.

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

Cervantes gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cervantes fails with the takedown.
Lee Nguyen Minh tries for a takedown but Cervantes sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

Cervantes fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Lee Nguyen Minh to the ground. Cervantes is now in Lee Nguyen Minh's guard.
Lee Nguyen Minh is looking to stand back up... there's a bit of a scramble and Cervantes dives into side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Lee Nguyen Minh tries to bench press Cervantes off him but Cervantes keeps the position.
Cervantes trying to control the action but Lee Nguyen Minh is working from the bottom.

Cervantes has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cervantes tries to clinch up.
Lee Nguyen Minh misses with a double jab

and Cervantes counters with a shoot takedown. Lee Nguyen Minh fights it but they end up in guard.
Cervantes working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Cervantes could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Cervantes sitting in guard, not really doing much.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Cervantes wanted to stand there but Lee Nguyen Minh had control of the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Derrick Cervantes dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Derrick Cervantes's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Lee Nguyen Minh throws a shot from downtown. Cervantes moves away and avoids it.
Cervantes finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.

Cervantes shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Lee Nguyen Minh is trying to defend but Cervantes finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Lee Nguyen Minh is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Cervantes's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Cervantes's back!
Cervantes tries to roll but Lee Nguyen Minh sticks to his back.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cervantes is working hard here to advance position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cervantes trying to control but he's just got himself in more trouble.
Cervantes is really stuck here.
Lee Nguyen Minh biding his time, looking for the opening.
Lee Nguyen Minh controlling well, preventing Cervantes from escaping the position.
Derrick Cervantes overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Lee Nguyen Minh lands a shot to the head.
Lee Nguyen Minh just keeping the dominant position. He can't wait too long though, otherwise the referee will stand them back up.
Cervantes tries to break free.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cervantes is taking damage to the body and head.
The crowd hopeful of a finish here - Lee Nguyen Minh's supporters are on their feet, screaming for him to go for the rear naked choke.
Cervantes is trying to remain composed but Lee Nguyen Minh is hammering down strikes to the side of his head.
Lee Nguyen Minh is trying to stick to Cervantes's back but Cervantes is turning into Lee Nguyen Minh. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Lee Nguyen Minh's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Cervantes.
Lee Nguyen Minh wants to sweep here but Cervantes controlling him for the moment.
Cervantes lands a couple of digs.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lee Nguyen Minh is trying to control the position but Cervantes postures up.
Cervantes would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Cervantes is fighting to break Lee Nguyen Minh's control of his arms but Lee Nguyen Minh is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.

Lee Nguyen Minh looking for a guillotine here but Cervantes defends easily.

Cervantes stands up and waves to Lee Nguyen Minh to follow him.

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.
Lee Nguyen Minh throws a right hand that Cervantes ducks under and follows up with a left that Cervantes also avoids with ease.
Lee Nguyen Minh loads up on a big right hand but Cervantes slips the punch.
Lee Nguyen Minh misses with a two punch combination.
Cervantes swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Lee Nguyen Minh shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Cervantes defends it nicely.
As Lee Nguyen Minh looks to move away, Cervantes throws a big counter combo but Lee Nguyen Minh just gets out of the way.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Cervantes throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Lee Nguyen Minh wants to clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
Bruce Lee Nguyen Minh comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Cervantes has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Ben Hemmingworth scores the fight 29:28
Judge Damien Edna scores the fight 29:28
Judge Winston Howard scores the fight 29:29

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Derrick Cervantes!