|
|
PBP Commentary |
Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Joao Sousa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Michael Henry (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look pumped up here. Let's hope this is a good fight!
 |
|
 |
| 180 cm
18
160 lbs
1 - 1 - 0 |
|
172 cm
19
165 lbs
0 - 1 - 0 |
Powerful takedowns
Counter fighter
Very strong |
|
BJJ Brown Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut |
|
| |
|
Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of
1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Joao Sousa!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of
0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Michael Henry!
The judges for this bout are Chris Downing, George Francis and Stewart Dunkirk.
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Henry lands a jab.
Sousa has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.
Sousa tries to land a leg kick but Henry saw it coming and moves away.
The fight moves into the clinch position.
Sousa misses with a punch to the body.
Henry trying to stall but Sousa improves his position.
Sousa blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Henry has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Sousa avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Sousa fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Sousa misses with the head strike.
Sousa has a couple of punches blocked by Henry.
Henry is trying to break the clinch but Sousa is controlling him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Sousa.
Sousa gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Henry regains guard.
Henry keeping moving, preventing Sousa from controlling successfully.
Sousa looking to sit in guard and control but Henry gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Henry working his ground and pound in the gym. He isn't landing a great percentage of his ground strikes so far though.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Sousa looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Henry passes into half guard.
Sousa actively working from the bottom here.
Henry tries to pass the half guard into mount. Sousa knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Henry not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Sousa looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Henry wants to free his trapped foot but Sousa is holding on for dear life with his legs.
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.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Sousa trying to hold on to Henry's head to control him but Henry postures up.
Sousa looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Henry drops an elbow to the side of Sousa's head.
Sousa is looking to control Henry's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Sousa avoid being mounted?
Henry slips a nice elbow through Sousa's hands, connecting with Sousa's forehead.
Sousa is looking for a sweep. Henry is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Henry in particular looking to stall.
Sousa is looking for a sweep. Henry is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Sousa is concentrating on defense, preventing Henry from advancing position.
Sousa slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Henry trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Sousa is trying to control the position but Henry postures up.
Henry scoring with some ground and pound.
Sousa looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Henry is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Henry with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Henry trying to control but Sousa is working from the bottom.
Henry works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Sousa is looking to improve his position.
Sousa looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Sousa is not content to let Henry control the position.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Sousa is trying to control but can't.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.
A close round but Michael Henry will probably get the nod.
That's time! Sousa's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.
Sousa thows a leg kick but Henry checks it
and Henry connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Sousa throws a half hearted mid kick.
A slow jab from Henry misses its intended target.
Sousa throws a leg kick but Henry checks it.
Sousa does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Henry swats away the attempt to clinch by Sousa.
Henry throws out a counter right but Sousa avoids it with no problem.
Sousa misses with an uppercut.
Henry catches Sousa with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
It looks like Joao Sousa has been cut.
Sousa lands the left hand.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Henry throws a hook but Sousa avoids it easily.
Good shot there by Henry.
Nice cross by Henry.
Henry throws a right and a left that both miss.
Sousa tries to counter with a takedown but Henry is quick to defend against it.
Henry scores with a jab. Sousa acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Good standup being displayed there by Henry as he connects with a hook.
A cross from Henry lands.
Sousa does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Sousa tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Henry was well out of range. Poor timing from Sousa.
Sousa looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Sousa fails with a takedown attempt.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Henry! But no joy.
Henry fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Henry scores with a jab.
Henry misses with a jab, cross combination.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Henry gets tackled into the cage by Sousa. Sousa maintains the clinch.
Henry has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Sousa avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Sousa scores with a shot to the side of Henry's head.
Sousa stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Sousa has a couple of punches blocked by Henry.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Sousa lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Sousa lands a shot to the body.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Sousa.
A short right from Sousa on the inside.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Henry.
Sousa tries for a takedown. No joy.
Sousa pulls guard.
Sousa working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Henry doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Henry manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Sousa not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sousa keeping moving, preventing Henry from controlling successfully.
Sousa is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Henry defends well.
Sousa looking to control.
Sousa looking for a guillotine here but Henry defends easily.
Henry controlling from the top position.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Sousa is trying to control the position but Henry postures up.
Henry got a little sloppy there for a moment and Sousa has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Henry has managed to get both his arms back between Sousa's legs - danger averted.
Sousa working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Henry doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Henry manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Henry postures up and lands a big shot to Sousa's brow.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.
A close second round but Michael Henry will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Joao Sousa's cut.
That's time! Sousa's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!
Henry misses the jab.
Sousa instigates a clinch.
Henry wants the takedown. Sousa is fighting it off but Henry persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Sousa's guard against the cage.
Henry postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Sousa not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Henry trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Henry trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Henry trying to control the position from guard on top but Sousa is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sousa looking to control.
Sousa has his foot on Henry's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Henry works his way back into a safe position though.
Sousa throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Sousa looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Henry pushes down on Sousa's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Henry keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Sousa wants to get back to full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Henry is looking to take a break and control but Sousa is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Henry is working for a submission of some sort.
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.
Henry is trying to control the action in half guard but Sousa is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Henry prevents Sousa from improving his position.
The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Sousa fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Henry manages to avoid it.
A little jabbing left from Henry on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Henry misses with a left hand
and Sousa counters by clinching up.
Henry makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Sousa misses with a short punch on the inside.
Henry throws a punch but it's blocked by Sousa.
Sousa swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Henry wants to stall.
Henry gets a trip takedown into half guard.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Henry is trying to control the action in half guard but Sousa is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Henry wants to pass the guard but Sousa is defending well.
Henry wants to lay and pray for a moment but Sousa keeps working.
Henry trying to mount his opponent but Sousa defends it.
Sousa actively working from the bottom here.
Henry trying to control the pace.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Sousa is staying active underneath Henry, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Sousa is trying to control but can't.
Henry is keen to just control but Sousa is a slippery customer.
The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Henry uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Sousa.
Henry connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Sousa momentarily.
The fighters circle momentarily. Henry darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
The fighters circling - Henry throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Nice jab there from Henry.
Sousa takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Joao Sousa has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Henry tries to sprawl but Sousa drives through with a takedown into half guard.
And that's the end of the fight!
Michael Henry comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Henry winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Chris Downing scores the fight 27:30
Judge George Francis scores the fight 27:30
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 29:28
In favor of your winner, by split decision... Michael Henry!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| S |
C
A |
G |
S |
C
B |
G |
|
S |
C |
G |
|
energy
A | B |
|
hype
A | B |
|
pop
A | B |
|
mgr
A | B |
|
FIGHT
RATING
36% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
