PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Erick Souza (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Guy Laliberte (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Souza
vs
Laliberte

196 cm
20
289 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

190 cm
20
251 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Basic striking
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Solid chin

Aspire Clothing

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 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Erick Souza!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Guy Laliberte!
The judges for this bout are Bruno Hogan, Ben Watson and Eliza Hachem.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Laliberte scores with a jab to the body.
Laliberte connects with a looping right hand.
A head kick misses from Laliberte.
Souza feinted with a counter takedown.
Laliberte lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Souza goes for a double leg but Laliberte avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Laliberte continues to drive forward.
Souza thows a leg kick but Laliberte checks it
and Laliberte counters with a nice kick to the body.
Laliberte feints and then cracks Souza's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Souza down.
Souza tries to close the distance and clinch up but Laliberte swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Souza throws the left hand but Laliberte avoids the punch easily.
Laliberte fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Souza looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Souza blocks a head kick by Laliberte.
Souza steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Laliberte. That one must have hurt.
We've been hearing reports that Souza has been drilling takedowns in recent sessions so let's see if that has an impact on the result of this fight.
Souza is breathing heavily.
Souza on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Laliberte sizes up Souza with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Souza fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Laliberte is out of range.
Souza thows a leg kick but Laliberte checks it
and Laliberte counters with a straight right hand.

Souza is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Laliberte's half guard.
Souza is taking a breather. Laliberte says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Laliberte is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Souza is thwarting Laliberte's attempts to control the position.
Laliberte keeping control of the position.
Laliberte is looking to control Souza's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Laliberte avoid being mounted?

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Laliberte tries to roll over but Souza keeps him under control.
Souza with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Souza trying to mount his opponent but Laliberte defends it.
Laliberte tries to kick Souza off but Souza keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Laliberte fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Souza.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Laliberte connects with a leg kick. Souza looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Laliberte lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
A kick lands to the mid section there for Laliberte.
Souza tries to clinch there but Laliberte circles away.
Souza misses the shot to the body.
Laliberte turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Laliberte scores with a slapping inside leg kick.

Laliberte moves into the clinch.
The referee is keeping an eye on Souza - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.

Laliberte breaks the clinch.

Souza closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Laliberte's guard.
Laliberte has Souza pulled in close to control his posture.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Laliberte is trying to control the position but Souza postures up.
Laliberte can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Souza controls the pace.
Souza is standing up over Laliberte. Laliberte looks to escape but Souza dives into side control.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Laliberte is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Souza asserts his dominance and retains side control.

Souza tries for a kimura but Laliberte is defending well.
Souza scores with punches from side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Guy Laliberte dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Souza looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Laliberte is fending him off so far but Souza persists. Nope, Laliberte circles away and we're back to standing.
Laliberte explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.
Laliberte has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Laliberte connects with a leg kick. Souza looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Laliberte blocks a jab.
Laliberte throws out a counter right but Souza avoids it with no problem.
Souza ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Souza attempts a counter takedown but Laliberte avoids it well and moves away.
Laliberte moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Laliberte is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Souza misses with an uppercut
and Laliberte counters with a nice uppercut.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Souza closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Souza lands in his opponent's guard.
Souza is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Souza trying to control but Laliberte is working from the bottom.
Souza advances position into side control!
Laliberte trying his best to control but Souza has mounted him.
Souza controlling his opponent.
Laliberte tries to hold on but Souza postures up.
Souza with the ground and pound from mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Laliberte tries to hold on but Souza pushes him away.
Souza content just to control the position here.
Laliberte is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.
Souza controlling the pace for now.
Laliberte sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Souza is nestled in close to Laliberte, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Souza controlling the action here.
Souza thows a huge punch but Laliberte dodges it nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Souza stalling.

Souza is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Souza is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Souza perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Souza slips a nice elbow through Laliberte's hands, connecting with Laliberte's forehead.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Laliberte throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Souza perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Souza with the ground and pound but Laliberte uses the opportunity to regain guard.
Souza trying to control but Laliberte is working from the bottom.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Souza is stalling in the full guard.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Souza 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.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Laliberte! But no joy.
Guy Laliberte is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Laliberte fakes the leg kick and cracks Souza in the body.
Souza is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Laliberte bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.
Souza will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Laliberte is trying to counter with his kicks.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Erick Souza will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Laliberte with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Laliberte throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
Erick Souza seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Souza closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Souza throws a low kick, looking for Laliberte's leg but Laliberte calmly moves out of range.
Souza shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Souza throws a low kick, looking for Laliberte's leg but Laliberte calmly moves out of range.
Souza takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Souza will be looking to protect his midsection after taking some solid kicks to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Laliberte defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Souza.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Souza throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Laliberte showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Souza.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Laliberte wants to clinch up but Souza keeps it at a distance.
Souza feinted with a counter takedown.
A left lands for Laliberte.
Souza with a lazy takedown attempt
enabling Laliberte to counter with a crisp jab.
Laliberte misses with a double jab.
Laliberte misses with a head kick.
Laliberte checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Laliberte connects with a jab.
Laliberte fails with an attempt to clinch.
Laliberte displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Souza throws out the jab.
Erick Souza is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Souza swings for the body but Laliberte moves out of range.
Laliberte was about to counter that last move with a leg kick but changes his mind.
A solid leg kick lands there for Laliberte.
Souza tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Laliberte paws at him with a jab and circles away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Souza misses with a straight left.
Souza misses with a low kick.
Souza moves out of the way of the counter high kick fromLaliberte.
Souza takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Laliberte throws a body kick that misses.
Souza tries to counter with a takedown but Laliberte is quick to defend against it.
The step up in weight doesn't seem to be a problem for Laliberte. He's performing admirably here against the bigger man.

Souza shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Laliberte's guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Souza looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Laliberte wants to control but Souza passes easily into half guard.
Laliberte wants to improve his position but Souza is controlling well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Laliberte blocking the ground and pound attempt from Souza.
Souza stalling.
Laliberte keeping control of the position.
Laliberte tries to kick Souza off but Souza keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

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.
Laliberte is looking to control Souza's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Laliberte avoid being mounted?
Souza seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Laliberte does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Souza controlling the action here.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Laliberte throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Laliberte swats away the attempt to clinch by Souza.
Laliberte has done a lot of speed work in the buildup to this fight.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Laliberte slips a jab and a cross from Souza.
Souza walks into a straight right hand from Laliberte.
Laliberte scores with a decent looking hook.

And that's the end of the fight!
Guy Laliberte comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Laliberte has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 28:29
Judge Ben Watson scores the fight 27:30
Judge Eliza Hachem scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Guy Laliberte!