PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Reno Delgado (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Thie Lion (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Thie Lion struggled to make weight for this fight. He only made it down to 146.1lbs at the first attempt and had to take the additional two hours to make the official bout weight. Let's see how much it's taken out of him. Thie Lion will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Delgado
vs
Lion

180 cm
23
150 lbs
7 - 3 - 0

193 cm
23
157 lbs
5 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Reno Delgado!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Thie Lion!
The judges for this bout are Luis Engracia, Daniel Cesar and Emerson Jorge.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Lion wants to clinch.
Delgado changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Lion tries to avoid it but Delgado manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Lion to the ground. Lion escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Lion doesn't manage to clinch there - Delgado circles away.

Delgado closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.

Lion actively working from the bottom here.
Lion pushes Delgado off looking to stand but Delgado dives back in and keeps control.

Delgado is trying to work for a kimura but Lion is defending well.

Delgado is working for a submission of some sort.
Lion is trying to stand back up but Delgado is controlling him

Lion looking for submissions off his back.

Delgado is looking for a kimura but Lion is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Delgado to get the leverage.
Delgado is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Lion on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Lion steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Delgado.
Lion is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Lion fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Delgado fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Lion is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Lion fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.

Lion closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Lion lands a knee to the head.

Delgado's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Delgado looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Lion plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Lion tries to close the distance and clinch up but Delgado swats him away and circles back towards the center.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lion wants to clinch up but Delgado keeps it at a distance.
Thie Lion seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Lion darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.

Delgado looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

Lion seems to be looking for submissions.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Lion wants to stand up but Delgado has a hold of him and won't allow it.

Lion is trying to work for a kimura but Delgado is defending well.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Delgado actively working from the bottom here.
Lion lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Lion decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.
Lion doesn't manage to clinch there - Delgado circles away.
Delgado throws a series of punches but Lion moves out of range.
Delgado avoids the head kick by Lion.
Lion is looking to clinch but Delgado is avoiding it.
Delgado shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Lion counters with a single leg into guard. Delgado didn't expect that.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Reno Delgado. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Lion trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

Delgado escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Lion gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Delgado might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

Delgado throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Lion escapes and throws Delgado's legs to the side, diving into side control!

Lion thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Delgado tries to get back to half guard but can't.

Lion looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Delgado is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Lion's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.

Delgado actively working from the bottom here.

Delgado looking for submissions off his back.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!

Lion is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Thie Lion dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Lion takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Lion throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Delgado's head.
Lion shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Delgado bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Delgado on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Delgado fails with the takedown.

Lion gets a clinch.
Lion pushes Delgado back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Lion prevents Delgado from breaking the clinch.
A right handed body shot lands from Lion.
Delgado takes a shot to the head.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Lion unloads a knee to the mid-section. Delgado lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Delgado is looking to break free of the clinch but Lion has double underhooks.
Delgado can't break the clinch.

Lion breaks the clinch.
Delgado swats away the attempt to clinch by Lion.

Lion pushes Delgado up against the cage in a clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Delgado breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Lion tries to clinch but Delgado is having none of it.
Lion tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Delgado shoots for a double leg takedown but Lion sprawls well. He's pushed Delgado's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Lion is looking to clinch but Delgado is avoiding it.
Lion lands a body shot.
Lion tries to close the distance and clinch up but Delgado swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Lion tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Lion lands a head kick. Delgado smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Lion doesn't manage to clinch there - Delgado circles away.

Lion fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Delgado sprawls well initially but Lion persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Lion tries to pass the half guard into mount. Delgado knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

Lion is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Delgado defends it well.

Lion is working for a submission of some sort.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Lion is looking for a kimura here.
The fighters are battling for position here. Delgado manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

Delgado working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Lion has passed into half guard!

Delgado looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

Lion stands, ready to strike. The ref makes him back up and allows Delgado to get to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Lion closes the distance and clinches.
Lion with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Lion lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Delgado can't break the clinch.
A body shot lands from Lion.
Delgado is looking to break free of the clinch but Lion has double underhooks.

Delgado manages to break the clinch.
Lion tries to clinch but Delgado is having none of it.
Lion is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Lion fails with an attempt to clinch.
Reno Delgado is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Lion slips a jab and a cross from Delgado.
Lion wants to clinch.
Delgado misses with a double jab.

That's four 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.
Delgado throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Lion tries to clinch but Delgado is having none of it.
Lion gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Delgado.
Lion tries to close the distance and clinch but Delgado swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Lion lands a head kick. Delgado smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Lion throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Delgado misses with the combination.
Delgado misses with a straight right.
Lion throws a looping overhand right but Delgado ducks down to avoid it.
Nice defenses there by Lion.

Lion gets a clinch.
Nice body punch from Lion - that landed with a thud.
Delgado tries to break the clinch but Lion is controlling the position.
Delgado wants to get back to striking at distance but Lion won't allow it.
Lion digs a right hand into Delgado's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Delgado's gas tank.
Delgado takes an elbow to the temple.

Lion lands a takedown into guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Thie Lion showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Delgado's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Lion changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Delgado looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Delgado sneaks back into half guard.
Thie Lion has got the better of the ground game so far.
Ground and pound from Lion.

Lion stands up out of the half guard.
Horrible takedown by Delgado or perhaps it was just good defense by Lion which made him look bad.
Lion is looking to clinch.
Delgado avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Delgado fails with a takedown attempt.
Lion doesn't manage to clinch there - Delgado circles away.
Lion staying out of range there.

Lion feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.

Delgado looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Delgado has a closed guard, preventing Lion from standing up.

Lion gets to his feet - Delgado follows without any prompting.
Lion swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Delgado closes this distance looking for a takedown but Lion circles away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Reno Delgado. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Lion darts in and clinches Delgado up against the cage.
Lion landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Delgado has had enough of the clinch but Lion keeps him there for the moment.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Lion creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Delgado wants to break free but Lion has control.
Delgado on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

Delgado breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Lion stuffs the takedown.
Lion tries to clinch up but Delgado circles away and keeps his distance.
Delgado dips to his left and cracks Lion with an uppercut!

Lion shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Delgado's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Lion avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

Delgado working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Lion doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Lion manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

Lion stands up and waves to Delgado to follow him.
Delgado misses with a two punch combination.

Delgado tries to keep at a distance but Lion has taken the fight into the clinch.
Delgado is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Lion pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Lion presses Delgado against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Delgado wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Lion lands a hook that snaps the head of Delgado backwards.
Lion lands a nice shot to the body.
Lion connects with a knee to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Delgado on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Delgado letting Lion take a breather here.
Delgado jumps guard but Lion stands there with Delgado around his waist. Delgado gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Lion using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.

Delgado's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Delgado swats away the attempt to clinch by Lion.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Delgado.

Delgado thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Lion is trying to get back to his feet.

Delgado is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Lion is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.

Delgado is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Lion has escaped the position, nice work there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Delgado tries for a kimura but Lion is defending well.

Delgado tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Delgado has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Lion pushes Delgado away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Delgado gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.

Delgado looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Lion wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!

And that's the end of the fight!
Thie Lion comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Lion has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Luis Engracia scores the fight 27:30
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 27:30
Judge Emerson Jorge scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Thie Lion!