PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Dylan Joseph (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Lyoto Machida (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The atmosphere really building for this one as we go over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Joseph
vs
Machida

168 cm
18
193 lbs
3 - 6 - 0

190 cm
21
184 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

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 3 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Dylan Joseph!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Lyoto Machida!
The judges for this bout are Emerson Jorge, Alexandre Firmino and Thiago Cunha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Joseph gets caught flat footed, as Machida shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Joseph looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Machida must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Machida with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Machida has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Joseph is proving hard to escape from.
Joseph trying to control the position.

Joseph looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Machida passes into side control.

Machida stands up and beckons Joseph to his feet.

Machida shoots in and gets a takedown into Joseph's guard.

Joseph kicks Machida off and gets to his feet.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Joseph keeps the fight on the outside.

Joseph takes the fight into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Joseph struggles to land a body shot inside as Machida controls his hands.
Machida keeps control of Joseph as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
A frustrated look appears on Joseph's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Joseph wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Machida has him pressed against the cage.

Joseph pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Machida scores with a takedown into Joseph's guard.
Joseph is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Machida trying to control here.

Machida looking for submissions off his back.
Joseph could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Joseph scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Joseph throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Machida is trying to stand back up but Joseph is controlling him
Joseph working Machida over with strikes.
Joseph looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Machida with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Ground and pound from Joseph.
Machida tries to get to full guard but Joseph has control of the leg.
Machida is trying to stand.
Joseph slips a nice elbow through Machida's hands, connecting with Machida's forehead.
Joseph lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Joseph winds up and cracks Machida with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Joseph looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Machida with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Joseph not landing any meaningful shots this time.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Joseph lands a nice short elbow.
Joseph is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Joseph looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Machida with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Machida looks winded!
Machida trying to control but Joseph postures up.

Joseph is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Machida defends it well.
Machida on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Joseph lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Machida is looking for a sweep. Joseph is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Machida is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Joseph thows a huge punch but Machida dodges it nicely.
Machida is looking to improve his position.
Joseph lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Ground and pound from Joseph.
Joseph scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Joseph is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Joseph lands strikes from half guard.
Machida controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.
Joseph 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.
Joseph working Machida over with strikes.
Machida is looking for a sweep. Joseph is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Joseph is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Machida is looking for a sweep. Joseph is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dylan Joseph dominated that round.
That's time! Joseph's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Machida misses with a combination
and Joseph counters with a straight punch to the midsection.

Machida closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Joseph quickly recovers to half guard.
Dylan Joseph overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Machida prevents Joseph from improving his position.
Joseph is not content to let Machida control the position.
Joseph tries to get to full guard but Machida has control of the leg.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Joseph is trying to maintain the position but Machida is very close to passing his half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Joseph is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Machida wants to control but Joseph is keeping him busy.
Joseph is looking for a sweep. Machida is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Machida passes to full mount!
Joseph is trying to escape the mount.
Joseph might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Machida with a couple of short strikes.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Joseph regains half guard.
Joseph is trying to stand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Machida decides to stand and escape the position.
Joseph steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Machida. That one must have hurt.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Joseph throws a hook but Machida avoids it easily.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Machida!

It looks like Dylan Joseph has been cut.
Lyoto Machida is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Joseph closes the distance and clinches.
Machida managing to block the knees to the body from Joseph.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Machida is struggling to control the position.
Nice body punch from Machida.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A right hook to the body lands for Joseph.
Machida lands a good knee to the midsection. Joseph won't want to take too many of those.

Machida decides to pull guard.
Machida is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Joseph working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

Machida throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Joseph avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Joseph landing with the ground and pound.

Joseph thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Joseph's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Joseph is working Machida over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Joseph postures up and lands a big shot to Machida's brow.
Machida has momentary wrist control but Joseph slips an elbow through the middle.
Joseph postures up and lands a big shot to Machida's brow.
Joseph scoring with punches to the head and body.
Joseph scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Joseph is in close to Machida's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Joseph lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Joseph working some strikes from top position.
Joseph lands a couple of digs.
Machida looking for a sweep. Not yet Machida, not yet.
Joseph scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Lyoto Machida will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Dylan Joseph's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Joseph drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Joseph is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Machida can do to turn this around?
Check out the look on Joseph's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Machida is trying to control Joseph's posture but Joseph avoids it.
Joseph creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.
Joseph scoring with punches and elbows.
Joseph takes a little break here. Machida wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.
Joseph working the head and body with strikes.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Machida taking a bit of punishment here - Joseph scoring with strikes.
Joseph works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Joseph scoring with punches and elbows.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Machida struggling a bit here.
Machida takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Joseph looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Joseph trying to control the position but Machida is working away.
Machida takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Joseph scores with punches from side control.
Joseph working away.
Machida is trying to get back to half guard.

Joseph tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Joseph connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Machida some visible discomfort.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
You can see the frustration on Machida's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Machida takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.

Joseph looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Joseph works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Check out the look on Joseph's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Joseph wants to lay and pray for a moment but Machida keeps working.
Joseph working away.

Joseph looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Joseph landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Joseph working away.
Joseph in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Joseph scores with a couple of short elbows.
Machida is being controlled here.
Joseph working the body and head with strikes.
Machida is trying to escape the position but Joseph is controlling the position.
Machida takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Joseph working the ground and pound.
Machida struggling a bit here.
Joseph working the ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Machida on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
You can see the frustration on Machida's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Joseph lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Joseph in side control lands a decent elbow.
Joseph works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.

Joseph stands up and we're back to a striking position.

Joseph closes the distance and pushes Machida back into the cage.

Machida is trying to trip Joseph. He has hold of a leg but Joseph is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Machida persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Joseph preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Joseph wants to sweep here but Machida controlling him for the moment.
Joseph manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Machida manages to get himself to full guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Dylan Joseph showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Joseph 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 Emerson Jorge scores the fight 30:28
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 29:28
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Dylan Joseph!