PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Gustavo Carvalho (ranked 1545 p4p, 208 weight class) and Leonardo Florentino Ernesto Alvarez (ranked 6685 p4p, 619 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Carvalho
vs
Florentino Ernesto Alvarez

172 cm
28
165 lbs
9 - 7 - 0

180 cm
43
166 lbs
29 - 14 - 1

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

424 Co.
Humanoid Nutrition (160Q for 180$)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Gustavo Carvalho!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 29 - 14 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Leonardo Florentino Ernesto Alvarez!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Shimada, Hirohito Nitta and Yuuki Gou.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A jab from Carvalho misses.
No luck for Alvarez with that takedown attempt.
Carvalho fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Alvarez manages to avoid it.
Carvalho throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.

Alvarez shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Carvalho manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Carvalho is trying to keep Alvarez in close.

Carvalho looking for a guillotine here but Alvarez defends easily.

Alvarez got a little sloppy there for a moment and Carvalho has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Alvarez has managed to get both his arms back between Carvalho's legs - danger averted.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Carvalho looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Carvalho is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Alvarez defends well.

Carvalho throws his legs up looking for a submission but Alvarez uses it to pass to side control.

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

Alvarez closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Carvalho regains full guard. Nicely done.
Carvalho tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Carvalho looking for subs off his back but Alvarez has passed one foot through into half guard.
Alvarez content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Carvalho manages to get to full guard.

Carvalho is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Carvalho bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Alvarez's guard.

Carvalho trying to control but Alvarez is working from the bottom.

Alvarez is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Carvalho advances position into side control!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Carvalho cracks Alvarez with a big elbow.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Alvarez tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Carvalho wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

Carvalho goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Alvarez rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Carvalho's guard! Nice work there by Alvarez!

Carvalho looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Carvalho working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Alvarez.

Carvalho isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Alvarez stacks Carvalho on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Alvarez!
Carvalho is trying to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Alvarez tries to advance to mount but can't.

Alvarez stands up.
Carvalho tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Alvarez ducks under a wild hook from Carvalho.
Carvalho throws an ugly left hook that misses

and Alvarez counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Alvarez.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Alvarez connects with a couple of short punches.
Carvalho looking to control.

Carvalho throws his legs up looking for a submission but Alvarez uses it to pass to side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Leonardo Florentino Ernesto Alvarez dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Carvalho keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Carvalho thuds a left hand into Alvarez's body.
Alvarez will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Alvarez moves out of range of the leg kick from Carvalho.
Alvarez has a takedown stuffed.
Gustavo Carvalho has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Leonardo Florentino Ernesto Alvarez.
Alvarez with a poor takedown

and Carvalho counters with a takedown into side control.
Alvarez is looking to slip a leg under and get half guard but Carvalho is one step ahead and moves to full mount!
Carvalho lands a big elbow.
Carvalho controlling from mount.
Alvarez wants to improve position but instead he's given up his back.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Carvalho tries to keep control of the position but Alvarez is staying busy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Carvalho scores with some strikes to the side of the head there. Good, points scoring shots.
Alvarez tries to escape the position.
Alvarez wants to get back to his feet.
Carvalho is looking to control Alvarez but Alvarez is wriggling around and keeping busy.
Carvalho is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Alvarez is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Alvarez is covering up but some of the strikes from Carvalho are getting through and doing damage.
Carvalho punches Alvarez on the ear.
Alvarez is in a world of trouble here. He's outmatched on the ground here and he'd better get Carvalho off his back sharpish unless he wants to be submitted.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Carvalho is staying calm and holding on to the back position, whilst working on a rear naked choke. Alvarez is defending well though. Carvalho let's go of the attempt for now.
Carvalho wants to control but Alvarez is keeping busy.
Carvalho slows the pace down here. Having a little breather whilst he's in a dominant position, looking to rest and regain some energy, ready to go for the finish.
Carvalho tries to keep control of the position but Alvarez is staying busy.
Alvarez wants to escape the position.

Alvarez is displaying good submission defense - not really looking in danger of submitting to the rear naked choke at the moment. That could change in an instant of course if Carvalho gets his way!
Gustavo Carvalho overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Alvarez is trying to get back to his feet but Carvalho has full control of the position and if anything, Alvarez has just worked his way into a worse spot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Alvarez covering up well and avoiding damage.

Carvalho is looking for the choke from the back position but Alvarez is controlling his hands well.

Carvalho seems to be going for a rear naked choke. He has an arm under Alvarez's chin but Alvarez turns very nicely into Carvalho's guard. Good BJJ skills being displayed there by Alvarez.

Carvalho is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Alvarez won't allow Carvalho to sweep him here.

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

Alvarez stands up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Alvarez drives through with a takedown into guard.
Alvarez working some strikes from top position.
Alvarez working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Carvalho trying to keep a closed guard but Alvarez is proving a slippery customer.
Carvalho looking for a sweep. Not yet Carvalho, not yet.

Alvarez got a little sloppy there for a moment and Carvalho has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Alvarez has managed to get both his arms back between Carvalho's legs - danger averted.
Alvarez with a flurry of punches that miss.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gustavo Carvalho dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Alvarez ducks under a wild hook from Carvalho.
A clash of legs there as Alvarez blocks the low kick.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Alvarez.
Carvalho looked to counter that last move with a leg kick but didn't pull the trigger.
Alvarez thows a left - swing and a miss!
Carvalho looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Carvalho throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Alvarez takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Alvarez missing with a left hand there. Carvalho was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Carvalho throws a low kick but it's checked well by Alvarez.
Carvalho stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Carvalho wants it to stay on the feet.
Carvalho connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Carvalho goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
And Alvarez tries to counter it with a takedown but Carvalho pushes his down on his head and steps out.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

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

Carvalho has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Alvarez can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Carvalho not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Carvalho is looking for a triangle but Alvarez pushes his legs off easily.

Carvalho has his foot on Alvarez's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Alvarez works his way back into a safe position though.
Alvarez slips nicely into half guard.
Carvalho is trying to control but can't.
Carvalho wants to improve his position but Alvarez is controlling well.
Alvarez is trying to control the action in half guard but Carvalho is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

That's two 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.

Alvarez is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Carvalho trying to control here.

Carvalho is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Alvarez pulls his head out easily.
Alvarez perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Carvalho manages to get to full guard.

Carvalho looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Alvarez passes into half guard.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Alvarez lands a nice short elbow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Carvalho looking for submissions off his back.
Carvalho trying to control but Alvarez postures up.
Alvarez trying to control from half guard but Carvalho is working away.
Alvarez frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Carvalho is working to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Alvarez breaks from Carvalho's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Alvarez connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Carvalho working to try and regain half guard.
Carvalho is working hard here to advance position.
Alvarez tries to control but Carvalho wriggling away.
Carvalho is working to get back to half guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Alvarez working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.

And that's the end of the fight!
Leonardo Florentino Ernesto Alvarez comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Alvarez 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 Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 28:29
Judge Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 28:29
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Leonardo Florentino Ernesto Alvarez!
An out of breath Leonardo Florentino Ernesto Alvarez thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.