PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Gabriel Azevedo Souza (ranked 423 p4p, 52 weight class) and Ruben Nevez (ranked 608 p4p, 75 weight class). I don't know about you partner, but I'm pumped for this one!

Azevedo Souza
vs
Nevez

174 cm
26
149 lbs
6 - 0 - 0

175 cm
26
155 lbs
9 - 1 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter fighter
Cardio machine

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

ZZ POPS

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the lightweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Gabriel Azevedo Souza!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 1 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Ruben Nevez!
The judges for this bout are Peter Branson, David Hoff and Daniel Franklin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nevez misses with a lunging right hand
and Azevedo Souza counters with a left to the body.
Nevez's coach down at Island Safe Space was telling us pre-fight that they have been working on Nevez's balance. Obviously they view that as a key factor in the outcome of this fight.
Nevez lands with a cross.
A looping hook to the body misses from Azevedo Souza. Nevez does a little dance to reset his feet.
It seemed like Nevez was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Nevez ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Nevez looks to land a left hand but Azevedo Souza moved out of range nicely.
Azevedo Souza seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.

Azevedo Souza closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Azevedo Souza lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Azevedo Souza blocks an uppercut.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Nevez.
Azevedo Souza misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Azevedo Souza's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Nevez throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Azevedo Souzas head.
Azevedo Souza throws a punch but it's blocked by Nevez.
Nevez lands a left hand that snaps the head of Azevedo Souza backwards.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Nevez swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Nevez misses with some punches.
Nevez fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Nevez.
Azevedo Souza misses with a hook to the ribs.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Azevedo Souza breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Azevedo Souza misses with an uppercut.
Nevez swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Azevedo Souza misses with a series of wild punches.
Nevez looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Azevedo Souza tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Nevez manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Azevedo Souza connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.

Azevedo Souza tries to keep at a distance but Nevez has taken the fight into the clinch.
Nevez misses with a punch on the inside.
A short right from Nevez.
Nevez misses with a hook from the clinch.
Azevedo Souza blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Nevez lands a body punch.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Azevedo Souza.

Azevedo Souza breaks from the clinch.
Nevez lands a jab to the nose.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Azevedo Souza tries to clinch up.
Nevez let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.
Nevez takes a shot right to the bread basket.
This has been an exciting period of action!
A big left from Nevez misses.

Nevez has Azevedo Souza up against the cage in a clinch.
Azevedo Souza throws a head punch that misses.
A head punch on the inside from Nevez fails to land.
Nevez blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Azevedo Souza misses with a short punch on the inside.
A head punch on the inside from Azevedo Souza fails to land.
Azevedo Souza blocks a body shot from Nevez.

Azevedo Souza pulls guard effortlessly.

Nevez stands and steps away. Azevedo Souza gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.

Azevedo Souza tries to keep at a distance but Nevez has taken the fight into the clinch.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Azevedo Souza.
Azevedo Souza tries to pull guard but Nevez forces him back to his feet, against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Azevedo Souza blocks an uppercut.
Azevedo Souza lands a nice uppercut.
Azevedo Souza tries to pull guard but Nevez holds him up against the cage and eventually Azevedo Souza drops back down to his feet.
Nevez pushes Azevedo Souza back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Nevez misses with a short punch on the inside.
Azevedo Souza lands a body shot in the clinch.
Azevedo Souza misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Nevez pushes Azevedo Souza back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Nevez blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Nevez.
Nevez can't find room to land a body shot as Azevedo Souza controls the action.
Azevedo Souza jumps guard but Nevez turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Gabriel Azevedo Souza. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Azevedo Souza pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Azevedo Souza swinging wildly here.
Nevez lands a nice shot to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Azevedo Souza uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Nevez.
Azevedo Souza throwing a counter right hand but Nevez manages to avoid it.
Azevedo Souza blocks a jab.
Azevedo Souza was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
Nevez misses with a body shot.
Nevez lands with a good body shot.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Nevez misses with a looping right.
Nevez bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Nevez connects with a crisp jab.
Azevedo Souza takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Nevez walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Azevedo Souza wants to clinch.
Nevez keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Azevedo Souza.
Azevedo Souza slips a jab from Nevez.
A little feinted left hand from Azevedo Souza on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ruben Nevez dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Nevez works Azevedo Souza's body with a nice hook.
Azevedo Souza misses with a looping right.
Azevedo Souza swings for the body but Nevez moves out of range.
Nevez looks to land a right hand but Azevedo Souza moved out of range.
Azevedo Souza throws a poor cross that misses
and Nevez cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Azevedo Souza throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Nevez fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Azevedo Souza manages to avoid it.
Azevedo Souza scores with a shot to the body.
Azevedo Souza misses the shot to the body.
Nevez staying out of range there.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nevez looks to score with a jab to the body but Azevedo Souza is just out of range.
Nevez waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Azevedo Souza.
Ruben Nevez seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A slow jab from Nevez misses its intended target.
Azevedo Souza was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Nevez throws a lazy uppercut
and Azevedo Souza makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nevez cracks Azevedo Souza with an open hand slap.
Nevez ducks under a wild hook from Azevedo Souza.
Azevedo Souza throws a jab but it's blocked by Nevez.
Azevedo Souza uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Nevez.
Nevez lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Azevedo Souza circles away quickly and effectively.
Nevez throws a right and a left that both miss.
An attempted straight right counter from Azevedo Souza misses the target.
Nevez misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Azevedo Souza.
Nevez waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Azevedo Souza.
Nevez's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Azevedo Souza connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Nevez scrambles back to his feet.
Azevedo Souza misses with a straight left.

Nevez has closed the distance and engaged Azevedo Souza in a clinch.
Azevedo Souza jumps guard but Nevez stands there with Azevedo Souza around his waist. Azevedo Souza gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Nevez blocks an uppercut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Azevedo Souza lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Nevez works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Azevedo Souza swings away with an uppercut that misses.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Azevedo Souza misses with a punch on the inside.
Nevez throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Nevez tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Nevez is leaning against Azevedo Souza and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Nevez lands with a short shot to the head.
Nevez misses with a punch to the body.
Azevedo Souza doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Nevez blocks a body shot from Azevedo Souza.

Azevedo Souza pulls guard.
Both fighters have adopted an aggressive gameplan on the ground!
Nevez has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Azevedo Souza is proving hard to escape from.

Azevedo Souza is looking for a triangle but Nevez pushes his legs off easily.
Nevez has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

Azevedo Souza has managed to work for a loose triangle. I think Nevez should be able to defend this one pretty easily though. Oh, Azevedo Souza has tightened it up now! Nevez should have reacted faster there - he's in big trouble and yes, he's tapped out! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:59 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle). Gabriel Azevedo Souza!
Gabriel Azevedo Souza retains his lightweight title!
A relieved looking Gabriel Azevedo Souza thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.