PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Fernando Pergolini (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mike Diaz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Pergolini comes to the cage accompanied by Primal Fear - Sign of fear. This should be fireworks!

Pergolini
vs
Diaz

176 cm
20
180 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

185 cm
22
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Intelligent

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Fernando Pergolini!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Mike Diaz!
The judges for this bout are , Timothy Bukovac and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pergolini misses with a wild combination.
Pergolini ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Diaz moves away.
Pergolini throws a chopping leg kick but Diaz manages to avoid taking any serious damage.

Diaz looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Pergolini!
Pergolini prevents Diaz from taking his back.
Diaz landing strikes from the mount and Pergolini is in trouble!
Diaz has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Pergolini is breathing heavily.
Pergolini wants to get back to his feet.
Diaz connects with a couple of good shots from mount.

Diaz looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Diaz content just to control the position here.

Diaz has hold of Pergolini's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Pergolini manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pergolini is trying to get back to his feet but can't.
Pergolini knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Diaz on the ground.
Diaz postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Pergolini looks a forlorn figure.
Pergolini is in a horrible position here. Diaz smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Diaz takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Diaz scores with a couple of good head shots there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Diaz looking to control and managing it successfully.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Diaz working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Diaz takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Diaz fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Diaz stands up from the dominant position, so we're back on the feet.
Pergolini walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.

Diaz shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Diaz controlling the action here.
Pergolini pushes Diaz off looking to stand but Diaz dives back in and keeps control.

Diaz stands up out of the half guard.

Diaz closes the distance and pushes Pergolini back into the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pergolini is looking to break free of the clinch but Diaz has double underhooks.
Diaz's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Pergolini has had enough of the clinch but Diaz keeps him there for the moment.
Pergolini wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Diaz wants a takedown.
Pergolini is trying to break the clinch but Diaz has him pressed against the cage.

Pergolini manages to break the clinch.
Diaz tries to clinch up.

Diaz drives through with a takedown into guard.
Pergolini wants to stand but Diaz is controlling the position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Diaz lands a couple of digs.
Pergolini is looking to stand up but Diaz isn't so interested in that idea.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mike Diaz dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Diaz tries to clinch but Pergolini is having none of it.

Diaz shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Diaz was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Diaz takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Pergolini is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.

Diaz jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Pergolini manages to avoid the submission attempt.
Pergolini is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Diaz asserts his dominance and retains side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Diaz tries for a kimura but Pergolini is defending well.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Diaz is looking to take a break and control but Pergolini is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Mike Diaz has got the better of the ground game so far.
Pergolini is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Diaz has just dragged him back down to the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Pergolini tries to get back to his feet but has found himself mounted instead. Damn, that's gotta suck.
Diaz sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Pergolini is trying to escape but when you're mounted that's not too easy.
Diaz tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.

Diaz looking to secure an arm triangle but Pergolini defends it well.
Pergolini wants to get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Diaz controlling from the full mount.
Diaz can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Pergolini is looking to escape.

Diaz is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Pergolini can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Pergolini is trying to stand but he's just given Diaz his back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Diaz has his hand under the chin of his opponent looking for the choke. He's nearly got it! This one could be all over! But no, Pergolini has freed his hand and lives to survive another… well, another couple of seconds at least!
Will Diaz go for the finish here or will he try and keep control of the position?
Pergolini has the hand control, trying to stop the rear naked choke.
Diaz just keeping the dominant position. He can't wait too long though, otherwise the referee will stand them back up.

Diaz working for a RNC but it's not happening just yet.
Diaz lands a punch that was close to the back of the head but the ref thinks it's OK.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mike Diaz showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Pergolini tries a head kick but it misses.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Diaz.
A lull in the action here as Diaz stalls from top position.
Pergolini is pushing Diaz's head away, looking to escape. Diaz manages to hold on to the position though.
Diaz is putting a hurting on Pergolini here, landing some big shots from side control.

Diaz tries for a kimura but Pergolini is defending well.
Diaz in side control lands a decent elbow.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Diaz has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Pergolini feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Diaz's calf.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Pergolini.

Diaz looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Pergolini!
Pergolini is trying to escape but when you're mounted that's not too easy.
Diaz tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Diaz lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Diaz is standing up out of mount! Strange tactic there - he must really want this one on the feet!
Diaz has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
A combination from Pergolini does no damage.
Pergolini throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Diaz shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Pergolini pinned against the cage. Pergolini gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Pergolini misses with a head kick.

Diaz shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Diaz was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Diaz lands a big shot there that rocks Pergolini but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Diaz controlling the pace for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Diaz is going olschool here, as he tries to force Pergolini to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Pergolini shrugs it off.

Diaz stands up from mount. Strange move.
Pergolini fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

Diaz gets in close and instigates a clinch.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Pergolini blocks an elbow strike.
Pergolini misses with a knee strike.
Pergolini wants to break the clinch but can't.
Knees to the body from Diaz.
Diaz tries to score a body lock takedown but Pergolini shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Diaz displaying some good clinch control by pressing Pergolini up against the cage.
Pergolini creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pergolini is trying to break free.

Diaz pulls guard effortlessly.
Diaz looking to control.
Diaz bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Pergolini's guard.
Diaz is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Diaz trying to control but Pergolini is working from the bottom.
Diaz scoring with punches to the head and body.
Pergolini is looking to stand up but Diaz isn't so interested in that idea.
Fernando Pergolini has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Mike Diaz is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mike Diaz comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Diaz winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 26:30
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 25:30
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 25:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mike Diaz!