PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Marcelo Barbosa (ranked 1496 p4p, 87 weight class) and Cahal Jefferson (ranked 2405 p4p, 132 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Barbosa
vs
Jefferson

165 cm
25
137 lbs
13 - 9 - 0

150 cm
27
142 lbs
9 - 9 - 1

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 13 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Marcelo Barbosa!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 9 - 1, fighting out of London, Cahal Jefferson!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, Don Winkell and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Barbosa fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Barbosa ducks right into an uppercut from Jefferson.
Barbosa throws a body punch but Jefferson moves out of range.
Barbosa defending well as Jefferson loads up on a big left hand.
Nice shot by Barbosa.
Jefferson thumps Barbosa with a low kick.
Barbosa throws a head kick but Jefferson moves out of range.
Jefferson swinging wildly here.

Barbosa forces Jefferson back against the cage and clinches.
Barbosa misses with the head strike.

Jefferson breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Jefferson walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Barbosa moves out of range of the body kick.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Barbosa cracks the inside of Jefferson's front leg.
A looping hook to the body misses from Barbosa. Jefferson does a little dance to reset his feet.
Barbosa missing with a left hand there. Jefferson was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Barbosa takes a swing at Jefferson's ribcage but misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jefferson lands a head kick. Barbosa smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Barbosa swings and misses with a hook to the body.
We can't be sure of the tactics at this early stage but we have heard that Jefferson has been working on his takedowns a lot in the buildup to the fight and we can only assume he's going to look to take this to the mat.
Barbosa's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Barbosa duly obliges.
Jefferson throws a low kick but Barbosa moves out of range easily.
Jefferson throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Barbosa bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Jefferson's head.
Barbosa is looking to wear down Jefferson with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Barbosa throws out a powerful jab.
Barbosa catches Jefferson with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Jefferson throws a chopping leg kick but Barbosa manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
A little feinted left hand from Barbosa on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Jefferson tries to land a front kick but Barbosa steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Barbosa ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Barbosa is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Jefferson pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
A telegraphed right hand from Jefferson misses the target.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Jefferson throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Jefferson misses with an uppercut.
A big right from Jefferson misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Barbosa dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Jefferson. That did some damage!
Barbosa scores with a shot to the body.
Barbosa throws a body shot but no joy.
Barbosa throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Jefferson.
Barbosa throws a right and a left that Jefferson avoids nicely.
Nice body kick from Barbosa.
Barbosa misses with a body shot.
A shot to the liver by Barbosa. Beautiful body shot.
Barbosa throws a body shot but no joy.
Jefferson misses with a looping left.
Jefferson throws a looping overhand right but Barbosa ducks down to avoid it.
Jefferson misses with a low kick as Barbosa jumps back.
Barbosa misses the shot to the body.
Barbosa looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Jefferson looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Jefferson swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Barbosa with a nice cross.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barbosa scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Barbosa misses with a body shot.
Barbosa avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Jefferson misses with a hook.
Barbosa misses with a few strikes there.
Barbosa fails with a takedown attempt.
Jefferson throws a jab when Barbosa was well out of range.
Barbosa moves out of range of the body kick from Jefferson.
Jefferson lands a jab to the head.
Barbosa scores with a nice strike.
Barbosa is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Barbosa misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Jefferson misses with a hook.
Jefferson pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Barbosa appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Barbosa throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Jefferson on the side of the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Barbosa slips a jab from Jefferson.
Jefferson throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Jefferson throws out a loose jab but Barbosa uses good head movement to avoid it.
Jefferson throws a lazy right hand but Barbosa sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Nice cross by Barbosa.
Jefferson throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Barbosa scores with a hook to the body. Jefferson takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Jefferson uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Barbosa.
Jefferson connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Barbosa lands a nice shot to the body.
Barbosa is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
Barbosa ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Barbosa fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Jefferson is looking to land body kicks.
Barbosa throws a body punch but Jefferson moves out of range.
Barbosa throws a head kick but Jefferson moves out of range.
Jefferson looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Marcelo Barbosa dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Jefferson misses with an uppercut.
Barbosa throws a body shot but no joy.
Barbosa throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Jefferson.
Jefferson throws a shot from downtown. Barbosa moves away and avoids it.
Barbosa uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Jefferson.
Barbosa is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Jefferson can do to turn this around?
Jefferson misses with an uppercut.
Barbosa appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Jefferson stuffs the takedown.
It seemed like Jefferson was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Jefferson scores with a punch to the head.
A head kick by Barbosa misses
and Jefferson counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Jefferson is really struggling to land any decent head shots against his taller opponent.
Barbosa scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Jefferson doesn't seem bothered though.
Barbosa ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Jefferson throws a hook but Barbosa avoids it easily.
Barbosa clobbers Jefferson with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Barbosa uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Jefferson.
Barbosa just misses with a punch to the body.
Jefferson throws out a counter right but Barbosa avoids it with no problem.
Jefferson looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jefferson jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Jefferson misses with a hook. Barbosa ducked under it nicely.
Jefferson throws a leg kick but Barbosa moved away.
Marcelo Barbosa is winning the standup battle so far.
Jefferson walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Barbosa moves out of range of the strikes.
A telegraphed right hand from Jefferson misses the target.
Barbosa appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Barbosa pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Jefferson throws a jab but it's blocked by Barbosa.
A swing and a miss from Jefferson.
Barbosa uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Jefferson.
Barbosa feinted with a counter takedown.
Barbosa fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Jefferson misses with a head kick.
Barbosa fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Barbosa lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Some wild striking there from Barbosa.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Jefferson missing with a left hand there. Barbosa was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Jefferson looks to throw the jab but Barbosa is out of range.
Barbosa tries to counter with a takedown but Jefferson is quick to defend against it.
A shot to the liver by Barbosa. Beautiful body shot.
Barbosa misses the shot to the body.
Nice jab there from Jefferson.
Barbosa throws a shot to the body.
An inside leg kick lands from Jefferson.
Good exchange - Jefferson coming out on top.
Barbosa throws a lazy right hand but Jefferson sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Jefferson misses with an uppercut. Barbosa saw that one coming.
Barbosa's corner calls for a 1-2. Barbosa obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Barbosa works over Jefferson's head and body with a nice combination.
Barbosa swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Barbosa looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Barbosa works over Jefferson's head and body with a nice combination.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barbosa will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Jefferson throws a looping overhand right but Barbosa ducks down to avoid it.
Barbosa uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Jefferson.
Jefferson throws a big shot that misses.
Barbosa tries to counter with a takedown but Jefferson is quick to defend against it.
Barbosa throws a series of punches but Jefferson moves out of range.
Barbosa throws a head kick but Jefferson moves out of range.
Barbosa misses with a body shot.
Barbosa misses with a body shot.
Jefferson connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Barbosa's hands.
Barbosa swings for the body but Jefferson moves out of range.
Jefferson waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Barbosa.
Barbosa thuds his right hand into Jefferson's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
A shot to the liver by Barbosa. Beautiful body shot.
Barbosa moves out of range as Jefferson strikes.
Barbosa half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Barbosa wants to clinch up but Jefferson keeps it at a distance.
Barbosa tests Jefferson's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Jefferson misses with a kick to the body.
Barbosa misses with a body shot.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Jefferson throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Good standup being displayed there by Barbosa as he connects with a hook.
Jefferson slips a straight right by Barbosa.
Jefferson scores with a jab. Barbosa acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Barbosa's jab looks to have found its range, popping Jefferson under the eye.
Jefferson has a pretty nasty looking mouse under his right eye.
Jefferson throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Jefferson keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Jefferson slaps away a takedown attempt from Barbosa, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Barbosa lands a body shot.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Marcelo Barbosa will probably get the nod.
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!

Jefferson misses with a low kick.
Jefferson misses with a low kick.

Barbosa moves into the clinch.
Barbosa lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.

Jefferson breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
A thudding body kick lands there by Jefferson!
Barbosa misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Jefferson.
Barbosa takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Jefferson keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Barbosa blocks a jab.
Barbosa throws a front kick that sends Jefferson stumbling back into the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Barbosa lands a jab to Jefferson's midsection.

Barbosa closes the distance and clinches.

Barbosa pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Barbosa misses with a head kick.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Jefferson walks into a stiff left hand from Barbosa.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jefferson looks to score with a jab to the body but Barbosa is just out of range.
Jefferson thows a left - swing and a miss!
Jefferson looks to land a left hand but Barbosa moved out of range nicely.
Barbosa lands a jab to the nose.
A jab from Jefferson misses.
Jefferson waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Barbosa.
Barbosa misses with a jab to the body
and Barbosa takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Jefferson connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Jefferson uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Barbosa.
A looping hook to the body misses from Barbosa. Jefferson does a little dance to reset his feet.
Jefferson scores with a sloppy right hand. Barbosa should have avoided that one.
Jefferson shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Barbosa lands a jab.
Jefferson has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Jefferson there as he acknowledges the shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Barbosa throws a body shot but no joy.
Nice body punch from Barbosa.
Jefferson throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Barbosa blocks a jab.
Barbosa changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Jefferson throws an overhand right that lands on Barbosa's shoulder, as Barbosa tries to avoid the shot.
Barbosa moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Jefferson takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Jefferson drops his hands momentarily and Barbosa takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
A telegraphed right hand from Jefferson misses the target.
Jefferson lands a right hook to the body.
Barbosa tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Jefferson was well out of range. Poor timing from Barbosa.

Barbosa closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Jefferson is trying to get back to his feet.
Barbosa is looking to take a break and control but Jefferson is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

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

Barbosa has worked his way into a potential kimura here. Jefferson is trying to get out of the position but his squirming has just got him deeper into trouble. Barbosa yanks on the arm and Jefferson is forced to tap due to a very painful looking submission! Nice work by Barbosa.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:35 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Marcelo Barbosa!
In defeat, Cahal Jefferson stepped up to the mic, saying 'WHY YOU GOTTA BEAT UP ON A MIDGET?!'.