PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Yong Sheppard (ranked 23992 p4p, 0 weight class) and Edson Arantes (ranked 24993 p4p, 0 weight class). Edson Arantes looks lathargic as he enters the arena. Wake up son, you're about to have a fight!

Sheppard
vs
Arantes

217 cm
19
193 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

210 cm
25
175 lbs
0 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Granite 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 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Yong Sheppard!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Edson Arantes!
The judges for this bout are Emerson Jorge, Edson Gomes and Thiago Cunha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Arantes tried to score with a low kick but Sheppard checks it.
Sheppard seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.
Arantes looks really tired already! That doesn't bode well for a good, competitive fight!
Arantes throws out a leg kick but Sheppard moves out of range and Arantes only half commits.
Arantes goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Sheppard moves in looking to clinch but Arantes pushes him off.
Arantes shapes to counter with a head kick.
Arantes misses with a head kick.
Sheppard blocks a head kick by Arantes.
Sheppard connects with a looping right hand.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sheppard misses with a body kick.

Arantes gets caught flat footed, as Sheppard shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Arantes is looking to stand back up but Sheppard counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Arantes.

Sheppard lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sheppard lands strikes from half guard.
Sheppard is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Arantes taking some punishment here, with Sheppard in his half guard.
Sheppard lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Arantes can do anything to dispel that myth.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Sheppard connects with a nice short shot to Arantes's temple.
Sheppard 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.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sheppard looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Arantes with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Sheppard scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Sheppard content to control rather than advance.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Sheppard lands a nice short elbow.
Arantes really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Sheppard. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Arantes on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Sheppard winds up and cracks Arantes with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Nice strikes from Sheppard there.
Arantes is trying to escape back to his feet but Sheppard uses the scramble to pass into side control.
Arantes takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Sheppard decides to stand back up. Sheppard steps back and let's Arantes get back to his feet.
Sheppard goes for a double leg but Arantes avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Arantes continues to drive forward.
A slow jab from Sheppard misses its intended target.
Sheppard misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
No luck for Sheppard with that takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Yong Sheppard. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sheppard tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sheppard is looking to clinch.
Arantes shapes to counter with a head kick.
Arantes swats away the attempt to clinch by Sheppard.
Arantes counters with a body kick.
Arantes circles away from the clinch attempt.

Sheppard darts in and clinches Arantes up against the cage.
Arantes avoids the elbow strike from Sheppard, against the cage.
Sheppard really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Sheppard throws an elbow that misses.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Sheppard swings wildly with an uppercut but Arantes uses good head movement to avoid it.
Sheppard taking a breather.
Sheppard is trying to break the clinch but Arantes is controlling him.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Horrible takedown attempt by Sheppard or perhaps it was just good defense by Arantes, which made it look bad.
Sheppard darts in looking for a takedown but Arantes gets double underhooks and turns Sheppard into the cage.
Sheppard is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Arantes can do to turn this around?
Arantes stuffs the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Yong Sheppard. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Arantes tries to land a leg kick but Sheppard saw it coming and moves away.
Arantes checks a low kick from Sheppard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Arantes throws a sloppy head kick and Sheppard moves out of range easily.
Sheppard fails in his attempt to clinch.
Arantes is breathing heavily.
Sheppard fails with the takedown.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sheppard tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Arantes manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Arantes avoids a kick to the body.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Sheppard.
Arantes tries to get back to his feet but has found himself mounted instead. Damn, that's gotta suck.
Sheppard scoring with strikes but Arantes is staying in there.
Sheppard has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Arantes's face.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Sheppard lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Arantes hang on?
Sheppard working Arantes over with strikes here.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Sheppard connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Sheppard cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Sheppard looking to control and managing it successfully.
Arantes taking shots to the head.
Sheppard dominating with strikes here.

Arantes is rocked!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sheppard raining down shots from the mount!
Arantes is still in real trouble! Can Sheppard finish him?
Sheppard controlling the position easily from mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sheppard is dominating on the ground here - he's now on his opponent's back, looking to sink in the hooks. Arantes is in real trouble.
Sheppard lands a punch that was close to the back of the head but the ref thinks it's OK.
Sheppard trying to secure his dominant position for a moment - making sure Arantes doesn't escape.
Sheppard lands with a hammerfist to the side of Arantes's head.
Arantes trying to get back to his feet but Sheppard is in full control for now.
Sheppard scores with punches and elbows.
Sheppard is scoring with a succession of shots from the back. Arantes is covering up - he's had enough and the ref steps in to end the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:56 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Yong Sheppard!