PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Rudolf Meine (ranked 4224 p4p, 5200 weight class) and Edson Tavares (ranked 382 p4p, 414 weight class). Tavares has chosen DMX - X Gon' Give It To Ya (Instrumental) as his entrance music. On his way into the cage it seems that Rudolf Meine has been attacked by a crazed fan! It looks like it might have been the just bleed guy! Luckily Rudolf Meine seems to be OK! I thought that lunatic was in prison!?

Meine
vs
Tavares

163 cm
20
155
4 - 3 - 0

177 cm
20
150
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Granite chin

Decent wrestler
Solid Muay Thai
Powerful

FEEBLE FIGHTWEAR
Conviction

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of London, Rudolf Meine!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Edson Tavares!
The judges for this bout are John Roberts, Columbo Gatti and David Schapiro.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Tavares looks to score with a jab to the body but Meine is just out of range.
Meine takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Tavares throws out a loose jab but Meine uses good head movement to avoid it.
A slow jab from Meine misses its intended target.
Meine tests Tavares's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Meine lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Meine steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Tavares.
Tavares moves in looking to clinch but Meine pushes him off.
Meine was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Tavares ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Meine moves away.
Meine seems to be moving with more speed, compared to his last bout. He must have been working on that in the gym.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tavares lands with a nice body punch.
Meine bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Tavares's head backwards.
Tavares misses with a hook. Meine ducked under it nicely.
Edson Tavares seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Meine takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A jab from Tavares misses.
It looked like Meine wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Tavares misses with an uppercut. Meine saw that one coming.
Tavares fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Meine manages to avoid it.
Tavares lands a jab to Meine's midsection.
Tavares fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Meine manages to avoid it.
Tavares misses with an uppercut
and Meine counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

Meine moves into range and clinches up with Tavares.
Tavares misses with a body punch.
Tavares looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Meine lands on the inside with an uppercut.

Meine pulls Tavares into guard.
Tavares must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Meine working a defensive guard here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Tavares tries to stand but Meine is controlling from the bottom.
Meine seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tavares looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Tavares would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Meine working a defensive guard here.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Meine has a closed guard, preventing Tavares from standing up.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Tavares tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Rudolf Meine will probably get the nod.
That's time! Meine's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Tavares rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Meine cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
A big right from Tavares misses.
Tavares keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Tavares misses with a straight left.
Tavares throws an ugly left hook that misses
letting Meine counter with a right hand.
Edson Tavares seems to be getting the better of the standup.

Meine gets a clinch.
Tavares wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

Meine manages to pull guard.
Meine is pulling down on Tavares's head. It's preventing any offense from Tavares, at least for the moment.
Tavares looking to pass the guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Meine looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Meine controlling Tavares's posture.
Meine can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Tavares controls the pace.
Meine has his hands on Tavares's head, controlling the position.

That's two 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.
Tavares engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Meine looking to hit a scissor sweep but Tavares is one step ahead there.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Tavares trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Meine keeping moving, preventing Tavares from controlling successfully.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Meine scores with a nice right hand.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Rudolf Meine dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Tavares staying out of range there.
A little jabbing left from Tavares on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Tavares cracks Meine with a right hand to the side of the head.
Tavares closes the distance looking to clinch
and Meine counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Tavares thinking.

Meine cracks Tavares with a big right hand that sends him to the floor! Tavares looks wobbly but he's sprung back up to his feet straight away… can Meine finish him?

Tavares is rocked!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Tavares has Meine up against the cage in a clinch.
Tavares is still on wobbly legs! Can Meine finish him?
Meine lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Tavares seems to have recovered his senses.
Meine tries to pull guard but Tavares holds him up against the cage and eventually Meine drops back down to his feet.
Tavares wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

Meine drags the fight down to the ground.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Meine looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Meine is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Meine keeping full guard, as Tavares tries to pass.
Tavares wants to stand but Meine has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Meine might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Tavares trying to control but Meine is working from the bottom.
Meine wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

That's two 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.
Meine ducks under a wild hook from Tavares.
Meine gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Tavares.
The fighters circling - Meine throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Tavares misses with a looping left.
Meine avoids the body shot from Tavares.

Tavares darts in and clinches Meine up against the cage.
Tavares swings wildly with an uppercut but Meine uses good head movement to avoid it.
Edson Tavares has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Meine lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Tavares backwards.
Tavares working hard to break the clinch.
Tavares misses with a body punch.

Meine jumps guard and drags Tavares to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Meine is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Tavares can do to turn this around?
Meine seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Tavares throws an elbow that misses. Meine uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Tavares's guard. Nice move by Meine!

And that's the end of the fight!
Rudolf Meine showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Meine has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 John Roberts scores the fight 30:27
Judge Columbo Gatti scores the fight 29:28
Judge David Schapiro scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rudolf Meine!