PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between George Pierre (ranked 814 p4p, 1585 weight class) and Rene Lafayette (ranked 119 p4p, 216 weight class). Lafayette has chosen Erasure - Always as his entrance music. Well, I have no idea who's going to take this one!

Pierre
vs
Lafayette

178 cm
24
171
6 - 2 - 0

179 cm
27
170
20 - 9 - 0

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, George Pierre!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 20 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rene Lafayette!
The judges for this bout are Steve Montenegro, Bruno Lombardi and Columbo Gatti.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pierre falls off balance throwing a combination

and Lafayette holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Pierre changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Lafayette fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Pierre misses with a looping right.
Lafayette avoids the body shot from Pierre.
Pierre avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Pierre throws a body punch but Lafayette moves out of range.
Lafayette gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Pierre counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lafayette blocks a jab.
Pierre loads up on a big right hand but Lafayette slips the punch.

Lafayette moves into the clinch.
Pierre changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Lafayette fights it off and pushes away nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lafayette tries to close the distance and clinch up but Pierre swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Lafayette is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
A quick step to the side and Pierre tries to counter with a shot to the body but it doesn't connect.
Lafayette takes one to the chin there.
A slapping leg kick lands for Lafayette.
Lafayette tries to clinch there but Pierre circles away.
Pierre moves out of range of the strikes.
Pierre misses with an uppercut. Lafayette saw that one coming.
Nice sprawl there from Pierre as Lafayette shoots in.
Pierre throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.

Pierre tries to sprawl but Lafayette drives through with a takedown into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pierre wants to improve his position but Lafayette is controlling well.
Lafayette is looking to advance position but Pierre won't allow it.
Lafayette performing his best blanket impression for a moment.

Lafayette stands up from half guard.

Lafayette scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Pierre is in a bad spot here and he knows it... just holding on for now.
Pierre manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lafayette keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Lafayette is looking to improve his position.
Pierre is looking to advance position but Lafayette won't allow it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Lafayette is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.
Pierre sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Lafayette defending well though.
Pierre sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Lafayette defending well though.
Lafayette has his hands clasped together around Pierre's back. He's all about the action.
Pierre missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Lafayette on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Lafayette moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Pierre scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Pierre in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Lafayette is adopting a defensive guard.
Pierre throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Lafayette works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Lafayette avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Pierre makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Lafayette is trying to keep Pierre in close.
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 George Pierre will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Lafayette takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Lafayette dives in for a single leg takedown but Pierre sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Lafayette's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Pierre connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Lafayette scrambles back to his feet.
Lafayette tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Pierre defends well and Lafayette ends up having to push Pierre into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Lafayette is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Lafayette shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Pierre defends it nicely.
George Pierre has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rene Lafayette.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Pierre throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Lafayette counters with a stiff right hand.
Lafayette takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Rene Lafayette is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lafayette misses with a few strikes there.
George Pierre is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Pierre throws a poor cross that misses
and Lafayette counters with a nice uppercut.

It looks like George Pierre has been cut.
Pierre just misses with a punch to the body.
Lafayette tries to counter by closing the distance.
Pierre's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Pierre duly obliges.

Lafayette feints and as Pierre raises his hands in defense, Lafayette changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Pierre is pulling down on Lafayette's head to control his posture.
Lafayette sitting in guard here, content to control.
Rene Lafayette has got the better of the ground game so far.

Lafayette stands and steps away. Pierre gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Pierre throws a right hand that Lafayette ducks under and follows up with a left that Lafayette also avoids with ease.
Pierre misses the shot to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pierre dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Pierre fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Lafayette tries to clinch there but Pierre circles away.
Pierre circles away from the clinch attempt.
Pierre was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Lafayette needs to keep his hands up - Pierre had a free shot at his head there.
Lafayette takes one to the chin there.
Pierre looks to land a right hand but Lafayette moved out of range.

Pierre tries to sprawl but Lafayette drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Lafayette is keen to just control but Pierre is a slippery customer.
Pierre keeping hold of Lafayette's head, controlling as best he can.
Pierre wants to get back to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lafayette tries to pass the half guard into mount. Pierre knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Lafayette sitting and controlling from the half guard.

Lafayette gets to his feet - back to striking we go!
Lafayette throws a body punch but Pierre moves out of range.
Pierre throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
And Lafayette tries to counter it with a takedown but Pierre pushes his down on his head and steps out.

Lafayette closes the distance and clinches.
Lafayette stalls.
Pierre tries to score a body lock takedown but Lafayette shows good agility there to stay on his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pierre looking for a takedown.
Lafayette stops a takedown attempt from Pierre.
Lafayette is pressed up against the cage. Pierre has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Lafayette down to the mat. Lafayette avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Pierre connects with a body shot that sends Lafayette's belly button to the back.
Nice cross by Pierre.
Lafayette tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Pierre defends well and Lafayette ends up having to push Pierre into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Pierre swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Lafayette misses with a takedown attempt - Pierre sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Pierre jabs Lafayette right on the nose. Lafayette blinks but takes it well.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

George Pierre dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on George Pierre's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Pierre throws a body shot but no joy.
Lafayette tries to clinch there but Pierre circles away.
Pierre misses with a body shot.

Lafayette rushes Pierre and presses him up against the cage.
Lafayette is pushing Pierre up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Pierre changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Lafayette fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Lafayette shoots in but no luck this time.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lafayette throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Pierre stuffs the takedown.
Lafayette tries to clinch but Pierre moves away
and Pierre counters with a nice uppercut.
It looks like Pierre has been trying to sharpen up his punching technique, as it looks crisper than last time we saw him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lafayette closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Pierre misses with an uppercut. Lafayette saw that one coming.
Lafayette tries to clinch but Pierre moves away
and Pierre connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Pierre misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Lafayette.
Lafayette fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
George Pierre has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rene Lafayette.
Pierre feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Lafayettes jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Pierre jabs Lafayette to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Pierre stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Pierre wants it to stay on the feet.
It looked like Pierre was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Lafayette.

Lafayette shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Lafayette was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
George Pierre is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Lafayette takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Pierre regains half guard.
Pierre is looking for a sweep. Lafayette is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Pierre is concentrating on defense, preventing Lafayette from advancing position.
Lafayette passes to side control.
Lafayette wants to lay and pray for a moment but Pierre keeps working.
Pierre tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Lafayette wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Lafayette is the more experienced fighter here and he's going to need to draw on some of that experience if he's going to pull this one out the bag.
Pierre sneaks back into half guard.
Pierre trying to control from the bottom.

Lafayette decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pierre just misses with a punch to the body.
Lafayette shoots in for a takedown but Pierre shows good takedown defense.
A little feinted left hand from Pierre on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Rene Lafayette has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Pierre connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Lafayette misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Lafayette shoots and misses
and Pierre cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Pierre throws a right and a left that both miss.
Pierre thuds a left hand into Lafayette's body.
Pierre fails to land with a series of punches.
Lafayette drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Pierre defends it well.
Pierre throws out a powerful jab.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pierre lands a body shot.
Lafayette shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Pierre counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Pierre lands a jab.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Lafayette gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Lafayette tries to bum rush Pierre with a series of wild strikes but Pierre uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Lafayette takes a shot right to the bread basket.
George Pierre is winning the standup battle so far.
Pierre lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Pierre lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.

And that's the end of the fight!
George Pierre showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Pierre, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Steve Montenegro scores the fight for George Pierre!
Judge Bruno Lombardi scores the fight for George Pierre!
Judge Columbo Gatti scores the fight for George Pierre!

George Pierre wins by unanimous decision!