PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Thalles Salles (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Renan Filho (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Renan Filho has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Salles
vs
Filho

175 cm
21
196 lbs
0 - 3 - 0

178 cm
19
205 lbs
0 - 5 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Big heart

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Thalles Salles!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Renan Filho!
The judges for this bout are Seu Braga, Paulo Santos and Daniel Cesar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Filho gets a clinch.
Salles looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!
Filho wants to break free but Salles has control.

Filho manages to break the clinch.

Filho darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Filho seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.

Filho decides to stand up.
Filho fails with a takedown attempt.
Filho fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Salles shoots for a takedown but Filho saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

Filho instigates a clinch.
Filho prevents a takedown attempt there.

Filho's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Renan Filho seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Filho shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Filho was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Filho is standing up out of mount! Strange tactic there - he must really want this one on the feet!
Salles takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Filho swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

Filho forces Salles back against the cage and clinches.
Filho connects with a nasty looking knee right to Salles's face.

Filho manages to break the clinch.

Filho scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Filho tries to get to his feet but he's trapped momentarily.
Salles sneaks back into half guard.
Filho tries to stand but can't do so whilst Salles controls his leg.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Salles is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Filho's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Filho's back!
Filho really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Salles. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Filho takes a big shot to the side of the head.
Salles wants to control but Filho is keeping busy.
Filho holding both Salles 's hands and preventing any damage.
Salles is punishing Filho with strikes - can he finish him?!
Salles scores with a nice shot to the head of his opponent. Filho is looking for a way out.
Filho controlling the position well but he knows he's in a bad position.
Salles controls the action.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Salles missing with punches from the back.
Filho trying to get back to his feet but Salles is in full control for now.
Salles has good solid back control here.
Filho wriggles onto his back under a barage of strikes.
Filho is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.

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.
Salles trying to control but Filho is having none of it.
You get the feeling that Filho really doesn't like being in this position too much.
Salles controlling his opponent.
Salles working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Filho's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.
Salles scoring with strikes but Filho is staying in there.

Salles is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Filho has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Filho!
Filho trying to stand up but can't free himself from Salles's guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Renan Filho dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Salles shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Filho's guard.
Filho is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Salles loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

Filho wriggles free and stands up.
Filho misses with a jab, cross combination.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Filho.

Filho looking for a takedown here - he's got it.

Filho stands and steps away. Salles gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Salles dodges the punch combination from Filho.
Nice takedown defense from Salles. No joy for Filho on that attempt.
Filho fails to land with a series of punches.
Salles smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Filho tries to bum rush Salles with a series of wild strikes but Salles uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Filho throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.

Salles feints and as Filho raises his hands in defense, Salles changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Filho wants to stand up but Salles is controlling him.
Salles slips nicely into half guard.
Filho wants to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Salles is keen to just control but Filho is a slippery customer.
Salles 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.
Filho tries to push off, looking to stand up, but Salles manages to move to mount!
Salles trying to control but Filho is having none of it.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Salles cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Salles landing punches.
Filho is trying to get back to his feet but can't.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Renan Filho has got the better of the ground game so far.
Salles postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Filho looks a forlorn figure.
Filho is trying to stand.
Salles is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Filho can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Salles wants to control the pace but Filho is squirming around nicely.
Salles landing strikes from the mount.
Filho is trying to stand up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Salles trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Salles scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Filho?
Filho is trying to get back to his feet but can't.
Filho is bucking up trying to escape but Salles cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Salles tries to control but Filho wriggling away.
Filho is trying to stand up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Thalles Salles dominated that second round.
That's time! Salles's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Left hook, right uppercut from Filho.
Salles changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Filho tries to avoid it but Salles manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Filho to the ground. Filho escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Filho displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Salles fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Filho.
Filho tries to stand but Salles controls the position and pulls Filho into his guard.
Filho has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Salles is proving hard to escape from.
Salles bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Filho's guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Salles working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Filho wants to stand up but Salles is controlling him.
Salles is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Salles working some strikes from top position.
Salles slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Salles chips away with some ground and pound.
Salles prevents Filho from getting back to his feet.
Salles trying to control the position from guard on top but Filho is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Salles gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Filho counters with a two punch combo.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Thalles Salles. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Filho clinches up against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Salles keeps control of Filho as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Filho misses with a knee strike.
Salles tries to pull guard but Filho won't allow it.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Filho.
Filho tries to land a knee to the head but Salles blocks with his arms.
Salles tries to pull guard but Filho won't allow it.
Salles tries to land a knee to the head but Filho blocks with his arms.
Salles takes a shot to the head.

Filho pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Filho tries to clinch but Salles moves out of range.
Nice jab there from Filho.
Salles darts in trying to clinch

and Filho decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Salles's guard.
Filho won't allow Salles to sweep him here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Filho trying to stand up but can't free himself from Salles's guard.
Salles trying to keep a closed guard but Filho is proving a slippery customer.
Salles throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Salles doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Salles has a closed guard, preventing Filho from standing up.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Filho will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Filho tries to clinch up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Salles throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Filho punishes Salles's body with a nice straight punch.
Filho misses with the combination.

Filho closes the distance and clinches.
Filho wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

Filho pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Filho throws a right hand that Salles ducks under and follows up with a left that Salles also avoids with ease.
Salles misses with a takedown attempt

and Filho counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Salles's guard now.
Salles not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Salles pulls Filho in close to prevent any damage.
Filho won't allow Salles to sweep him here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Renan Filho comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Filho has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Seu Braga scores the fight 28:29
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 28:29
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Renan Filho!