PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Roberto Rossi (ranked 3009 p4p, 3924 weight class) and Gabriel Soares (ranked 265 p4p, 328 weight class). I'm sure you'll be fascinated to know that I was talking to some pointless Z list celebrity before the fight and he thought that Gabriel Soares was going to win. Let's see if he was right.

Rossi
vs
Soares

176 cm
23
154
7 - 6 - 0

180 cm
23
155
5 - 6 - 1

Good wrestling
Excellent MT
Very quick

Excellent grappler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

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 7 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Roberto Rossi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 6 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Gabriel Soares!
The judges for this bout are Franklyn Lucas, Dean Styles and John Roberts.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Soares slips under a jab.
We've been told by Rossi's head coaches at Hilo Workout Center that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.

Soares clinches up with Rossi and pushes him back against the cage.
Rossi looking to stall.
Rossi wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Rossi swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Rossi slowing the pace effectively.
Rossi swings wildly with an uppercut but Soares uses good head movement to avoid it.
Rossi misses with the head strike.
Soares manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rossi has a couple of punches blocked by Soares.
Soares tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Soares blocking some punches.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Soares successfully pulls guard.
Rossi wants to stand and escape but instead Soares has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.

Soares wants to control from the top but Rossi keeps moving.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Rossi holds on and takes a little breather.
Rossi is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Rossi controlling the position.
Rossi trying to keep a closed guard but Soares is proving a slippery customer.

Soares drops back looking for a leg! Rossi is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Rossi manages to kick Soares off! Soares jumps back into Rossi's guard.
Rossi trying to control the position here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rossi wants to stand up but Soares is controlling him.
Rossi is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Rossi looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Soares puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Rossi makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Rossi.
Rossi looking for a sweep. Not yet Rossi, not yet.
Rossi has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Soares has passed into side control.

Soares is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Rossi is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Rossi is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rossi controls the position for a moment.
Rossi tries to improve position but can't.
Rossi is trying to get back to his feet.

Soares is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Rossi knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Rossi is looking to reverse the position.
Rossi is trying to control Soares's posture but Soares avoids it.
Rossi knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Soares on the ground.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
My spies in IMMA Gym of Elite ASS inform me that Soares has been getting involved in the gym's BJJ sparring sessions. Let's see whether that pays dividends!
Rossi is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Soares has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Rossi trying desperately to get back to his feet here but he's not having any joy at all. He's going to tire himself out if he's not careful.
Rossi tries to buck Soares off but Soares is having none of it.

Soares tries for a kimura but Rossi is defending well.

Soares looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Rossi tries to bench press Soares off him but Soares keeps the position.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Gabriel Soares dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Rossi throws a jab when Soares was well out of range.
Rossi moves in looking to clinch but Soares pushes him off.
Rossi doesn't manage to clinch there - Soares circles away.
Soares tries to counter by closing the distance.
Rossi uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Soares.
Rossi motions for Soares to come forward. Rossi throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Rossi displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Soares throws out the jab.
It appears Rossi was looking to counter with a kick there.
Rossi connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Soares's hands.
Rossi bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Rossi tried to counter with a leg kick but Soares avoided it.
Rossi throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Soares misses the shot to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Soares throws a jab but it's blocked by Rossi.
A counter left hand to the body from Rossi misses its target.
Soares misses with a hook
and Rossi counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Rossi uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Soares.
Soares misses the jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rossi connects with a high kick.

Soares has closed the distance and engaged Rossi in a clinch.
Rossi tries to work over Soares's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Soares is trying to pull guard but Rossi has him pressed against the cage.
Soares is trying to pull guard but Rossi has him pressed against the cage.
Soares jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Rossi walks away with a smile on his face. Soares gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Roberto Rossi has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Gabriel Soares.

Soares gets a clinch.
Soares has Rossi pushed against the cage.
Rossi misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Rossi tries a body shot but Soares blocks it.
Rossi misses with a punch on the inside.
Soares pressing his opponent against the cage.
Rossi gets through Soares's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rossi lands with a right to the head.
Soares tries to pull guard but Rossi holds him up against the cage and eventually Soares drops back down to his feet.
Soares tries to pull guard but Rossi won't allow it.

Soares pulls guard effortlessly.

Rossi decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Soares, up you get!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Rossi slips under a jab.
Rossi throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Soares bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Soares pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Soares throws a predictable looking body shot
and Rossi counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Rossi chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Soares slips a straight right by Rossi.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Soares clobbers Rossi with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Rossi tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Rossi just misses with a punch to the body.
Rossi misses with a leg kick.
Soares steps in looking to clinch after the strikes miss from Rossi.
Rossi tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Soares paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Soares connects with the punch.

Soares rushes Rossi and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Soares tries to pull guard but Rossi holds him up against the cage and eventually Soares drops back down to his feet.
Soares's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Rossi swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Rossi has a couple of punches blocked by Soares.
Roberto Rossi has scored more points in the clinch so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Soares.
Soares is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Soares tries to pull guard but Rossi won't allow it.
Soares blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Rossi scores with a shot to the side of Soares's head.

Rossi pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Rossi ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Soares misses with a hook. Rossi ducked under it nicely.
Rossi thumps Soares with a low kick.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
The fighters circling - Soares throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Soares on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Rossi dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Soares. That did some damage!
Rossi misses with a body shot.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Roberto Rossi dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Rossi clinches up with Soares and pushes him back against the cage.
Soares jumps guard but Rossi stands there with Soares around his waist. Soares gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Soares leaning his opponent against the cage.
Rossi tries to break free but Soares pushes him back against the cage.
Rossi working aggressively here.
Rossi misses with a punch on the inside.
Rossi misses with a punch to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rossi looking to stall.
Rossi digs a right hand underneath Soares's ribcage. Soares let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Soares blocking some punches.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Soares.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rossi misses with some punches.
Rossi working aggressively here.
Rossi misses with a short punch on the inside.
Rossi has a couple of punches blocked by Soares.
Rossi tries a body shot but Soares blocks it.
Rossi tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Rossi gets through Soares's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Soares fails to pull guard.
Rossi misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Soares blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

Soares gets control of Rossi's arms and successfully pulls guard. Soares will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Rossi would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Rossi not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Rossi trying to control but Soares is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rossi is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Rossi has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Rossi stands up from Soares's guard - Rossi perhaps looking for a knockout.
Rossi throws a low kick but Soares moves out of range easily.
Soares wants to counter the offense by Rossi and move into the clinch position.
Rossi uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Soares.
Rossi throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Soares wants to counter with a clinch but Rossi pushes him away.
Rossi tries to clinch but Soares is having none of it.

Soares has Rossi up against the cage in a clinch.
Rossi is trying to break free.
Soares tries to pull guard but Rossi forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Roberto Rossi has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Gabriel Soares.
Rossi works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rossi has a couple of punches blocked by Soares.
Rossi lands a body punch in the clinch.
Rossi swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Rossi misses with some punches.
Rossi misses with a hook to the ribs.
Rossi misses with a short punch on the inside.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Rossi can't find room to land a body shot as Soares controls the action.
Rossi swings away with an uppercut that misses.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Rossi.
Rossi tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Rossi leaning against his opponent.
Soares is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Rossi to keep the fight standing.
Rossi lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Soares jumps guard but Rossi stands there with Soares around his waist. Soares gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Soares blocking some punches.
Rossi lands a hook that snaps the head of Soares backwards.
Nice body punch from Rossi - that landed with a thud.

Soares pulls guard.
Rossi controls from within his opponent's guard.
Rossi wants to control from the top but Soares keeps moving.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Rossi stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Soares swivels though and keeps the full guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Roberto Rossi showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Rossi has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Franklyn Lucas scores the fight 29:28
Judge Dean Styles scores the fight 29:28
Judge John Roberts scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Roberto Rossi!