PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Heick Bolado (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Stephen Howard (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Bolado
vs
Howard

185 cm
22
270 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

189 cm
22
255 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Intelligent

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Heick Bolado!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Stephen Howard!
The judges for this bout are Leandro Rodrigues, Seu Braga and Daniel Cesar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Howard lands a front kick.
Bolado is breathing heavily.

Howard lands a big head kick that sends Bolado tumbling to the mat! Howard takes a step backwards and waves Bolado back to his feet - he wants the finish!

It looks like Heick Bolado has been cut.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Howard closes the distance and clinches.

Howard breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Howard misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Bolado.

Howard closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Howard lands in his opponent's guard.
Howard works a leg free and moves into half guard.

Howard stands up from half guard.

Howard gets a clinch.

Howard is trying to trip Bolado. He has hold of a leg but Bolado is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Howard persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Howard passes Bolado's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Howard wants to free his trapped foot but Bolado is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Howard looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bolado is trying to get back to full guard.
Howard landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Howard trying to control the pace.

Bolado is defending against the submission attempts here by Howard.
Howard slows the pace down in half guard.

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.
Howard wants to pass to mount but Bolado is defending the position.
Howard controlling the action here.
Bolado is staying active underneath Howard, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

Howard seems to be looking for submissions.
Howard trying to control the pace.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Howard wants to get back to his feet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Howard slows the pace down in half guard.
Bolado is trying to get back to full guard.

Howard decides he's had enough of the ground and stands up.

Howard fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Bolado sprawls well initially but Howard persists and gets the takedown into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bolado tries to roll over but Howard keeps him under control.

Howard is trying to work for a kimura but Bolado is defending well.

Howard decides to stand up.
Howard looks for the body kick but Bolado saw that one coming.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Howard goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Bolado could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Bolado misses with a takedown attempt

and Howard counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

Howard stands up and beckons Bolado to join him on the feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Stephen Howard dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Heick Bolado's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Howard looks to land a combination but Bolado avoids it well.
The step up in weight doesn't seem to be a problem for Howard. He's performing admirably here against the bigger man.
Howard tries to clinch there but Bolado circles away.

Howard darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.

Howard stands up from half guard.

Howard scores a takedown into full mount!
Bolado keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Howard looking to control and managing it successfully.
Stephen Howard has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bolado tries to reverse the position but Howard maintains control.
Bolado is working hard here to advance position.
A nice elbow there by Howard.
Bolado wants to hold on but Howard pushes him away.

That's two 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.
Howard takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Howard with a couple of short strikes.

Howard working for a guillotine from mount but Bolado is in no mood to give up.

Howard is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Bolado can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Howard controlling his opponent.
Bolado in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Howard tries to control but Bolado wriggling away.
Bolado is trying to escape the mount.
Howard with the ground and pound from mount.
Howard looking to control but Bolado is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Bolado is desperately trying to get back to half guard.

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.
Bolado takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
BOOM! Howard connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Howard can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Bolado is looking to escape.
Howard lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Howard is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Bolado is trying desperately to improve position.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Howard landing punches.
Howard tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Stephen Howard showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Heick Bolado's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Howard works Bolado's body with a nice hook.
Howard with a lazy takedown attempt

and Bolado counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Howard's guard now.
Howard looking for a sweep. Not yet Howard, not yet.
Howard keeping full guard, as Bolado tries to pass.

Bolado has gone for a leg lock! Howard slips out almost immediately though and dives into Bolado's guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Bolado keeping full guard, as Howard tries to pass.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Howard controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Howard wants to control from the top but Bolado keeps moving.
Howard keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Bolado's head.
Howard stopping the sweep attempt from Bolado.
Howard trying to control but Bolado is working from the bottom.
Howard won't allow Bolado to sweep him here.

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.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Howard moves into the clinch successfully.
Bolado tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Howard smiles and moves away.
Heick Bolado is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Howard.
Howard trying to control the action but Bolado is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bolado is looking to reverse the position.
Howard landing a few strikes.
Howard wants to lay and pray for a moment but Bolado keeps working.
Bolado stops Howard from passing to mount.
Bolado is trying to improve his position.
Bolado is letting Howard control him for a moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Bolado ducks under a wild hook from Howard.

Howard clinches.
Bolado takes a knee to the side of the body.
Howard has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Bolado is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.

Howard breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Bolado doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Howard counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Bolado trying to control the position.

Bolado has an active guard here but Howard has managed to pass into half guard.
Heick Bolado has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Stephen Howard is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Bolado actively working from the bottom here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Stephen Howard comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Howard 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 Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 26:30
Judge Seu Braga scores the fight 26:30
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Stephen Howard!