PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Even Steven (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mayron Rocha (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Steven comes to the cage accompanied by Metallica-Enter Sandman. Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Steven
vs
Rocha

183 cm
20
189 lbs
8 - 4 - 0

185 cm
22
193 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Win Nutritional

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Even Steven!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Mayron Rocha!
The judges for this bout are Paulo Santos, Emerson Jorge and Daniel Cesar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rocha shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Steven as he avoids it easily.

Steven clinches up against the cage.

Steven gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Rocha regains guard.

Steven drops back looking for a leg! Rocha is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Rocha manages to kick Steven off! Steven jumps back into Rocha's guard.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Rocha can do anything to dispel that myth.
Steven tries to free his leg and advance position but Rocha is retaining full guard.
Steven stops Rocha from standing up.

Steven drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Steven jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Rocha is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Steven is controlling him.
Steven tries to free his leg and advance position but Rocha is retaining full guard.
Steven won't allow Rocha to get back to his feet.
Steven is looking to work some ground and pound but Rocha has wrist control.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Steven forces Rocha back against the cage and clinches.
Steven holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Steven using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Rocha has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Steven avoiding damage.

Steven's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Rocha swats away the attempt to clinch by Steven.
Rocha keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

Rocha is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Steven's half guard.
Steven tries to roll over but Rocha keeps him under control.
Steven gets full guard.
Rocha trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Rocha tries to stand but Steven is controlling from the bottom.

Steven looking for a guillotine here but Rocha defends easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Steven escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Rocha gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Rocha tries to stand but Steven is controlling from the bottom.
Rocha throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Steven works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Rocha stops Steven from standing up.

Rocha gets to his feet. Steven looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Rocha shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Steven defends it nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Steven moves into the clinch.
Steven crunches a lovely knee into Rocha's ribcage.

Steven's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Steven shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Rocha manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Steven throwing strikes from guard but Rocha blocks nicely.
Steven looking to pass the guard.
Rocha wants to get back to his feet but Steven is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Steven looking to pass the guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Steven won't allow Rocha to get back to his feet.
Rocha is using up a lot of energy trying to get back to his feet. Perhaps he should improve his position first.
Steven content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Steven stops Rocha from standing up.

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

and Rocha counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Rocha.
Rocha prevents Steven from getting back to his feet.
Rocha must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

Steven is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Steven looking for a guillotine here but Rocha defends easily.

Steven looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Even Steven dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Rocha drives through with a takedown into guard.
Rocha looking to sit in guard and control but Steven gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Rocha is looking to stand back up but Steven counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Rocha.
Steven uses his free foot to push down on Rocha's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Rocha.
Steven lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Steven misses with a head shot.
Rocha is breathing heavily.

Steven has hold of Rocha's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Rocha manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Poor strikes thrown by Steven there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!

That's one minute gone in the round.

Steven is working for a guillotine from mount but Rocha frees his head quite easily.
Steven won't let Rocha get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.
Rocha takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.

Steven wants to finish this one by submission but Rocha is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Steven.

Steven looking for a guillotine from mount but Rocha is having none of it.

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.
Rocha is really trying hard to get back to his feet.

Rocha bucks up and throws Steven to the side - he's got back to his feet. Great escape!

Rocha feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.

Steven is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

Rocha gets to his feet. Steven looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!

Rocha closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Steven tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Steven slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Steven is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Steven keeping moving, preventing Rocha from controlling successfully.
Rocha landing with the ground and pound.

Steven manages to escape and get back to his feet.
Rocha fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Steven avoids it really well and circles away.
Steven misses with a double jab.
Rocha fails to land the takedown.
Steven tries to close the distance and clinch but Rocha swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Steven throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Rocha.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Rocha shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Steven sprawls well. Steven wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Rocha gets slowly back to his feet.
Even Steven has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mayron Rocha.

Steven instigates a clinch.
Steven lands a body shot.
Steven is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.

Steven manages to break the clinch.
Steven blocks a head kick by Rocha.
Rocha misses with a takedown attempt

and Steven counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Steven.

Steven gets control of Rocha's arms and successfully pulls guard. Steven will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.

Steven is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Rocha trying to control the position from guard on top but Steven is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Steven keeping full guard, as Rocha tries to pass.

Steven is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Even Steven will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Rocha avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Steven misses with a hook.
Steven will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Steven throws a series of punches but Rocha avoids them all with ease.
Rocha throws a combination. Steven tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Steven throws an overhand right that lands on Rocha's shoulder, as Rocha tries to avoid the shot.
Steven fails in his attempt to clinch.
Rocha with a lazy takedown attempt
and Steven counters with a nice uppercut.
Steven avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Steven looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Rocha is fending him off so far but Steven persists. Nope, Rocha circles away and we're back to standing.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Steven throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Rocha tries to clinch but Steven is having none of it.

Rocha shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Steven napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Rocha decides to stand up, so the ref orders Steven to his feet.
Steven closes the distance and clinches up with Rocha, looking for a takedown. Steven pushes Rocha against the cage but Rocha circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rocha will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

Steven gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Steven pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Steven throws a right and a left that both miss.
Rocha attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Steven tries to clinch there but Rocha circles away.

Steven looking for a guillotine here but Rocha defends easily.
Rocha really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Steven. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Rocha tries to free his leg and advance position but Steven is retaining full guard.
Steven keeping moving, preventing Rocha from controlling successfully.
Mayron Rocha has got the better of the ground game so far.

Steven working for a triangle but Rocha defends it easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Steven throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Rocha sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Steven's guard.
Rocha stops Steven from getting back to his feet.
Steven is trying to get back to full guard.

Steven pushes Rocha off and gets back to his feet.

Rocha changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Steven looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.

Steven explodes and escapes back to his feet! Nice escape there!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Steven throws a head kick but Rocha moves out of range.
Steven leaves Rocha with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Rocha misses with a few strikes there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rocha with a lazy takedown attempt

and Steven counters with a takedown into side control.
Even Steven has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mayron Rocha.
Steven trying to control the action but Rocha is working from the bottom.

Steven wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Rocha, who protects the arm well.
Steven wants to stand but Rocha is controlling his arm.
Rocha wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Mayron Rocha has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Steven is trying to get an arm triangle but Rocha is defending well.

Steven thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

Steven swings around for an armbar but Rocha sees it coming a mile off and turns beautifully into Steven's guard.
Even Steven is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rocha scoring with some ground and pound.

Steven throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Steven working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Rocha doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Rocha manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Even Steven.
Well Steven 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 Paulo Santos scores the fight 30:27
Judge Emerson Jorge scores the fight 29:28
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Even Steven!