PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Lee Stroud (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Matheus Carvalho (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Carvalho has chosen Notorious BIG - Victory as his entrance music. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Stroud
vs
Carvalho

190 cm
23
220 lbs
8 - 5 - 0

192 cm
22
222 lbs
5 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Very strong

Powerful takedowns
Decent boxing
Powerful

Blitzkrieg Formula 5000
Blitzkrieg Formula 5000

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 8 - 5 - 0, fighting out of New York, Lee Stroud!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Matheus Carvalho!
The judges for this bout are John Kavanagh, Columbo Gatti and Russell Pearce.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
No luck for Stroud with that takedown attempt.
Stroud fails with an attempt to clinch.

Stroud drives through with a takedown into guard.
Carvalho preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Carvalho has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Stroud is looking to work some ground and pound but Carvalho has wrist control.
Carvalho wants to sweep here but Stroud controlling him for the moment.
Stroud wants to control from the top but Carvalho keeps moving.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Stroud trying to stand up but can't free himself from Carvalho's guard.
Carvalho has his hands on Stroud's head, controlling the position.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Carvalho stuffs the takedown.
Stroud takes a swing at Carvalho's ribcage but misses.
Carvalho connects with a single shot there.
Carvalho avoids a kick to the body.
Stroud tries to clinch there but Carvalho circles away.
Carvalho throws a hook but Stroud blocks it.
Carvalho dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Carvalho throws and low kick but Stroud moves out of range easily.
Carvalho will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A big left from Carvalho misses.
Carvalho catches Stroud with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!

Carvalho shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Stroud manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.

Stroud is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Carvalho is aware though and is defending well.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Carvalho trying to control the position from guard on top but Stroud is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Stroud has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Carvalho off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Stroud wants to clinch.
Stroud throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Stroud closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Stroud gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Carvalho counters with a takedown into side control.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Lee Stroud. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Carvalho tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Carvalho has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Carvalho has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for Stroud!
Carvalho lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.

Carvalho looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
Stroud is in all sorts of trouble here.
Stroud is bucking up trying to escape but Carvalho cracks him with another couple of good strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Stroud is trying to escape the mount.
Carvalho lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Stroud hang on?
Stroud tries to reverse the position but Carvalho maintains control.
Carvalho can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Stroud is looking to escape.

Carvalho is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Stroud has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Stroud!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Stroud lands a couple of digs.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matheus Carvalho dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Carvalho misses with a double jab

so Stroud counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Stroud trying to control but Carvalho is working from the bottom.
Carvalho looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Stroud stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Carvalho swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Stroud wants to control from the top but Carvalho keeps moving.
Stroud throws a big right hand that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Stroud slips nicely into half guard.
Carvalho keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Stroud swings away with a body shot that misses

and Carvalho counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Stroud is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Carvalho not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Carvalho prevents Stroud from improving his position.
Matheus Carvalho has got the better of the ground game so far.

Carvalho is working for a submission of some sort.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Carvalho working over Stroud with some ground and pound. Stroud looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Carvalho working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Carvalho not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Nice strikes from Carvalho there.

Carvalho wants to work for an arm triangle but Stroud is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Carvalho is thwarting Stroud's attempts to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Stroud is looking for a sweep. Carvalho is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Carvalho drops an elbow to the side of Stroud's head.
Carvalho working over Stroud with some ground and pound. Stroud looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Stroud wants to improve his position but Carvalho is controlling well.
The fighters are battling for position here. Stroud manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

Stroud is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Carvalho is aware though and is defending well.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Stroud keeping full guard, as Carvalho tries to pass.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Carvalho stops Stroud from standing up.
Carvalho not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Carvalho working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Stroud's head.
Carvalho lands a couple of elbows.
Stroud looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Carvalho throwing strikes but missing.
Stroud keeping moving, preventing Carvalho from controlling successfully.

Stroud 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.

A close second round but Matheus Carvalho will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Carvalho is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Stroud's half guard.
Carvalho is looking to take a break and control but Stroud is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Carvalho lands with a punch from half guard.
Carvalho scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Stroud wants to get back to his feet.
Carvalho thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Stroud's head.
Stroud is trying to get back to full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Carvalho looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Stroud with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Stroud trying to hold on to Carvalho's head to control him but Carvalho postures up.
Carvalho throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Carvalho has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Stroud works his way to full guard. Good work.

Stroud looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Carvalho sitting in guard here, content to control.
Carvalho trying to control but Stroud is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Carvalho landing with the ground and pound.
Stroud utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

Stroud had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Carvalho defends it easily.
Carvalho throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Stroud works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Lee Stroud has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Carvalho pushes down on Stroud's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Ground and pound from Carvalho.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Stroud is looking to improve his position.
Carvalho with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Stroud is pressing down on Carvalho's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Carvalho trying to control the position from guard on top but Stroud is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Carvalho trying to move into half guard but instead Stroud has managed to sweep!
Carvalho manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Stroud manages to get himself to full guard.
Carvalho working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Stroud's head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Carvalho won't allow Stroud to sweep him here.

Carvalho thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Stroud wants to sweep but no luck.

Stroud has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Carvalho can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Carvalho trying to control but Stroud is working from the bottom.

Stroud has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Carvalho can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

And that's the end of the fight!
Matheus Carvalho comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Carvalho 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 John Kavanagh scores the fight 27:30
Judge Columbo Gatti scores the fight 27:30
Judge Russell Pearce scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Matheus Carvalho!