PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Raphael Almeida (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Pablo Caceres (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Almeida
vs
Caceres

200 cm
24
180 lbs
5 - 3 - 1

187 cm
23
173 lbs
4 - 5 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 3 - 1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Raphael Almeida!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Pablo Caceres!
The judges for this bout are Luis Engracia, Seu Braga and Edson Gomes.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Caceres bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Almeida tries a head kick but it misses.
Horrible takedown by Caceres or perhaps it was just good defense by Almeida which made him look bad.
Almeida misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Almeida misses with a takedown

and Caceres counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Almeida!
Almeida really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Caceres controlling from the full mount.
Caceres fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Caceres putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Almeida can't escape the position.
Caceres wants to control the pace but Almeida is squirming around nicely.
Caceres lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Almeida is looking to improve his position but Caceres isn't that keen on the idea.
Almeida tries to hold on but Caceres pushes him away.
Almeida is squirming around, avoiding Caceres's attempts to control the action.
Almeida keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Caceres wants to control the pace but Almeida is squirming around nicely.
Caceres might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Almeida kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Almeida working to try and regain half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Caceres is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Caceres with shots to the head and body - Almeida looks very uncomfortable down there.
Almeida tries to reverse the position but Caceres maintains control.

Caceres looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
Caceres breaks from Almeida's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Almeida is trying to reverse the position but instead Caceres has taken his back - oops!
Caceres wants to control but Almeida manages to buck him off and is now in Caceres's guard! Nice work there by Almeida!
Almeida postures up.
Almeida will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

Caceres is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Almeida sitting in guard here, content to control.
Caceres wants to stand but Almeida is controlling the position.
Caceres looks gassed!
Almeida is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Almeida wants to control from the top but Caceres keeps moving.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Almeida is stalling in the full guard.
Caceres keeping moving, preventing Almeida from controlling successfully.

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.

Caceres working for a triangle but Almeida defends it easily.
Almeida is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

Caceres looking for a guillotine here but Almeida defends easily.
Almeida trying to control but Caceres is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pablo Caceres dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Almeida is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Almeida shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Caceres trying to control from the bottom.
Almeida sitting and controlling from the half guard.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Raphael Almeida just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Caceres misses with a takedown attempt
letting Almeida counter with a right hand.
Almeida scores with a hook.
Almeida shoots and misses

and Caceres counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Caceres.
Almeida looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Caceres tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Almeida just stands there and leans against the cage.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Almeida gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Caceres.
Raphael Almeida has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Pablo Caceres.
Almeida is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Caceres is defending well for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Almeida tries to pull guard but Caceres won't allow it.
Almeida jumps guard but Caceres stands there with Almeida around his waist. Almeida gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Almeida.
Caceres tries to pull guard but Almeida holds him up against the cage and eventually Caceres drops back down to his feet.

Caceres successfully pulls guard.
Caceres keeping moving, preventing Almeida from controlling successfully.

Almeida avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Almeida controlling from the top position.
Caceres is looking to stand up but Almeida isn't so interested in that idea.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Caceres wants to sweep here but Almeida controlling him for the moment.
Almeida sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Caceres looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Caceres can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Almeida controls the pace.

Caceres has his feet on Almeida's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Almeida will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Almeida stuffs the takedown.

Almeida moves into the clinch successfully.
Almeida stalling.
Almeida landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Almeida prevents the takedown attempt.
Almeida will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Caceres up against the cage.
Almeida is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.

Almeida decides to pull guard.
Caceres slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Almeida manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Almeida won't allow Caceres to pass to mount.
Almeida avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Caceres.
Almeida gets back to full guard.

Almeida is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Caceres is aware though and is defending well.
Caceres postures up.
Almeida keeping full guard, as Caceres tries to pass.
Caceres passes Almeida's left leg - he's now in half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Raphael Almeida dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! And we move into the final round!

A telegraphed takedown attempt from Almeida is defended easily by Caceres.
Caceres shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
letting Almeida counter with a right hand.

Caceres scores a takedown into full mount!
Caceres trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Almeida tries to improve his position but instead Caceres has taken his back!
Almeida is really stuck here.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Caceres is throwing strikes from the back here. Oh that last one was to the back of the head. Caceres gets a warning from the referee. He throws another strike to the back of the head straight away though and the referee has seen enough. He breaks up the two fighters and stands them back up. Caceres gets a real talking to here and is lucky not to get a point deducted. Caceres apologises and we restart here on the feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Caceres shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Almeida manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Caceres passes into half guard.
Caceres working Almeida over with strikes.
Almeida is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Caceres's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Caceres's back!
Will Almeida go for the finish here or will he try and keep control of the position?
Caceres turns into Almeida and is now in his guard.

Almeida has an active guard here but Caceres has managed to pass into half guard.

Almeida looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Caceres takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.

Caceres stands up from half guard.
Caceres with a poor takedown
and Caceres takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Caceres circles away from the clinch attempt

and Caceres counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Caceres.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Almeida wants to sweep but no luck.
Almeida keeping full guard, as Caceres tries to pass.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Caceres stopping the sweep attempt from Almeida.
Caceres distracts Almeida with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Caceres won't allow Almeida to sweep him here.
Pablo Caceres has got the better of the ground game so far.

Almeida had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Caceres defends it easily.
Caceres preventing the sweep.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

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

and Almeida counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Almeida.
Raphael Almeida has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Pablo Caceres.
Caceres keeping moving, preventing Almeida from controlling successfully.
Caceres controls Almeida momentarily but Almeida frees himself.
Caceres wants to sweep but no luck.

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

And that's the end of the fight!
Pablo Caceres comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Caceres has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Luis Engracia scores the fight 28:29
Judge Seu Braga scores the fight 28:29
Judge Edson Gomes scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Pablo Caceres!