PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Roy Salt (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Cesar Cortez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Salt
vs
Cortez

187 cm
19
189 lbs
1 - 5 - 0

183 cm
19
184 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Counter striker
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Intelligent

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 1 - 5 - 0, fighting out of New York, Roy Salt!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Cesar Cortez!
The judges for this bout are Bruno Lombardi, Russell Pearce and David Schapiro.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cortez tries to clinch there but Salt circles away.
Cortez shoots for a double leg takedown but Salt sprawls well. He's pushed Cortez's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Cesar Cortez seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Cortez doesn't manage to clinch there - Salt circles away.
Cortez tries to close the distance and clinch but Salt swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Cortez gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Cortez looking to hit a scissor sweep but Salt is one step ahead there.
Salt with a flurry of punches that miss.
Cortez throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Cortez is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cortez wants to stand but Salt is controlling the position.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Cortez is on top in guard.
Cortez trying to control the position from guard on top but Salt is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Cortez is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Cortez's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Cortez controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

Salt pushes Cortez off and gets back to his feet.
Cortez swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Salt throws a sloppy head kick and Cortez moves out of range easily.

Cortez shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Cortez was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Salt knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Cortez on the ground.
Salt is working to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cortez landing strikes, looking to finish!
Cortez raining down shots from the mount!
Cortez has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Salt is desperately trying to improve his position but Cortez has a good base and remains in mount.
Salt is working hard here to advance position.
Salt on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Salt tries to get out of the position.
Cortez controlling the position easily from mount.
Salt tries to lock up and control but Cortez gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Salt is breathing heavily.

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.
Salt is trying to get back to his feet but can't.
Cortez controlling from mount.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
I looks like Cortez might be adopting somewhat of a lay and pray gameplan here, which I'm sure won't go down too well with the paying fans in attendance... Or the ring announcers come to think of it.

Cortez working for a submission but Salt is keeping him at bay.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Cortez is standing up, even though he is in mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Cesar Cortez dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Cortez fails with an attempt to clinch.
Salt tries to score a power double leg takedown but Cortez sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Salt somewhat.
Cortez shoots in but no luck this time.
Salt gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Cortez counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Salt wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Cortez has him pressed against the cage.
Cortez wants a takedown but no success here.
Cortez is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Cortez wants a takedown but no success here.
Roy Salt has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Cesar Cortez.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cortez tries to circle away but Salt has him pinned against the cage.

Salt successfully pulls guard.
Cortez showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

Salt has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Cortez can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Cortez's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Cortez keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Salt's head.
Cortez chips away with some ground and pound.
Salt controls Cortez momentarily but Cortez frees himself.

That's two 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.

Cortez stands up from guard. Let's bang!

Cortez drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Cortez's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Cortez content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Salt trying to control the position.
Cortez slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cortez passes Salt's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Salt is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Cortez stands up from half guard.

Cortez throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Salt was covering up waiting for the punch and Cortez finishes the takedown easily into guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cortez is pushing down on Salt's leg trying to pass to half guard. Salt is fighting to maintain full guard but Cortez has managed to sneak the leg through.
Cortez controlling the pace.
Cortez passes to side control.
Cortez trying to control the action but Salt is working from the bottom.
Cortez has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for Salt!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Cesar Cortez showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Salt throws a series of strikes that have Cortez backpedaling.

Cortez closes the distance and clinches.

Salt manages to pull guard.

Cortez gets to his feet - Salt follows without any prompting.
Cortez with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.

Cortez shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Cortez was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Cesar Cortez has got the better of the ground game so far.
Cortez avoids the attempt from Salt to control.
Cortez in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Salt wants to control but Cortez is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cortez pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Cortez landing shots from mount.
Cortez looking to control and managing it successfully.
Let's hope that Cortez has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Cortez jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Salt manages to avoid the submission attempt.
Cortez is putting a hurting on Salt here, landing some big shots from side control.
Salt is trying to get back to half guard.
Salt sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cortez controlling the action here.
Cortez slips a nice elbow through Salt's hands, connecting with Salt's forehead.
Cortez perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

Salt looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Salt is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Cortez works his way into full mount!
Cortez looking to finish Salt with some ground and pound. This is bad for Salt!
Cortez with shots to the head and body - Salt looks very uncomfortable down there.
Cortez takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.

Cortez is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Salt to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Salt shrugs it off.
Salt tries to improve his position but instead Cortez has taken his back!

And that's the end of the fight!
Cesar Cortez comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Cortez 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 Bruno Lombardi scores the fight 27:30
Judge Russell Pearce scores the fight 27:30
Judge David Schapiro scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Cesar Cortez!