PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Oscar Rijo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sean Drake (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Oscar Rijo looks tired to me. Hopefully he has got enough gas left in the tank to put in a good performance.

Rijo
vs
Drake

180 cm
19
210 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

197 cm
18
195 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Self confident

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Determined

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 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Oscar Rijo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Sean Drake!
The judges for this bout are Gwen Towbar, Tiny Johnson and Chris Downing.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rijo fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Rijo looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!
Drake connects with a solid leg kick.

Drake instigates a clinch.
Drake will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Rijo up against the cage.
Drake looking for a takedown.

Drake gets control of Rijo's arms and successfully pulls guard. Drake will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Drake is pulling down on Rijo's head. It's preventing any offense from Rijo, at least for the moment.

Drake looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Rijo might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Drake bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Rijo's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Drake throwing strikes from guard but Rijo blocks nicely.

Drake stands up from Rijo's guard - Drake perhaps looking for a knockout.
Drake is looking to clinch.
Drake shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Rijo counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.

Drake moves into the clinch successfully.
Drake putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Rijo in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.

Drake's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Rijo circles away from the clinch attempt.
Drake doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Rijo counters with a single leg into guard. Drake didn't expect that.
Oscar Rijo has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Sean Drake.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Drake pulls Rijo in to control the position.
Rijo trying to control the position from guard on top but Drake is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Drake throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Rijo pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Drake is keeping the position for now.
Rijo wants to control from the top but Drake keeps moving.

Drake is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Rijo is aware though and is defending well.
Rijo throws a strike but Drake rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rijo working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Drake.
Rijo keeping moving, preventing Drake from controlling successfully.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Drake is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Rijo's half guard.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Drake seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Rijo does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

Rijo kicks Drake off and gets back to his feet.
Drake fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Drake avoids a kick to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rijo takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
Drake fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Drake tries to close the distance and clinch but Rijo swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Rijo misses with a combination

and Drake decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Rijo's guard.
Drake trying to control the position from guard on top but Rijo is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Drake passes easily into side control. Nice work.

Drake stands up and beckons Rijo to his feet.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Drake shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Drake showed some decent athleticism there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sean Drake 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.

Rijo drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Drake is trying to control Rijo's posture but Rijo avoids it.
Drake is trying to avoid being dragged into an even worse position than he's already in but Rijo is staying active.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Drake sneaks back into half guard.
Rijo is trying to control the action in half guard but Drake is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rijo wants to stand up but Drake has a hold of him and won't allow it.
Drake is controlling Rijo's position as best he can from this difficult position.
Drake moves into full guard.
Drake is trying to keep Rijo in close.
Drake looking to hit a scissor sweep but Rijo is one step ahead there.

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

Drake escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Rijo gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

Rijo stands up and waves to Drake to follow him.
Oscar Rijo seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rijo will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Drake tries to clinch up.
Rijo thows a body shot but no joy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Rijo gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Drake trying to control but Rijo is working from the bottom.
Rijo is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rijo keeping moving, preventing Drake from controlling successfully.
Rijo wants to sweep but no luck.
Rijo looking to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Drake passes Rijo's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Sean Drake has got the better of the ground game so far.
Rijo pushes Drake off looking to stand but Drake dives back in and keeps control.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Rijo shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Drake throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Rijo's waist but Rijo gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Drake off to one side.

Rijo throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Drake was covering up waiting for the punch and Rijo finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Drake manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Rijo manages to get himself to full guard.
Drake prevents Rijo from getting back to his feet.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Drake trying to control but Rijo is working from the bottom.
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 Oscar Rijo will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! 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.

Rijo tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Drake thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Rijo if he has to take too many more of those.
Drake tries to close the distance and clinch but Rijo swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Drake fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.

Drake closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Drake keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Drake seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Rijo does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Drake trying to control the pace.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Rijo trying to control here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Drake stops Rijo from getting back to his feet.
The step up in weight doesn't seem to be a problem for Drake. He's performing admirably here against the bigger man.
Drake is trying to control. Rijo wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Drake is just content to waste time from the top position. Rijo takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.
Rijo wants to sweep but no luck.
Drake stands and throws Rijo's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Rijo is pushing Drake's head away, looking to escape. Drake manages to hold on to the position though.
Rijo is looking to regain half guard here but Drake keeps moving and retains side control.

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.
Drake prevents Rijo from escaping the position.
Rijo regains half guard.
Rijo trying to control here.
Rijo is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Drake's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Drake's back!
Drake covering up well and avoiding damage.
The crowd hopeful of a finish here - Rijo's supporters are on their feet, screaming for him to go for the rear naked choke.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rijo has the hooks in. Drake is trying to push off one leg but he has to do so cautiously to avoid being submitted.
Rijo not allowing Drake to control his hands.
Drake manages to reverse the position and now he's in Rijo's guard. Nice work there by Drake.
Drake stops Rijo from standing up.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
The fight stays on the outside here - Drake looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Drake shoots and misses
and Rijo counters with a two punch combo.

Rijo drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Drake is adopting a defensive guard.
Rijo stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Drake swivels though and keeps the full guard.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Drake is on top in guard.
Drake is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Rijo throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.

And that's the end of the fight!
Sean Drake comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Drake 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 Gwen Towbar scores the fight 28:29
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 28:29
Judge Chris Downing scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Sean Drake!