PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Edison Pena (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Fernando Saldo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Pena
vs
Saldo

178 cm
18
150 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

171 cm
18
145 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Edison Pena!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Fernando Saldo!
The judges for this bout are Alexandre Firmino, Edson Gomes and Luis Engracia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pena fails in his attempt to clinch.
Pena fails with a takedown attempt.
Pena defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Saldo.

Saldo shoots in and gets a takedown into Pena's guard.
Saldo controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Saldo tries to free his leg and advance position but Pena is retaining full guard.
Saldo won't allow Pena to get back to his feet.
Saldo postures up.
Pena looking for a sweep. Not yet Pena, not yet.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Pena tries to close the distance and clinch but Saldo swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Pena has his takedown stuffed

and Saldo decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Pena's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Saldo trying to control the position from guard on top but Pena is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Saldo postures up.
Saldo pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Pena is keeping the position for now.
Saldo trying to stand up but can't free himself from Pena's guard.

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

Saldo drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Saldo trying to control but Pena is working from the bottom.
Saldo looks gassed!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pena is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Saldo stopping the sweep attempt from Pena.
Saldo with a flurry of punches that miss.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Pena controlling the position.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Pena misses with a takedown
and Saldo makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. Pena really felt that one!
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Edison Pena. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Pena closes the distance looking to clinch

and Saldo decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Pena's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Saldo avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Saldo stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Pena swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Saldo slips nicely into half guard.
Pena is not content to let Saldo control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Pena makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Pena.
Saldo won't allow Pena to sweep him here.

Pena has his foot on Saldo's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Saldo works his way back into a safe position though.

Pena has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Saldo can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Saldo trying to control but Pena is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

A telegraphed takedown attempt from Saldo is defended easily by Pena.
Edison Pena is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Pena gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Saldo counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Fernando Saldo has got the better of the ground game so far.
Pena wants to sweep here but Saldo controlling him for the moment.
Pena is looking to stand up but Saldo isn't so interested in that idea.
Pena has his hands on Saldo's head, controlling the position.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Pena is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pena keeping moving, preventing Saldo from controlling successfully.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Pena lands a head kick!
Pena lands with a shot to the body.
Saldo circles away from the clinch attempt

and Saldo counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Saldo trying to control from half guard but Pena is working away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pena holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.
Pena regains full guard. Nicely done.
Pena is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Saldo is looking for a sweep. Pena is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Saldo keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.
Pena trying to control from half guard but Saldo is working away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Saldo manages to get to full guard.
Saldo is trying to control the position but Pena postures up.
Pena with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Pena sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Pena postures up.

That's four 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.
Pena preventing the sweep.

Pena got a little sloppy there for a moment and Saldo has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Pena has managed to get both his arms back between Saldo's legs - danger averted.
Pena pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Saldo is keeping the position for now.
Pena scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Pena postures up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Fernando Saldo showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Pena throws a head kick that Saldo semi-blocks.
Pena misses with a takedown attempt - Saldo sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Saldo shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Pena has control of Saldo's left arm, preventing Saldo from doing any damage.
Saldo with a flurry of punches that miss.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Pena throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Saldo wants to control from the top but Pena keeps moving.

Saldo stands up and waves to Pena to follow him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pena with a poor takedown
and Saldo counters with a stiff right hand.

Saldo darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Saldo seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Pena does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Pena tries to roll over but Saldo keeps him under control.
Saldo missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Pena trying to control from the bottom.
Pena tries to roll over but Saldo keeps him under control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pena is looking to control Saldo's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Pena avoid being mounted?
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

Pena makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!
Pena shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Saldo counters with a single leg into guard. Pena didn't expect that.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Edison Pena. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Saldo trying to control but Pena is working from the bottom.
Saldo stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Pena swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pena manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Saldo manages to get himself to full guard.

Saldo kicks Pena off and gets to his feet.
Saldo doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Pena counters by moving into the clinch.
Saldo has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Pena is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Pena can't get the takedown.

Saldo breaks from the clinch.
Saldo circles away from the clinch attempt
and Saldo counters with a one-two to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pena moves out of range as Saldo throws a body kick.
Saldo throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Nice takedown defense from Pena. No joy for Saldo on that attempt.
Pena closes the distance but Saldo moves to the side

and Saldo counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Saldo.
Saldo wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Pena has him pressed against the cage.
Pena effectively controlling the action here.
Saldo wants to break free but Pena has control.
Pena tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Saldo smiles and moves away.

Pena darts in and clinches Saldo up against the cage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Fernando Saldo comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Saldo winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 27:30
Judge Edson Gomes scores the fight 27:30
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Fernando Saldo!