PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Juan Gonzalez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Haile Selassie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gonzalez kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Entre Dos Aguas. The crowd seem to be enjoying Selassie's choice of entrance music: Welcome to Jamrock - Damian Marley. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Gonzalez
vs
Selassie

173 cm
29
155 lbs
15 - 12 - 0

175 cm
22
155 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Very strong

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

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Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 15 - 12 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Juan Gonzalez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Haile Selassie!
The judges for this bout are Emerson Jorge, Thiago Cunha and Matheus Silva.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Selassie circles away from the clinch attempt
and Selassie counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Gonzalez takes a swing at Selassie's ribcage but misses.
Gonzalez moves out of range of the strikes.

Selassie shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Gonzalez keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Gonzalez wants to get back to his feet.
Selassie thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Gonzalez pushes Selassie off looking to stand but Selassie dives back in and keeps control.
Selassie throwing shots but Gonzalez is blocking nicely.
Selassie not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Gonzalez won't allow Selassie to pass to mount.
Selassie trying to control the action but Gonzalez is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gonzalez is trying to stand back up but Selassie is controlling him
Ground and pound from Selassie.
Selassie throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Selassie not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Gonzalez keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Selassie is looking to advance position but Gonzalez won't allow it.
Gonzalez is trying to stand.
Selassie keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Selassie working over Gonzalez with some ground and pound. Gonzalez looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Gonzalez is trying to stand back up but Selassie is controlling him
Selassie thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Gonzalez's head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Gonzalez manages to escape and get back to his feet!
Selassie scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Selassie throws a solid leg kick but Gonzalez takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Selassie.
Gonzalez fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Gonzalez misses with a body shot

and Selassie moves into the clinch.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Selassie.
Gonzalez gets through Selassie's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Gonzalez wants to break the clinch but can't.
Selassie tries a body shot but Gonzalez blocks it.

Gonzalez manages to break the clinch.
Selassie misses with a few strikes there.
Gonzalez misses with a two punch combination.

Selassie moves into range and clinches up with Gonzalez.

Selassie has moved round to his opponent's back and is looking for a suplex! Oh snap! He's tossed Gonzalez clear over his head and slammed him to the mat!

Gonzalez is displaying good submission defense - not really looking in danger of submitting to the rear naked choke at the moment. That could change in an instant of course if Selassie gets his way!
Gonzalez looking to stop the rear naked choke attempt by controlling the hands.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The crowd hopeful of a finish here - Selassie's supporters are on their feet, screaming for him to go for the rear naked choke.
Selassie lands a punch that was close to the back of the head but the ref thinks it's OK.
Gonzalez is trying to remain composed but Selassie is hammering down strikes to the side of his head.
Selassie thows a huge left but connects with the canvas and not his opponent.
Selassie is striking well from the back but Gonzalez escapes and manages to control the positon and works his way to half guard. A much better position - the crisis is over for the time being.
Selassie 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.
Selassie throwing shots but Gonzalez is blocking nicely.
Gonzalez wants to get back to his feet.
Selassie not landing any meaningful shots this time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Gonzalez makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!
A head kick misses from Gonzalez.
A nice leg kick lands there from Gonzalez.
Selassie blocks a head kick by Gonzalez.
Selassie thows a body shot but no joy.
Juan Gonzalez seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Gonzalez tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Selassie was well out of range. Poor timing from Gonzalez.
Selassie misses the shot to the body.
Left hook, right uppercut from Selassie.
Selassie scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Gonzalez doesn't seem bothered though.
Gonzalez tries to clinch there but Selassie circles away.
Juan Gonzalez is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Selassie is looking to chop away at Gonzalez's legs.
Selassie wants to clinch up but Gonzalez keeps it at a distance.
Gonzalez wants to clinch up but Selassie keeps it at a distance.
Gonzalez lands a head kick. Selassie smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Haile Selassie dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Gonzalez throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
A telegraphed right hand from Selassie misses the target.
Selassie misses with a two punch combination.
Gonzalez fails with an attempt to clinch.
Gonzalez is looking to clinch but Selassie is avoiding it.
Gonzalez closes the distance but Selassie moves to the side
and Selassie counters with a stiff right hand.
Gonzalez throws a left and a right that both miss
and Selassie counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Gonzalez tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Selassie counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Selassie fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
An inside leg kick from Gonzalez misses.

Selassie changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Gonzalez looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Gonzalez taking a bit of punishment here - Selassie scoring with strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Selassie misses with the ground and pound.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Gonzalez takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Gonzalez is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Selassie asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Selassie throws an elbow but Gonzalez slips to the side and avoids it well.
Gonzalez wants to get back to his feet.
Selassie works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Selassie taking a breather here.
Gonzalez taking a bit of punishment here - Selassie scoring with strikes.
Gonzalez pushes Selassie away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Selassie gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gonzalez avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Selassie.
Selassie throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Gonzalez parries the strikes from Selassie easily there. Selassie is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Gonzalez to escape.
Haile Selassie has got the better of the ground game so far.
Selassie working the strikes but Gonzalez uses the opportunity to regain half guard.
Selassie sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Gonzalez defending well though.
Selassie not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Selassie thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Gonzalez's head.
Gonzalez is trying to stand back up but Selassie is controlling him
Selassie misses with a head shot. Gonzalez uses the momentum to regain guard.
Gonzalez working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Selassie.
Selassie throwing strikes but missing.
Selassie won't allow Gonzalez to get back to his feet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Selassie postures up in Gonzalez's guard and throws a big left but Gonzalez blocks it.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Selassie accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Gonzalez is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Selassie is controlling him.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Selassie stands up over Gonzalez, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Selassie in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Selassie scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Selassie throwing strikes but missing.
Selassie throwing strikes but missing.
Selassie is looking to work some ground and pound but Gonzalez has wrist control.
Gonzalez is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

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.
Selassie lands a couple of decent looking shots.

Gonzalez wriggles free and stands up.
Selassie keeps the fight on the outside.
Selassie jabs Gonzalez to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Gonzalez displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Selassie.
Gonzalez uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Selassie.
Selassie throws a combination. Gonzalez tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Selassie tries to close the distance and clinch up but Gonzalez swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Selassie has Gonzalez up against the cage in a clinch.
Selassie scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Selassie looking to slow down the pace here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Haile Selassie showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Gonzalez staying out of range there.
Gonzalez misses with a few strikes there.
Gonzalez fails with an attempt to clinch.
Gonzalez is looking to clinch but Selassie is avoiding it.
Selassie throws a leg kick but Gonzalez sees it coming and moves out of range.
Gonzalez throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Selassie slips a jab and a cross from Gonzalez.
Selassie feints a jab promting Gonzalez to slip. Selassie then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Gonzalez slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.
Gonzalez takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.

Gonzalez is rocked!
Selassie sizes up Gonzalez with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Gonzalez takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Selassie digs a good hook to Gonzalez's body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gonzalez throws a left and a right that both miss
and Selassie connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Oh Gonzalez is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Gonzalez walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Juan Gonzalez is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Selassie steps in with a hook that catches Gonzalez right on the chin and knocks him to the floor! Selassie follows him down with more strikes and that's all she wrote! Gonzalez looks absolutely devastated.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:17 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Haile Selassie!