PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Felipe De Celio (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Big Thunder (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Big Thunder is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

De Celio
vs
Thunder

185 cm
25
230 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

198 cm
20
230 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

Decent wrestler
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Felipe De Celio!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Big Thunder!
The judges for this bout are Emerson Jorge, Luis Engracia and Thiago Cunha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Thunder will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

De Celio gets a clinch.
De Celio working Thunder over with knees to the body.
Thunder is trying to break free.

De Celio works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
De Celio controlling from the top position.
De Celio prevents Thunder from getting back to his feet.
De Celio controlling from the top position.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Felipe De Celio wasn't doing enough on the ground.

De Celio shoots in and bounces Thunder off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
De Celio is stalling in the full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thunder wants to get back to his feet but De Celio is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Thunder looks gassed!
De Celio landing with the ground and pound.
De Celio sitting in guard, not really doing much.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
De Celio seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Thunder for as long as he can get away with.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

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

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Felipe De Celio.
Thunder throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Thunder fails to land with a series of punches.

Thunder darts in and clinches De Celio up against the cage.

De Celio has hold of one of Thunder's legs. Thunder is fighting the takedown attempt but De Celio gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
De Celio lands a couple of decent looking shots.

De Celio gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.

De Celio scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
De Celio is figuring out what he wants to do next.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. De Celio lands a nice short elbow.
De Celio controlling the action here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.

We're going to have a standup here because Felipe De Celio wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.

De Celio fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Thunder sprawls well initially but De Celio persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Still in half guard, De Celio seems content to control.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Felipe De Celio just wasn't active enough.

De Celio shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.

De Celio decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Thunder, up you get!

That's four minutes gone in the round.

De Celio shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Thunder is trying to defend but De Celio finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
De Celio takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
De Celio works his foot free and advances to mount.
De Celio scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Thunder?
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
De Celio sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
De Celio in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Felipe De Celio dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

De Celio moves into range and clinches up with Thunder.
Thunder wants to get back to striking at distance but De Celio won't allow it.

De Celio jumps guard.

De Celio scrambles and gets back to his feet.
No joy there for Thunder, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
De Celio shoots in but Thunder avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Thunder works over De Celio's head and body with a nice combination.

It looks like Felipe De Celio has been cut.

Thunder has closed the distance and engaged De Celio in a clinch.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

De Celio has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Thunder regains guard immediately.
De Celio showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
De Celio has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Felipe De Celio wasn't doing enough on the ground.
De Celio shoots in for a takedown but Thunder shows good takedown defense.
Thunder throws a series of punches but De Celio avoids them all with ease.
Thunder tries a head kick but it misses.

De Celio moves into the clinch successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
De Celio throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Thunder blocks it with crossed arms.

De Celio turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.
De Celio lands a decent elbow from side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Thunder is trying to get back to his feet.
De Celio controls the position from side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Felipe De Celio.

De Celio drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
De Celio sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Felipe De Celio overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
De Celio is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
De Celio with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
De Celio is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Thunder can do to turn this around?
De Celio seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
De Celio's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Felipe De Celio has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.

De Celio darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Felipe De Celio dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Felipe De Celio's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Thunder tries to keep at a distance but De Celio has taken the fight into the clinch.

De Celio tightens his grip and picks Thunder up, before dumping him to the ground. Thunder manages to land in guard.
De Celio sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
De Celio won't allow Thunder to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Felipe De Celio wasn't doing enough on the ground.

De Celio closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - De Celio lands in his opponent's guard.
De Celio is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
De Celio might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Thunder is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst De Celio is controlling him.
De Celio looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Felipe De Celio just wasn't active enough.

De Celio closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

De Celio has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Thunder is trying to keep an underhook but De Celio manages to get the takedown into half guard.
De Celio keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
De Celio looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Thunder with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
De Celio is figuring out what he wants to do next.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Felipe De Celio.

De Celio decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
De Celio slows the pace down in half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Thunder pushes De Celio off but De Celio dives into side control.
De Celio advances to full mount.
De Celio controlling from the full mount.
Big Thunder has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Felipe De Celio is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
BOOM! De Celio connects with a massive shot to the dome!

And that's the end of the fight!
Felipe De Celio showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for De Celio, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Emerson Jorge scores the fight 30:25
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight 30:25
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 30:25

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Felipe De Celio!