PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ricardo Limoncello (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and JD Powers (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Limoncello
vs
Powers

190 cm
21
240 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

192 cm
21
265 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite 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 Sydney, Ricardo Limoncello!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, JD Powers!
The judges for this bout are Hugh Johnson, Eliza Hachem and Skip Squint.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Limoncello bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Powers wants to clinch.

Limoncello has taken the fight to the clinch.
Still in the clinch, Powers scores with a nice short uppercut.
Powers is looking to break free of the clinch but Limoncello has double underhooks.
Powers can't break the clinch.
Limoncello stops a takedown attempt from Powers.

Limoncello has clasped his hands together around Powers's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Limoncello working away.
Powers gets back to half guard.
Limoncello not doing much here.
Powers wants to get back to his feet.
Limoncello keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.

Powers looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Limoncello slows the pace down in half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Powers is trying to control but can't.
Powers manages to get to full guard.
Limoncello knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Powers on the ground.
Limoncello is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Powers being controlled here, momentarily.
Powers is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Limoncello sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Limoncello has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Ricardo Limoncello just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Limoncello throws a series of punches but Powers avoids them all with ease.
Powers tries to clinch up
and Limoncello counters with a stiff right hand.

Limoncello feints and as Powers raises his hands in defense, Limoncello changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Powers wants to stand but Limoncello is controlling the position.
Limoncello looking to pass the guard.
Powers throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Limoncello trying to control the position from guard on top but Powers is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Powers throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Limoncello prevents Powers from getting back to his feet.
Powers looks gassed!
Powers controls Limoncello momentarily but Limoncello frees himself.
Limoncello is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

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

Limoncello shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Limoncello controlling from mount.
Limoncello looking to finish Powers with some ground and pound. This is bad for Powers!
Limoncello controlling from mount.
Powers wants to control but Limoncello is having none of it.
Powers is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Limoncello looking to finish Powers with some ground and pound. This is bad for Powers!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Powers is looking to get to half guard.
Limoncello sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Limoncello has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Powers's face.
Limoncello dominating with strikes here.
Limoncello controlling the pace for now.
Powers is desperately trying to improve his position but Limoncello has a good base and remains in mount.
Limoncello controlling from the full mount.
Powers is trying to escape the mount.
Limoncello content just to control the position here.
Limoncello seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Powers for as long as he can get away with.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ricardo Limoncello 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.

Limoncello scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Limoncello tries to clinch but Powers moves out of range.

Limoncello scores with a takedown into Powers's guard.
Powers trying to control the position.

Powers has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Limoncello can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Powers throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Limoncello sitting in guard here, content to control.
Limoncello preventing the sweep.
Powers is breathing heavily.

Powers is looking for a triangle but Limoncello pushes his legs off easily.
Limoncello with a nice head shot there.
Powers trying to control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Powers rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Limoncello connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Limoncello lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Powers goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Powers doesn't manage to clinch there - Limoncello circles away.
Limoncello stuns Powers with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Powers misses with a double jab

and Limoncello counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Powers is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Limoncello is looking to improve his position.
Powers is trying to control the action in half guard but Limoncello is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Powers thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Limoncello's head.
Powers lands strikes from half guard.
Limoncello is not content to let Powers control the position.
Powers is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Limoncello is trying to maintain the position but Powers is very close to passing his half guard.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
The fight stays on the outside here - Powers looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Powers swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Powers pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Powers throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Powers doesn't succeed with the takedown

so Limoncello counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Limoncello is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Powers is trying to control the position but Limoncello postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Powers is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Powers trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Powers is controlling Limoncello's posture.
Powers 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.
Powers bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Limoncello's guard.
Powers trying to control but Limoncello is working from the bottom.
Limoncello throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Limoncello looking to control.
Powers trying to control the position from guard on top but Limoncello is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Powers working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Limoncello's head.
Powers won't allow Limoncello to sweep him here.
Powers postures up.
Limoncello keeping moving, preventing Powers from controlling successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Limoncello moves out of range of the body kick from Powers.

Limoncello gets caught flat footed, as Powers shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Powers is looking to stand up but Limoncello won't let him.
Powers preventing the sweep.

Powers thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Limoncello controlling the position.
Limoncello tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Limoncello trying to control the position here.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ricardo Limoncello dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Powers gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Limoncello trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Limoncello stays in close to Powers's body and controls the position.
Powers looking to control.
Limoncello looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Ricardo Limoncello just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Powers wants to clinch but Limoncello slips to the side
and Limoncello counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Powers misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Powers misses with a takedown
and Limoncello counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

Limoncello forces Powers back against the cage and clinches.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Limoncello controlling the action here for a moment.

Limoncello breaks from the clinch.

Limoncello closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Limoncello controls the position.
Powers can't do much from the bottom here.
A lull in the action here as Limoncello stalls from top position.
Powers regains half guard.
Powers slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Powers pulls Limoncello in close to prevent any damage.
Limoncello controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Limoncello wanted to stand there but Powers had control of the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Limoncello throws a big right hand that misses.
Powers looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Powers throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Limoncello is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

Limoncello 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.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
A punch combination from Powers misses.
Powers clinches but Limoncello breaks the clinch
and Limoncello counters with a three punch combo that has Powers backing up. Powers nods at Limoncello to acknowledge the strikes.
JD Powers seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Nice sprawl there from Powers as Limoncello shoots in.
Powers displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Powers throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Limoncello counters with a nice double leg into side control. Powers won't be happy with that.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Powers is pushing Limoncello's head away, looking to escape. Limoncello manages to hold on to the position though.
Limoncello takes a little break here. Powers wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Limoncello looks up at the clock and then as Powers takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Limoncello smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Powers is looking to regain half guard here but Limoncello keeps moving and retains side control.
Limoncello just content to control the position.
Limoncello in side control lands a decent elbow.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Limoncello trying to control the action but Powers is working from the bottom.
Powers is trying to escape the position but Limoncello is controlling the position.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Ricardo Limoncello just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Powers closes the distance but Limoncello moves to the side

and Limoncello moves into the clinch.
Powers gets underhooks to prevent Limoncello's takedown attempt.

Limoncello tightens his grip and picks Powers up, before dumping him to the ground. Powers manages to land in guard.
Limoncello lands a couple of elbows.
Limoncello controls from within his opponent's guard.
Limoncello tries to stand but Powers is controlling from the bottom.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Powers thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Limoncello not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
JD Powers has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Powers looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Limoncello passes into side control.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ricardo Limoncello showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Limoncello has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Hugh Johnson scores the fight 30:27
Judge Eliza Hachem scores the fight 30:27
Judge Skip Squint scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ricardo Limoncello!