PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Sonny Giovanni (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gustavo Ribeiro (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Giovanni comes into the arena with Til I Collapse [ Eminem ] blaring out of the sound system. Gustavo Ribeiro told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Giovanni
vs
Ribeiro

186 cm
29
199 lbs
19 - 10 - 0

188 cm
28
195 lbs
12 - 8 - 1

Good wrestling
World class boxer
KO power

ADCC Champion
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

Conviction
Convicted Trap House

Hellbent

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 19 - 10 - 0, fighting out of New York, Sonny Giovanni!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 8 - 1, fighting out of New York, Gustavo Ribeiro!
The judges for this bout are Dean Styles, David Schapiro and Anthony Taglia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ribeiro looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

Ribeiro looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Ribeiro scoring with some ground and pound.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Ribeiro sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Giovanni's guard.
Ribeiro content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

Ribeiro stands up and beckons Giovanni to join him on the feet.
Giovanni swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Ribeiro closes the distance and clinches up with Giovanni, looking for a takedown. Ribeiro pushes Giovanni against the cage but Giovanni circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nice takedown defense from Giovanni. No joy for Ribeiro on that attempt.
Sonny Giovanni has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Gustavo Ribeiro.

Ribeiro gets the takedown into side control.

Ribeiro tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Ribeiro has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

Ribeiro is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Giovanni knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Giovanni is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Ribeiro off and has taken his back!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ribeiro tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Ribeiro bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Ribeiro trying to control the position from guard on top but Giovanni is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Giovanni wants to sweep here but Ribeiro controlling him for the moment.
Giovanni is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Ribeiro sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Giovanni's guard.
Giovanni knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Ribeiro on the ground.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ribeiro is pressing down on Giovanni's thigh, looking to free his foot. Giovanni is holding on for now.
Giovanni is staying active underneath Ribeiro, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

Ribeiro is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Ribeiro wants to lay and pray for a moment but Giovanni keeps working.
Ribeiro is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Ribeiro is in the full mount, landing strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ribeiro trying to control but Giovanni is having none of it.
Ribeiro looking to finish Giovanni with some ground and pound. This is bad for Giovanni!
Ribeiro moves to take his opponent's back.
Well, with Ribeiro on his back, surely it's only a matter of time before Giovanni is tapping out... Can he escape the position?
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Ribeiro is looking to control Giovanni but Giovanni is wriggling around and keeping busy.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Giovanni avoids the strikes from Ribeiro.
Ribeiro struggling to keep hold of the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gustavo Ribeiro dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Ribeiro tries to close the distance and clinch up but Giovanni swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Ribeiro fails with a takedown attempt.
Ribeiro fails with a takedown attempt.
Giovanni throws a front kick that sends Ribeiro stumbling back into the cage.
Ribeiro fails with a takedown attempt.
Sonny Giovanni has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Gustavo Ribeiro.
Ribeiro checks the leg kick.
Ribeiro takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A solid body kick from Giovanni.
Ribeiro is breathing heavily.
Ribeiro misses with a wild combination.
Sonny Giovanni seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Giovanni connects with a looping right hand.
Ribeiro moves out of range as Giovanni throws a body kick.
Giovanni connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Ribeiro fails with a takedown attempt.

Ribeiro dives in and scores a takedown into Giovanni's guard.
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!
Giovanni working a defensive guard here.
Ribeiro stops Giovanni from standing up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ribeiro wants to control from the top but Giovanni keeps moving.

Ribeiro drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Giovanni manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Ribeiro has Giovanni in his guard.
Giovanni would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

Ribeiro is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Giovanni wants to stand but Ribeiro has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Ribeiro manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Giovanni manages to get himself to full guard.
Ribeiro trying to control but Giovanni is working from the bottom.
Ribeiro might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Giovanni kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ribeiro throwing strikes but missing.
Ribeiro trying to control but Giovanni is working from the bottom.
Giovanni is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Gustavo Ribeiro hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.

Giovanni clinches with his opponent.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Ribeiro blocks an uppercut.
Giovanni throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Ribeiros head.
A short left from Ribeiro.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sonny Giovanni dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Ribeiro throws a nice looking combination but Giovanni bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.

Ribeiro rushes Giovanni and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Ribeiro jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Giovanni walks away with a smile on his face. Ribeiro gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Giovanni throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Ribeiro.
Giovanni cracks a nice hook into Ribeiro's ribs.
Giovanni throws a head kick but Ribeiro moves out of range.
Giovanni lands a high kick!
Giovanni throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Ribeiro misses with a takedown
and Giovanni counters with a good low kick that Ribeiro was not able to check.
Sonny Giovanni has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Gustavo Ribeiro.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Good shot there by Giovanni.
Ribeiro takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Giovanni leaves Ribeiro with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.

Giovanni clinches up with Ribeiro and pushes him back against the cage.
Ribeiro blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Giovanni will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Ribeiro up against the cage.
Ribeiro tries to pull guard but Giovanni holds him up against the cage and eventually Ribeiro drops back down to his feet.
Ribeiro blocks a body shot from Giovanni.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Giovanni misses with some punches.
Giovanni tries to throw a body punch but Ribeiro avoids it by throwing Giovanni back against the cage.
Giovanni misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Giovanni misses with some punches.
Giovanni lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Giovanni misses with the head strike.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Giovanni.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Ribeiro gets control of Giovanni's arms and successfully pulls guard. Ribeiro will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Giovanni trying to control but Ribeiro is working from the bottom.

Ribeiro throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Ribeiro has a closed guard, preventing Giovanni from standing up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ribeiro is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Giovanni looking to pass the guard.
Giovanni won't allow Ribeiro to sweep him here.
Ribeiro keeping moving, preventing Giovanni from controlling successfully.
Giovanni trying to stand up but can't free himself from Ribeiro's guard.

Ribeiro working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Giovanni doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Giovanni manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Giovanni has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Ribeiro is proving hard to escape from.
Ribeiro manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Giovanni manages to get himself to full guard.
Giovanni looking for a sweep. Not yet Giovanni, not yet.
Ribeiro engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Ribeiro pushes down on Giovanni's leg and manages to get into half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Sonny Giovanni showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Giovanni has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Dean Styles scores the fight 29:28
Judge David Schapiro scores the fight 29:28
Judge Anthony Taglia scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Sonny Giovanni!