PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Rolando Alves (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Derick Larkin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Alves might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Ghostface Killah - The Champ. Both fighters look pumped up here. Let's hope this is a good fight!

Alves
vs
Larkin

185 cm
22
185 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

180 cm
22
188 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Determined

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 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Rolando Alves!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, Derick Larkin!
The judges for this bout are Andrew Berry, Donald Grub and William Gold.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Alves tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Larkin slips a jab and a cross from Alves.
A punch combination from Larkin misses.

Alves gets the takedown into side control.
Larkin is looking to reverse the position.
Alves tries to stand but Larkin is controlling his head.
Larkin is trying to control Alves's posture but Alves avoids it.
Larkin is looking to reverse the position.
Larkin is letting Alves control him for a moment.
Larkin is looking for a sweep.
Alves moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Alves closes the distance and lands a one-two.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A choreographed right hand from Larkin misses the target.
Alves slips a jab and a cross from Larkin.
Larkin looks gassed!

Alves darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Larkin is staying active underneath Alves, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Alves keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Alves tries to pass to full mount but Larkin defends it.
Alves sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Alves seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Larkin for as long as he can get away with.
Alves wants to take a breather but Larkin is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Alves is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Larkin is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Larkin moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.

Larkin is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Alves trying to control the position from guard on top but Larkin is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Alves controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Rolando Alves just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Alves throws a right and a left that both miss.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Alves throws a series of punches but Larkin moves out of range.
Alves stalks Larkin and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Larkin's face. Larkin staggers backwards, shaken.
Alves tries to clinch but Larkin moves out of range.
Alves lands a nice shot to the body.
Alves misses with a double jab
and Larkin counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Larkin throws a series of punches but Alves avoids them all with ease.
Larkin scoring well with a low kick there.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Alves takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Alves takes a swing at Larkin's ribcage but misses.
Alves throws a right and a left that Larkin avoids nicely.
Larkin's corner calls for a 1-2. Larkin obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Alves looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Larkin throws a combination that misses
and Alves counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Alves dodges the punch combination from Larkin.
Alves fails to land with a series of punches.
Larkin looks to land a combination but Alves avoids it well.
Alves cracks a nice hook into Larkin's ribs.

Alves gets a takedown into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Alves content to control rather than advance.
Alves knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Larkin on the ground.
Alves is trying to control the action in half guard but Larkin is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Alves sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Alves trying to mount his opponent but Larkin defends it.
Larkin keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Larkin wants to sweep but Alves has passed to side control!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rolando Alves 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.

Alves darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Larkin is refusing to be controlled, as Alves sits in half guard.

Alves stands, ready to strike. The ref makes him back up and allows Larkin to get to his feet.
Alves is looking to clinch.
Rolando Alves is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
A combination from Alves does no damage.
Alves swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Larkin swats away the attempt to clinch by Alves.
Alves bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Larkin's head backwards.
Alves throws a nice looking combination but Larkin bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Larkin slips a jab and a cross from Alves.
Alves stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Larkin.
Larkin is breathing heavily.
Larkin throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A right-left combo lands from Alves.
Larkin scores with a jab.
Larkin shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.

Larkin is rocked!
Larkin takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Larkin is still on wobbly legs! Can Alves finish him?
Alves misses with a jab, cross combination.
Nice shot lands for Alves.
Larkin attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Larkin seems to have recovered his senses.
Alves chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Larkin can pounce on him.
Alves rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Larkin moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Alves tries to bum rush Larkin with a series of wild strikes but Larkin uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Larkin, right into the meat.
Larkin dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Alves. That did some damage!
Alves throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Larkin counters with a leg kick.
Alves throws a series of punches but Larkin moves out of range.

Larkin shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Alves's guard.
Alves controls Larkin momentarily but Larkin frees himself.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Larkin slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Larkin postures up in Alves's guard and throws a big left but Alves blocks it.
Alves wants to get back to his feet but Larkin is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Larkin thows a big elbow that misses.
Larkin is looking to stand up but Alves won't let him.
Alves 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.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Alves misses with a wild combination.
Alves throws a series of punches but Larkin moves out of range.
A jab-cross combination lands for Alves and sends Larkin crashing to the mat! Alves follows him down to the mat - Larkin regains half guard but he's not out of trouble yet!

It looks like Derick Larkin has been cut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Alves trying to control the action but Larkin is working from the bottom.
Alves working Larkin over with strikes.
Larkin keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Alves is just content to waste time from the top position. Larkin takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.

Larkin working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Alves doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Alves manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Alves makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Alves has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Alves wants to stand but Larkin is controlling his posture from full guard.
Alves slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four 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.
Larkin looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Alves puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Alves is pressing down on Larkin's thigh, looking to free his foot. Larkin is holding on for now.
Larkin is trying to control but can't.
Alves is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Alves wants to pass to mount but Larkin is defending the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rolando Alves dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Derick Larkin's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Larkin throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Alves holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Alves can't break the clinch.
Larkin jumps guard but Alves stands there with Larkin around his waist. Larkin gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Larkin fails to pull the fight into his guard.

Alves escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Alves shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Larkin is staying active underneath Alves, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Alves looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Alves connects with a nice short shot to Larkin's temple.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Alves looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Alves wants to control but Larkin is keeping him busy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Larkin is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Alves's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Alves's back!
Larkin avoiding Alves 's attempts to control his hands.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Rolando Alves just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Alves fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Alves rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Larkin moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Alves throws a right hand that Larkin ducks under and follows up with a left that Larkin also avoids with ease.
Larkin throws a hook but Alves blocks it.
Alves fails to land the takedown.
Alves throws a right hand that Larkin ducks under and follows up with a left that Larkin also avoids with ease.

Alves decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Alves postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Larkin to stand up.
Alves misses with a wild combination.
Alves throws a right hand that Larkin ducks under and follows up with a left that Larkin also avoids with ease.
Alves shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Larkin as he jumps to the side.
Alves stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Larkin.
Larkin throws a leg kick which misses Alves's front leg but catches the back leg as Alves tries to avoid it.
Larkin lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Alves scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Alves misses with a double jab.
Larkin looks to land a combination but Alves avoids it well.
Alves misses with a series of wild punches.
Larkin dodges the punch combination from Alves.
Some wild striking there from Alves.
The crowd cheers as Alves lands an impressive looking overhand right. Larkin doesn't seem phased though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Larkin cracks a nice hook into Alves's ribs.
Larkin throws a quick inside leg kick.
Alves on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Larkin. Larkin obviously looking to wear him down.
Larkin scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Alves misses with a double jab
and Larkin counters with a leg kick.

Larkin shoots in and bounces Alves off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Alves manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Alves trying to control but Larkin is having none of it.
Larkin is in all sorts of trouble here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Alves content just to control the position here.
Alves tries to control but Larkin wriggling away.
Alves controlling from the full mount.
Alves has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
Derick Larkin has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Rolando Alves overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rolando Alves showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Alves 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 Andrew Berry scores the fight 30:27
Judge Donald Grub scores the fight 30:27
Judge William Gold scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rolando Alves!