PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Demian Maia (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jose Diaz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Diaz is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Jamiroquai - Deeper Underground. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Maia
vs
Diaz

177 cm
25
187 lbs
4 - 4 - 0

188 cm
26
185 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Experienced

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Solid chin

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 4 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Demian Maia!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Jose Diaz!
The judges for this bout are Dillan Fox, Robert Douchet and Gregory Folan.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Maia takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Maia gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Diaz.
Maia uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Diaz.
A right-left combo lands from Diaz.
Maia takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Maia takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Diaz sizes up Maia with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.

Maia scores with a takedown into Diaz's guard.
Maia prevents Diaz from getting back to his feet.
Diaz working a defensive guard here.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Maia tries to free his leg and advance position but Diaz is retaining full guard.
Maia trying to control but Diaz is working from the bottom.
Maia stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Diaz swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maia preventing the sweep.
Maia 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 referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Maia shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Maia was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Maia controlling from the full mount.
Diaz tries to hold on but Maia pushes him away.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Diaz can't escape the position.
Maia controlling his opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Diaz is working to get back to half guard.
Maia controlling from the full mount.
Diaz wants to hold on but Maia pushes him away.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Diaz regains half guard.

Diaz looking for submissions off his back.
Still in half guard, Maia seems content to control.
Diaz pushes Maia off looking to stand but Maia dives back in and keeps control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Maia prevents Diaz from improving his position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maia is pressing down on Diaz's thigh, looking to free his foot. Diaz is holding on for now.
Maia is working hard here to advance position.
Diaz wants to get back to his feet.
Maia is controlling the pace.

We're going to have a standup here because Demian Maia wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Diaz throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Maia walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Nice defenses there by Maia.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Maia takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Maia sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Diaz thuds his right hand into Maia's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Diaz throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Diaz misses with a hook. Maia ducked under it nicely.
Diaz connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Maia needs to keep his hands up - Diaz had a free shot at his head there.
Jose Diaz seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Diaz chopping away at his opponent's legs.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Maia has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Diaz finds it's way round the side to connect with Maia's head.
Nice jab there from Diaz.
Jab, jab by Diaz - just one landing.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jose Diaz dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Maia decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Maia is taking a breather. Diaz says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Demian Maia overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Diaz is trying to stand.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Maia wants to lay and pray for a moment but Diaz keeps working.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Demian Maia just wasn't active enough.
Diaz cracks Maia with an open hand slap.
Diaz scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Diaz jabs at Maia's body.
Diaz looks to throw the jab but Maia is out of range.

Diaz rushes Maia and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Diaz has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Diaz lands a knee to the head.

It looks like Demian Maia has been cut.
Diaz throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Maia blocks it with crossed arms.

Diaz's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Diaz lands a jab.
Diaz throws a sloppy head kick and Maia moves out of range easily.

Diaz throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Maia was covering up waiting for the punch and Diaz finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Diaz stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Maia swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Maia might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Diaz throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Diaz trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Diaz wants to stand but Maia has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Maia keeping moving, preventing Diaz from controlling successfully.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Maia wants to sweep here but Diaz controlling him for the moment.
Diaz forces his way into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Diaz is working for a kimura but Maia is defending it quite comfortably.

Diaz seems to be looking for submissions.
Diaz is figuring out what he wants to do next.

Diaz is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Diaz wants to work for an arm triangle but Maia is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Diaz seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.
Diaz wants to lay and pray for a moment but Maia keeps working.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Maia is trying to control but can't.

Diaz decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.
Diaz misses with an uppercut.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jose Diaz showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Demian Maia's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Maia gets caught napping as Diaz dives in and scores a takedown. Maia manages to retain guard.
Maia keeping full guard, as Diaz tries to pass.
Maia has a closed guard, preventing Diaz from standing up.
Maia keeping moving, preventing Diaz from controlling successfully.
Diaz postures up in Maia's guard and throws a big left but Maia blocks it.
Diaz wants to control from the top but Maia keeps moving.
Diaz tries to stand but Maia is controlling from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Jose Diaz has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Maia on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Diaz lands with a nice body punch.
Diaz fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Maia looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Nice jab there from Diaz.
Diaz misses with a head kick.
Diaz throws a jab when Maia was well out of range.
Diaz looks to throw the jab but Maia is out of range.
Jose Diaz seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Diaz misses with an uppercut. Maia saw that one coming.
A chopping leg kick lands by Diaz.
Diaz lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Diaz connects with a single shot there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maia on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Diaz connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Maia momentarily.

Maia shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Maia was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Maia wants to control the pace but Diaz is squirming around nicely.
Maia content just to control the position here.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Diaz keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Diaz is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.
Maia sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Diaz slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Diaz is trying to stand back up but Maia is controlling him
Diaz tries to get to full guard but Maia has control of the leg.
Maia is pressing down on Diaz's thigh, looking to free his foot. Diaz is holding on for now.
Jose Diaz is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Maia is looking to take a break and control but Diaz is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Diaz preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.
Maia is pressing down on Diaz's thigh, looking to free his foot. Diaz is holding on for now.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Diaz catches Maia with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Diaz throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Diaz throws a looping overhand right but Maia ducks down to avoid it.
Diaz throws a head kick that Maia semi-blocks.
Diaz stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Maia staying out of range there.
Diaz throws a big shot that misses.
Diaz lands with a right hand.
Maia walks into a left hand.
Diaz with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Diaz wants to land a leg kick but Maia is out of range.
Diaz lands with a good body shot.
Demian Maia has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Diaz fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jose Diaz comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Diaz has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Dillan Fox scores the fight 27:30
Judge Robert Douchet scores the fight 27:30
Judge Gregory Folan scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jose Diaz!
Jumping up and down and very excited, Jose Diaz waved his t-shirt featuring 5th Round Clothing's logo in front of the cameras.