PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Jackson Michaels (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rico Suarez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rumors backstage are that the fighters have been paid to keep it standing but we know that would never happen in MMA!

Michaels
vs
Suarez

180 cm
22
160 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

170 cm
18
155 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter striker
Big heart

BJJ White Belt
Basic striking
Solid chin

King Clothing

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Jackson Michaels!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Rico Suarez!
The judges for this bout are David Schapiro, Chad Campbell and Anthony Taglia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A punch combination from Michaels misses.

Suarez has Michaels up against the cage in a clinch.

Suarez breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
A nice inside leg kick there by Suarez. That's going to slow Michaels down.
Michaels throws a right hand that Suarez ducks under and follows up with a left that Suarez also avoids with ease.
Suarez tries to bum rush Michaels with a series of wild strikes but Michaels uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Michaels tries to close the distance and clinch but Suarez swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Suarez takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
Suarez throws a combination that misses

and Michaels counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Suarez's guard now.
Michaels tries to free his leg and advance position but Suarez is retaining full guard.
Michaels is working hard here to advance position.
Suarez wants to stand but Michaels is controlling the position.
Michaels pushing down on Suarez's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Suarez is trying to stand back up but Michaels is controlling him
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Suarez can do anything to dispel that myth.
Michaels wants to free his trapped foot but Suarez is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Suarez is trying to stand up here but Michaels is controlling him well.
Michaels is tying to control. Suarez wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Suarez misses with a few strikes there.
Suarez with a hook.

Suarez drives through and clinches with Michaels against the cage.

Suarez escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Suarez tries to clinch but Michaels is having none of it.
A good leg kick by Michaels.
Suarez misses with a double jab.
Suarez misses the shot to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Michaels closes this distance looking for a takedown but Suarez circles away.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Michaels.
Suarez misses with a double jab
and Michaels counters with an inside leg kick.
Michaels tries to clinch up.
Suarez fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Suarez tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Michaels paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Suarez instigates a clinch.

Suarez breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Rico Suarez is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Michaels misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Suarez tries a head kick but it misses.
Suarez falls off balance throwing a combination
and Michaels counters with a low kick, right behind Suarez 's knee.

Suarez has managed to clinch.
Suarez scores with a nice hook to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Suarez breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Michaels shoots in but no luck this time.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jackson Michaels. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Suarez is looking to clinch but Michaels is avoiding it.
Rico Suarez seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Suarez misses with a combination

and Michaels counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Michaels stops Suarez from standing up.
Suarez being controlled here, momentarily.
Suarez wants to get back to his feet but Michaels is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Suarez wants to get back to his feet but he's too absorbed in his own little project and Michaels manages to pass to side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Suarez is looking to escape.

Suarez manages to escape and get back to his feet!
Michaels tries for a takedown but Suarez sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Michaels is breathing heavily.
Suarez misses with a jab, cross combination.

Suarez closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Suarez manages to break the clinch.
Suarez throws a predictable looking body shot
and Michaels counters with a head kick.
Michaels shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Suarez as he avoids it easily.
Michaels on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Suarez. Suarez obviously looking to wear him down.
Suarez tries to close the distance and clinch up but Michaels swats him away and circles back towards the center.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Jackson Michaels will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Suarez clinches.
Michaels's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!

Suarez breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Suarez rushes Michaels and presses him up against the cage.

Suarez manages to break the clinch.
Horrible takedown by Michaels or perhaps it was just good defense by Suarez which made him look bad.
Michaels shoots in but Suarez avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Suarez swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Suarez moves into range and connects with a jab.
A good leg kick by Suarez.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Michaels keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Suarez.
Suarez fails with an attempt to clinch.
Michaels has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Suarez finds it's way round the side to connect with Michaels's head.
Michaels slips a jab and a cross from Suarez.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Suarez forces Michaels back against the cage and clinches.

Suarez breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Suarez throws a head kick that misses.

Suarez clinches with his opponent.
Michaels takes an elbow to the forehead.
Suarez scores with a shoulder strike.

Suarez breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
A right-left combo lands from Suarez.

Michaels closes the distance and clinches.

Suarez breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
A punch combination from Suarez misses.
Michaels throws a right hand that Suarez ducks under and follows up with a left that Suarez also avoids with ease.
Suarez moves in looking to clinch but Michaels pushes him off.
Suarez connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Michaels shoots in looking for a takedown. Suarez tries to sprawl out of it but Michaels keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Suarez manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jackson Michaels. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Suarez misses with a combination
and Michaels counters with a head kick.
Suarez pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Michaels shoots in for a takedown but Suarez shows good takedown defense.

Suarez moves into the clinch successfully.

Suarez breaks the clinch.
Suarez misses with the combination.
Suarez ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Michaels moves away.
Suarez cracks the inside of Michaels's front leg.

Suarez forces Michaels back against the cage and clinches.
Suarez lands with a right to the head.

Suarez breaks from the clinch.
Suarez lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Suarez.
Suarez misses with a series of wild punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Suarez throws a series of punches but Michaels avoids them all with ease.
An inside leg kick lands from Suarez.

Suarez has Michaels up against the cage in a clinch.
Suarez lands a nice elbow.
Suarez lands an elbow inside that Michaels shrugs off.
Suarez misses with a knee to the head.
Suarez lands a nice uppercut.

Suarez breaks from the clinch.
Suarez throws a sloppy head kick

and Michaels counters by moving into the clinch.
Suarez looking to throw knees to the head but Michaels is blocking nicely.

Suarez breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Suarez manages to break the clinch.
Suarez throws a nice looking combination but Michaels bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Suarez misses with a combination
and Michaels finishes the little exchange by landing a big kick to the body.
A nice inside leg kick there by Suarez. That's going to slow Michaels down.
Suarez swinging wilding here.
Suarez lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.

Suarez has Michaels up against the cage in a clinch.
Suarez lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Still in the clinch, Suarez scores with a nice short uppercut.
Suarez misses with a knee to the head.
Suarez swings wildly with an uppercut but Michaels uses good head movement to avoid it.
Michaels is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Michaels tries to land knees in the clinch but Suarez avoids the damage to the body.

Suarez breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rico Suarez showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Michaels swats away the attempt to clinch by Suarez.
Suarez tries to close the distance and clinch up but Michaels swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Suarez throws a solid leg kick but Michaels takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Suarez.
Michaels dodges the punch combination from Suarez.
Michaels avoids the head kick by Suarez.
Suarez is looking to clinch.
Jackson Michaels is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Suarez fails with an attempt to clinch.
Suarez fails with an attempt to clinch.
Suarez rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Michaels moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Michaels throws a right hand that Suarez ducks under and follows up with a left that Suarez also avoids with ease.
Suarez falls off balance throwing a combination

and Michaels counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Michaels.

Suarez breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Suarez clinches but Michaels breaks the clinch

and Michaels counters by clinching up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Michaels blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Suarez is trying to break free.

Suarez breaks from the clinch.
Suarez swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Michaels counters with a nice leg kick.
Suarez doesn't manage to clinch there - Michaels circles away.
Suarez looks to clinch
and Michaels counters with a series of strikes. Suarez will be more careful next time no doubt.
Michaels lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Suarez tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Michaels counters with a one-two to the body.
Suarez takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
A low kick from Suarez is predictable there
and Michaels counters with a good low kick that Suarez was not able to check.
Suarez throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Michaels counters with a nice double leg into side control. Suarez won't be happy with that.

Michaels is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Suarez has escaped the position, nice work there.

Michaels is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Suarez is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Michaels tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.

Michaels swings around for an armbar but Suarez sees it coming a mile off and turns beautifully into Michaels's guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Suarez tries to stand but Michaels is controlling from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Suarez decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Suarez throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Michaels counters by moving into the clinch.
Michaels wants to break the clinch but can't.
Michaels is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Suarez lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Suarez scores with a nice hook to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Suarez breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Suarez throws a lazy head kick
and Michaels counters with a low kick, right behind Suarez 's knee.
Suarez clinches but Michaels breaks the clinch
and Michaels counters with a left and a right that stings Suarez.
Suarez misses with a looping right.

Suarez moves into range and clinches up with Michaels.

Suarez breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Michaels dodges the punch combination from Suarez.
Michaels is looking to clinch.
Michaels misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Suarez throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Michaels.
Suarez tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Michaels paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Suarez will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jackson Michaels showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Michaels 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 David Schapiro scores the fight 29:28
Judge Chad Campbell scores the fight 29:28
Judge Anthony Taglia scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jackson Michaels!