PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Felix Cardosa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Hedrig Pokousha (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Cardosa comes to the cage accompanied by Pennywise - Bro Hymn. I don't know about you partner, but I'm pumped for this one!

Cardosa
vs
Pokousha

173 cm
21
185 lbs
5 - 4 - 0

189 cm
20
180 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Powerful

Brute

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Felix Cardosa!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Hedrig Pokousha!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Fujiwara, Yasuomi Hirokawa and Shirou Masuda.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pokousha looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Pokousha has a takedown stuffed.
Cardosa defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Pokousha.
Felix Cardosa has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Hedrig Pokousha.
Cardosa fails to land the takedown.
Pokousha shoots and misses
and Cardosa counters with a straight right hand.
No luck for Pokousha with that takedown attempt.
Pokousha avoids a punch combination nicely.
Cardosa loads up on a big right hand but Pokousha slips the punch.
Hedrig Pokousha seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cardosa lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Cardosa.
Cardosa tries to stall but Pokousha uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Pokousha can't get the takedown.
Cardosa lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Cardosa scores with a shot to the side of Pokousha's head.

Pokousha is rocked!
Pokousha stalling in the clinch but Cardosa improves position.
Pokousha is still on wobbly legs! Can Cardosa finish him?
Cardosa throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Pokousha seems to have recovered his senses.
Pokousha tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Cardosa smiles and moves away.

Cardosa clinches with his opponent.
Pokousha swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Cardosa digs a right hand underneath Pokousha's ribcage. Pokousha let out a lung full of air as it connected.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cardosa misses with a body punch.
Cardosa landing knees to the body.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Cardosa turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Cardosa manages to end up in side control.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Sloppy strikes there by Cardosa.
Cardosa works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Cardosa tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Cardosa remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Pokousha is trying to control Cardosa's posture but Cardosa avoids it.
Pokousha is looking for a sweep.
Pokousha stops Cardosa from passing to mount.
Pokousha tries to bench press Cardosa off him but Cardosa keeps the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cardosa scoring with punches and elbows.
Cardosa working away.
A lull in the action here.
Pokousha prevents Cardosa from moving into mount.
Pokousha is not content to let Cardosa control the position.
Cardosa works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
You can see the frustration on Pokousha's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Pokousha is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pokousha is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Cardosa off and has taken his back!
Cardosa looking to control the position.
Pokousha wants to control the position but Cardosa frees himself and scrambles - Pokousha manages to regain control in side control.
Pokousha working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Cardosa can't do much from the bottom here.
Pokousha connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Cardosa some visible discomfort.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Cardosa struggling a bit here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Felix Cardosa dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Pokousha changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Cardosa tries to avoid it but Pokousha manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Cardosa to the ground. Cardosa escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Pokousha takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Pokousha misses with a takedown
letting Cardosa counter with a right hand.
Pokousha fails with a takedown attempt.
Felix Cardosa has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Hedrig Pokousha.
Pokousha gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Cardosa holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Cardosa doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Cardosa misses with a short punch on the inside.
Cardosa slowing the pace effectively.
Cardosa with a knee to the head.
Cardosa stalling the fight.
Cardosa tries to land a knee to the head but Pokousha blocks with his arms.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pokousha avoiding damage as Cardosa throws knees to the body.
Pokousha tries a body shot but Cardosa blocks it.
Cardosa with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
A short right from Cardosa.
Pokousha tries to break the clinch but Cardosa is controlling the position.
Cardosa swings wildly with an uppercut but Pokousha uses good head movement to avoid it.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Pokousha as Cardosa tries to tie him up.
A bit of stalling here from Cardosa.
Pokousha misses with a hook to the ribs.
Cardosa lands a knee to the head.
Pokousha goes for a takedown in the clinch but Cardosa prevents it.
Pokousha tries a body shot but Cardosa blocks it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Pokousha manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Felix Cardosa overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Pokousha being controlled here, momentarily.
Pokousha looking to hit a scissor sweep but Cardosa is one step ahead there.
Pokousha being controlled here, momentarily.
Cardosa might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Cardosa throws a big elbow that misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pokousha wants to sweep but no luck.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Cardosa accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Pokousha looking for a sweep. Not yet Pokousha, not yet.
Cardosa postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Cardosa looking to sit in guard and control but Pokousha gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Cardosa throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Pokousha lands a couple of elbows.
Pokousha won't allow Cardosa to sweep him here.

Cardosa is looking for a triangle but Pokousha pushes his legs off easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pokousha wants to pass the guard but Cardosa is keeping the position.
Pokousha is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Cardosa is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Pokousha trying to control the position from guard on top but Cardosa is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Pokousha postures up.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Pokousha trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Cardosa controls Pokousha momentarily but Pokousha frees himself.

We're going to have a standup here because Felix Cardosa wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Pokousha tries for a takedown but Cardosa circles away easily
and Cardosa cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Felix Cardosa dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Cardosa throws a hook but Pokousha blocks it.
Cardosa throws an overhand right that lands on Pokousha's shoulder, as Pokousha tries to avoid the shot.

Pokousha fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Cardosa to the ground. Pokousha is now in Cardosa's guard.
Cardosa wants to control the position but Pokousha says "no thanks buddy" and passes to half guard.
Pokousha scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Pokousha is trying to control. Cardosa wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Cardosa wants to control the action here but instead Pokousha manages to pass to full mount!
Cardosa sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Cardosa wants to control but Pokousha is keeping busy.
Pokousha is looking to advance position but Cardosa won't allow it.
Cardosa avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Pokousha.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pokousha winds up and cracks Cardosa with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Pokousha not doing much here.
Cardosa is trying to control but can't.
Pokousha misses with a head shot. Cardosa uses the momentum to regain guard.
Pokousha postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Pokousha postures up.
Cardosa working a defensive guard but Pokousha passes into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cardosa is looking to control Pokousha's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Cardosa avoid being mounted?
Cardosa controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.
Cardosa trying to control here.

Felix Cardosa has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Pokousha takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Pokousha walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
This has been an exciting period of action!
A decent looking cross lands there for Cardosa.
Pokousha blocks a head kick by Cardosa.
Pokousha misses with a takedown
and Cardosa counters with a lovely straight right hand!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pokousha with a poor takedown
and Cardosa counters with a stiff right hand.
Pokousha doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Pokousha takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Felix Cardosa has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Hedrig Pokousha.
Pokousha takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Pokousha blocks a jab.
Felix Cardosa is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Pokousha takes a swing at Cardosa's ribcage but misses.
Pokousha has his takedown stuffed
and Cardosa counters with a low kick, right behind Pokousha 's knee.
Cardosa displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Pokousha looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Cardosa is fending him off so far but Pokousha persists. Nope, Cardosa circles away and we're back to standing.
Felix Cardosa is winning the standup battle so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pokousha with a poor takedown
and Cardosa makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Nice shot lands for Cardosa.
Cardosa ducks under a wild hook from Pokousha.
Pokousha takes a body punch but keeps moving.

Cardosa closes the distance and clinches.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Cardosa tries to work over Pokousha's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Cardosa misses with a punch on the inside.

Cardosa has clasped his hands together around Pokousha's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Pokousha is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Pokousha wants to improve his position but Cardosa is controlling well.
Hedrig Pokousha has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Pokousha is staying active underneath Cardosa, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Felix Cardosa showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Cardosa 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 Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 30:27
Judge Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 30:27
Judge Shirou Masuda scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Felix Cardosa!
Felix Cardosa thanked the fans post fight for their support.