PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Denis Hooliver (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Alan Batista (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Hooliver
vs
Batista

186 cm
19
235 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

195 cm
21
267 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

Decent wrestler
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Denis Hooliver!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Alan Batista!
The judges for this bout are Paulo Santos, Daniel Cesar and Felipe Paraventi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Batista avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Hooliver tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Batista swivels and escapes.
Hooliver moves in looking to clinch but Batista pushes him off.
Batista gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Hooliver counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Batista's guard now.
Hooliver preventing the sweep.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Hooliver looking to pass the guard.
Batista pulls Hooliver in close to prevent any damage.
Hooliver working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Batista wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Batista wants to sweep here but Hooliver controlling him for the moment.
Hooliver could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Batista has a closed guard, preventing Hooliver from standing up.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Batista has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Hooliver finds it's way round the side to connect with Batista's head.
Hooliver throws a head kick that misses.
Hooliver stuffs the takedown attempt from Batista. Batista gets slowly back to his feet.
Hooliver shoots in and drives through. Batista sprawls well.
Batista shoots and misses
and Hooliver counters with a nice body kick.
Denis Hooliver has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Alan Batista.
Hooliver scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Hooliver throws a nice head kick!

It looks like Alan Batista has been cut.
Batista looks gassed!

Hooliver has closed the distance and engaged Batista in a clinch.
Batista is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
A body shot lands from Hooliver.
Hooliver lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Hooliver goes for a takedown attempt but Batista pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Batista doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Hooliver counters with a shoot takedown. Batista fights it but they end up in guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Batista is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Hooliver trying to control the position from guard on top but Batista is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Hooliver slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Batista is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Hooliver thows a big elbow that misses.
Hooliver wants to control from the top but Batista keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hooliver has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Batista is proving hard to escape from.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Batista misses with a takedown attempt

and Hooliver counters with a single leg into guard. Batista didn't expect that.
Hooliver stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Batista swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Batista 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.
Batista has control of Hooliver's left arm, preventing Hooliver from doing any damage.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Batista can do anything to dispel that myth.
Batista is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Hooliver is controlling him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Batista trying to control the position here.
Let's hope that Batista has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Hooliver wants to stand but Batista has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Batista strikes from his own guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Denis Hooliver dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Alan Batista's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Batista drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Batista laying and praying for a moment but Hooliver takes advantage and regains half guard.
Hooliver won't allow Batista to pass to mount.
Batista scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Batista really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Hooliver. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Batista working Hooliver over with strikes.
Batista not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Batista tries to pass to full mount but Hooliver defends it.
Batista keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Batista slips a nice elbow through Hooliver's hands, connecting with Hooliver's forehead.
Batista is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Batista looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Hooliver with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.

Despite being in the dominant position, Alan Batista just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Hooliver tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Hooliver with a poor takedown

and Batista counters with a shoot takedown. Hooliver fights it but they end up in guard.

Hooliver is rocked!
Batista is pushing down on Hooliver's leg trying to pass to half guard. Hooliver is fighting to maintain full guard but Batista has managed to sneak the leg through.
Oh Hooliver is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Hooliver has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Batista is working away from the top position though.
Batista thows a huge punch but Hooliver dodges it nicely.
Hooliver seems to have got his legs back now.
Hooliver manages to get to full guard.
Batista must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Hooliver lands with a heel strike from the guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Batista wants to control from the top but Hooliver keeps moving.
Hooliver manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Batista manages to get himself to full guard.
Hooliver throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Batista has a closed guard, preventing Hooliver from standing up.
Batista keeping moving, preventing Hooliver from controlling successfully.
Hooliver controlling from the top position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Batista wants to control but Hooliver passes easily into half guard.
Hooliver trying to mount his opponent but Batista defends it.
Batista is looking to control Hooliver's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Batista avoid being mounted?
The fighters are battling for position here. Batista manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Hooliver content to stall in guard here.
Batista keeping moving, preventing Hooliver from controlling successfully.
Hooliver stopping the sweep attempt from Batista.
Hooliver works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Hooliver trying to control from half guard but Batista is working away.
Batista is trying to get back to full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alan Batista showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Alan Batista's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Hooliver stuffs the takedown attempt from Batista. Batista gets slowly back to his feet.
Hooliver with a poor takedown
and Batista counters with a one-two to the body.

Batista shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Hooliver bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Batista's guard.
Hooliver won't allow Batista to sweep him here.
It really doesn't seem like the step up in weight is hurting Hooliver here at all. He's more than holding his own against the bigger man.
Batista wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Batista looking for a sweep. Not yet Batista, not yet.
Batista has Hooliver pulled in close to control his posture.
Batista wants to sweep but no luck.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Batista preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Batista shoots for a takedown but Hooliver saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Batista takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Batista.
Hooliver is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Batista's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Hooliver is trying to stand back up but Batista is controlling him
Hooliver is looking to improve his position.
Batista seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Hooliver does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Hooliver trying to control here.
Hooliver is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Batista's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Batista's back!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hooliver avoiding Batista 's attempts to control his hands.
Hooliver really has the hooks in deep now - there seems like no escape for Batista.
Hooliver struggling to keep hold of the position.
I really don't envy Batista right now.

Hooliver patiently working for the choke. Which fighter will keep their nerve here?
Batista tries to break free.
Batista is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Batista holding both Hooliver 's hands and preventing any damage.
You can see the frustration on Batista's face… He knows he is in trouble unless he improves his position sooner rather than later.
Batista manages to reverse the position and now he's in Hooliver's guard. Nice work there by Batista.
Hooliver can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Batista controls the pace.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Hooliver will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Hooliver tries to clinch up.
Hooliver closes this distance looking for a takedown but Batista circles away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Denis Hooliver. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Hooliver throws a right hand that Batista ducks under and follows up with a left that Batista also avoids with ease.
Batista with a poor takedown
and Hooliver counters with a big head kick but Batista shrugs it off.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hooliver looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Batista is fending him off so far but Hooliver persists. Nope, Batista circles away and we're back to standing.
Hooliver with a lazy takedown attempt

and Batista counters with a single leg into guard. Hooliver didn't expect that.
Batista controlling from the top position.
Batista trying to control the position from guard on top but Hooliver is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Batista is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Batista thows a big elbow that misses.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Batista is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Hooliver wants to stand but Batista is controlling the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Alan Batista comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Batista has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Paulo Santos scores the fight 28:29
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 28:29
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Alan Batista!