PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Israel Novaes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Lee Blade (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Novaes comes to the cage accompanied by Vó Tô Estourado. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Novaes
vs
Blade

187 cm
22
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
22
190 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Good in bed

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite 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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Israel Novaes!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Lee Blade!
The judges for this bout are Ryoma Takatsuka, Chris Saunders and Paul Gruel.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Blade closes the distance and clinches up with Novaes, looking for a takedown. Blade pushes Novaes against the cage but Novaes circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Blade throws a leg kick that is checked

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

Novaes decides to pull guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Blade trying to stand up but can't free himself from Novaes's guard.
Blade sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Novaes's guard.
Novaes works his way to full guard. Good work.

Blade drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Novaes dives on top into guard.
Blade can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Novaes controls the pace.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Blade wants to sweep but no luck.
Novaes not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Blade holds on and takes a little breather.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Blade is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Blade avoids the head kick by Novaes.
Blade shoots for a double leg takedown but Novaes sprawls well. He's pushed Blade's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Blade walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Novaes checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Novaes tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Blade swivels and escapes.
Novaes has a takedown stuffed.
Israel Novaes seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Novaes throws a nice inside leg kick.
Novaes connects with an inside leg kick.
Blade fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Israel Novaes has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Lee Blade.
Blade looks gassed!
Blade tries a head kick but it misses.
Blade will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Novaes changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Blade tries to avoid it but Novaes manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Blade to the ground. Blade escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Novaes throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Novaes shoots in but Blade avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Novaes shoots in but Blade avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Novaes looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Novaes goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
A head kick misses from Blade.
Novaes shoots in and drives through. Blade sprawls well.
Nice takedown defense from Novaes. No joy for Blade on that attempt.
Novaes scores with a three punch combo!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Novaes shoots for a takedown but Blade saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Novaes lands a nice leg kick that just misses Blade's sensitive parts.

Novaes clinches with his opponent.

Novaes breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Novaes circles away from the clinch attempt.

Blade tries to keep at a distance but Novaes has taken the fight into the clinch.

Novaes pulls guard successfully.
Blade trying to control the position from guard on top but Novaes is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Novaes looking for a guillotine here but Blade defends easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Novaes looks to be working for a triangle here. Oh, it looks like he might have it! Blade has picked Novaes up and slammed him! Novaes can't keep hold of the triangle and Blade manages to pass to side control!
Blade trying to control the action but Novaes is working from the bottom.
Novaes dodges the ground and pound from Blade.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Novaes is looking to slip a leg under and get half guard but Blade is one step ahead and moves to full mount!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Israel Novaes 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.

Blade is trying hard to land a takedown here. Novaes sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Israel Novaes is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Novaes misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Blade fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Novaes avoids it really well and circles away.
Novaes closes the distance and clinches up with Blade, looking for a takedown. Novaes pushes Blade against the cage but Blade circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Blade fails with the takedown
and Blade takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Israel Novaes has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Lee Blade.
Novaes lands with a kick to the temple. Blade shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Novaes tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Blade is breathing heavily.
Blade shoots in but Novaes avoids the takedown attempt easily.

Novaes darts in and clinches Blade up against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Blade is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Novaes gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Blade is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Blade is defending well against a takedown attempt.

Novaes breaks the clinch.
Blade with a poor takedown

and Novaes moves into the clinch.

Novaes manages to break the clinch.
Blade takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Novaes throws a quick inside leg kick.
Blade will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
A head kick misses from Novaes.

Novaes moves into the clinch.

Novaes manages to break the clinch.
Novaes changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Blade tries to avoid it but Novaes manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Blade to the ground. Blade escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Blade throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Novaes's waist but Novaes gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Blade off to one side.
Novaes shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Blade as he jumps to the side.
Blade misses with a few strikes there.
A punch combination from Blade misses.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Novaes fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Blade, pushing him back against the cage.
Novaes tries for a takedown. No joy.
A frustrated look appears on Novaes's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Blade is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Blade fails to pull guard.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Blade just misses with a elbow thrown towards Novaes's brow.

Novaes's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Israel Novaes is winning the standup battle so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Novaes shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Blade sprawls well. Blade wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Novaes gets slowly back to his feet.
Blade will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Blade misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Novaes tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Blade swivels and escapes.
Novaes cracks the inside of Blade's front leg.
Blade closes this distance looking for a takedown but Novaes circles away.
Novaes throws a head kick that half lands.
Novaes explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.

Novaes moves into range and clinches up with Blade.
Novaes is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Blade gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Novaes blocks an elbow strike from Blade.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Novaes jumps into guard, dragging Blade to the mat.
Novaes wants to control but Blade passes easily into half guard.
Blade is trying to control the action in half guard but Novaes is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Blade trying to advance position but Novaes counters by regaining guard.
Novaes is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
This has been an exciting period of action!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Novaes manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Israel Novaes dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Blade on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Novaes keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.

Blade gets tackled into the cage by Novaes. Novaes maintains the clinch.

Novaes escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Blade doesn't manage to clinch there - Novaes circles away.
A chopping leg kick lands by Novaes.
Blade moves to clinch but Novaes breaks away

and Novaes counters by moving into the clinch.

Novaes manages to break the clinch.

Novaes has taken the fight to the clinch.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Novaes is defended easily by Blade.
Novaes throws a hook but Blade blocks it.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Novaes moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Blade tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Novaes paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Novaes shoots for a takedown but Blade saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
A low kick from Novaes misses
and Blade counters with a right hand to the body.
Novaes throws a head kick but Blade moves out of range.
Nice body punch from Blade.
Blade fails with an attempt to clinch.
Novaes tries to close the distance and clinch but Blade swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Blade shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Novaes as he jumps to the side.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fight stays on the outside here - Blade looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Blade slaps away a takedown attempt from Novaes, before circling back to the center of the mat.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Israel Novaes. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Blade shoots for a takedown but Novaes saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

Novaes has Blade up against the cage in a clinch.
Novaes fails to pull the fight into his guard.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Novaes is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Blade to keep the fight standing.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Novaes tries to circle away but Blade has him pinned against the cage.
Novaes jumps guard but Blade stands there with Novaes around his waist. Novaes gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Novaes has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Blade is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Blade is trying to maintain a safe position but Novaes gets an underhook and turns Blade into the cage.
Blade has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Blade is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Novaes is keeping busy.

Novaes pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Horrible takedown by Blade or perhaps it was just good defense by Novaes which made him look bad.
Novaes displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Blade.
Blade's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Blade stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Blade wants it to stay on the feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Blade wants to clinch.
Blade fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Novaes lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Blade takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
Blade looks for a takedown but Novaes sprawls well.
Blade stuffs the takedown attempt from Novaes. Novaes gets slowly back to his feet.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Novaes throws a head kick that looked like it stung.

And that's the end of the fight!
Israel Novaes showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Novaes 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 Ryoma Takatsuka scores the fight 30:27
Judge Chris Saunders scores the fight 30:27
Judge Paul Gruel scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Israel Novaes!
Israel Novaes tried to hype himself up post fight but didn't word it too well and it ended up with him sounding like a bit of a tool.