PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Maximus Cassius (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Carlos Massa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Carlos Massa will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Cassius
vs
Massa

172 cm
23
153 lbs
4 - 5 - 0

170 cm
20
163 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Intelligent

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 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Maximus Cassius!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Carlos Massa!
The judges for this bout are Paulo Santos, Edson Gomes and Seu Braga.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Massa scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Massa throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Massa throws a wild body kick that Cassius sees coming a mile off.
Cassius fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Massa throws the kick towards the body but Cassius avoids it.
Cassius fails with the takedown.
Massa pushes Cassius away with a front kick.
Horrible takedown by Cassius or perhaps it was just good defense by Massa which made him look bad.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Maximus Cassius. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Cassius drives through with a takedown into guard.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Massa can do anything to dispel that myth.
Massa has his hands on Cassius's head, controlling the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cassius stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Massa swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Cassius drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Massa manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Cassius has Massa in his guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Massa stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Cassius swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Massa wanted to stand there but Cassius had control of the position.
Cassius wants to improve his position but instead Massa has moved into half guard.

Cassius looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Cassius is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Massa pulls his head out easily.
Cassius is breathing heavily.

Cassius looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Cassius wants to get back to full guard.
Massa trying to mount his opponent but Cassius defends it.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Cassius shoots in for a takedown but Massa shows good takedown defense.
Massa throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Cassius's head.
Cassius shoots for a takedown but Massa saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Massa.
Cassius has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Massa.

Massa looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.

Massa stands up out of the half guard.
Cassius has his takedown stuffed
and Massa counters with a good, hard body kick but Cassius shrugs it off.

Massa drives through with a takedown into guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Massa pushes down on Cassius's leg and manages to get into half guard.

Massa gets to his feet - back to striking we go!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Massa throws a head kick that misses.
Massa misses with a takedown attempt - Cassius sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Cassius doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Massa counters with a big head kick but Cassius shrugs it off.
Cassius tries for a takedown but Massa circles away easily
and Massa counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Cassius is lucky that one didn't land flush.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Cassius misses with a takedown
and Massa counters with a nice leg kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Carlos Massa 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.

Cassius with a poor takedown

and Massa counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Cassius is looking for a sweep. Massa is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Cassius regains full guard. Nicely done.

Cassius had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Massa is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Cassius Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Massa's back instead.

Massa defending nicely against the rear naked choke attempt.
Massa trying to control but he's just got himself in more trouble.

Massa is trying escape back to his feet. He turns into his opponent's guard and eventually finds his way back to his feet.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Cassius misses with a takedown
and Massa counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Cassius is lucky that one didn't land flush.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cassius shoots and misses
and Massa counters with a solid body kick.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Maximus Cassius. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Massa rushes Cassius and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Massa gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Cassius.
Massa with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.

Massa breaks the clinch.
Massa throws the kick towards the body but Cassius avoids it.
Massa lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Cassius shoots and misses

and Massa counters with a shoot takedown. Cassius fights it but they end up in guard.
Cassius working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Massa.

Massa avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Massa really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Cassius. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Massa trying to control the position from guard on top but Cassius is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Cassius looking to hit a scissor sweep but Massa is one step ahead there.

Cassius is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

Cassius throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Cassius working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Massa has passed into half guard!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Cassius looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Cassius is trying to get back to full guard.

Massa postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Cassius to stand up.

Cassius decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

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

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Cassius is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Massa wants to get back to full guard.

Cassius looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Carlos Massa has got the better of the ground game so far.

Cassius seems to be working for a kimura but Massa defends the submission attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Carlos Massa will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Massa lands a high kick!
Cassius tries for a takedown but Massa circles away easily
and Massa counters with a body kick.
Carlos Massa is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Massa throws a head kick but Cassius moves out of range.
Cassius shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Massa counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Massa breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Massa pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Cassius shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Massa counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Maximus Cassius. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cassius has his takedown stuffed
and Massa counters with a body kick.
Massa misses with a head kick.
Cassius will be looking to protect his midsection after taking some solid kicks to the body.
Massa lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Massa scores with a leg kick.
Cassius shoots and misses
and Massa finishes the little exchange by landing a big kick to the body.
Massa scores with a kick to the midsection.
Massa scores with a head kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Massa misses with a straight right.
Cassius fails with the takedown
and Massa finishes the little exchange by landing a big kick to the body.
Maximus Cassius seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Massa throws a head kick that misses.
Cassius doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Massa counters with a head kick.
Massa is looking to clinch.
Massa has a takedown stuffed.
Cassius with a poor takedown
and Massa counters with a head kick. That will keep Cassius thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cassius gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Massa finishes the little exchange by landing a big kick to the body.
Massa scores with a head kick.
Cassius has his takedown stuffed
and Massa counters with a big head kick but Cassius shrugs it off.
Massa throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Cassius shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Massa counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Cassius shoots in but Massa avoids the takedown attempt easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Massa scores with a jab to the jaw.
Cassius doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Massa counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

Cassius looking for submissions off his back.
Cassius is refusing to be controlled, as Massa sits in half guard.
Cassius wants to improve his position but Massa is controlling well.

And that's the end of the fight!
Carlos Massa comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Massa 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 Paulo Santos scores the fight 27:30
Judge Edson Gomes scores the fight 27:30
Judge Seu Braga scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Carlos Massa!