PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Thiago Nogueira (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Daniel Apollo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Daniel Apollo is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Nogueira
vs
Apollo

194 cm
25
212 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

189 cm
26
200 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Thiago Nogueira!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Daniel Apollo!
The judges for this bout are Paulo Santos, Leandro Rodrigues and Daniel Cesar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The fight stays on the outside here - Nogueira looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Thiago Nogueira seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Nogueira tries to clinch but Apollo is having none of it.
Apollo keeps the fight on the outside.
Apollo tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Nogueira swivels and escapes.
Apollo wants to clinch but Nogueira slips to the side
and Nogueira counters with a nice low kick that buckles Apollo's knee momentarily.
Nogueira tries to close the distance and clinch but Apollo swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Apollo shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Nogueira defends it nicely.
Nogueira misses with a few strikes there.
Apollo throws a head kick but Nogueira moves out of range.
A head kick misses from Apollo.
Apollo looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Thiago Nogueira has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Daniel Apollo.
Nogueira tries to close the distance and clinch but Apollo swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Nogueira shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Apollo manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Apollo managing to control the position.

Nogueira has gone for a leg lock! Apollo slips out almost immediately though and dives into Nogueira's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Apollo postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Nogueira manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Nogueira fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!

It looks like Daniel Apollo has been cut.
Nogueira can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Apollo is looking to escape.
Apollo is desperately trying to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nogueira scoring with strikes but Apollo is staying in there.
Nogueira has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Apollo is squirming around, avoiding Nogueira's attempts to control the action.
Nogueira tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Apollo is bucking up trying to escape but Nogueira cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Nogueira looking to control and managing it successfully.
Apollo wants to hold on but Nogueira pushes him away.
Nogueira lands a big shot there that rocks Apollo but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Nogueira trying to control but he's not successful this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Apollo wants to hold on but Nogueira pushes him away.
Nogueira content just to control the position here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
A nice elbow there by Nogueira.

The cut above Daniel Apollo's eye is starting to cause him problems now.
Apollo tries to lock up and control but Nogueira gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Nogueira pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.

Apollo is rocked!

Daniel Apollo's cut is absolute horrible now. This looks like something out of a horror film with blood covering both fighters.

The referee calls the doctor in to look at Daniel Apollo's cut. Oh no, the doctor has called an end to the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:56 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Cut). Thiago Nogueira!