PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Techo Alaga (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Fitch Shields (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Alaga's entrance music is shaban shaulich. A fine choice. Shields has chosen Bump N Grind as his entrance music. The key to victory for Techo Alaga has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Alaga
vs
Shields

197 cm
25
270 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

192 cm
18
270 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
KO power

Good wrestler
Counter fighter
Very confident

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 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Techo Alaga!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Fitch Shields!
The judges for this bout are Alexandre Firmino, Emerson Jorge and Seu Braga.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Alaga tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Shields should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
Shields fails with a takedown attempt.
Alaga tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Alaga fails with the takedown.
Alaga changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Shields tries to avoid it but Alaga manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Shields to the ground. Shields escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Alaga fails with an attempt to clinch.

Shields looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Alaga!
Alaga is letting Shields control him for a moment.
Alaga tries to strike but it doesn't land.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Alaga is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Shields asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Shields controls the position.
Alaga wants to get back to his feet but Shields drags him back down.
Shields controlling the position from side mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Fitch Shields was stalling too much, according to the referee.

Shields closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Alaga's guard.
Shields content to stall in guard here.

Alaga looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Shields passes into half guard.
Alaga manages to get to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shields's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Shields's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Fitch Shields wasn't active enough on the ground.

Shields closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Alaga to the mat! Alaga manages to get full guard.
Shields showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
It looks like Shields might be adopting somewhat of a lay and pray gameplan here, which I'm sure won't go down too well with the paying fans in attendance... Or the ring announcers come to think of it.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Fitch Shields dominated that round.
That's time! Alaga's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Alaga tries to clinch but Shields is having none of it.
Shields keeps the fight on the outside.
Alaga fails with an attempt to clinch.
Shields throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Alaga tries to clinch up.
Alaga with a lazy takedown attempt

and Shields counters with a nice double leg into side control. Alaga won't be happy with that.
Alaga wants to get back to his feet.
Shields trying to control the action but Alaga is working from the bottom.
The referee asks Shields politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Shields prefers to stall for the moment though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shields wants to lay and pray for a moment but Alaga keeps working.
Shields happy to just control the position for now.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Fitch Shields hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Alaga fails with a takedown attempt.
Alaga misses with a head kick.
Shields shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Shields drives through with a takedown into guard.
Shields pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Alaga is keeping the position for now.
Shields slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Let's hope that Shields 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.
Fitch Shields has got the better of the ground game so far.
Shields must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Fitch Shields was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Alaga is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Alaga misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Techo Alaga. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shields blocks a leg kick.

Shields shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Shields is stalling in the full guard.
Shields looking to pass the guard.
Shields controls from within his opponent's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Fitch Shields hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
The fight stays on the outside here - Alaga looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Alaga misses with a head kick.
Shields circles away from the clinch attempt.

Alaga has taken the fight to the clinch.
Alaga lands an elbow inside that Shields shrugs off.
Alaga prevents the takedown attempt.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Alaga prevents the takedown attempt.
Alaga prevents the takedown attempt.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Alaga gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Shields.
Alaga digs a right hand into Shields's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Shields's gas tank.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Fitch Shields showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Alaga moves into the clinch.
Shields goes for a takedown in the clinch but Alaga prevents it.
Alaga comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.

Alaga wants the takedown. Shields is fighting it off but Alaga persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Shields's guard against the cage.
Shields has a closed guard, preventing Alaga from standing up.
Alaga throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Shields works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Shields really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Alaga. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Shields trying to keep a closed guard but Alaga is proving a slippery customer.
Alaga works over Shields with some ground and pound from guard.
Shields keeping moving, preventing Alaga from controlling successfully.
Shields pulls Alaga in close to his closed guard and prevents Alaga from doing any damage or advancing position.
Alaga wants to control from the top but Shields keeps moving.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Alaga tries to clinch up but Shields circles away and keeps his distance.
Techo Alaga is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Alaga wants to clinch up but Shields keeps it at a distance.
Alaga shoots in looking for a takedown. Shields tries to sprawl out of it but Alaga keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Shields manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Alaga defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Shields.
Alaga tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Shields dives in for a single leg takedown but Alaga sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Techo Alaga has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Fitch Shields.
Alaga wants a takedown but no success here.
Alaga lands with a short head shot on the inside.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Alaga lands with a right to the head.
Shields takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Shields has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Alaga after a bit of a struggle.

Alaga manages to break the clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Alaga looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Shields tries to clinch but Alaga is having none of it.
Alaga misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Shields circles away from the clinch attempt.
Alaga punishes Shields's body with a nice straight punch.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Alaga tries to clinch

and Shields counters with a single leg into guard. Alaga didn't expect that.
Shields looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Shields is looking to pass into half guard but Alaga pushes him away with his feet and jumps on top - now Alaga is in guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shields wants to stand but Alaga is controlling the position.
Alaga with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Alaga throwing strikes from guard but Shields blocks nicely.
Alaga throwing strikes from guard but Shields blocks nicely.
Alaga landing with the ground and pound.
Shields wants to sweep here but Alaga controlling him for the moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Alaga scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Alaga wants to pass the guard but Shields is keeping the position.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Alaga has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Shields is proving hard to escape from.
Alaga lands a couple of decent looking shots.

Shields is rocked!
Alaga passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Shields is still in real trouble! Can Alaga finish him?
Alaga trying to control the action but Shields is working from the bottom.
Shields tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Alaga wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Shields seems to have recovered his senses.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Alaga trying to control the action but Shields is working from the bottom.
Shields struggling a bit here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Techo Alaga showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Shields 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 Alexandre Firmino scores the fight as a draw!
Judge Emerson Jorge scores the fight for Techo Alaga!
Judge Seu Braga scores the fight for Techo Alaga!

Techo Alaga wins by majority decision!