PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between William Pearson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Chester Barcelona (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Barcelona has a niggling injury. He would have liked to come in 100% fit but that's not always possible. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Pearson
vs
Barcelona

193 cm
25
235 lbs
1 - 4 - 0

195 cm
18
230 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Good in bed

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Determined

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 1 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, William Pearson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Chester Barcelona!
The judges for this bout are Edson Gomes, Mauricio Rocha and Thiago Cunha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Pearson looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Pearson wants to control from the top but Barcelona keeps moving.
Barcelona trying to keep a closed guard but Pearson is proving a slippery customer.
Pearson sitting in guard, not really doing much.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
A head kick misses from Barcelona.
Barcelona looks winded!
Pearson throws a series of punches but Barcelona avoids them all with ease.
William Pearson seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Pearson fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pearson keeps the fight on the outside.
Pearson shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Pearson keeps the fight on the outside.
Barcelona tries to clinch but Pearson is having none of it.

Barcelona tries to sprawl but Pearson drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Pearson has improved his flexibility recently so we will have to see if he can use that to his advantage.
Barcelona wants to get back to full guard but Pearson has passed into side control.
Barcelona wants to control but Pearson postures up.

Pearson is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Barcelona is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Barcelona can do anything to dispel that myth.
Barcelona is looking to reverse the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Barcelona is trying to control Pearson's posture but Pearson avoids it.
Barcelona tries to bench press Pearson off him but Pearson keeps the position.
A lull in the action here.

Pearson stands up.
Barcelona ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Pearson moves away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barcelona just misses with a punch to the body.
Barcelona moves to clinch but Pearson breaks away
and Pearson counters with a straight right hand.
Pearson scores with a body shot.
Barcelona takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Pearson tries a head kick but it misses.
Pearson tries for a takedown but Barcelona sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Barcelona tries to clinch up.
Barcelona tries to clinch up but Pearson circles away and keeps his distance.
Pearson lands a head kick. Barcelona smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Barcelona avoids the head kick by Pearson.
Barcelona closes the distance but Pearson moves to the side
and Pearson counters with a three punch combo that has Barcelona backing up. Barcelona nods at Pearson to acknowledge the strikes.
Barcelona tries to clinch up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Barcelona has a takedown stuffed.

Pearson instigates a clinch.

Barcelona escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Pearson shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Barcelona napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Barcelona has found himself in a tricky position here. He's been working his transitions in training so let's see if he can work his way out of it.
This has been an exciting period of action!
You can see the frustration on Barcelona's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Barcelona really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Pearson. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Barcelona manages to work his way to half guard, despite Pearson's best efforts.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Pearson controlling the pace.
Barcelona is staying active underneath Pearson, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

William Pearson dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

A nice inside leg kick there by Barcelona. That's going to slow Pearson down.
Barcelona avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Barcelona shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Pearson but Pearson pushes him off and we're back to square one.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Barcelona crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Pearson - the referee stops the clock and Barcelona gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Pearson. Barcelona manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
Pearson wants to clinch up but Barcelona keeps it at a distance.
A good leg kick by Pearson.
Pearson connects with a solid leg kick.
Barcelona is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Pearson misses with a two punch combination.
Barcelona will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Barcelona has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Pearson.

Pearson drives through and clinches with Barcelona against the cage.
A short body shot lands from Pearson as the two fighters clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Pearson drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Pearson wants to break the clinch but can't.
Pearson jumps guard but Barcelona turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Barcelona wants a takedown but no success here.
William Pearson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Chester Barcelona.
Pearson lands with a short shot to the head.

Barcelona breaks the clinch.

Pearson rushes Barcelona and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Pearson pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Barcelona circles away from the clinch attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pearson misses with an attempted mid kick.

Barcelona drives through and clinches with Pearson against the cage.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Barcelona's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Barcelona jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Pearson walks away with a smile on his face. Barcelona gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Barcelona shoots in but Pearson avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Pearson throws a head kick that misses

and Barcelona counters with a single leg into guard. Pearson didn't expect that.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Barcelona drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Pearson manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Barcelona has Pearson in his guard.
Pearson won't allow Barcelona to sweep him here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pearson controlling from the top position.

Barcelona looking for subs off his back but Pearson has passed one foot through into half guard.
Barcelona is looking for a sweep. Pearson is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Pearson in particular looking to stall.
Barcelona tries to get to full guard but Pearson has control of the leg.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pearson seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Barcelona does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Barcelona is looking for a sweep. Pearson is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Barcelona is trying to escape back to his feet but Pearson uses the scramble to pass into side control.
Pearson gets to mount! Barcelona was on the offensive and wasn't defending properly.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Pearson has isolated one of Barcelona's arms. Barcelona looking to fight him off but Pearson twists into an armbar. It's tight... Will he tap?? YES, he's tapped! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:55 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). William Pearson!
William Pearson took to the mic after the fight and begged the organizational hierarchy for a shot at the title.