PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Woodrow Higgins (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Filipe Costa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Filipe Costa has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Woodrow Higgins's chin.

Higgins
vs
Costa

171 cm
18
214 lbs
0 - 5 - 0

185 cm
18
264 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Hates pizza

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

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 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Woodrow Higgins!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Filipe Costa!
The judges for this bout are Matheus Silva, Seu Braga and Alexandre Firmino.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Costa misses with a body punch

and Higgins counters by moving into the clinch.
Costa connects with a knee to the head.

It looks like Woodrow Higgins has been cut.
Higgins misses with a shot to the kidneys.

Costa pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Higgins misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

Costa shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Higgins could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Costa postures up in Higgins's guard and throws a big left but Higgins blocks it.
Costa advances to half guard.
Higgins keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Costa with the ground and pound but Higgins uses the opportunity to regain guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Costa missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Higgins is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Costa postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Costa has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Costa in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Costa in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Costa in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

Costa is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Costa postures up in Higgins's guard and throws a big left but Higgins blocks it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Higgins working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Costa.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Costa accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Higgins working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Costa.

Costa decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.

Costa closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Costa unloads a knee to the mid-section. Higgins lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.

Costa breaks the clinch.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Costa gets the takedown into side control.
Higgins wings away with a couple of strikes but they don't land.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Costa sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Higgins is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.

Costa thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Costa throwing shots but missing, from side control.
The strikes coming from Costa are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Costa misses with an attempted head punch from side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Higgins managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Costa.
Costa looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Higgins is avoiding damage well.

Costa decides to stand back up.

Costa drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Costa postures up in Higgins's guard and throws a big left but Higgins blocks it.
Higgins working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Costa.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Costa throws a big elbow that misses.

Costa thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Filipe Costa dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Woodrow Higgins's cut.
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.

Costa gets the takedown into side control.
Costa throws a strike aimed at the side of Higgins's head but Higgins avoids it well.

Costa goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Higgins has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Costa but great work by Higgins.
Costa manages to work his way to half guard, despite Higgins's best efforts.
Costa gets full guard.
Costa trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Costa tries to strike from the bottom.

Costa has his foot on Higgins's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Higgins works his way back into a safe position though.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Costa is looking for a triangle here but Higgins uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
Costa is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Higgins's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.

Costa looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

Costa looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Filipe Costa has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Costa is trying to stand back up but Higgins is controlling him
Higgins blocks the strikes from Costa.

Costa looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Higgins looks to score some points with some ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Costa is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Higgins missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Higgins working over Costa with some ground and pound. Costa looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Costa missing with punches from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Costa looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

Costa looking for submissions off his back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Higgins lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Higgins throwing shots but Costa is blocking nicely.
Costa tries to get to full guard but Higgins has control of the leg.

Costa actively working from the bottom here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Filipe Costa showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Woodrow Higgins's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Horrible takedown attempt by Higgins or perhaps it was just good defense by Costa, which made it look bad.
Higgins avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Higgins gets caught flat footed, as Costa shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Costa pushes down on Higgins's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Costa is pressing down on Higgins's thigh, looking to free his foot. Higgins is holding on for now.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Costa seems to be looking for submissions.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Costa sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Higgins defending well though.
Higgins might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Costa working to pass to mount. He's got his hand pressing down on Higgins's thigh. Higgins counters though and makes it back to full guard.
Costa keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Higgins's head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Costa loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Higgins utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Costa slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Costa throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Costa misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Costa working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Costa fails to land a wild elbow strike.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Costa misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.

Costa working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Costa with the ground and pound but Higgins regains half guard under the barage of strikes.
Costa is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Higgins is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Costa thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Costa is landing with some decent strikes but Higgins is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Costa throwing strikes here but Higgins is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Costa thowing shots but they're missing.

And that's the end of the fight!
Filipe Costa comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Costa 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 Matheus Silva scores the fight 26:30
Judge Seu Braga scores the fight 27:30
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Filipe Costa!