PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Henrique Tavares (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Web Du Bois (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Tavares comes into the arena with Devour the Day - Get Out of My Way blaring out of the sound system. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Tavares
vs
Du Bois

195 cm
25
210 lbs
6 - 3 - 0

195 cm
24
220 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

Decent wrestler
Solid boxing
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

GREEN!160

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 6 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Henrique Tavares!
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, Web Du Bois!
The judges for this bout are Alexandre Firmino, Thiago Cunha and Emerson Jorge.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Du Bois ducks under a wild hook from Tavares.
Du Bois lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Tavares circles away quickly and effectively.
Tavares swinging wildly here.
The fighters circling - Tavares throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Tavares looks to land a left hand but Du Bois moved out of range nicely.
A punch combination from Tavares misses.
Tavares lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Du Bois circles away quickly and effectively.
Tavares connects with a jab.

It looks like Web Du Bois has been cut.
Tavares swings widly with a right hand
and Du Bois counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Tavares with a nice cross.
Du Bois throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Tavares stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Tavares rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Du Bois counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Du Bois's coach down at Franklin D. Bluth Memorial Supergym was telling us pre-fight that they have been working on Du Bois's balance. Obviously they view that as a key factor in the outcome of this fight.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Some wild striking there from Tavares.
Du Bois steps in looking to clinch after the strikes miss from Tavares.

Tavares gets tackled into the cage by Du Bois. Du Bois maintains the clinch.
Du Bois pressing his opponent against the cage.
Du Bois is leaning against Tavares and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Du Bois swings wildly with an uppercut but Tavares uses good head movement to avoid it.
A shot in the inside from Du Bois.
Tavares wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Du Bois lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Tavares backwards.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Du Bois.
Du Bois prevents Tavares from breaking the clinch.
Tavares being controlled against the cage.
I was talking to Tavares's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Du Bois leaning his opponent against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tavares being controlled against the cage.
Du Bois leaning his opponent against the cage.
Du Bois misses with a short punch on the inside.
Nice body punch from Du Bois - that landed with a thud.
Tavares blocking some punches.
Tavares is trying to break the clinch but Du Bois has him pressed against the cage.
Tavares is trying to force a seperation but Du Bois has the dominant position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Du Bois taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Du Bois is pushing Tavares up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Web Du Bois.
Tavares misses with the combination.
Tavares misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Tavares throws a big shot that misses.
Du Bois throws out a counter right but Tavares avoids it with no problem.
Henrique Tavares seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Tavares takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
No joy there for Tavares, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

Du Bois has taken the fight to the clinch.
Tavares is trying to push Du Bois away but Du Bois has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Tavares is trying to push Du Bois away but Du Bois has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
A right handed body shot lands from Du Bois.
Du Bois tries a body shot but Tavares blocks it.
Du Bois misses with some punches.
Du Bois lands a body shot.

Tavares breaks from the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tavares throws a big shot that misses.
Tavares lands with a nice combination. Du Bois backs away looking to recover.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Du Bois connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Tavares misses with a jab, cross combination.
Tavares misses the jab.
Some wild striking there from Tavares.
Tavares's jab looks to have found its range, popping Du Bois under the eye.
Tavares swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

Du Bois closes the distance and clinches.
Still in the clinch, Du Bois scores with a nice short uppercut.
Du Bois lands a left hand that snaps the head of Tavares backwards.
Du Bois lands a body punch in the clinch.
Du Bois's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
A right handed body shot lands from Du Bois.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Web Du Bois will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Web Du Bois's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

Tavares's jab looks to have found its range, popping Du Bois under the eye.
Du Bois throws a body punch but Tavares moves out of range.
Du Bois is looking to clinch but Tavares is avoiding it.

Du Bois has managed to clinch.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Du Bois creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Du Bois taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Tavares.
Tavares wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Du Bois has him pressed against the cage.
Du Bois fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Du Bois lands a body shot.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Good body shot from Du Bois.
Du Bois scores with a hook to the body.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Du Bois.
Du Bois lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Du Bois throws a head punch that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tavares blocks an uppercut.
A short right from Du Bois on the inside.
Du Bois is pushing Tavares up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Du Bois is struggling to control the position.
Du Bois continues to stall. The referee tells him to work or he's going to break them up.
Du Bois lands with a light punch inside.
A short uppercut from Du Bois.
Du Bois has Tavares pressed against the cage.
Du Bois fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Du Bois leaning against his opponent.
The referee is keeping an eye on Du Bois - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Du Bois tries to throw a body punch but Tavares avoids it by throwing Du Bois back against the cage.
Tavares being controlled against the cage.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Web Du Bois.
Tavares throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Du Bois on the side of the head.

Du Bois is rocked!
Henrique Tavares is winning the standup battle so far.
Tavares lands a big right hook! Du Bois looks hurt but is still standing! Tavares lands a left jab and another right hook! This time Du Bois falls down and Tavares dives in with a huge hammer fist! Du Bois's eyes roll back! The referee calls for the bell and Tavares runs up the cage to celebrate with his fans!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:40 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Punches). Henrique Tavares!
Henrique Tavares was full of energy after the big win and talked about how he thinks he can do big things in this sport. The crowd were appreciative of his determination to succeed.