PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Jorge Rivera (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rafael Santos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Jorge Rivera could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Rafael Santos's chin.

Rivera
vs
Santos

185 cm
20
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
22
181 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Jorge Rivera!
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, Rafael Santos!
The judges for this bout are Thiago Cunha, Daniel Cesar and Matheus Silva.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rivera looks for a takedown but Santos sprawls well.

Rivera gets the takedown into side control.
Santos struggling a bit here.
Santos is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

Rivera thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Rivera taking a breather here.
Santos is looking to regain half guard here but Rivera keeps moving and retains side control.
Santos struggling a bit here.
Santos is trying to improve his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santos is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Rivera moves out of range of the strikes.
Rafael Santos seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Santos throws a series of punches but Rivera moves out of range.

Rivera feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Rivera passes Santos's left leg - he's now in half guard.

Rivera is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Santos is just riding it out for now. Rivera eventually gives up the hold.
Rivera controlling the pace.
Santos is trying to control but can't.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santos flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Rivera perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Rivera has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
Santos punching from the bottom.
Santos is not content to let Rivera control the position.
Rivera content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rivera is breathing heavily.
Santos is looking to control Rivera's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Santos avoid being mounted?

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos gets full guard.
Rivera throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Rivera trying to control the position from guard on top but Santos is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Santos wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Rivera looking to sit in guard and control but Santos gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Santos advances position into side control!
Rivera struggling a bit here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

Santos swings around for an armbar but Rivera sees it coming a mile off and turns beautifully into Santos's guard.

Santos looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Rivera working some strikes from top position.
Rivera preventing the sweep.
Rivera controlling from the top position.
Santos is trying to control the position but Rivera postures up.
Rivera controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

Santos looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Santos looking to control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jorge Rivera dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Santos fails with the takedown.

Santos gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Rivera trying to control the position from guard on top but Santos is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Santos had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Rivera is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Santos Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Rivera's back instead.
Rivera breaks Santos's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.

Santos is looking for a triangle but Rivera pushes his legs off easily.
Rivera passes Santos's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Santos is breathing heavily.
Santos wants to improve his position but Rivera is controlling well.
Santos is in trouble now - Rivera has advanced to mount!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rivera looking to control and managing it successfully.
Rivera takes Santos's back.

Santos is staying cool under pressure, defending well against the rear naked choke attempt from his opponent.
Rivera lands with a big left hand that may well have hurt his opponent. Can Santos hold on?!
Santos looking very determined here, making life difficult for Rivera.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Santos is in bad spot here.
Rivera not allowing Santos to control his hands.
Rivera throwing damaging strikes from the back! Santos could be in trouble here!
Santos trying to control the action but Rivera just sinks the hooks in.

Rivera is working for the rear naked choke. He has one arm under the chin but Santos has hold of the other arm. A bit of a stalemate here.
Santos covers up after that shot from Rivera.
Santos staying busy and making it hard for Rivera to control.
Santos just trying to survive but Rivera is wriggling into a better position, looking to finish.
Rivera misses with punches from the back.
Rivera keeps control of the position as Santos tries to break free.
Santos trying to control but he's just got himself in more trouble.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos is trying to break free.
Santos manages to reverse the position and now he's in Rivera's guard. Nice work there by Santos.
Rivera looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Santos with a poor takedown

and Rivera counters with a nice double leg into side control. Santos won't be happy with that.
Santos is trying to improve his position.
Santos tries to control but Rivera manages to take his back.
Rivera lands a shot to the head.
Santos is taking damage to the body and head.

It looks like Rafael Santos has been cut.
Santos takes a big shot to the side of the head.
Rivera slows the pace down here. Having a little breather whilst he's in a dominant position, looking to rest and regain some energy, ready to go for the finish.
Rivera landing with strikes.
Rivera looking to soften up his opponent with punches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Rivera tightening his grip on Santos, looking for the choke.

Santos is staying cool under pressure, defending well against the rear naked choke attempt from his opponent.
Santos is being controlled on the ground here - he must escape this position otherwise surely the end is near.

Rivera is working for the rear naked choke. He has one arm under the chin but Santos has hold of the other arm. A bit of a stalemate here.
Santos rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Santos is trying is best to control the position here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jorge Rivera dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Rafael Santos'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. This is the final round!

Rivera tries for a takedown but Santos circles away easily
and Santos counters with a one-two to the body.

Santos decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Rivera tries to roll over but Santos keeps him under control.
Santos is trying to control the action in half guard but Rivera is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Rivera wants to control but Santos is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Rivera wants to improve his position but Santos is controlling well.
Santos wants to pass to mount but Rivera is defending the position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Santos sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Rivera defending well though.
Rivera wants to control the action here but instead Santos manages to pass to full mount!
Santos can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Rivera is looking to escape.
Rivera is wriggling around trying to escape.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rivera is working hard here to advance position.
Rivera sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.

Rivera looking for submissions off his back.
Rivera is staying active underneath Santos, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Rivera trying to control from the bottom.
Rivera tries to get to full guard but Santos has control of the leg.
Rivera wants to control but Santos is keeping busy.
Rivera gets full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.

Rivera has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Santos can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Santos in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Rivera rushes Santos and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Rivera manages to break the clinch.
Rivera shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Santos but Santos pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Santos scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Santos shoots in but Rivera avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Jorge Rivera is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Rivera looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Santos!
Rivera wants to control but instead Santos manages to regain half guard.
Rivera looks to score some points with some ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rivera is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Santos!
Rivera is landing with some decent strikes but Santos is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.

That has opened up Rafael Santos's cut even more.
Rivera trying to control but Santos is having none of it.
Jorge Rivera overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Rivera lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.

The cut above Rafael Santos's eye is starting to cause him problems now.

Rivera stands up from mount. Strange move.
Rivera fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jorge Rivera. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rivera fails with the takedown
and Santos counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Santos lands a jab to the head.
A punch combination from Rivera misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Santos misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Santos fails with the takedown.
Rivera keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Santos.
Santos avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Nice cross by Santos.
Rafael Santos has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Santos moves into range and connects with a jab.

Rivera shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Rivera was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Santos tries to reverse the position but Rivera maintains control.
Santos wants to hold on but Rivera pushes him away.
Rivera is landing with some decent strikes but Santos 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.
Rivera avoids the attempt from Santos to control.
Rivera blocks Santos's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Rivera dominating with strikes here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jorge Rivera showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Rivera, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Thiago Cunha scores the fight 30:27
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 30:27
Judge Matheus Silva scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jorge Rivera!