PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Gustavo Safra (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rogerio Rodrigues (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The fight MMA fans around the world have waited their entire lives for!

Safra
vs
Rodrigues

190 cm
24
275 lbs
5 - 5 - 0

225 cm
22
300 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Experienced

Dangerous GnP
Decent boxing
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Gustavo Safra!
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, Rogerio Rodrigues!
The judges for this bout are Edson Gomes, Seu Braga and Alexandre Firmino.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A leg kick checked by Safra.
Safra ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.

Safra looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Rodrigues!
Rodrigues is trying to escape but when you're mounted that's not too easy.
Safra controlling his opponent.
Rodrigues trying desperately to get to his feet.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Rodrigues is using up a lot of energy trying to get back to his feet. Perhaps he should improve his position first.
Safra content just to control the position here.
Safra won't let Rodrigues get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.
Safra controlling his opponent.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rodrigues is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Safra working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Safra content just to control the position here.
Rodrigues is trying to escape but when you're mounted that's not too easy.
Rodrigues looks gassed!
Safra sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Rodrigues can't escape the position.

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.
Safra content just to control the position here.
Safra could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Safra lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Safra controlling from the full mount.
Rodrigues is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.
Safra lands a nice shot to the head.
Safra with the ground and pound from mount.
Safra controlling from the full mount.
Rodrigues wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Safra sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Safra lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Rodrigues really wants to buck Safra off and get back to his feet.
Rodrigues is looking to get to half guard.
Safra takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.

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.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Gustavo Safra just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Rodrigues!
Rodrigues throws a series of punches but Safra moves out of range.
Rodrigues pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Rodrigues throws a one two combo.
Rodrigues bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Rodrigues throws a right hand that Safra ducks under and follows up with a left that Safra also avoids with ease.
Rodrigues looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Rodrigues scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Safra showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Rodrigues.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
A punch combination from Rodrigues misses.
No joy there for Rodrigues, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

Safra shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gustavo Safra dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Rodrigues shoots and misses

and Safra counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Safra sitting in guard here, content to control.
Rodrigues wants to stand up but Safra is controlling him.
Safra passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Rodrigues is trying to get back to his feet.
Rodrigues tries to wriggle free to get back to his feet but he's given up his back! Oops.
A bit of a pause in the action here. Safra controlling the positon.
Rodrigues is trying to stand back up.
What can Rodrigues do to escape this position? He's going to have to figure it out pretty quick if he wants to stay in the fight!
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Safra lands punches and elbows.
Safra is looking cool and calm here, just waiting for a good opportunity to attack and finish the fight from this dominant position.
Rodrigues looking to stop the rear naked choke attempt by controlling the hands.

Safra is working for the rear naked choke. He has one arm under the chin but Rodrigues has hold of the other arm. A bit of a stalemate here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Safra is riding his opponent, not letting Rodrigues buck him off.
Safra tries to keep control of the position but Rodrigues is staying busy.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Rodrigues wants to get back to his feet.
Will Safra go for the finish here or will he try and keep control of the position?
Safra really has the hooks in deep now - there seems like no escape for Rodrigues.
Safra trying to control.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Gustavo Safra just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Rodrigues falls off balance throwing a combination

and Safra counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

Safra is trying to work for a kimura. He's got his hands clasped together - this could be trouble! No, Rodrigues has managed to free his arm - good work.
Rodrigues is looking to escape.
Safra performing his best blanket impression for a moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rodrigues is looking to escape.
Safra lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Safra stops Rodrigues from getting back to his feet.
Still in half guard, Safra seems content to control.

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

Safra decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Safra passes to full mount!
Rodrigues wants to control but Safra is having none of it.
Safra controlling the position easily from mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rodrigues regains half guard.
Safra is taking a breather. Rodrigues says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Rodrigues tries to kick Safra off but Safra keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Safra performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Gustavo Safra overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Safra stops Rodrigues from getting back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gustavo Safra dominated that second 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. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Safra fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Rodrigues sprawls well initially but Safra persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Safra prevents Rodrigues from improving his position.
Rodrigues is trying to stand up here but Safra is controlling him well.
Rodrigues scrambles, trying to get to his feet, but Safra manages to mount him!
Rodrigues is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.
Rodrigues swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.
Rodrigues tries to buck Safra off but he can't manage it.
Safra controlling from mount.
Safra wants to control the pace but Rodrigues is squirming around nicely.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Safra controlling the position easily from mount.
Rodrigues swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.
Safra controlling his opponent.
Safra won't let Rodrigues get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.
Safra content just to control the position here.
Rodrigues trying desperately to get to his feet.

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.
Safra controlling his opponent.
Rodrigues is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Safra lands a heavy elbow.
Safra postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Rodrigues looks a forlorn figure.
Safra takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rodrigues squirming around on the bottom, looking to escape.
Safra content just to control the position here.
Safra's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Gustavo Safra just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Rodrigues fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

Safra moves into the clinch.
Rodrigues is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Safra has Rodrigues pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Rodrigues manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Rodrigues goes for a takedown in the clinch but Safra prevents it.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Safra.
Rodrigues wants to break the clinch but can't.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Rodrigues wants to break free but Safra has control.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Safra.
Safra is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Rodrigues pulls him back up using the underhooks.

Rodrigues manages to break the clinch.
Gustavo Safra is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Safra drives through with a takedown into guard.
Rodrigues wants to stand up but Safra is controlling him.
Safra is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Rodrigues is looking to stand up but Safra isn't so interested in that idea.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

And that's the end of the fight!
Gustavo Safra showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Safra, 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 Edson Gomes scores the fight for Gustavo Safra!
Judge Seu Braga scores the fight for Gustavo Safra!
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight for Gustavo Safra!

Gustavo Safra wins by unanimous decision!