PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Joao Souza (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Alistair Overeem (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). There are an array of beautiful celebrities at ringside tonight! I wonder if any of them paid for their tickets.

Souza
vs
Overeem

175 cm
21
220 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

185 cm
20
265 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Prefers ground

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Granite chin

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Joao Souza!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Alistair Overeem!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, Robert Twigg and Gwen Towbar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Overeem is looking to clinch but Souza is avoiding it.
Souza shoots for a double leg takedown but Overeem sprawls well. He's pushed Souza's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

Souza gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Overeem is trying to drag Souza to the mat but Souza just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Souza prevents the takedown attempt.
Souza is working for takedown but Overeem is calmly controlling the position for now.

Overeem has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Souza is trying to keep an underhook but Overeem manages to get the takedown into half guard.

Souza manages to escape and get back to his feet!

Souza shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Overeem is looking to escape.
Souza throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Souza is nestled in close to Overeem, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Souza really is a fat lump.
Souza working over Overeem with some ground and pound. Overeem looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Souza prevents Overeem from standing back up.
Overeem looks gassed!
Souza scoring with strikes to the body and head.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Overeem has hold of Souza's hands but Souza slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Souza looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Overeem with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Overeem manages to get to full guard.
Overeem avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Souza has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Souza loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Souza keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Overeem's head.
Overeem controls Souza momentarily but Souza frees himself.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Souza throwing strikes but missing.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Souza's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Souza postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Souza throwing strikes from guard but Overeem blocks nicely.
Souza thows a big elbow that misses.
Souza scoring with punches to the head and body.
Souza in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Souza works over Overeem with some ground and pound from guard.
Souza landing with the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Souza stands up over Overeem, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Souza working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Souza throws a big right hand that misses.
Souza throws and elbow that misses. Overeem uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Souza's guard. Nice move by Overeem!
Souza throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Souza bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Overeem's guard.
Souza has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Overeem is proving hard to escape from.
Souza landing with the ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Overeem wants to sweep but no luck.
Souza makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Souza accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Souza scoring with punches to the head and body.
Souza lands a couple of digs.
Overeem is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Overeem utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Souza makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Joao Souza dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

The fight stays on the outside here - Overeem looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Souza tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Souza changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Overeem tries to avoid it but Souza manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Overeem to the ground. Overeem escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Overeem with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Overeem tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Souza counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Overeem blocking the ground and pound attempt from Souza.
Souza thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Overeem avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Souza.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Souza thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Overeem's head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Overeem is trying to maintain the position but Souza is very close to passing his half guard.
Souza thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Overeem's head.
Souza looks to land a strike but Overeem avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
Overeem is trying to keep Souza in close.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Overeem is looking to clinch but Souza is avoiding it.
Overeem tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Souza swivels and escapes.

Souza has managed to clinch.
Overeem unloads a knee to the mid-section. Souza lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Souza tries for a takedown but Overeem manages to get underhooks.
Overeem lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Souza backwards.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.

Overeem ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Overeem no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Overeem utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Overeem really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Souza. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Overeem is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Souza with a flurry of punches that miss.
Souza with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Overeem working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Souza.
Overeem looking for a sweep. Not yet Overeem, not yet.
Joao Souza overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Souza scoring with punches to the head and body.
Souza postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

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

Overeem closes the distance and pushes Souza back into the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Overeem ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Overeem no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Souza distracts Overeem with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Overeem is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Souza is controlling him.
Overeem working a defensive guard here.
Souza loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Souza distracts Overeem with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Souza scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Souza postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Overeem wants to stand and escape but Souza is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Souza postures up.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Overeem wants to clinch

and Souza counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Overeem utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Souza lands a couple of elbows.
Souza postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Souza lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Souza with a nice head shot there.
Souza postures up in Overeem's guard and throws a big left but Overeem blocks it.
Overeem wants to stand but Souza is controlling the position.
Souza throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Overeem works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Joao Souza dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Overeem moves into range and clinches up with Souza.
Souza drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Overeem gets the underhooks and prevents it.

Overeem breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Souza shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Overeem as he avoids it easily.
Overeem moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.

Overeem clinches with his opponent.
A short body shot lands from Overeem as the two fighters clinch.

Overeem jumps into guard, dragging Souza to the mat.
Overeem looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Overeem preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Souza makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Souza missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Souza postures up in Overeem's guard and throws a big left but Overeem blocks it.
Souza scores with a decent looking elbow strike.

Souza drops back looking for a leg! Overeem is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Overeem manages to kick Souza off! Souza jumps back into Overeem's guard.
Souza loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Souza tries to close the distance and clinch but Overeem swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Souza.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Joao Souza. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Overeem scores to the head and body with a nice combination!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Overeem tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Souza counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Souza throwing strikes from guard but Overeem blocks nicely.
Souza throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Souza throwing strikes from guard but Overeem blocks nicely.
Souza in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Souza scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Souza stands up over Overeem, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Overeem is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Souza distracts Overeem with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Overeem moves in looking to clinch but Souza pushes him off.
Overeem tries to bum rush Souza with a series of wild strikes but Souza uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Overeem tries for a takedown but Souza circles away easily

and Souza counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Overeem!
A nice elbow there by Souza.
Overeem can't escape the position.
Overeem throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Overeem keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Overeem in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Overeem is in a horrible position here. Souza smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Souza landing strikes from the mount and Overeem is in trouble!
Souza has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Overeem's face.
Overeem is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Souza cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Souza punishing his opponent with strikes.
Alistair Overeem has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Joao Souza is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Souza lands a nice shot to the head.

And that's the end of the fight!
Joao Souza showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Souza, 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 Daniel Franklin scores the fight 30:27
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 30:27
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Joao Souza!