PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Quincy Mathers (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Antonio Descartes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Descartes's choice of entrance music: Wave of Mutilation by the Pixies. Antonio Descartes will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Mathers
vs
Descartes

184 cm
22
190 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

185 cm
19
181 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Prefers ground

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Likes ground

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 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Quincy Mathers!
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, Antonio Descartes!
The judges for this bout are Leandro Rodrigues, Mauricio Rocha and Luis Engracia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mathers misses with a body shot.

Descartes closes the distance and clinches.

Mathers manages to pull guard.
Descartes looking to pass the guard.
Mathers wants to sweep but no luck.

Mathers uses the cage to get back to his feet.
Descartes explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.

Descartes clinches up with Mathers and pushes him back against the cage.
Descartes has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Mathers avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Mathers tries to stall but Descartes uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Mathers misses with an elbow strike.
Mathers stalling in the clinch but Descartes improves position.
Descartes dodges an elbow strike from Mathers.

Descartes breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Descartes tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Mathers swivels and escapes.

Descartes clinches up against the cage.
Mathers has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Descartes avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Mathers drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Descartes wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Descartes lands a nice knee to the body.
Mathers is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mathers looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Descartes avoids the elbow strike from Mathers, against the cage.
Descartes makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Descartes wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

Descartes breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Mathers tries to clinch up
and Descartes counters with a slapping leg kick.

Descartes has managed to clinch.
Mathers drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Quincy Mathers. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Mathers has Descartes pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Descartes manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Descartes wants to break the clinch but can't.
Descartes landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Descartes avoids the elbow strike from Mathers, against the cage.
Descartes tries to stall but Mathers uses the opportunity to gain a better position.

Descartes breaks from the clinch.
Descartes lands with a nice combination. Mathers backs away looking to recover.
Mathers closes the distance looking to clinch

and Descartes moves into the clinch.
Descartes wants to stall.

Descartes pulls guard successfully.

Mathers is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Descartes is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Descartes has escaped and now he's on top!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Descartes is looking to work some ground and pound but Mathers has wrist control.
Descartes preventing the sweep.

Mathers manages to escape and get back to his feet.
Mathers throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Descartes shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Mathers pinned against the cage. Mathers gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Descartes circles away from the clinch attempt

and Descartes counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Descartes.
A knee to the head by Mathers.
Mathers is working for takedown but Descartes is calmly controlling the position for now.
Descartes dodges an elbow strike from Mathers.
Descartes lands with a short shot to the head.

Mathers pulls guard.
Descartes thows a big elbow that misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Descartes lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Descartes in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Descartes pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Mathers is keeping the position for now.
Mathers looking for a sweep. Not yet Mathers, not yet.

Descartes stands and steps away. Mathers gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Mathers is looking to clinch but Descartes is avoiding it.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Descartes, right into the meat.
Mathers is looking to clinch.
Mathers tries to clinch there but Descartes circles away.
Mathers is looking to clinch but Descartes is avoiding it.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Mathers tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Mathers tries to clinch up but Descartes circles away and keeps his distance.
Descartes fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Descartes swats away the attempt to clinch by Mathers.

Descartes instigates a clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Descartes wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Mathers has him pressed against the cage.
Mathers wants to break free but Descartes has control.
Descartes changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Mathers fights it off and pushes away nicely.

Descartes shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Descartes controlling the pace for now.
Mathers is in all sorts of trouble here.
Descartes avoids the attempt from Mathers to control.
Descartes connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Mathers is in all sorts of trouble here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Descartes looking to control but Mathers is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Descartes is in the full mount, landing strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Antonio Descartes dominated that round.
That's time! Mathers's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Mathers shoots in and drives through. Descartes sprawls well.
Mathers closes the distance looking to clinch
and Descartes makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Mathers clinches but Descartes breaks the clinch

and Descartes counters by clinching up.
Descartes tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Mathers just stands there and leans against the cage.
Mathers lands a nice elbow from the clinch.

Descartes jumps into guard, dragging Mathers to the mat.
Descartes throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Mathers slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Mathers wants to stand but Descartes has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

Descartes is looking for a triangle but Mathers pushes his legs off easily.
Descartes tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Descartes striking from the bottom here.
Descartes trying to control the position.
Mathers looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Descartes looking for a sweep. Not yet Descartes, not yet.

Descartes is looking for a triangle but Mathers pushes his legs off easily.

Descartes working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Mathers doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Mathers manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Descartes wants to stand but Mathers is controlling 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.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Descartes is looking to clinch but Mathers is avoiding it.

Mathers clinches with his opponent.
Descartes tries a body shot but Mathers blocks it.

Mathers breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Mathers clinches but Descartes breaks the clinch
and Descartes counters with a body kick that brings a smile to the face of both fighters.
Mathers tries to clinch there but Descartes circles away.
Descartes misses with a takedown attempt - Mathers sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Descartes gets caught flat footed, as Mathers shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.

Mathers stands up from Descartes's guard - Mathers perhaps looking for a knockout.
Mathers clinches but Descartes breaks the clinch
and Descartes counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Quincy Mathers seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Descartes stuffs the takedown attempt from Mathers. Mathers gets slowly back to his feet.
Mathers tries to clinch but Descartes moves out of range.
Some wild striking there from Descartes.

Mathers has closed the distance and engaged Descartes in a clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mathers lands a knee to the head.

Mathers pulls Descartes into guard.
Mathers not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Descartes wants to pass the guard but Mathers is keeping the position.

Mathers looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Mathers can't keep his opponent in guard - Descartes advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Descartes wants to pass the guard but Mathers is defending well.
Mathers moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Mathers has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Descartes has passed into side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mathers struggling a bit here.

Descartes decides to stand back up.
Descartes circles away from the clinch attempt.
Mathers tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Mathers fails in his attempt to clinch.
Mathers is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Mathers tries to clinch up but Descartes circles away and keeps his distance.
Mathers fails in his attempt to clinch.
Quincy Mathers is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Mathers fails with an attempt to clinch.
Descartes shoots in for a takedown but Mathers shows good takedown defense.
Quincy Mathers has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Antonio Descartes.
Mathers tries to clinch up.
Nice takedown defense from Mathers. No joy for Descartes on that attempt.

Descartes clinches up with Mathers and pushes him back against the cage.
Descartes on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

Mathers drags the fight down to the ground.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Quincy Mathers will probably get the nod.
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!

Descartes clinches up with Mathers and pushes him back against the cage.
Descartes gets through Mathers's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.

Mathers manages to break the clinch.
Mathers wants to clinch up but Descartes keeps it at a distance.

Descartes closes the distance and clinches.
Nice elbow from Mathers.
Descartes has had enough of the clinch but Mathers keeps him there for the moment.

Mathers breaks the clinch.

Mathers clinches up with Descartes and pushes him back against the cage.
Mathers lands an elbow that stopped Descartes in his tracks for a moment.
Mathers misses with a knee to the head.
Descartes lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Mathers backwards.
Descartes using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Mathers has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Mathers tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Mathers throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Descartes wants to stall.
Mathers dodges an elbow strike from Descartes.
Descartes letting Mathers take a breather here.
Mathers gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Mathers misses with an elbow strike.
Descartes tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Descartes throws an elbow but it misses.
Mathers wants a takedown.
A short right from Descartes on the inside.
Descartes takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Mathers lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Mathers lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.

Mathers pulls guard successfully.
Descartes is looking to stand up but Mathers won't let him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mathers is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Mathers keeping moving, preventing Descartes from controlling successfully.
Descartes lands a couple of elbows.

Mathers is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Descartes thows a big elbow that misses.
Descartes throws a strike but Mathers rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Mathers trying to control the position from guard on top but Descartes is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Mathers decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Descartes clinches but Mathers breaks the clinch

and Mathers moves into the clinch.
Descartes lands an elbow inside.

Descartes pulls guard.
Mathers wants to control from the top but Descartes keeps moving.
Descartes avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Descartes is trying to keep Mathers in close.
Descartes tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Mathers trying to control the position from guard on top but Descartes is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Mathers throws and elbow that misses. Descartes uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Mathers's guard. Nice move by Descartes!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Mathers is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Mathers working a defensive guard here.
Descartes tries to stand but Mathers is controlling from the bottom.
Mathers bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Descartes's guard.

Mathers stands up from guard. Let's bang!

Descartes closes the distance and clinches.

Descartes breaks the clinch.

Descartes has closed the distance and engaged Mathers in a clinch.

Mathers jumps into guard, dragging Descartes to the mat.
Descartes must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mathers working a defensive guard here.
Descartes works a leg free and moves into half guard.

Descartes decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Descartes.
Descartes shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Mathers pinned against the cage. Mathers gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Descartes shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Mathers as he avoids it easily.
Quincy Mathers has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Antonio Descartes.
Mathers wants to clinch
and Descartes counters with a good low kick that Mathers was not able to check.
Mathers fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Descartes manages to avoid it.
Descartes clinches but Mathers breaks the clinch

and Mathers counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Quincy Mathers overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Mathers decides he's had enough of the ground and stands up.
Mathers closes the distance and clinches up with Descartes, looking for a takedown. Mathers pushes Descartes against the cage but Descartes circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Descartes looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Descartes fails to land the takedown.

And that's the end of the fight!
Quincy Mathers showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Mathers has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 29:28
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 29:28
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Quincy Mathers!