PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Fabio Souza (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Hannibal Lecter (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Souza
vs
Lecter

170 cm
21
180 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
18
177 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Self confident

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight 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, Fabio Souza!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Hannibal Lecter!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Cesar, Thiago Cunha and Mauricio Rocha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Lecter fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Souza could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.

Souza drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Lecter is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Souza gets back to full guard.
Souza looking to hit a scissor sweep but Lecter is one step ahead there.
Lecter is looking to work some ground and pound but Souza has wrist control.
Lecter wants to pass the guard but Souza is keeping the position.
Souza wants to sweep but no luck.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Souza lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Lecter!
Lecter wants to control but Souza is having none of it.
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 Lecter's face.
Souza can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Lecter is looking to escape.
Souza landing strikes, looking to finish!
Souza tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lecter tries to improve his position but instead Souza has taken his back!
Lecter is keeping busy.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Souza is looking cool and calm here, just waiting for a good opportunity to attack and finish the fight from this dominant position.
Souza lands a shot to the head.
Souza has good solid back control here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Fabio Souza just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Souza thumps Lecter with a low kick.
Lecter misses with a takedown

and Souza counters with a nice double leg into guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Souza controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Lecter working a defensive guard here.
Lecter wants to stand but Souza is controlling the position.
Lecter looks gassed!
Souza wants to pass the guard but Lecter is keeping the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Lecter keeping moving, preventing Souza from controlling successfully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Fabio Souza dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Nice sprawl there from Lecter as Souza shoots in.

Souza has Lecter up against the cage in a clinch.
Souza digs a right hand into Lecter's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Lecter's gas tank.

Souza breaks the clinch.
Souza connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.

Souza closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Lecter lands a right hand that snaps the head of Souza backwards.
Souza can't get the takedown.
Lecter's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Lecter tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Souza smiles and moves away.
Fabio Souza is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Lecter gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Souza counters by clinching up.
Lecter drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Souza gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Fabio Souza has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Hannibal Lecter.

Lecter breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Souza shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Lecter is trying to control the position but Souza postures up.
Souza trying to control but Lecter is working from the bottom.
Lecter lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Souza!
Souza wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Lecter.
Souza tries to hold on but Lecter pushes him away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Lecter get's back to his feet.
Lecter connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Lecter tries for a takedown but Souza circles away easily
and Souza cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Souza with a poor takedown

and Lecter counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Souza's guard now.
Souza working a defensive guard here.
Lecter wanted to stand there but Souza had control of the position.
Lecter won't allow Souza to sweep him here.
Lecter wanted to stand there but Souza had control of the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Souza has control of Lecter's left arm, preventing Lecter from doing any damage.
Souza looking to control.
Souza looking for a sweep. Not yet Souza, not yet.
Souza keeping moving, preventing Lecter from controlling successfully.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Souza is looking to score with low kicks.
Lecter stuffs the takedown.
Lecter fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

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 instigates a clinch.
Souza is leaning against Lecter and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Souza prevents a takedown attempt there.
Lecter stalling in the clinch but Souza improves position.
Souza tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Lecter just stands there and leans against the cage.
Lecter makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.

Lecter jumps guard.
Souza is working Lecter over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Souza has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Lecter is proving hard to escape from.
Lecter looking for a sweep. Not yet Lecter, not yet.
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 Fabio Souza 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!

Souza gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
A right hook to the body lands for Souza.

Souza has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Lecter is trying to keep an underhook but Souza manages to get the takedown into half guard.
Souza not doing much here.

Souza is trying to work for a kimura. He's got his hands clasped together - this could be trouble! No, Lecter has managed to free his arm - good work.
Lecter is trying to get back to full guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lecter wants to control but Souza is keeping busy.
Lecter manages to get to full guard.

Lecter has his foot on Souza's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Souza works his way back into a safe position though.
Souza is looking to stand up but Lecter won't let him.
Lecter lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Souza!
Lecter unloading with bombs!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Souza holds on to Lecter as tight as he can, avoiding damage.
Souza tries to hold on but Lecter pushes him away.
Souza holds on to Lecter around his waist, trying desperately to prevent any attacks.
Souza tries to hold on but Lecter postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lecter fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Souza tries to improve his position but instead Lecter has taken his back!
Souza can't escape the position.
Lecter scores with punches from the back.
Fabio Souza overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Souza looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.
Souza manages to reverse the position and now he's in Lecter's guard. Nice work there by Souza.

That's four 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.
Lecter working a defensive guard here.
Lecter might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Souza kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Hannibal Lecter has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Souza drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Lecter dives on top into guard.
Souza wants to get back to his feet but Lecter passes into half guard.
Souza blocking the ground and pound attempt from Lecter.

And that's the end of the fight!
Hannibal Lecter comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Souza has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Cesar scores the fight 29:28
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 29:29
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 28:29

The fight is ruled a draw!