PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Simon Hedegaard (ranked 1180 p4p, 4196 weight class) and Josh Roffen (ranked 174 p4p, 534 weight class). Both fighter's entrance songs getting the crowd jumping here.

Hedegaard
vs
Roffen

208 cm
22
195
12 - 0 - 0

175 cm
35
185
15 - 19 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Brawler
Insanely flexible

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Determined

Altitude Clothing

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 12 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Simon Hedegaard!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 19 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Josh Roffen!
The judges for this bout are Yasuomi Hirokawa, Tatsuya Matsuyama and Sosuke Kotani.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Hedegaard looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Hedegaard really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Roffen is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Hedegaard is controlling him.
Hedegaard trying to control the position from guard on top but Roffen is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Hedegaard won't allow Roffen to get back to his feet.
Hedegaard wants to control from the top but Roffen keeps moving.
Hedegaard postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Hedegaard wants to pass the guard but Roffen is keeping the position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hedegaard is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hedegaard postures up and lands a big shot to Roffen's brow.

Hedegaard thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

Roffen has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Hedegaard off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Hedegaard throws a poor cross that misses
enabling Roffen to counter with a crisp jab.
Roffen lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Hedegaard dives in for a single leg takedown but Roffen sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Roffen unleashes a big counter combination but Hedegaard bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.
Roffen is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Roffen prevents a takedown attempt there.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Simon Hedegaard. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Hedegaard tries to pull guard but Roffen won't allow it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Roffen is defending well against a takedown attempt.

Roffen escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Roffen with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Roffen throws a right and a left that Hedegaard avoids nicely.
Hedegaard half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Hedegaard missing with a left hand there. Roffen was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Roffen connects with a body shot that sends Hedegaard's belly button to the back.
Roffen misses the shot to the body.
Roffen stuffs the takedown.
Roffen lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.

Hedegaard fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Roffen to the ground. Hedegaard is now in Roffen's guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Roffen has his feet on Hedegaard's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.
Roffen throws a right and a left that Hedegaard avoids nicely.
A solid leg kick lands there for Roffen.
Roffen scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Roffen tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Hedegaard was well out of range. Poor timing from Roffen.
Roffen uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Hedegaard.
Josh Roffen is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Roffen looks to land a combination but Hedegaard avoids it well.
Hedegaard fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

Roffen gets caught flat footed, as Hedegaard shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Roffen keeping moving, preventing Hedegaard from controlling successfully.
Hedegaard will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Roffen wants to stand and escape but Hedegaard is having none of it.
Hedegaard wants to control from the top but Roffen keeps moving.
Hedegaard lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Hedegaard is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Roffen really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Hedegaard. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Hedegaard slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Roffen is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Hedegaard is controlling him well.
Hedegaard is looking to take a break and control but Roffen is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Roffen wants to get back to his feet but Hedegaard drags him back down.

Hedegaard thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

Hedegaard is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Roffen is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Hedegaard trying to control the action but Roffen is working from the bottom.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Josh Roffen dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Hedegaard shoots in but Roffen avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Hedegaard throws a sloppy head kick and Roffen moves out of range easily.
Roffen now looks to counter with a shot at the body.

Roffen gets a clinch.
Hedegaard tries to score a body lock takedown but Roffen shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Hedegaard on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Hedegaard wants to take the fight to the mat but Roffen manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Simon Hedegaard. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Hedegaard wants a takedown.
Hedegaard is looking to take this one to the mat.

Hedegaard is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. Roffen can't fight it off and eventually Hedegaard manages to take the fight to the floor. Roffen looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Roffen wants to stand and escape but Hedegaard is having none of it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Roffen is wriggling around but Hedegaard manages to pass to half guard.
Hedegaard not landing any meaningful shots this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hedegaard is trying to control. Roffen wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Roffen wants to get back to his feet.
Hedegaard performing his best blanket impression for a moment.

Hedegaard seems to be working for a kimura but Roffen defends the submission attempt.
Roffen wants to get back 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.
Hedegaard throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Hedegaard passes the guard and advances to mount!
Hedegaard sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

Hedegaard is working for a guillotine from mount but Roffen frees his head quite easily.
Roffen is trying to stand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Hedegaard has control of Roffen's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Roffen regains control of the situation pretty easily.
Roffen is really trying hard to get back to his feet.

Hedegaard swings around for an armbar and he's got it! Wow, that came out of nowhere! What a finish!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:44 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Simon Hedegaard!
Simon Hedegaard really struggled to get his t-shirt on before his hand was raised. Making sure that Altitude Clothing logo gets some air time is pretty tricky when you're all sweaty.