PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Brendan Rowen (ranked 2495 p4p, 24220 weight class) and Rico Salvacion (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Brendan Rowen could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Rico Salvacion's chin.

Rowen
vs
Salvacion

179 cm
21
164
10 - 13 - 0

182 cm
20
160
6 - 20 - 2

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 10 - 13 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Brendan Rowen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 20 - 2, fighting out of Las Vegas, Rico Salvacion!
The judges for this bout are Ron Honeybunn, Ben Hemmingworth and Skip Squint.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Salvacion tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Rowen defends well and Salvacion ends up having to push Rowen into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.

Rowen scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.

Rowen is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Salvacion is just riding it out for now. Rowen eventually gives up the hold.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Rowen in particular looking to stall.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rowen with the ground and pound but Salvacion uses the opportunity to regain guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rowen 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.
We've been hearing that Rowen has been drilling a lot of ground and pound in training, so let's see if he get the finish.
Salvacion controlling the position.
Rowen sitting in guard here, content to control.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Rowen trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Rowen bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.

That's two 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.
Rowen scores with a punch to the head.
Rowen rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Salvacion counters with a body kick that stops Rowen in his tracks momentarily.

Rowen shoots in and bounces Salvacion off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Rowen controls from within his opponent's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rowen stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Salvacion swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Rowen preventing the sweep.
Salvacion really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Rowen. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Rowen is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters, thinking about a standup.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Rowen connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Rowen scores with a sloppy right hand. Salvacion should have avoided that one.
Rowen's corner calls for a 1-2. Rowen obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Rowen connects with a good right hand that stumbles Salvacion. Salvacion circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Salvacion slips a straight right by Rowen.
Salvacion steps in looking to counter with the mid kick but it doesn't connect.
Rowen misses with a looping left.
Salvacion steps in looking to counter with the mid kick but it doesn't connect.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Rowen lands an overhand right.
Rowen throws a big shot that misses.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Brendan Rowen dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare each other down, ready to get back to the action.

Rowen fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Rowen works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Rowen cracks Salvacion with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Rowen misses with a straight left.
Salvacion counters with a body kick.
Rowen is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Salvacion bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Salvacion is trying to counter with his kicks.
Rowen fails to land with a series of punches.
Rowen scores with a nice right hand.
Brendan Rowen is winning the standup battle so far.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Salvacion takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Rowen throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Rowen scores with a hook.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rowen stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Rowen wants it to stay on the feet.
Salvacion takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Brendan Rowen seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rowen scores with a jab. Salvacion acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Salvacion shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Salvacion shoots in for a takedown but Rowen shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Rowen stuffs the takedown.
Brendan Rowen has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rico Salvacion.
Salvacion blocks a jab.
Salvacion needs to keep his hands up - Rowen had a free shot at his head there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Rowen closes the distance and pushes Salvacion back into the cage.

Rowen breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Salvacion shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Rowen is trying to defend but Salvacion finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Rowen is trying to control but can't.

Rowen is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Salvacion pulls his head out easily.
Rowen regains full guard. Nicely done.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rowen pulls Salvacion in close to prevent any damage.
Salvacion 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.
Salvacion trying to control the position from guard on top but Rowen is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Rowen is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Rowen throws a head kick but Salvacion moves out of range.
Rowen lands a nice shot that snaps Salvacion's head back.
Salvacion takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Salvacion displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Rowen throws out the jab.
Rowen backing away here, and Salvacion unleashes a leg kick that just misses.

Rowen closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Rowen lands in his opponent's guard.
Rowen working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Salvacion tries to strike from the bottom.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Brendan Rowen dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Rowen misses with an uppercut. Salvacion saw that one coming.
Salvacion unleashes a big counter combination but Rowen bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.
Salvacion walks into a straight right hand from Rowen.

Salvacion tries to sprawl but Rowen drives through with a takedown into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rowen performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Rowen seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Salvacion for as long as he can get away with.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rowen wants to free his trapped foot but Salvacion is holding on for dear life with his legs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Salvacion is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Rowen scores with a couple of nice shots.

Rowen looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Salvacion trying to control from the bottom.

That's two 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.
Rowen perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Rowen throwing shots but Salvacion is blocking nicely.
Rowen sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Salvacion defending well though.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Salvacion uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Rowen.
Salvacion shapes to counter with a head kick.

Rowen throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Salvacion tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Rowen is in Salvacion's guard.
Salvacion looking to control.
Rowen slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rowen has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Salvacion is proving hard to escape from.
Rowen working some strikes from top position.
Rowen's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Rowen has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.

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.
Rowen lands with a right hand.
Salvacion takes one to the chin there.
A nice inside leg kick there by Rowen. That's going to slow Salvacion down.
The crowd cheers as Rowen lands an impressive looking overhand right. Salvacion doesn't seem phased though.
Rico Salvacion has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Rowen dives in and scores a takedown into Salvacion's guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Rowen wants to control from the top but Salvacion keeps moving.
Brendan Rowen is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Rowen sitting in guard here, content to control.

And that's the end of the fight!
Brendan Rowen showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Rowen 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 Ron Honeybunn scores the fight 30:27
Judge Ben Hemmingworth scores the fight 30:27
Judge Skip Squint scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Brendan Rowen!