PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Matt Rosenthal (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Chris Sotiropoulos (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.

Rosenthal
vs
Sotiropoulos

192 cm
20
197 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
18
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Intelligent

BJJ White Belt
Counter striker
Tends to cut

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Matt Rosenthal!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Chris Sotiropoulos!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sotiropoulos keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Rosenthal.
Rosenthal rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Sotiropoulos moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Rosenthal stalks Sotiropoulos and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Sotiropoulos's face. Sotiropoulos staggers backwards, shaken.

It looks like Chris Sotiropoulos has been cut.
Rosenthal swings for the body but Sotiropoulos moves out of range.
Sotiropoulos takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
The fight stays on the outside here - Sotiropoulos looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Rosenthal fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Sotiropoulos manages to avoid it.
No joy there for Rosenthal, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Rosenthal fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Sotiropoulos manages to avoid it.
Rosenthal cracks Sotiropoulos with an open hand slap.
Rosenthal paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.

Sotiropoulos is rocked!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Rosenthal throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Rosenthal swings for the body but Sotiropoulos moves out of range.

Sotiropoulos moves into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rosenthal blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Sotiropoulos manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Rosenthal is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.

Sotiropoulos breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Sotiropoulos clinches with his opponent.

Sotiropoulos breaks from the clinch.
Rosenthal throws a series of punches but Sotiropoulos avoids them all with ease.
A combination from Rosenthal does no damage.
A slow jab from Rosenthal misses its intended target.
Matt Rosenthal seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Sotiropoulos uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Rosenthal.
The fighters circling - Rosenthal throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Rosenthal throws a body punch but Sotiropoulos moves out of range.
Rosenthal misses with a wild combination.
Some wild striking there from Rosenthal.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Sotiropoulos pushes Rosenthal up against the cage in a clinch.
Rosenthal on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Sotiropoulos fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Sotiropoulos unloads a knee to the mid-section. Rosenthal lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.

Sotiropoulos pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Sotiropoulos drives through and clinches with Rosenthal against the cage.
Sotiropoulos trying to land knees to the body.
Sotiropoulos with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Rosenthal wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Sotiropoulos has him pressed against the cage.
Sotiropoulos goes for a takedown in the clinch but Rosenthal prevents it.

Sotiropoulos breaks from the clinch.
Rosenthal connects with a looping right hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rosenthal throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Rosenthal throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Sotiropoulos sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Rosenthal drops Sotiropoulos with a nice combination! Rosenthal dives into Sotiropoulos's guard, looking to finish!
Sotiropoulos is still in real trouble! Can Rosenthal finish him?

That has opened up Chris Sotiropoulos's cut even more.

Rosenthal decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Sotiropoulos, up you get!
Sotiropoulos seems to have recovered his senses.
Some wild striking there from Rosenthal.
Sotiropoulos fails with the takedown.
Matt Rosenthal has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Chris Sotiropoulos.
Rosenthal drops Sotiropoulos with a left right combo! Rosenthal follows him down to the ground into side control.
Rosenthal will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Sotiropoulos wants to get back to his feet but Rosenthal drags him back down.
Sotiropoulos looks gassed!
Sotiropoulos tries to wriggle free to get back to his feet but he's given up his back! Oops.
Rosenthal has good solid back control here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Rosenthal throws a big right hand but he misses and hits the mat. Ouch.
Sotiropoulos looking to stop the rear naked choke attempt by controlling the hands.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rosenthal scores with punches and elbows.
I would not like to be Sotiropoulos right now.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Sotiropoulos looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matt Rosenthal dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Chris Sotiropoulos's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Rosenthal looks to land a combination but Sotiropoulos avoids it well.

Sotiropoulos closes the distance and clinches.
Rosenthal takes a knee to the side of the body.
Sotiropoulos is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Rosenthal pulls him back up using the underhooks.

Sotiropoulos breaks from the clinch.
Rosenthal loads up on a big right hand but Sotiropoulos slips the punch.
Rosenthal looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Rosenthal takes a swing at Sotiropoulos's ribcage but misses.
Rosenthal misses with a looping right.
Sotiropoulos moves away from the strike by Rosenthal.
A cross from Rosenthal lands.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jab from Rosenthal.

The cut above Chris Sotiropoulos's eye is starting to cause him problems now.
Rosenthal pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
A jab from Rosenthal misses.
Nice jab there from Rosenthal.
Rosenthal throws a right hand that Sotiropoulos ducks under and follows up with a left that Sotiropoulos also avoids with ease.
A cross from Rosenthal lands.
Sotiropoulos takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Sotiropoulos is breathing heavily.
Rosenthal sends Sotiropoulos crashing to the mat with a devastating uppercut! Rosenthal is motioning to the referee to let Sotiropoulos up. He wants to try and finish this one on the feet!

Chris Sotiropoulos's cut is absolute horrible now. This looks like something out of a horror film with blood covering both fighters.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Rosenthal fakes the leg kick and throws a superman punch. It's knocked Sotiropoulos out cold! Brutal finish!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:47 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Superman Punch). Matt Rosenthal!