PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Jose Rodriguez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Donald Brasher (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Rodriguez
vs
Brasher

184 cm
23
210 lbs
3 - 3 - 0

181 cm
22
211 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

Good takedowns
Basic striking
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Jose Rodriguez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Donald Brasher!
The judges for this bout are Summer Carpenter, Bruno Hogan and Donatello Bradman.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Some bone on bone action there as Brasher checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Rodriguez.
Rodriguez cracks Brasher with a big right hand but Brasher just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Brasher tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Rodriguez wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Rodriguez scoring with punches from side control.
Brasher is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Rodriguez off and has taken his back!
Brasher is trying to stick to Rodriguez's back but Rodriguez is turning into Brasher. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Brasher's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Rodriguez.

Brasher throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Brasher is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Rodriguez lands a couple of decent looking shots.

Brasher has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Rodriguez can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rodriguez throws and elbow that misses. Brasher uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Rodriguez's guard. Nice move by Brasher!
Rodriguez controls Brasher momentarily but Brasher frees himself.
Rodriguez bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Brasher's guard.
Rodriguez in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

Brasher is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Rodriguez defends well.
Rodriguez is working Brasher over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rodriguez scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Rodriguez throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Brasher works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Rodriguez's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Rodriguez stands up over Brasher, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Rodriguez lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Rodriguez won't allow Brasher to sweep him here.
Rodriguez loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

Rodriguez avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Rodriguez has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Brasher looks gassed!

Brasher is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Rodriguez distracts Brasher with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rodriguez keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Brasher's head.
Rodriguez is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Rodriguez trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Rodriguez postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Brasher looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Rodriguez with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Brasher not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Rodriguez stands up over Brasher, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Rodriguez keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Brasher's head.
Rodriguez wants to control from the top but Brasher keeps moving.

Brasher has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Rodriguez is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Brasher.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rodriguez cracks Brasher with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Rodriguez is putting a hurting on Brasher here, landing some big shots from side control.
Rodriguez grinds an elbow into Brasher's temple.
Brasher is not content to let Rodriguez control the position.
Brasher takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Brasher is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Rodriguez's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.

Brasher is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Rodriguez pulls his head out easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Rodriguez closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Brasher to the mat! Brasher manages to get full guard.

Brasher looking for a guillotine here but Rodriguez defends easily.
Brasher keeping moving, preventing Rodriguez from controlling successfully.
Rodriguez postures up.

Brasher working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Rodriguez doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Rodriguez manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Brasher is breathing heavily.
Rodriguez makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Rodriguez's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Rodriguez landing with the ground and pound.

Brasher looking for a guillotine here but Rodriguez defends easily.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rodriguez makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Rodriguez is in close to Brasher's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Rodriguez connects with a couple of short punches.
Brasher has momentary wrist control but Rodriguez slips an elbow through the middle.
Rodriguez is in close to Brasher's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Rodriguez lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rodriguez postures up and lands a big shot to Brasher's brow.
Rodriguez working some strikes from top position.
Rodriguez postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Rodriguez lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Rodriguez with a nice head shot there.
Brasher has momentary wrist control but Rodriguez slips an elbow through the middle.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Brasher wants to sweep here but Rodriguez controlling him for the moment.
Rodriguez chips away with some ground and pound.
Rodriguez scoring with some ground and pound.
Rodriguez content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Rodriguez working some strikes from top position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rodriguez working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Brasher throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Rodriguez's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Rodriguez stands up over Brasher, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.

Brasher has his foot on Rodriguez's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Rodriguez works his way back into a safe position though.
Rodriguez working some strikes from top position.

Brasher working for a triangle but Rodriguez defends it easily.
Rodriguez stands up over Brasher, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Rodriguez content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rodriguez trying to control the position from guard on top but Brasher is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Rodriguez with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Rodriguez working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Rodriguez postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Rodriguez cracks Brasher with a solid left hand.
Rodriguez scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Rodriguez wants to control from the top but Brasher keeps moving.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rodriguez postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Rodriguez distracts Brasher with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jose Rodriguez dominated that second round.
That's time! Rodriguez's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. And we move into the final round!

Rodriguez tries to close the distance and clinch up but Brasher swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Rodriguez looks for the body kick but Brasher saw that one coming.
Brasher fails with the takedown

and Rodriguez counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Brasher is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Rodriguez gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Rodriguez lands a damaging elbow.

It looks like Donald Brasher has been cut.
Rodriguez is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Brasher is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Rodriguez gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Jose Rodriguez has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Donald Brasher.
Rodriguez connects with a knee to the head.
Rodriguez lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Rodriguez landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Rodriguez connects with a nasty looking knee right to Brasher's face.

Rodriguez manages to break the clinch.

Rodriguez throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Brasher was covering up waiting for the punch and Rodriguez finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Rodriguez is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Brasher looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Rodriguez landing some decent shots from guard.

Brasher is working an open guard so Rodriguez takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Rodriguez looks to land a left hand but Brasher moved out of range nicely.
Rodriguez swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Brasher tries for a takedown but Rodriguez circles away easily

and Rodriguez counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Rodriguez.
Rodriguez works over Brasher with some ground and pound from guard.
Rodriguez working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Brasher's head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rodriguez makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Rodriguez works over Brasher with some ground and pound from guard.

Brasher isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Rodriguez stacks Brasher on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Rodriguez!
Rodriguez lands a few punches from side control.
Rodriguez working away.
Rodriguez working the head with strikes.
Brasher struggling a bit here.
Brasher takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Brasher wants to control but Rodriguez postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rodriguez looks up at the clock and then as Brasher takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Rodriguez smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Brasher is not content to let Rodriguez control the position.
Rodriguez scores with a couple of short elbows.
Brasher is looking for a sweep.
You can see the frustration on Brasher's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Rodriguez scores with a couple of short elbows.
Brasher takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rodriguez working the body and head with strikes.
Jose Rodriguez overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Brasher tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Rodriguez wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Rodriguez lands a few punches from side control.

Rodriguez decides to stand back up. Rodriguez steps back and let's Brasher get back to his feet.
Rodriguez is looking to clinch but Brasher is avoiding it.
Brasher throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Brasher slips a straight right by Rodriguez.
Rodriguez tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Brasher paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Jose Rodriguez is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Donald Brasher is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Rodriguez scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
The referee asks Rodriguez politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Rodriguez prefers to stall for the moment though.
Donald Brasher has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Brasher is looking to reverse the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jose Rodriguez showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Rodriguez 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 Summer Carpenter scores the fight 30:25
Judge Bruno Hogan scores the fight 30:25
Judge Donatello Bradman scores the fight 30:25

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jose Rodriguez!