PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Eugene Albright (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Wayne Rooney (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Albright
vs
Rooney

180 cm
27
164 lbs
12 - 6 - 0

190 cm
21
165 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Solid boxing
Very strong

Decent wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

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 12 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Eugene Albright!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Wayne Rooney!
The judges for this bout are Seu Braga, Luis Engracia and Felipe Paraventi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rooney scores with a shot to the body.
Albright takes one to the chin there.
Rooney misses with a wild body shot.
Rooney swings for the body but Albright moves out of range.
Rooney sizes up Albright with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Albright moves out of range as Rooney strikes.
Albright misses with a low kick.
Albright misses with a body punch
and Rooney cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Rooney displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Albright throws out the jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Albright misses with a hook.
Albright walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Rooney loads up on a big right hand but Albright slips the punch.
Albright looks to land a left hand but Rooney moved out of range nicely.

Albright gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Albright decides to pull guard.

Albright has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Rooney can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Albright not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rooney preventing the sweep.
Rooney is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Rooney wants to pass the guard but Albright is keeping the position.
Albright tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Albright is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Albright keeping full guard, as Rooney tries to pass.
Albright manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Albright looking to finish with strikes here!

Albright has control of Rooney's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Rooney regains control of the situation pretty easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Albright throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
Albright throwing strikes here but Rooney is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Albright postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Rooney looks a forlorn figure.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Rooney can do anything to dispel that myth.
Albright with shots to the head and body - Rooney looks very uncomfortable down there.
Albright controlling the pace for now.
Rooney is looking to improve his position but Albright isn't that keen on the idea.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Albright throwing strikes here but Rooney is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Albright thowing shots but they're missing.
Rooney tries to hold on but Albright pushes him away.

Albright goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Rooney is on top in guard.
Albright is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Wayne Rooney dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Albright fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Rooney avoids it really well and circles away.
Rooney works over Albright's head and body with a nice combination.
Rooney lands a jab-cross combination.
Albright swings for the body but Rooney moves out of range.
Both fighters are looking to counter, which isn't making for the most exciting fight in the world.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rooney's corner calls for a 1-2. Rooney obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Albright misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Rooney.
Some wild striking there from Albright.
Albright takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Rooney displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Albright throws out the jab.
Rooney fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Albright ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Rooney tries to clinch but Albright moves out of range.
Rooney steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Albright.
Rooney tries to clinch but Albright moves out of range.
Rooney moves out of range as Albright strikes.
Rooney throws a hook but Albright blocks it.
Albright throws out a loose jab but Rooney uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Albright shoots in looking for a takedown. Rooney tries to sprawl out of it but Albright keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Rooney manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Rooney has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.

Albright bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Albright tries to move to mount but Rooney blocks the move with his legs.
Rooney struggling a bit here.
Albright has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
An elbow from Albright crashes against the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sloppy strikes there by Albright.
Albright tries to move into full mount but can't pass Rooney's legs.
Albright wants to lay and pray for a moment but Rooney keeps working.
Rooney is looking for a sweep.
Rooney regains half guard there - taking advantage of Albright's attempt to lay and pray for a moment.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Rooney uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Albright.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Wayne Rooney showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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!

Albright doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Rooney keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Albright.
A clash of legs there as Rooney blocks the low kick.
Albright defending well as Rooney loads up on a big left hand.
Albright slips a jab from Rooney.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Albright looks to land a right hand but Rooney moved out of range.
Albright tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Rooney makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rooney throws a right hand that Albright ducks under and follows up with a left that Albright also avoids with ease.
Albright uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Rooney.
Albright uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Rooney.
Wayne Rooney seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Rooney stuffs the takedown attempt from Albright. Albright gets slowly back to his feet.
Albright shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Rooney but Rooney pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Rooney throws an overhand right that lands on Albright's shoulder, as Albright tries to avoid the shot.
Wayne Rooney is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Albright tries to close the distance and clinch up but Rooney swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Rooney connects with a crisp jab.
Rooney comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Jab, jab by Rooney - just one landing.
Albright misses with a hook. Rooney ducked under it nicely.
Rooney rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Albright moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Albright shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Albright is pressing down on Rooney's thigh, looking to free his foot. Rooney is holding on for now.
Albright is working hard here to advance position.
Albright is trying to control the action in half guard but Rooney is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Eugene Albright has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Albright sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Rooney defending well though.
Albright missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Albright is trying to control the action in half guard but Rooney is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Rooney cracks Albright with a right hand to the side of the head.
Rooney throws a shot from downtown. Albright moves away and avoids it.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Nice shot by Rooney.
Rooney fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Albright manages to avoid it.

And that's the end of the fight!
Wayne Rooney comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Rooney winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Seu Braga scores the fight 27:30
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight 27:30
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Wayne Rooney!