PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Cormac Whelan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rolls Romo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Whelan comes to the cage accompanied by Bonny Portmore. The crowd seem to be enjoying Romo's choice of entrance music: Bon Jovi - Wanted Dead Or Alive. Both these guys have solid standup skills and neither is particularly fantastic on the ground, so let's hope for a nice standup war!

Whelan
vs
Romo

170 cm
20
165 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

182 cm
26
167 lbs
8 - 1 - 1

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
KO power

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Powerful

Resistance

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 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, Cormac Whelan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 1 - 1, fighting out of London, Rolls Romo!
The judges for this bout are William Gold, Colin Fotheringham and Donald Grub.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Romo will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
A punch combination from Romo misses.
Whelan fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Romo manages to avoid it.
Romo lands a glancing blow to the side of Whelan's head.

Romo gets in close and instigates a clinch.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Romo.
A hook to the body from Romo.
Romo lands an elbow that stopped Whelan in his tracks for a moment.
Romo throws a punch but it's blocked by Whelan.
Romo lands an elbow just above Whelan 's eye.
Romo leaning his opponent against the cage.
Romo is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Whelan is defending well for now.

Whelan breaks the clinch.
Whelan throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Romo sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Romo ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Whelan connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.

It looks like Rolls Romo has been cut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Romo tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Romo has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Whelan finds it's way round the side to connect with Romo's head.
Romo fails with an attempt to clinch.
Whelan looks to land a right hand but Romo moved out of range.
Whelan misses with a body shot.
Whelan misses with an uppercut.
Whelan throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Romo sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Romo throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Whelan misses with a straight right.
Whelan misses with a looping right.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Romo!
Romo walks into a jab.
Whelan cracks Romo with a good jab.
Whelan misses with a jab to the body
letting Romo counter with a right hand.
Romo wants to clinch up but Whelan keeps it at a distance.
Whelan misses with a body shot
and Romo counters with a straight right hand.

Whelan tries to keep at a distance but Romo has taken the fight into the clinch.
Whelan wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Romo has him pressed against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Whelan tries to break the clinch but Romo is controlling the position.
Romo stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Whelan managing to block the knees to the body from Romo.
Romo lands a right hand.
Romo lands a nice elbow from the clinch.

It looks like Cormac Whelan has been cut.
Whelan blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Whelan wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Romo lands a body punch in the clinch.
Romo is pushing Whelan up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Whelan avoids the elbow strike from Romo, against the cage.
Romo displaying some good clinch control by pressing Whelan up against the cage.
Romo throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Whelan wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Romo has him pressed against the cage.
Romo dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Romo lands a body punch in the clinch.
Romo lands a nice uppercut.
Whelan avoiding damage as Romo throws knees to the body.
Whelan dodges an elbow strike from Romo.
Romo misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Whelan is trying to break the clinch but Romo is controlling him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Whelan avoids a wild elbow strike from Romo.
Romo has Whelan pressed against the cage, preventing Whelan from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Romo lands a hook that snaps the head of Whelan backwards.
Romo throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Whelans head.
Romo is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Romo makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
A frustrated look appears on Whelan's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Romo is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Whelan is defending well for now.
Romo working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Romo creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Romo's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rolls Romo dominated that round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
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.

A jab from Whelan misses.
Romo with a nice cross.
Romo finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
A solid leg kick lands there for Romo.
Romo lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Romo doesn't manage to clinch there - Whelan circles away.
Whelan fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Romo manages to avoid it.
Whelan rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Romo moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Whelan swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Whelan missing with a left hand there. Romo was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Romo fails with an attempt to clinch.
Whelan ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Whelan swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Romo throws a predictable looking body shot
and Whelan counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Whelan circles away from the clinch attempt
and Romo takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Romo misses with a body kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Whelan lands a really nice looking cross but Romo seems unphased.
Whelan throws a body punch but Romo moves out of range.

Romo moves into the clinch successfully.
A frustrated look appears on Whelan's face as he tries to break the clinch.

Whelan manages to break the clinch.
Whelan throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
A lazy left from Whelan finds it's target.
Whelan connects with a single shot there.
Romo is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Romo looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Whelan throws out a loose jab but Romo uses good head movement to avoid it.
Whelan misses with an uppercut.
Cormac Whelan seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Whelan scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Whelan uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Romo.
Whelan throws out a token jab with nothing on it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Whelan throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Romo sees it coming and avoids it easily.
A jab from Whelan misses.
Cormac Whelan is winning the standup battle so far.
Romo misses with a straight left.
Romo takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Romo tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Romo swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Whelan changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Romo is breathing heavily.
Romo misses with a looping right.
Romo fails in his attempt to clinch.
Whelan misses with a looping left.
Whelan fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Romo manages to avoid it.
Romo takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Whelan misses with a jab to the body
and Romo counters with a straight right hand.
Romo takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Whelan stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
A left and a right from Whelan both land. Nice combination.
Nice straight punches there by Whelan. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Whelan.

That has opened up Rolls Romo's cut even more.
Whelan loads up on a big right hand but Romo slips the punch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Whelan misses with a telegraphed body shot

and Romo counters by clinching up.

Whelan breaks the clinch.
Romo throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Whelan scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Whelan tries to bum rush Romo with a series of wild strikes but Romo uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

Romo moves into the clinch successfully.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Romo just misses with a elbow thrown towards Whelan's brow.
Romo lands a damaging elbow.
Romo lands an elbow that stopped Whelan in his tracks for a moment.
Whelan blocks the elbow strike.
Whelan dodges an elbow strike from Romo.
Romo throws an elbow but it misses.
Romo misses with the head strike.
Romo misses with a hook from the clinch.
With the fighters up against the cage, Romo throws an elbow but misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Whelan blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Romo.
Whelan blocks an elbow strike from Romo.
Romo pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Romo lands an elbow inside.
Romo misses with an elbow over the top.
Romo misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Whelan.
Romo pressing his opponent against the cage.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Romo trying to control the position but instead, Whelan has worked for underhooks and has pushed Romo into the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Cormac Whelan dominated that second round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Whelan pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Whelan swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Whelan ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Romo moves away.
Whelan misses with a hook. Romo ducked under it nicely.
Romo wants to clinch up but Whelan keeps it at a distance.
Romo has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.

Romo clinches.
Whelan is looking to break free of the clinch but Romo has double underhooks.
Romo creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Whelan has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Romo scores with an uppercut up the middle.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Romo throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Whelan is trying to break free.
Romo lands a nice uppercut.
Whelan avoids the elbow strike from Romo, against the cage.
Romo stalling against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Romo throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Whelan tries to circle away but Romo has him pinned against the cage.
Romo misses with a punch on the inside.
Romo has Whelan pressed against the cage, preventing Whelan from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
A frustrated look appears on Whelan's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Whelan has had enough of the clinch but Romo keeps him there for the moment.

Whelan manages to break the clinch.
Whelan throws a jab when Romo was well out of range.
Romo swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Whelan counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Whelan stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Whelan misses with the combination.

Romo darts in and clinches Whelan up against the cage.
Romo misses with some punches.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Whelan wants to break free but Romo has control.
A short right from Romo.
Whelan is trying to force a seperation but Romo has the dominant position.
Whelan avoiding damage as Romo throws knees to the body.
Whelan avoiding damage as Romo throws knees to the body.
Romo tries to throw a body punch but Whelan avoids it by throwing Romo back against the cage.
Whelan managing to block the knees to the body from Romo.
Romo displaying some good clinch control by pressing Whelan up against the cage.
Romo lands an elbow that stopped Whelan in his tracks for a moment.
Romo manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Romo prevents Whelan from breaking the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Romo lands a shoulder strike.
Whelan blocking some punches.
Romo misses with some punches.
Romo has Whelan pressed against the cage.
Whelan avoids the elbow strike from Romo, against the cage.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Romo scores a nice knee to the body.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Whelan as Romo tries to tie him up.
A nice left hand lands by Romo.

That's four 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.
Romo lands a shoulder strike.
Romo lands a body shot in the clinch.
Romo is pushing Whelan up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Whelan is looking to break free of the clinch but Romo has double underhooks.
Romo keeps control of Whelan as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Whelan tries to break free but Romo pushes him back against the cage.
Whelan wants to get back to striking at distance but Romo won't allow it.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Romo.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Whelan.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Romo displaying some good clinch control by pressing Whelan up against the cage.
Romo pushes off an throws an elbow but Whelan leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rolls Romo comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Romo has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 William Gold scores the fight 28:29
Judge Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 28:29
Judge Donald Grub scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rolls Romo!