PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between joe Blow (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Aldo Rocha (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). joe Blow had real problems making weight for this fight. After initially coming in at 157.4lbs, he had two hours to make the official fight weight. He made it but it will have taken a lot out of him to cut those extra few pounds. joe Blow has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Blow
vs
Rocha

180 cm
27
165 lbs
6 - 13 - 1

172 cm
22
167 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Dangerous knees
Determined

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 6 - 13 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, joe Blow!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Aldo Rocha!
The judges for this bout are Wesley Smith, Gwen Towbar and Robert Twigg.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rocha is looking to clinch.
Rocha fails with an attempt to clinch.

Blow rushes Rocha and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Blow pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Rocha tries to clinch up
and Blow cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Rocha scores with a kick to the midsection.
Rocha throws a head kick but Blow moves out of range.
Rocha tries to clinch there but Blow circles away.
Aldo Rocha seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rocha tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Blow paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Blow shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Rocha's guard.
Rocha wants to get back to his feet but Blow is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Rocha is using up a lot of energy trying to get back to his feet. Perhaps he should improve his position first.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Blow has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

joe Blow has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Blow blocks a head kick by Rocha.
Rocha fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.

Blow looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Blow is breathing heavily.
Rocha pushes Blow off looking to stand but Blow dives back in and keeps control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Blow perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.

The ref stands the fighters back up because joe Blow just wasn't active enough.
Rocha tries to clinch but Blow is having none of it.

Rocha moves into range and clinches up with Blow.
Rocha missing with knees to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rocha is trying to force a seperation but Blow has the dominant position.
Rocha lands a nice knee to the body.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Rocha.
Blow tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Rocha smiles and moves away.
Rocha looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Rocha plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Rocha tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Blow manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Rocha tries to clinch but Blow moves away

and Blow counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Rocha is trying to stand back up but Blow is controlling him
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

We're going to have a standup here because joe Blow wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Rocha lands a nice looking kick to the body. Blow takes a step back to recover.
Rocha lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Rocha throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Blow's head.
Rocha showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Blow.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rocha throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
Rocha thumps Blow with a low kick.
Rocha lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Rocha lands with a slapping head kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

joe Blow dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Rocha fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Blow has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Rocha connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Rocha doesn't manage to clinch there - Blow circles away.
Rocha tries to close the distance and clinch up but Blow swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Blow keeps the fight on the outside.
Rocha tries a head kick but it misses.
Blow works over Rocha's head and body with a nice combination.
Rocha tries to clinch but Blow moves out of range.
Rocha fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Blow has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.

Blow pushes Rocha up against the cage in a clinch.
Rocha lands a good knee to the midsection. Blow won't want to take too many of those.
Rocha unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Rocha lands an elbow that stopped Blow in his tracks for a moment.
Rocha wants to break free but Blow has control.
Blow keeps control of Rocha as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Blow.
Rocha tries to circle away but Blow has him pinned against the cage.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Blow is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. Rocha can't fight it off and eventually Blow manages to take the fight to the floor. Rocha looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.

Rocha pushes Blow off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rocha moves in looking to clinch but Blow pushes him off.
The fight stays on the outside here - Rocha looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Rocha clinches up with Blow and pushes him back against the cage.
Rocha landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Rocha is trying to break the clinch but Blow has him pressed against the cage.
Blow managing to block the knees to the body from Rocha.
Rocha with a knee to the head.
Rocha tries to break free but Blow pushes him back against the cage.

Rocha escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
A thudding body kick lands there by Rocha!
Rocha wants to clinch up but Blow keeps it at a distance.

Blow feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Rocha wants to stand up but Blow is controlling him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Blow engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Rocha is looking to stand up but Blow isn't so interested in that idea.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

We're going to have a standup here because joe Blow wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Blow takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Rocha missing with a left hand there. Blow was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Rocha scores with a head kick.
Rocha tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Blow manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Rocha tries to clinch but Blow is having none of it.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Blow takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Rocha tries to clinch but Blow is having none of it.
Rocha fails in his attempt to clinch.
A slapping leg kick lands for Rocha.
Blow swats away the attempt to clinch by Rocha.
Blow is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Rocha fails in his attempt to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rocha throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Blow's head.
Rocha throws a nice head kick!
Rocha tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Blow manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Blow's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Blow duly obliges.
Rocha lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Blow fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Rocha manages to avoid it.
Rocha throws a head kick that Blow semi-blocks.
Rocha tries to clinch but Blow moves out of range.
joe Blow is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Blow throws a combination. Rocha tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Both fighters circling a little - Rocha finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Aldo Rocha is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Blow fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Rocha, pushing him back against the cage.
Blow is trying to break the clinch but Rocha is controlling him.
Rocha tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Blow tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Rocha connects with a nasty looking knee right to Blow's face.
Rocha can't break the clinch.
Blow avoids a wild elbow strike from Rocha.
Blow managing to block the knees to the body from Rocha.

Rocha's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Blow fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Rocha manages to avoid it.
Blow has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Rocha.
Blow takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Aldo Rocha will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Rocha tries a head kick but it misses.
Rocha darts in trying to clinch

and Blow counters by moving into the clinch.
Rocha wants to get back to striking at distance but Blow won't allow it.
Blow dodges an elbow strike from Rocha.
Rocha wants to break the clinch but can't.
Rocha misses with a short punch on the inside.

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

Blow clinches.

Blow escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Blow avoids the head kick by Rocha.
Rocha lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Blow rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Rocha moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Blow tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Blow takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.

Blow looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Rocha is looking to escape.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

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.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Blow lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Rocha tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Blow paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Rocha tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Blow paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Rocha plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Blow circles away from the clinch attempt

and Blow counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Rocha has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Rocha connects with a knee to the head.
Blow avoids a wild elbow strike from Rocha.

Blow works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.

Rocha manages to escape and get back to his feet.
Blow swats away the attempt to clinch by Rocha.
Rocha tries to clinch there but Blow circles away.
Blow avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Rocha scores with a head kick. Blow tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Rocha, right into the meat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rocha is looking to clinch.
Horrible takedown by Blow or perhaps it was just good defense by Rocha which made him look bad.
No joy there for Blow, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Rocha lands a nice looking body kick.
Rocha wants to clinch up but Blow keeps it at a distance.
Blow shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Rocha defends it nicely.

Blow rushes Rocha and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Rocha is trying to break the clinch but Blow has him pressed against the cage.
Rocha is trying to force a seperation but Blow has the dominant position.

Rocha pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Rocha is looking to clinch but Blow is avoiding it.

Blow closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Rocha wants to get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rocha being controlled for a moment.

And that's the end of the fight!
joe Blow showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Blow has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Wesley Smith scores the fight 29:28
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 29:28
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... joe Blow!