PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Rocky Mercurius (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Chris Herzog (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Mercurius comes to the cage accompanied by Amplifier - The Wave. Herzog has chosen Robert Tepper - No Easy Way Out as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Mercurius
vs
Herzog

181 cm
25
180 lbs
11 - 3 - 0

175 cm
29
181 lbs
16 - 7 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Good low kicks
Powerful

Perkele!

Perkele!
Resistance

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the welterweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 11 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Rocky Mercurius!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 16 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Chris Herzog!
The judges for this bout are Roosa Järviläinen, Ben Zyskovitsi and Johanna Lukiainen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mercurius connects with a leg kick. Herzog looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.

Mercurius gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Herzog to score an easy takedown into full guard.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Herzog controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Herzog wants to control from the top but Mercurius keeps moving.
Herzog passes into half guard.
Mercurius tries to get to full guard but Herzog has control of the leg.
Mercurius on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Herzog seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Mercurius does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Mercurius tries to get to full guard but Herzog has control of the leg.

Herzog is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Mercurius sees it coming and defends easily.
Herzog is keen to just control but Mercurius is a slippery customer.
Mercurius is looking to improve his position.
Herzog is thwarting Mercurius's attempts to control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mercurius is trying to get back to full guard.
Herzog misses with a head shot. Mercurius uses the momentum to regain guard.
Herzog stays in close to Mercurius's body and controls the position.
Mercurius is looking to sweep but instead, Herzog has passed into half guard.
Mercurius preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mercurius wants to control but Herzog is keeping busy.

Herzog is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Mercurius is pressing down on Herzog's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Mercurius is trying to keep Herzog in close.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mercurius keeping full guard, as Herzog tries to pass.
Herzog is fighting to break Mercurius's control of his arms but Mercurius is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Herzog preventing the sweep.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Herzog stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Mercurius swivels though and keeps the full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Chris Herzog dominated that round.
That's time! Mercurius's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Herzog digs a good hook to Mercurius's body.
Mercurius has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Herzog.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Mercurius checks a leg kick.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Herzog, as that shot connected.
Herzog lands a jab.
Mercurius misses with a wild body shot.
Herzog throws the left hand but Mercurius avoids the punch easily.
Herzog staying out of range there.
Mercurius throws a leg kick but Herzog sees it coming and moves out of range.
Good leg kick by Mercurius there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Herzog looks to land a right hand but Mercurius moved out of range.
Herzog throws a lazy right hand but Mercurius sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Herzog defending well as Mercurius loads up on a big left hand.
Mercurius misses with an attempted mid kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mercurius punishes Herzog's body with a nice straight punch.
Herzog misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Mercurius.
Mercurius throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Herzog.
Mercurius just misses with a punch to the body.

Herzog looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Mercurius is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Herzog must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Mercurius manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Herzog manages to get himself to full guard.
Herzog preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Mercurius wants to control from the top but Herzog keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Herzog is trying to control the position but Mercurius postures up.
Mercurius engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Mercurius preventing the sweep.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Mercurius is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Rocky Mercurius.
Herzog uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Herzog keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
A looping hook to the body misses from Mercurius. Herzog does a little dance to reset his feet.
Herzog dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Herzog thows a left - swing and a miss!
Nice uppercut lands for Herzog. That snapped Mercurius's head back.
Mercurius lands a slapping body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Herzog misses with an attempted mid kick.
A low kick from Mercurius misses
enabling Herzog to counter with a crisp jab.
Mercurius ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Herzog moves away.
Chris Herzog seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Mercurius throws a sloppy head kick and Herzog moves out of range easily.
Mercurius takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Mercurius misses with a straight left.
Herzog looks to throw the jab but Mercurius is out of range.
Mercurius throws a body punch but Herzog moves out of range.
Herzog lands a leg kick that knocks Mercurius off balance momentarily.
Chris Herzog seems to be getting the better of the standup.
A head kick misses from Herzog.
Mercurius looks to land a right hand but Herzog moved out of range.
Mercurius throws the kick towards the body but Herzog avoids it.
Mercurius is looking to wear down Herzog with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Herzog moves out of range as Mercurius strikes.
Herzog connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mercurius keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
A punch lands to the side of Herzog 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Herzog tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Mercurius is able to avoid easily.
Mercurius throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Herzog checks a leg kick.
A looping hook to the body misses from Herzog. Mercurius does a little dance to reset his feet.
Mercurius lands a jab-cross combination.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Herzog tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Mercurius is able to avoid easily.
Mercurius moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Herzog checks the leg kick nicely there.
Herzog throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Mercurius throws out a loose jab but Herzog uses good head movement to avoid it.
Herzog staying out of range there.
Mercurius checks a leg kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Rocky Mercurius will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Mercurius comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Herzog shoots in but Mercurius avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Herzog lands a nice leg kick that just misses Mercurius's sensitive parts.
Mercurius ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
A left and a right from Mercurius both land. Nice combination.
Mercurius throws a solid leg kick but Herzog takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Mercurius.
Mercurius throws a lazy uppercut
and Herzog counters with a good, hard body kick but Mercurius shrugs it off.
Herzog jabs Mercurius to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Nice uppercut lands for Mercurius. That snapped Herzog's head back.
Herzog throws a nice head kick!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Mercurius misses with a body shot.
Mercurius throws a shot to the body.
Mercurius throws a hook but Herzog blocks it.

Herzog shoots in and gets a takedown into Mercurius's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Mercurius holds on and takes a little breather.
Chris Herzog has got the better of the ground game so far.
Herzog pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Mercurius is keeping the position for now.
Herzog throws a strike but Mercurius rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Herzog manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Mercurius tries to hold on but Herzog pushes him away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mercurius blocking the ground and pound.
Herzog misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Mercurius tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Mercurius blocking the ground and pound.
Mercurius manages to regain half guard. Good work.

Herzog is looking for a kimura but Mercurius is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Herzog to get the leverage.
Mercurius keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Herzog is thwarting Mercurius's attempts to control the position.
Mercurius tries to roll over but Herzog keeps him under control.
Herzog wants to lay and pray for a moment but Mercurius keeps working.
Herzog trying to pass the guard but Mercurius defending well.
Mercurius tries to get to full guard but Herzog has control of the leg.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Herzog wants to lay and pray for a moment but Mercurius keeps working.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Herzog throws a strike but Mercurius avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Mercurius bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Herzog's guard.
Herzog tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Herzog has his foot on Mercurius's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Mercurius works his way back into a safe position though.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Herzog throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Mercurius works over Herzog with some ground and pound from guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close third round but Chris Herzog just about did enough to take it.
That's time! Back to the action!

Herzog listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Herzog punishes Mercurius's body with a nice straight punch.
Mercurius works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Herzog lands a right hook to the body.
A jab from Mercurius finds it's way through Herzog's defenses.
Mercurius keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Mercurius fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Mercurius rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Herzog counters with a nice low kick that buckles Mercurius's knee momentarily.
Mercurius throws a nice inside leg kick.
Mercurius throws a nice outside leg kick.
Mercurius avoids the head kick by Herzog.
Herzog throws a low kick but Mercurius avoids it.
A shot to the body from Herzog misses
and Mercurius cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Mercurius attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Herzog shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Mercurius getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
A shot to the liver by Mercurius. Beautiful body shot.
Mercurius feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Herzog's calf.
Herzog is absolutely dripping with sweat - he looks exhausted.
Mercurius avoids the body shot from Herzog.
Mercurius scores with a leg kick.
Mercurius scores with a leg kick.
Decent striking displayed by Mercurius there.
That kick from Herzog tenderised Mercurius's leg. Mercurius is trying to keep his angry face on.
Rocky Mercurius is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Herzog scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Mercurius cracks Herzog with a right hand to the side of the head.
Herzog moves out of range of the body kick.
Mercurius misses with a body kick.
Mercurius looks to score with a jab to the body but Herzog is just out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mercurius throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Mercurius avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Mercurius throws a low kick but it's checked well by Herzog.
Mercurius misses the shot to the body.
Mercurius misses with a low kick.
Herzog misses with a hook. Mercurius ducked under it nicely.
Mercurius thuds his right hand into Herzog's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Herzog jabs Mercurius to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Herzog looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
A head kick misses from Herzog.
Mercurius goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Jab by Mercurius.
Mercurius throws a chopping leg kick but Herzog manages to avoid taking any serious damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mercurius checks a leg kick.
Herzog's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Mercurius throws a body kick, spinning off balance
and Herzog makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Mercurius scores with a body shot.
Herzog misses with a hook.
Herzog checks a leg kick nicely.
Mercurius checks a low kick from Herzog.

Herzog closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Mercurius did well to prevent Herzog getting side control.
Herzog is looking to stall here but Mercurius recovers full guard.
Herzog trying to control but Mercurius is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Herzog is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Mercurius is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Mercurius takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Mercurius throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Mercurius is nestled in close to Herzog, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.

Herzog is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Mercurius pulls his head out easily.

Herzog is defending against the submission attempts here by Mercurius.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rocky Mercurius had his way with Chris Herzog in that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Mercurius walks into a stiff left hand from Herzog.
Herzog swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Herzog shoots in looking for a takedown but Mercurius manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Herzog's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Mercurius throws a leg kick which misses Herzog's front leg but catches the back leg as Herzog tries to avoid it.
Herzog checks a low kick from Mercurius.

Herzog shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Mercurius napping and manages to drive through into side control!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Mercurius is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Herzog off and has taken his back!
Herzog is in a world of trouble here. He's outmatched on the ground here and he'd better get Mercurius off his back sharpish unless he wants to be submitted.
Herzog is trying to remain composed but Mercurius is hammering down strikes to the side of his head.
Mercurius is landing with strikes. Herzog can't take much more of this.
Mercurius has the hooks in. Herzog is trying to push off one leg but he has to do so cautiously to avoid being submitted.
Herzog is wobbling all over the place through exhaustion. Will he make it to the final bell?

That's one minute gone in the round.
Will Mercurius go for the finish here or will he try and keep control of the position?
What can Herzog do to escape this position? He's going to have to figure it out pretty quick if he wants to stay in the fight!
Mercurius scores with punches and elbows.
Mercurius is landing with strikes. Herzog can't take much more of this.
Herzog is defending well here and trying to improve his position.
Mercurius is looking to finish with some ground and pound!
Herzog tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Mercurius is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Mercurius trying to control but he's not successful this time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
BOOM! Mercurius connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Mercurius lands a big elbow.
Mercurius looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Herzog is looking to improve his position but Mercurius isn't that keen on the idea.
Mercurius sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Mercurius lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Herzog hang on?
Mercurius raining down shots from the mount!
Mercurius with shots to the head and body - Herzog looks very uncomfortable down there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mercurius looking to control but Herzog is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Herzog sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Herzog wants to control but Mercurius is keeping busy.
Mercurius trying to control from half guard but Herzog is working away.
Herzog taking some punishment here, with Mercurius in his half guard.
Herzog avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Mercurius.
Mercurius is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Mercurius is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Herzog is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Mercurius's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Mercurius's back!
Herzog is trying to stick to Mercurius's back but Mercurius is turning into Herzog. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Herzog's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Mercurius.
Herzog is trying to keep Mercurius in close.

Herzog had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Mercurius defends it easily.
Herzog trying to keep a closed guard but Mercurius is proving a slippery customer.
Mercurius 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.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Mercurius wants to control from the top but Herzog keeps moving.
Herzog being controlled here, momentarily.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rocky Mercurius showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Mercurius 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 5 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 47:48
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 48:47
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 48:47

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Rocky Mercurius!
Rocky Mercurius retains his welterweight title!