PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Cristian Romero (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Fennil Rutabega (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Romero
vs
Rutabega

179 cm
21
180 lbs
8 - 7 - 0

180 cm
28
180 lbs
8 - 6 - 0

Good takedowns
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Cristian Romero!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Fennil Rutabega!
The judges for this bout are Alan Glass, Tiny Johnson and Daniel Franklin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Romero closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Rutabega's guard.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Romero stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Rutabega swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Rutabega is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Romero pushes down on Rutabega's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Romero scoring with strikes to the body and head.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Romero is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Rutabega doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Romero.

Romero is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Romero stalling.
Rutabega avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Romero.
Romero trying to control the action but Rutabega is working from the bottom.
Rutabega manages to get to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rutabega wants to sweep here but Romero controlling him for the moment.
Romero pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Rutabega is keeping the position for now.
Rutabega wants to sweep here but Romero controlling him for the moment.
Rutabega is trying to control the position from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Romero slips nicely into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Romero missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Romero missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Rutabega really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Romero. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Romero seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Rutabega does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Romero is controlling the pace.
Romero seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Rutabega for as long as he can get away with.
Rutabega trying to hold on to Romero's head to control him but Romero postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Romero working the head and body with strikes.
Romero thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Rutabega's head.
Romero 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.
Rutabega keeping hold of Romero's head, controlling as best he can.
Rutabega wants to control but Romero is keeping busy and won't allow it.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Fennil Rutabega was stalling too much, according to the referee.

Romero is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Rutabega's half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Romero ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Rutabega throws a shot from downtown. Romero moves away and avoids it.
Romero gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Rutabega.
Romero takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Rutabega misses with an uppercut.
Romero fails with a takedown attempt.
Rutabega throws a right and a left that Romero avoids nicely.
Romero tries to score a power double leg takedown but Rutabega sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Romero somewhat.
Some wild striking there from Rutabega.
Romero will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Cristian Romero. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Romero shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Rutabega defends it nicely.
Nice takedown defense from Rutabega. No joy for Romero on that attempt.
Cristian Romero is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Rutabega scores with a one two! Romero had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Rutabega stuffs the takedown attempt from Romero. Romero gets slowly back to his feet.
Rutabega looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Fennil Rutabega seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Romero.
Romero looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Rutabega is fending him off so far but Romero persists. Nope, Rutabega circles away and we're back to standing.
Romero drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Rutabega's corner calls for a 1-2. Rutabega obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Romero takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Some wild striking there from Rutabega.
Romero takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Romero takes a kick to the side of the head.
A looping hook to the body misses from Rutabega. Romero does a little dance to reset his feet.
Fennil Rutabega seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Rutabega throws a sloppy head kick and Romero moves out of range easily.
Rutabega goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Rutabega throws a jab when Romero was well out of range.

Romero gets the takedown into side control.
Romero fails to land a wild elbow strike.

Romero tries for a kimura but Rutabega is defending well.
Rutabega is trying to control Romero's posture but Romero avoids it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Romero wants to control but Rutabega is keeping him busy.
Rutabega wants to control but Romero postures up.

Romero tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Romero misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Romero looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Rutabega can do anything to dispel that myth.
Rutabega wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Rutabega tries to buck Romero off but Romero is having none of it.

Romero tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Romero has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Rutabega manages to get back to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Fennil Rutabega showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Left hook, right uppercut from Rutabega.
Rutabega throws a series of punches but Romero moves out of range.
Romero tries to score a power double leg takedown but Rutabega sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Romero somewhat.
Rutabega scores with a body shot.
Rutabega lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Romero fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

Romero shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Rutabega's guard.
Rutabega keeping moving, preventing Romero from controlling successfully.
Romero postures up.
Rutabega wants to stand up but Romero is controlling him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Romero sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Rutabega's guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Rutabega blocking the ground and pound attempt from Romero.
Ground and pound from Romero.

Romero is looking for submissions but instead, Rutabega has regained full guard.
Romero with a flurry of punches that miss.
Romero sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Romero with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Romero trying to control but Rutabega is working from the bottom.
Romero throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Rutabega works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Rutabega wants to get back to his feet but Romero is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Rutabega holds on and takes a little breather.
Rutabega is trying to control the position but Romero postures up.
Romero with a flurry of punches that miss.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rutabega tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Romero is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Fennil Rutabega hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Rutabega tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Romero was well out of range. Poor timing from Rutabega.
Rutabega fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Romero manages to avoid it.
Romero fails to land the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Cristian Romero. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Romero shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Rutabega but Rutabega pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Rutabega dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Romero. That did some damage!
Romero fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Romero.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Romero stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Rutabega.
Rutabega throws a head kick that misses.
Rutabega tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Fennil Rutabega is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Rutabega scoring well with a low kick there.

Romero closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Rutabega quickly recovers to half guard.
Romero stops Rutabega from getting back to his feet.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Romero slips a nice elbow through Rutabega's hands, connecting with Rutabega's forehead.
Romero is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Cristian Romero overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Romero is looking for a kimura here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Cristian Romero showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Romero 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 Alan Glass scores the fight 29:28
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 29:28
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Cristian Romero!