PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Mike Rotch (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Franco Rivera (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Rotch
vs
Rivera

174 cm
25
162 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

185 cm
20
163 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Powerful

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Mike Rotch!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Franco Rivera!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, Don Winkell and Jack Bonds.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rivera slips a jab from Rotch.

Rivera clinches.

Rivera manages to break the clinch.

Rivera gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Rivera drops Rotch with a big knee straight up the middle! Rotch is covering up against the cage but manages to escape and gets back to his feet!

Rotch is rocked!

It looks like Mike Rotch has been cut.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Rivera clinches up against the cage.
Oh Rotch is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Rivera taking a breather.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Franco Rivera.

Rivera gets a clinch.
Rotch tries to circle away but Rivera has him pinned against the cage.

Rivera breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Rivera misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

Rivera fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Rotch, pushing him back against the cage.

Rivera breaks from the clinch.

Rotch gets tackled into the cage by Rivera. Rivera maintains the clinch.
Rivera using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.

Rivera manages to break the clinch.

Rivera clinches up against the cage.
Rivera just leaning against Rotch, taking a breather.
A frustrated look appears on Rotch's face as he tries to break the clinch.

Rivera manages to break the clinch.

Rivera has Rotch up against the cage in a clinch.
Rotch seems to have got his legs back now.
Rotch wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rotch tries to break the clinch but Rivera is controlling the position.
Rivera is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Rotch is trying to break free.
Rotch wants to get back to striking at distance but Rivera won't allow it.
Rotch being controlled against the cage.
Rotch is trying to break the clinch but Rivera is controlling him.
Rotch wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

Rivera breaks the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rivera tries to close the distance and clinch up but Rotch swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Franco Rivera seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A jab lands there for Rotch.
Rivera fails with an attempt to clinch.
Rotch avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Rivera has Rotch up against the cage in a clinch.
Rivera is struggling to control the position.
Rotch wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Rotch has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

Rivera manages to break the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rivera looks to clinch
and Rotch counters with a nice uppercut.
Rotch misses the jab.
Rivera ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Rotch ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Rivera moves away.
Rivera moves in looking to clinch but Rotch pushes him off.
Rivera uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Rotch.

Rivera has managed to clinch.
Rotch working hard to break the clinch.
Rotch wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Rivera has him pressed against the cage.
Rivera has Rotch pushed against the cage.
Rivera using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rivera is pushing Rotch up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Knees to the body from Rivera.
Rotch has had enough of the clinch but Rivera keeps him there for the moment.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Rotch tries to break the clinch but Rivera is controlling the position.
Rivera'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.

Franco Rivera dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Mike Rotch's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Rivera wants to clinch up but Rotch keeps it at a distance.
Rivera uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Rotch.
Rivera bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Rivera tries to clinch
and Rotch counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Rivera slips a straight right by Rotch.

Rivera darts in and clinches Rotch up against the cage.
Rivera scores a nice knee to the body.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Rivera lands a nice knee to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Rivera's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Rivera uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Rotch.
Rotch misses with a hook. Rivera ducked under it nicely.
Rivera throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Nice defenses there by Rivera.
Rotch misses with a looping right.
Rotch swats away the attempt to clinch by Rivera.
Rotch misses with a right hand

and Rivera counters by clinching up.
Franco Rivera seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Rivera slowing the pace effectively.
Rotch can't break the clinch.
Rivera stalling the fight.
Rotch wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Rivera has him pressed against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rivera stalling against the cage.
Rotch is looking to break free of the clinch but Rivera has double underhooks.
Rotch letting Rivera take a breather here.
Rotch has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Rotch has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
A frustrated look appears on Rotch's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Rivera dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Rotch wants to get back to striking at distance but Rivera won't allow it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rivera will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Rotch up against the cage.

Rivera manages to break the clinch.
Rivera tries to clinch up but Rotch circles away and keeps his distance.
Rivera takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Rivera tries to clinch up.
The fighters circling - Rotch throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Rivera tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
The fight stays on the outside here - Rivera looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Rivera tries to clinch up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rivera tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Rotch manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Rivera closes the distance and clinches.

Rivera pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Rotch misses with a wild body shot.
Rotch keeps the fight on the outside.
Rivera moves in looking to clinch but Rotch pushes him off.
Rivera tries to clinch but Rotch is having none of it.
Rivera tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Rotch manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Rivera uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Rotch.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rotch swings and misses with a hook to the body.

Rivera moves into the clinch.

Rivera breaks from the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Franco Rivera showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Mike Rotch's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Rotch throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.

Rivera has taken the fight to the clinch.
Rivera keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Rotch's efforts to push away.
Rivera tries to land a knee to the head but Rotch blocks with his arms.
Rotch is trying to push Rivera away but Rivera has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Rivera tries to land a knee to the head but Rotch blocks with his arms.
Rivera unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Rivera prevents Rotch from breaking the clinch.

Rivera breaks the clinch.
Rivera moves out of range of the strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rivera slips a straight right by Rotch.
Rivera is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Rivera staying out of range there.
Rotch misses with a hook to the body

and Rivera counters by moving into the clinch.
A frustrated look appears on Rotch's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Rivera keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Rotch's efforts to push away.
Rivera has Rotch pushed against the cage.

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rotch fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Rivera manages to avoid it.
Rivera wants to clinch
and Rotch cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Rivera tries to clinch but Rotch moves away

and Rotch moves into the clinch.
Rotch is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Rivera's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Rotch rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Rivera counters with a nice uppercut.
Rivera tries to clinch up.
Rivera throws a head kick that misses.
Rivera is looking to clinch but Rotch is avoiding it.
Rotch throws a body punch but Rivera moves out of range.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Rotch misses with a lunging right hand

and Rivera holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Rivera displaying some good clinch control by pressing Rotch up against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rotch wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Rotch has had enough of the clinch but Rivera keeps him there for the moment.

Rotch breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Rotch throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Rotch just misses with a punch to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rotch pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Rivera moves in looking to clinch but Rotch pushes him off.
Franco Rivera is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Rivera keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Rotch circles away from the clinch attempt
and Rotch cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Rivera uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Rotch.
Rotch throws the left hand but Rivera avoids the punch easily.
Rivera tries to clinch up.
Franco Rivera seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Rotch loads up on a big right hand but Rivera slips the punch.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rivera tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Rotch manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Rivera wants to clinch up but Rotch keeps it at a distance.
Mike Rotch has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Rivera uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Rotch.

And that's the end of the fight!
Franco Rivera comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Rivera has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 27:30
Judge Don Winkell scores the fight 27:30
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Franco Rivera!