PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Mike Rotch (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Franco Rivera (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Franco Rivera is staring across the cage at his opponent, tweaking his nipples.

Rotch
vs
Rivera

174 cm
26
162 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

185 cm
21
163 lbs
5 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Powerful

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 4 - 1 - 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 5 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Franco Rivera!
The judges for this bout are Frank Antenori, and Jack Bonds.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rotch misses with a left hand

and Rivera counters by clinching up.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Rotch.
Rotch is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Rivera taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Rotch swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Rotch is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Rivera is struggling to control the position.
Rotch looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The referee is keeping an eye on Rivera - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
The crowd are getting on Rivera's back here. They're not happy about his lack of aggression in the clinch.

Rivera manages to break the clinch.
Franco Rivera seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rivera slips a straight right by Rotch.
Rivera has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Rotch finds it's way round the side to connect with Rivera's head.
Rotch keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Rivera tries to clinch up but Rotch circles away and keeps his distance.
Rotch scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.

Rivera closes the distance and clinches.
Rotch is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rivera prevents Rotch from breaking the clinch.
Rivera controlling the action here for a moment.
Rotch wants to stall.
Rivera throws an elbow that misses.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Rivera.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rivera tries to land a knee to the head but Rotch blocks with his arms.

Rivera pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Rotch keeps the fight on the outside.
The fighters circling - Rotch throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Rotch needs to keep his hands up - Rivera had a free shot at his head there.
Rotch avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Rotch pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Rotch takes a swing at Rivera's ribcage but misses.
Rotch throws out a loose jab but Rivera uses good head movement to avoid it.
Rivera moves away from the strike by Rotch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rotch misses with a two punch combination.
Rotch moves out of range of the body kick.
Rivera tries to clinch up but Rotch circles away and keeps his distance.
Rivera doesn't manage to clinch there - Rotch circles away.
Rivera fails with an attempt to clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Rivera looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Rivera wants to clinch
and Rotch counters with a nice uppercut.
Rivera slips under a jab.
Rivera uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Rotch.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Rivera rushes Rotch and presses him up against the cage.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Rotch.

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

Franco Rivera dominated that round.
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.

Rivera closes the distance and clinches.

Rivera's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Rivera tries to close the distance and clinch up but Rotch swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Rotch avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Rivera tries to close the distance and clinch but Rotch swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Rivera is looking to clinch.
Rivera tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Rivera tries to clinch but Rotch is having none of it.
Rotch lands a slapping body shot.
Rivera wants to clinch but Rotch slips to the side
and Rotch counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Rivera tries to clinch up but Rotch circles away and keeps his distance.
Nice body kick there by Rivera.
Rivera tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Rotch manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rivera wants to clinch.
Rivera doesn't manage to clinch there - Rotch circles away.
Rivera tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Rotch swats away the attempt to clinch by Rivera.
Rivera wants to clinch up but Rotch keeps it at a distance.
Rivera doesn't manage to clinch there - Rotch circles away.

Rivera darts in and clinches Rotch up against the cage.

Rivera breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
The fight stays on the outside here - Rivera looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Rivera tries to close the distance and clinch up but Rotch swats him away and circles back towards the center.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rotch works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Rivera wants to clinch but Rotch slips to the side
and Rotch counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
The fight stays on the outside here - Rivera looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Rotch swats away the attempt to clinch by Rivera.
Rotch rushes in with a sloppy looking punch

and Rivera counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Rivera.
The referee is keeping an eye on Rivera - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Rotch on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Rivera scores a nice knee to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rivera dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Rivera can't find room to land a body shot as Rotch controls the action.
Rivera is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Rivera misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Rotch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rotch being controlled against the cage.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Franco Rivera.

Rivera clinches.
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.
Rotch just leaning against Rivera, taking a breather.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rivera throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Rotch blocks it with crossed arms.
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.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Rivera tries to clinch there but Rotch circles away.
Rivera moves in looking to clinch but Rotch pushes him off.
Rivera takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Rotch avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Rivera bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Rivera staying out of range there.
Franco Rivera seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Rivera tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Rivera wants to clinch up but Rotch keeps it at a distance.
Rotch looks to throw the jab but Rivera is out of range.
Rotch swats away the attempt to clinch by Rivera.
Rotch pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Rotch misses with an uppercut. Rivera saw that one coming.
Rotch fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rivera is looking to clinch.
Rivera uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Rotch.
Rivera wants to clinch up but Rotch keeps it at a distance.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Rivera tries to clinch there but Rotch circles away.

Rivera has closed the distance and engaged Rotch in a clinch.
Rivera is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Rivera controlling the action here for a moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rotch is trying to maintain a safe position but Rivera gets an underhook and turns Rotch into the cage.

Rivera breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Rivera rushes Rotch and presses him up against the cage.
Rivera misses with a punch to the body.
Rotch is trying to push Rivera away but Rivera has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
A frustrated look appears on Rotch's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Rotch trying to control the position but instead, Rivera has worked for underhooks and has pushed Rotch into the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Rivera breaks the clinch.
Rivera wants to clinch.
Rivera is looking to clinch but Rotch is avoiding it.
Rivera uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Rotch.
Rivera dodges the punch combination from Rotch.
Rivera tries to clinch
letting Rotch counter with a right hand.
Rivera tries to close the distance and clinch up but Rotch swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Rivera tries to close the distance and clinch up but Rotch swats him away and circles back towards the center.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rivera tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Rotch paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Rivera misses with a body shot.
Franco Rivera is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Rotch avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Rivera tries to close the distance and clinch up but Rotch swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Rivera takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Rotch looks to land a right hand but Rivera moved out of range.
Rotch keeps the fight on the outside.
Rivera slips under a jab from Rotch.
Rivera wants to clinch.

Rotch tries to keep at a distance but Rivera has taken the fight into the clinch.
Mike Rotch has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rivera blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

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 Frank Antenori scores the fight 27:30
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 27:30
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 27:30

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