PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Ziggy Cliff (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Daniel Roth (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Cliff comes to the cage accompanied by JAMROCK. Roth has chosen Shawn Michaels - Sexy Boy as his entrance music. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Cliff
vs
Roth

182 cm
29
176 lbs
19 - 7 - 0

181 cm
33
183 lbs
23 - 10 - 2

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Excellent grappler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Convicted Trap House

Tormented Nutrition
Hellbent

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 19 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Ziggy Cliff!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 23 - 10 - 2, fighting out of New York, Daniel Roth!
The judges for this bout are Luis Engracia, Alexandre Firmino and Edson Gomes.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Roth thows a body shot but no joy.

Roth fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Cliff to the ground. Roth is now in Cliff's guard.
Roth postures up in Cliff's guard and throws a big left but Cliff blocks it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Cliff keeping moving, preventing Roth from controlling successfully.
Roth preventing the sweep.
Cliff working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Roth.
Cliff manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Cliff can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Roth is looking to escape.
Roth is trying desperately to improve position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cliff controlling his opponent.
Cliff prevents Roth from getting the reversal.
Roth looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Roth keeps trying to improve his position.
Cliff avoids the attempt from Roth to control.
Cliff lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Cliff dominating with strikes here.
Roth wants to control but Cliff is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cliff connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Roth keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Roth takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Roth tries to lock up and control but Cliff gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Roth is in all sorts of trouble here.
Cliff controlling from the full mount.
Roth is flailing around like a fish out of water, trying to land strikes.
Roth is squirming around, avoiding Cliff's attempts to control the action.
Roth tries to reverse the position but Cliff maintains control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Roth slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Cliff throws a strike but Roth avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Roth working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Cliff doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Cliff manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

Roth has his foot on Cliff's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Cliff works his way back into a safe position though.
Roth keeping moving, preventing Cliff from controlling successfully.
Cliff throwing strikes from guard but Roth blocks nicely.
Roth is trying to keep Cliff in close.
Roth looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Roth is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Roth is trying to keep Cliff in close.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Roth is on top in guard.
Cliff is adopting a defensive guard.
Roth looking to sit in guard and control but Cliff gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
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.
Cliff content to stall in guard here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Daniel Roth will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Cliff is looking to slow Roth down with leg kicks.
Nice uppercut lands for Roth. That snapped Cliff's head back.
Cliff scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
The fight stays on the outside here - Cliff looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Cliff throws a big shot that misses.
The fight stays on the outside here - Cliff looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Roth moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Cliff throws a leg kick that misses.
Roth fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Cliff manages to avoid it.

Roth scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Cliff is trying to control Roth's posture but Roth avoids it.
Cliff is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Roth throws a strike aimed at the side of Cliff's head but Cliff avoids it well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cliff takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Roth working the ground and pound.
Roth fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Cliff can't do much from the bottom here.
Roth in side control lands a decent elbow.
Roth trying to control the action but Cliff is working from the bottom.
The ground and pound from Roth seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Daniel Roth has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cliff is looking to reverse the position.
Roth throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Cliff struggling a bit here.
Cliff tries to buck Roth off but Roth is having none of it.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Roth 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.
The ground and pound from Roth seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Cliff struggling a bit here.
Roth sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Cliff is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Cliff tries to bench press Roth off him but Roth keeps the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cliff parries the strikes from Roth easily there. Roth is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Cliff to escape.
Roth has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Roth working the head with strikes.
Cliff manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Roth is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Cliff is in a tricky position but he's been working on his transitions down at Convicted Fight Club, so we'll see if he gets out of it.
Cliff is trying to get back to full guard.
Cliff regains full guard. Nicely done.
Cliff lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Roth!
Cliff looking to control but Roth is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Roth tries to lock up and control but Cliff gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Roth is working to get back to half guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Roth is still trying to improve position.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Daniel Roth showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Roth uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Cliff.
Roth circles away from the clinch attempt.
Cliff scores with a jab to the jaw.
Roth dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Cliff fails with an attempt to clinch.
Cliff misses with a head kick.
The crowd cheers as Cliff lands an impressive looking overhand right. Roth doesn't seem phased though.
Cliff takes one on the button.
A nice inside leg kick there by Cliff. That's going to slow Roth down.
Roth throws a chopping leg kick but Cliff manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Cliff throws the kick towards the body but Roth avoids it.
Cliff looks to land a combination but Roth avoids it well.
No luck for Roth with that takedown attempt.
Cliff throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Roth throws a body kick that misses.
An inside leg kick from Cliff misses.
Cliff moves in looking to clinch but Roth pushes him off.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Roth displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Cliff throws out the jab.
Roth is looking to land body kicks.
Cliff throws a push kick but Roth slaps the foot to one side.
Roth just misses with a punch to the body.
Cliff tries to score with a low kick but Roth moves his leg out of the way.
Cliff blocks a jab.
A lazy body kick from Roth
and Cliff counters with a good low kick that Roth was not able to check.
Cliff slips a straight right by Roth.
Cliff keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

Roth gets a takedown into half guard.
The fighters are battling for position here. Cliff manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Roth trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Cliff tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Ziggy Cliff has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cliff is pulling down on Roth's head. It's preventing any offense from Roth, at least for the moment.
Roth in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Roth throws a strike but Cliff rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Roth utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Roth controls Cliff momentarily but Cliff frees himself.
Roth tries to land a sweep but no joy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cliff throws a strike but Roth rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Cliff managing to control the position.
Roth throwing strikes but missing.
Roth throws a big right hand that misses.

Cliff looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Cliff trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Roth throws a big elbow that misses.
Roth working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Cliff's head.
Cliff trying to keep a closed guard but Roth is proving a slippery customer.
Roth lands a couple of digs.
Roth throws a strike but Cliff rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Cliff is looking to work some ground and pound but Roth has wrist control.
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.

Roth looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Daniel Roth is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Cliff throwing strikes from guard but Roth blocks nicely.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Daniel Roth.
I've got Roth winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Luis Engracia scores the fight 27:30
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 28:30
Judge Edson Gomes scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Daniel Roth!
Daniel Roth decided to hype himself up post fight. It was going well but he went on about it a bit too long and the crowd turned on him a little.