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PBP Commentary |
Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Cody Rhodes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rick Ward (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Fingers crossed for an exciting fight - I'm sure both fighters are looking for a nice under the table bonus!
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| 190 cm
22
205 lbs
1 - 1 - 0 |
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185 cm
18
205 lbs
4 - 0 - 0 |
BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin |
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BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Solid chin |
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Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of
1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Cody Rhodes!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of
4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Rick Ward!
The judges for this bout are Chris Downing, Stewart Dunkirk and Frank Dennis.
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rhodes is looking to clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Rhodes looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Ward scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Ward throws the left hand but Rhodes avoids the punch easily.
Rhodes tries to close the distance and clinch but Ward swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Rhodes fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Rhodes walks into a jab.
Rhodes tries to close the distance and clinch but Ward swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Rhodes has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Rhodes there as he acknowledges the shot.
Rhodes throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Ward looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Rhodes tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Ward paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Rhodes tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Ward defends well and Rhodes ends up having to push Ward into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Ward blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Rhodes wants a takedown but no success here.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Cody Rhodes. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rhodes has clasped his hands together around Ward's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
Ward tries to improve position but can't.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Rhodes thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Rhodes wants to stand but Ward has his arm trapped.
Ward is looking to regain half guard here but Rhodes keeps moving and retains side control.
Rhodes in side control, throwing shots but Ward defends.
Rhodes decides to stand back up. Rhodes steps back and let's Ward get back to his feet.
Rhodes darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Rhodes is breathing heavily.
Ward is looking for a sweep. Rhodes is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ward keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Ward wants to improve his position but Rhodes is controlling well.
Ward has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Rhodes is working away from the top position though.
Rhodes is looking for a kimura but Ward is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Rhodes to get the leverage.
Ward trying to get back to full guard but Rhodes takes advantage of the position and moves to full mount!
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Rhodes raining down shots from the mount!
Rhodes scoring with strikes but Ward is staying in there.
Ward is trying desperately to improve position.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Rhodes stands up from the dominant position, so we're back on the feet.
A chopping leg kick lands by Rhodes.
Ward leaves Rhodes with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Rhodes ducks under a wild hook from Ward.
Ward keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
A lazy left from Ward finds it's target.
Rhodes looks to land a combination but Ward avoids it well.
Ward ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Rhodes moves away.
Ward circles away from the clinch attempt.
Ward connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Rhodes momentarily.
Rhodes is looking to clinch.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rhodes ducks under a wild hook from Ward.
Ward throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Rhodes tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Ward paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Ward throws out a loose jab but Rhodes uses good head movement to avoid it.
Rhodes dives in and grabs Ward's left leg, looking for a takedown. Ward pushes down on Rhodes's head and hops out.
Rhodes tries to close the distance and clinch up but Ward swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Ward throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Rhodes on the side of the head.
Rhodes misses with a wild body shot.
Ward lands with a cross.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Rhodes fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Ward scores with a jab. Rhodes acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Rhodes ducks under a wild hook from Ward.
Rhodes walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Rhodes tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Ward paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Rhodes throws a series of punches but Ward moves out of range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.
Cody Rhodes dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.
Ward takes the fight into the clinch.
Ward wants a takedown.
Rhodes jumps into guard, dragging Ward to the mat.
Ward forces his way into half guard.
Ward missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Rhodes is trying to stand up here but Ward is controlling him well.
Rhodes looking for submissions off his back.
Ward content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Cody Rhodes overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Rhodes gets full guard.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Ward pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Rhodes is keeping the position for now.
Ward wants to control from the top but Rhodes keeps moving.
Ward slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Ward working the head and body with strikes.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Ward in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Rhodes managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Ward.
Rhodes is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Ward throws a strike aimed at the side of Rhodes's head but Rhodes avoids it well.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ward trying to control the action but Rhodes is working from the bottom.
Ward landing a few strikes.
Ward is looking to take a break and control but Rhodes is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Ward landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Ward sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Rhodes is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Ward looks up at the clock and then as Rhodes takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Ward smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rhodes is looking for a sweep.
Ward tries to advance to mount but can't.
Ward advances nicely into full mount.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Ward is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Rhodes is surviving well by controlling Ward's body position as best he can.
Ward landing strikes from the mount and Rhodes is in trouble!
Ward in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Ward scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Ward working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Rhodes is trying desperately to improve position.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rhodes is working hard here to advance position.
BOOM! Ward connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Ward scoring with strikes but Rhodes is staying in there.
Ward looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Rhodes tries to lock up and control but Ward gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Ward in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Ward has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Rhodes's face.
Rhodes is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Rhodes taking shots to the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.
Rick Ward showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!
Ward lands a jab.
Rhodes tries to clinch but Ward is having none of it.
Rhodes wants to clinch.
Rhodes fails with an attempt to clinch.
Ward might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
Rhodes tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Ward paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Rhodes moves in looking to clinch but Ward pushes him off.
Rhodes keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Ward throws a right hand that misses
and Rhodes makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. Ward really felt that one!
Rhodes throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Rhodes is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Rhodes fails with an attempt to clinch.
Ward takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Rhodes uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Ward.
Rhodes keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Ward.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Ward's jab looks to have found its range, popping Rhodes under the eye.
Ward throws out a loose jab but Rhodes uses good head movement to avoid it.
Rhodes tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Ward throws a leg kick but Rhodes sees it coming and moves out of range.
Rhodes lands a head kick. Ward smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
It looks like Rick Ward has been cut.
Rhodes gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Rhodes is trying to force a seperation but Ward has the dominant position.
Rhodes throws a head punch that misses.
Rhodes is trying to trip Ward. He has hold of a leg but Ward is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Rhodes persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Rhodes preventing the sweep.
Ward pulls Rhodes in close to prevent any damage.
Ward can't keep his opponent in guard - Rhodes advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Rhodes is thwarting Ward's attempts to control the position.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rhodes is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Ward sees it coming and defends easily.
Ward keeping control of the position.
Ward is not content to let Rhodes control the position.
Ward manages to get to full guard.
Ward keeping moving, preventing Rhodes from controlling successfully.
Ward is pulling down on Rhodes's head. It's preventing any offense from Rhodes, at least for the moment.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rhodes preventing the sweep.
Ward is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Ward keeping moving, preventing Rhodes from controlling successfully.
The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Cody Rhodes.
Rhodes moves into the clinch successfully.
A head punch on the inside from Ward fails to land.
Rhodes looking for a takedown.
Ward lands a body shot.
Ward struggles to land a body shot inside as Rhodes controls his hands.
Ward lands with a short shot to the head.
Ward taking a breather.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ward throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Rhodess head.
Ward scores with a shoulder strike.
Ward has a couple of punches blocked by Rhodes.
Rhodes goes for a takedown attempt but Ward pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Rhodes throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Ward lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Rhodes at a distance.
Rick Ward seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rhodes drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Rhodes tries to clinch up but Ward circles away and keeps his distance.
Some wild striking there from Ward.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Rhodes uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Ward.
Rhodes takes one to the side of the head.
And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Cody Rhodes.
I think Rhodes 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 Chris Downing scores the fight 29:28
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 29:28
Judge Frank Dennis scores the fight 29:28
In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Cody Rhodes!
During a confident post fight interview, Cody Rhodes thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.
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| S |
C
A |
G |
S |
C
B |
G |
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S |
C |
G |
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energy
A | B |
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hype
A | B |
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pop
A | B |
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mgr
A | B |
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FIGHT
RATING
89% |
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