PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Bradley Romero (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ponas Briedis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Bradley Romero has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Romero
vs
Briedis

193 cm
19
193 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

182 cm
25
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Prefers standup

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Bradley Romero!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Ponas Briedis!
The judges for this bout are Hirohito Nitta, Sosuke Kotani and Yuuki Gou.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Briedis throws a body kick that misses.
Romero throws a right hand that Briedis ducks under and follows up with a left that Briedis also avoids with ease.

Briedis instigates a clinch.

Briedis drags the fight down to the ground.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Briedis trying to keep a closed guard but Romero is proving a slippery customer.

Briedis is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Briedis is looking to stand back up but Romero counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Briedis.
Briedis wants to control but Romero is keeping busy.
Briedis slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Romero accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Briedis doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Briedis pulls Romero in close to prevent any damage.

Romero drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Romero jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

Briedis throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Romero throws a big right hand that misses.
Romero throws a big right hand that misses.
Briedis manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Romero is squirming around, avoiding Briedis's attempts to control the action.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Romero is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Romero tries to control the position but Briedis now has his back.

Romero showing good submission defense here.
Romero has the hand control, trying to stop the rear naked choke.
Briedis throwing sloppy strikes.
Briedis has good solid back control here.

Briedis working for a choke but Romero is defending well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Romero has the hand control, trying to stop the rear naked choke.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Romero fending off the submission attempt from Briedis.
Briedis avoiding Romero 's attempts to control his hands.
Briedis punches the canvas rather than the man.
Briedis throws a big right hand but he misses and hits the mat. Ouch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Briedis biding his time, controlling Romero.
Romero is trying to get back to his feet but Briedis has full control of the position and if anything, Romero has just worked his way into a worse spot.

Briedis is remaining active here, looking for the choke. The more discerning members of the crowd will appreciate his efforts.
Romero avoids the strikes from Briedis.
Romero looking to stop the rear naked choke attempt by controlling the hands.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Briedis has his opponent's back and is working for the choke.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ponas Briedis dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Romero stuffs the takedown.
Romero leaves Briedis with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Briedis closes the distance and clinches up with Romero, looking for a takedown. Briedis pushes Romero against the cage but Romero circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Bradley Romero has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ponas Briedis.

Briedis clinches up against the cage.

Romero successfully pulls guard.
Briedis trying to control but Romero is working from the bottom.
Romero can't keep his opponent in guard - Briedis advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Romero looks like he's trying to stand up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Briedis wants to lay and pray for a moment but Romero keeps working.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Romero makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Romero.
Briedis is pushing down on Romero's leg trying to pass to half guard. Romero is fighting to maintain full guard but Briedis has managed to sneak the leg through.
Romero blocking the ground and pound attempt from Briedis.
Romero looks like he's trying to stand up.
Briedis missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Briedis wants to stand up but Romero is controlling the position.
Briedis prevents Romero from standing back up.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Romero looking for submissions off his back.
Briedis controlling the action here.
Romero is trying to control but can't.
Romero gets full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Briedis tries to free his leg and advance position but Romero is retaining full guard.
Romero trying to keep a closed guard but Briedis is proving a slippery customer.
Briedis throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Briedis wants to control from the top but Romero keeps moving.
Briedis throws a big right hand that misses.
Briedis trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Ponas Briedis has got the better of the ground game so far.
Romero can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Briedis controls the pace.
Romero looking to control.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Romero stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Romero wants it to stay on the feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Briedis scores with a push kick.
Briedis lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.

Briedis rushes Romero and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Briedis drags the fight down to the ground.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Romero won't allow Briedis to sweep him here.
Romero trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

Romero drops back, looking for a kneebar! Briedis looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Briedis looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Briedis!
Briedis trying to control the action but Romero is working from the bottom.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Briedis has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for Romero!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ponas Briedis showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Romero tries to keep at a distance but Briedis has taken the fight into the clinch.

Briedis breaks from the clinch.
Romero looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Briedis goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.

Briedis darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Briedis seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.
Romero makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Romero.
Briedis trying to control the position from guard on top but Romero is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Romero has Briedis pulled in close to control his posture.
Briedis trying to stand up but can't free himself from Romero's guard.
Briedis stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Romero swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Romero being controlled here, momentarily.
Briedis trying to control the position from guard on top but Romero is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Ponas Briedis has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Romero defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Briedis.
Briedis takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Romero tries to keep at a distance but Briedis has taken the fight into the clinch.

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

Briedis closes the distance and clinches.
Briedis is trying to stall.
Briedis tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Romero tries to pull guard but Briedis holds him up against the cage and eventually Romero drops back down to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Knees in the clinch landing for Briedis.
Briedis is looking to take this one to the mat.

Briedis escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Briedis tries for a takedown but Romero circles away easily

and Romero counters with a shoot takedown. Briedis fights it but they end up in guard.
Bradley Romero has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ponas Briedis.
Romero wants to control from the top but Briedis keeps moving.
Briedis is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Romero postures up and lands a big shot to Briedis's brow.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Briedis trying to keep a closed guard but Romero is proving a slippery customer.
Romero with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Romero works over Briedis with some ground and pound from guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Romero lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Romero makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Romero lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Romero scoring with some ground and pound.
Briedis utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Romero working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Briedis is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Bradley Romero has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Ponas Briedis is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Romero throws a big right hand that misses.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Ponas Briedis.
Well Briedis 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 Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 27:30
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 27:30
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ponas Briedis!