PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Luivel Romero (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Virgil Keller (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Romero's entrance music is Don Omar - Danza Kuduro ft. Lucenzo. A fine choice. Keller has chosen War Music as his entrance music. Virgil Keller has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Romero
vs
Keller

190 cm
31
197 lbs
31 - 13 - 1

184 cm
28
197 lbs
17 - 7 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Excellent grappler
World class MT
Good gas tank

GREEN!160
Hellbent

Hellbent
GREEN!160

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the middleweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 31 - 13 - 1, fighting out of London, Luivel Romero!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 17 - 7 - 0, fighting out of London, Virgil Keller!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, and Timothy Bukovac.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Keller throws a head kick that misses.
Keller takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Keller misses with a lunging right hand
and Romero counters with a nice body kick.
Keller throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Romero uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Keller.
Romero throws a leg kick but Keller sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Romero throws an overhand right that lands on Keller's shoulder, as Keller tries to avoid the shot.
Keller misses with a looping left.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Romero, as that shot connected.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A lazy left from Keller finds it's target.

It looks like Luivel Romero has been cut.
Keller stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Romero.
Romero has been working on his boxing with his coaches at Placeholder name in the buildup to the fight.
Romero missing with a left hand there. Keller was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Romero walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Keller checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Romero is looking to score with low kicks.
Keller lands a nice hook to Romero's body. Romero takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Keller throws a right and a left that both miss.
Keller scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Keller throws an overhand right that lands on Romero's shoulder, as Romero tries to avoid the shot.
A bone on bone clash there as Romero blocks the leg kick.
Romero misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Keller.
Keller misses with a body shot.
Romero lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Romero lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Romero tries a low kick but Keller avoids it.
Keller has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Keller misses with a right hand

and Romero counters by moving into the clinch.
Romero blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Keller stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Keller wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Romero scores with a shot to the side of Keller's head.
Romero doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Keller stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Romero doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Romero has Keller pressed against the cage, preventing Keller from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Keller goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Keller is pushing Romero up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Romero lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Nice body punch from Romero - that landed with a thud.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Keller is looking to break free of the clinch but Romero has double underhooks.
Keller misses with some punches.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Romero.

Keller escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Virgil Keller is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Romero throws a push kick but Keller slaps the foot to one side.
Romero staying out of range there.
Keller misses with an uppercut
and Romero counters with a straight right hand.
Romero looks to score with a jab to the body but Keller is just out of range.
Keller misses with a straight left.
Romero lands an overhand right.
Keller throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Keller fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Keller looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Keller waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Romero.
Good work by Keller as he checks the leg kick.
Romero connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Romero.
Keller misses with a hook
and Romero counters with a left to the body.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Romero walks into a jab.
Keller lands a head shot.
Keller stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Romero.
Romero tries to bum rush Keller with a series of wild strikes but Keller uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Romero throws a big shot that misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Luivel Romero will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Luivel Romero's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Romero throws a leg kick which misses Keller's front leg but catches the back leg as Keller tries to avoid it.
Romero lands with a kick to the temple. Keller shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Romero throws a quick inside leg kick.
Keller throws a lazy right hand but Romero sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Keller feints and then cracks Romero's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Romero down.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Keller.
Romero just misses with a punch to the body.
Romero throws a nice outside leg kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Keller misses with a left hand

and Romero holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Keller prevents a body shot from Romero.
Keller lands a nice uppercut.
Nice body punch from Romero.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Keller has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Romero misses with a body punch.
Nice body punch from Keller.
Keller is trying to force a seperation but Romero has the dominant position.
Romero takes a shot to the head.
Romero tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Keller's elbow.
Keller lands a hook to the side of the head.
Keller tries to circle away but Romero has him pinned against the cage.
Keller tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Keller is trying to force a seperation but Romero has the dominant position.
Romero throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
A right handed body shot lands from Keller.

Keller pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Romero misses the shot to the body.
Romero throws a body punch but Keller moves out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Keller moves out of range as Romero strikes.
Keller swings widly with a right hand

and Romero counters with a takedown into side control! That could mean trouble for Keller!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Keller tries to buck Romero off but Romero is having none of it.
Keller is still trying to improve position.
Keller is not content to let Romero control the position.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Romero tries to advance to mount but Keller denies him.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Keller is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Romero off and has taken his back!
Romero trying to control the hands but Keller won't let him.
Keller doesn't have the hooks in and Romero manages to turn into his guard.
Romero trying to control but Keller is working from the bottom.
Romero passes easily into side control. Nice work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Romero wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Keller, who protects the arm well.
Keller is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Romero prevents Keller from improving his position.
Romero takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Keller is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Romero is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Luivel Romero dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Luivel Romero's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Keller misses with a body shot.
Romero turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
A nice leg kick lands there from Romero.
Keller tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Keller on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Romero misses with a wild body shot.
Keller looks to throw the jab but Romero is out of range.
Romero uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.

Romero scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Keller tries to bench press Romero off him but Romero keeps the position.
Romero looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Keller is avoiding damage well.
Romero wants to lay and pray for a moment but Keller keeps working.
Romero is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Keller can do to turn this around?
Keller is looking to reverse the position.
Romero controls the position.
Keller gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Keller is looking to improve his position.

Keller has guillotine here! It looks pretty tight! Could this be all over! No, Romero escapes and passes into side control at the same time. Nice work there by Romero!

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Romero goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Keller has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Romero but great work by Keller.
Romero wants to get back to his feet.
Romero is trying to control Keller's posture but Keller avoids it.
Romero is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Keller asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Romero is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Keller's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Keller looks to score some points with some ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Keller is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Romero doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Keller.

Keller looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Romero won't allow Keller to pass to mount.
Romero wants to control but Keller is keeping busy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.

Keller seems like he's working for an arm triangle here. He's freed his trapped foot and he's rotating nicely. Romero is in big trouble! He's tapping out! This one is aaaaaaaaaaaall over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:39 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Arm Triangle). Virgil Keller! Virgil Keller retains his middleweight title!
During a confident post fight interview, Virgil Keller thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.