PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Lennox Rogers (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Khalid Haji (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Lennox Rogers has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Rogers
vs
Haji

195 cm
25
185 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

187 cm
25
187 lbs
2 - 5 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Knockout power

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Lennox Rogers!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 5 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Khalid Haji!
The judges for this bout are Santiago Holmes, Daniel Franklin and Dirk Anderson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rogers is looking to score with low kicks.
Rogers misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Haji lands a head kick!

It looks like Lennox Rogers has been cut.
Rogers fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Haji avoids it really well and circles away.
Haji lands a jab to the nose.

Haji shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Haji is trying to control. Rogers wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Rogers is looking to improve his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Haji seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

Rogers looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

Haji decides to stand up.
A head kick by Rogers misses
enabling Haji to counter with a crisp jab.
Haji slaps away a takedown attempt from Rogers, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Haji throws a fast counter high kick but Rogers manages to duck under it in time.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Rogers is defended easily by Haji.
Haji wants to counter the offense by Rogers and move into the clinch position.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Lennox Rogers. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Haji goes for a high kick. It partially lands.

Haji fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Rogers sprawls well initially but Haji persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Haji perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Rogers wants to control but Haji is keeping busy.
Still in half guard, Haji seems content to control.
Let's hope that Haji has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Rogers is not content to let Haji control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Haji looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Rogers with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.

Haji decides to stand up.
Rogers tries to bum rush Haji with a series of wild strikes but Haji uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
An inside leg kick lands from Rogers.

Haji gets a takedown into half guard.
Haji is trying to control the action in half guard but Rogers is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Haji is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Rogers!
Haji has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Rogers's face.
Rogers working to try and regain half guard.
Rogers is breathing heavily.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Haji controlling from the full mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Khalid Haji dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Lennox Rogers's cut.
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.

Horrible takedown attempt by Haji or perhaps it was just good defense by Rogers, which made it look bad.

Rogers takes the fight into the clinch.
Rogers is struggling to control the position.
Haji has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Rogers is trying to break the clinch but Haji is controlling him.
Rogers tries to pull guard but Haji won't allow it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Haji works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Rogers not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Khalid Haji has got the better of the ground game so far.
Rogers wants to get back to his feet but Haji is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

Rogers looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Haji passes into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Haji is working for a submission here. He's got hold of the far side arm and he's looking for a kimura. He's cranking on the arm and he's got it! Rogers is tapping out! Ouch, that looked like it hurt!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:30 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Khalid Haji!