PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Blake Halder (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Cristian Romero (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Blake Halder is staring across the cage at his opponent, tweaking his nipples... Tweaking his own nipples that is.

Halder
vs
Romero

192 cm
33
263 lbs
12 - 3 - 0

179 cm
34
180 lbs
26 - 26 - 1

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Granite chin

Excellent grappler
Good kicks
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Blake Halder!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 26 - 26 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Cristian Romero!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, Tiny Johnson and Gwen Towbar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Romero shoots for a takedown but Halder saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Halder listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Blake Halder seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Halder tries to bum rush Romero with a series of wild strikes but Romero uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Romero fails with the takedown.
A looping hook to the body misses from Halder. Romero does a little dance to reset his feet.
Halder has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.
Romero avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Romero will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Blake Halder has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Cristian Romero.
Halder has his takedown stuffed

and Romero decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Halder's guard.
Romero wants to control from the top but Halder keeps moving.
Halder will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Romero might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Halder haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Romero wants to pass the guard but Halder is keeping the position.
Romero trying to control but Halder is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Romero tries to free his leg and advance position but Halder is retaining full guard.
Halder trying to control the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Romero throws an elbow that misses. Halder uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Romero's guard. Nice move by Halder!

Romero is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Halder is trying to get back to full guard.
Romero is looking to advance position but Halder won't allow it.
Romero lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Romero stalling.
Halder is refusing to be controlled, as Romero sits in half guard.

The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Romero is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Halder sees it coming and defends easily.
Romero is pressing down on Halder's thigh, looking to free his foot. Halder is holding on for now.
Halder wants to control but Romero is keeping busy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Halder taking some punishment here, with Romero in his half guard.

Halder looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Romero working his ground and pound in the gym. So far it seems to be working well.
Romero trying to control the action but Halder is working from the bottom.
Halder trying to control but Romero postures up.
Romero thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Romero not doing much here.
Romero throwing shots but Halder is blocking nicely.
Romero looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Halder with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Romero prevents Halder from improving his position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Romero missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Halder taking some punishment here, with Romero in his half guard.
Romero throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Romero wants to control but Halder is keeping him busy.
Romero controlling the action here.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Romero will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Cristian Romero dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Romero fails to land the takedown.
Romero fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Halder scores with a punch to the head.
Halder misses with a wild body shot.
Romero moves out of range of the body kick.
Halder moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Romero moves out of range as Halder strikes.
Romero feints the counter takedown.
Romero shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Halder as he jumps to the side.

Romero shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Halder manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Romero wants to control from the top but Halder keeps moving.
Romero pushes down on Halder's leg and manages to get into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Halder trying to hold on to Romero's head to control him but Romero postures up.
Romero has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Halder is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Romero's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Romero's back!

Halder working for a RNC but it's not happening just yet.
Romero is keeping busy.
Romero covers up after taking a massive shot to the side of the head.
Romero trying to control the hands but Halder won't let him.
Romero grimaces as he takes a shot to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Romero is trying to break free.
Romero breaks Halder's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
Romero preventing the sweep.
Halder is working hard here to advance position.
Romero throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Halder works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Romero is working Halder over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.

Halder working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Romero doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Romero manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Romero trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Romero throwing strikes from guard but Halder blocks nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Romero won't allow Halder to sweep him here.
Romero works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Romero is trying to control the action in half guard but Halder is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Romero connects with a nice short shot to Halder's temple.
Romero passes to full mount!
Halder is wriggling around trying to escape.
Halder in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Romero punishing his opponent with strikes.
Romero looking to control and managing it successfully.
Cristian Romero has got the better of the ground game so far.
Halder is wriggling around trying to escape.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Romero tries to control but Halder wriggling away.
Halder takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Romero landing strikes from the mount.
Halder slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Halder has hold of Romero's hands but Romero slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Romero throwing shots but Halder is blocking nicely.
Halder is trying to get back to full guard.
Romero thows a huge punch but Halder dodges it nicely.
Halder tries to roll over but Romero keeps him under control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Cristian Romero showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Romero looks for a takedown but Halder sprawls well.
Romero changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Halder tries to avoid it but Romero manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Halder to the ground. Halder escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Romero is defended easily by Halder.
Blake Halder has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Cristian Romero.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Halder.
Halder defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Romero.
Halder defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Romero.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Romero shoots for a takedown but Halder saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Halder misses with a low kick.
Halder lands with an uppercut that bounces Romero off the cage and back into range.
Romero stuffs the takedown.
A big right from Romero misses.
Halder throws the kick towards the body but Romero avoids it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Romero shoots for a takedown but Halder saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Romero avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Romero fails with a takedown attempt.
Romero takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Halder stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Halder scores with a sloppy right hand. Romero should have avoided that one.
Halder stuffs the takedown.
Halder pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Halder is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.

Romero changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Halder looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.

Romero tries for a kimura but Halder is defending well.
Romero cracks Halder with a big right hand but Halder just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Blake Halder has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Halder tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Romero wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Romero lands a few punches from side control.
Halder is looking for a sweep.
Romero working the ground and pound from side control.
Romero lands a nice forearm strike.

Romero thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Romero in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Romero tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Romero working the ground and pound.
Romero works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Halder gets back to half guard.
Halder avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Romero.
Romero thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Romero is looking to take a break and control but Halder is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Halder slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Halder working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Romero.
Romero pushing down on Halder's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Romero prevents Halder from improving his position.
Romero passes to full mount!
Romero landing punches.
Halder is looking to get to half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Cristian Romero.
I've got Romero 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 Daniel Franklin scores the fight 27:30
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 27:30
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Cristian Romero!
Jumping up and down and very excited, Cristian Romero waved his t-shirt featuring xXx Fight Gear's logo in front of the cameras.