PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Roderick Patel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Chris Finnegan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chris Finnegan will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Patel
vs
Finnegan

224 cm
23
279 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

193 cm
25
245 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Roderick Patel!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Chris Finnegan!
The judges for this bout are Tiny Johnson, Gwen Towbar and Wesley Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Finnegan closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Patel tries to improve position but can't.
The referee asks Finnegan politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Finnegan prefers to stall for the moment though.
Patel manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Patel is looking for a sweep. Finnegan is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Patel really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Patel is not content to let Finnegan control the position.
Patel trying to control here but he's found himself mounted! Oh no!
Patel is desperately trying to improve his position but Finnegan has a good base and remains in mount.
Patel is squirming around, avoiding Finnegan's attempts to control the action.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Patel is looking to get to half guard.
Finnegan throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Patel is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Finnegan trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Patel gets back to half guard.
Patel wants to improve his position but Finnegan is controlling well.
Finnegan trying to control from half guard but Patel is working away.
Patel is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Finnegan missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Patel is looking to improve his position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Finnegan wants to lay and pray for a moment but Patel keeps working.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Patel trying to get back to full guard but Finnegan takes advantage of the position and moves to full mount!
Patel gets back to half guard.

Finnegan is looking for a kimura here.
Patel trying to hold on to Finnegan's head to control him but Finnegan postures up.
Patel is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Finnegan's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Finnegan's back!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Patel somehow managing to miss with a strike from the back.
Patel trying to control momentarily.
Patel controls the position.
Patel not allowing Finnegan to control his hands.
Patel just keeping the dominant position. He can't wait too long though, otherwise the referee will stand them back up.
Patel is looking to control Finnegan but Finnegan is wriggling around and keeping busy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Patel gets his hands free as Finnegan looks to control.
Patel really has the hooks in deep now - there seems like no escape for Finnegan.
Finnegan tries to break free.
Finnegan trying to control the hands but Patel breaks the grip.
Patel will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Patel really has the hooks in deep now - there seems like no escape for Finnegan.
Patel controlling well, preventing Finnegan from escaping the position.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Patel is controlling his opponent, waiting for an opportunity to finish.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Chris Finnegan will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Patel takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.

Finnegan darts in and clinches Patel up against the cage.
Finnegan scores with a nice hook to the head.

It looks like Roderick Patel has been cut.
Patel tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Finnegan just stands there and leans against the cage.

Finnegan pulls guard.
Patel is stalling in the full guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Patel would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Patel won't allow Finnegan to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Finnegan keeping moving, preventing Patel from controlling successfully.
Patel wanted to stand there but Finnegan had control of the position.
Patel controls from within his opponent's guard.
Patel preventing the sweep.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Patel takes a head kick and shrugs it off.

Finnegan shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Patel manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Patel is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Patel is taking a breather. Finnegan says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Patel tries to stand but can't do so whilst Finnegan controls his leg.
Patel stalling.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Finnegan is looking to control Patel's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Finnegan avoid being mounted?
Patel is trying to get back to his feet now but his leg is trapped.

Patel decides to stand up.

Patel shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Finnegan's guard.

Finnegan is looking for a triangle here but Patel uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
Patel controlling the position from side mount.
Patel lands a few punches from side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Finnegan avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Patel.
Patel content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
Patel trying to control the position but Finnegan is working away.

Patel stands up and beckons Finnegan to his feet.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Finnegan misses with an attempted mid kick.
Patel shoots in looking for a takedown. Finnegan tries to sprawl out of it but Patel keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Finnegan manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Roderick Patel will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Roderick Patel's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Finnegan connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Finnegan lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Patel at a distance.
Finnegan moves in looking to clinch but Patel pushes him off.

Finnegan looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Finnegan performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Patel is trying to stand back up but Finnegan is controlling him
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Patel slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Roderick Patel overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Finnegan wants to pass the guard but Patel is keeping the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Patel working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Finnegan.
Finnegan postures up in Patel's guard and throws a big left but Patel blocks it.
Patel is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Patel perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Patel tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Finnegan.
Finnegan is staying active underneath Patel, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Patel tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Finnegan.
Patel is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Finnegan is doing well to control the position and prevent Patel from advancing to side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Patel content to control rather than advance.
Patel trying to control from half guard but Finnegan is working away.

Patel is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Patel passes into side control, despite Finnegan's attempt to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Finnegan is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Patel's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Patel seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Patel lands a nice short elbow.
Patel tries to stand and escape but Finnegan is controlling the position.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

Finnegan scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Patel is trying to control Finnegan's posture but Finnegan avoids it.
Patel gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Finnegan takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Finnegan decides to stand and escape the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Patel throws out a loose jab but Finnegan uses good head movement to avoid it.
Patel keeps the fight on the outside.
Patel fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Finnegan tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Finnegan throws a jab when Patel was well out of range.
Patel half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Finnegan misses with a kick to the body.

Finnegan gets the takedown into side control.
Patel is not content to let Finnegan control the position.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Patel is looking to slip a leg under and get half guard but Finnegan is one step ahead and moves to full mount!

And that's the end of the fight!
Chris Finnegan comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Finnegan 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 Tiny Johnson scores the fight 27:30
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 29:30
Judge Wesley Smith scores the fight 28:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Chris Finnegan!