PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Neculai Costel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rodrigo Plouman (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Costel comes into the arena with Ain't No Sunshine blaring out of the sound system. Neculai Costel is staring across the cage at his opponent, tweaking his nipples... Tweaking his own nipples that is.

Costel
vs
Plouman

165 cm
19
140 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

165 cm
25
144 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

Good takedowns
Counter fighter
Cardio machine

Good takedowns
Counter fighter
Experienced

Instinct

Spartan Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Neculai Costel!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Rodrigo Plouman!
The judges for this bout are Stewart Dunkirk, Frank Dennis and Gwen Towbar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Costel turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.

Costel clinches.

Plouman gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Costel is refusing to be controlled, as Plouman sits in half guard.
Plouman passes the guard and advances to mount!
Costel regains half guard.
Plouman is trying to control. Costel wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Costel is trying to maintain the position but Plouman is very close to passing his half guard.

Plouman is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.

Costel looking for submissions off his back.

Plouman 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.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Plouman is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Costel gets full guard.

Costel working for a triangle but Plouman defends it easily.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Costel looking for a sweep. Not yet Costel, not yet.
Costel trying to keep a closed guard but Plouman is proving a slippery customer.
Plouman pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Costel is keeping the position for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

Plouman thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

Costel looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Costel wants to hit a switch here but Plouman passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for Costel there!

Plouman is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Costel to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Costel shrugs it off.
Costel tries to reverse the position but Plouman maintains control.
Costel is working hard here to advance position.

Plouman goes for an armbar but Costel turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from Costel.

Plouman looking for a guillotine here but Costel defends easily.
Costel trying to control but Plouman is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Plouman looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

Plouman is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Costel defends well.

Costel avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

Plouman looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

Costel is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Plouman is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Plouman has escaped and now he's on top!
Plouman trying to control but Costel is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.

Costel is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Plouman is aware though and is defending well.

Costel is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Plouman defends well.
Plouman trying to control but Costel is working from the bottom.

Plouman is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Costel is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Costel has escaped and now he's on top!
Costel trying to control but Plouman is working from the bottom.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Costel trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rodrigo Plouman dominated that round.
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.

Good leg kick by Costel there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Plouman shoots in for a takedown but Costel shows good takedown defense.
Costel throws a lazy head kick

and Plouman decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Costel's guard.
Costel keeping moving, preventing Plouman from controlling successfully.

Costel is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

Plouman thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Plouman trying to control but Costel is working from the bottom.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Plouman got a little sloppy there for a moment and Costel has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Plouman has managed to get both his arms back between Costel's legs - danger averted.
Plouman wants to pass the guard but Costel is keeping the position.
Plouman wants to control from the top but Costel keeps moving.

That's one minute gone in the round.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Costel is on top in guard.

Costel thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

Costel got a little sloppy there for a moment and Plouman has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Costel has managed to get both his arms back between Plouman's legs - danger averted.
Costel wants to control from the top but Plouman keeps moving.

Plouman throws his legs up looking for a submission but Costel uses it to pass to side control.
Plouman wants to control but Costel postures up.
Plouman looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Costel wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Plouman, who protects the arm well.

Costel tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Costel has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Plouman is trying to control Costel's posture but Costel avoids it.

Costel is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Plouman is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Plouman can't do much from the bottom here.
Plouman is looking to reverse the position.
Costel wants to lay and pray for a moment but Plouman keeps working.
Plouman is trying to control Costel's posture but Costel avoids it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Costel wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Plouman, who protects the arm well.
Costel tries to advance to mount but Plouman denies him.

Costel in side control, working for a kimura. He's got hold of an arm and he's torquing it... Plouman is tapping! That's the end of the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:50 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Neculai Costel!
A victorious Neculai Costel thanked his army of followers in his post fight interview, telling people to make sure they follow him on Twitter.