PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Marcos Rojas (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Todd Briggs (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Rojas
vs
Briggs

168 cm
24
140 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

173 cm
24
135 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

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 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Marcos Rojas!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Todd Briggs!
The judges for this bout are Aleksei Zolotukhin, Konstantin Menshow and Viktor Lagutenko.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Briggs decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Still in half guard, Briggs seems content to control.
Briggs's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Rojas missing with punches from the bottom.
Briggs really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Rojas. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Briggs throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Briggs misses with a head shot. Rojas uses the momentum to regain guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Briggs postures up in Rojas's guard and throws a big left but Rojas blocks it.
Rojas keeping full guard, as Briggs tries to pass.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rojas keeping moving, preventing Briggs from controlling successfully.
Briggs stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Rojas swivels though and keeps the full guard.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Briggs trying to stand up but can't free himself from Rojas's guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Briggs has managed to clinch.
Rojas is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Briggs to keep the fight standing.
Rojas slows down the pace here.

Briggs has clasped his hands together around Rojas's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Briggs tries to move into full mount but can't pass Rojas's legs.
Rojas is looking to reverse the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rojas is working hard here to advance position.
Rojas struggling a bit here.
Briggs in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.

Briggs decides to stand up, so the ref orders Rojas to his feet.

Rojas gets a clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Briggs has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Rojas uses from the top position.
Briggs wants to stand but Rojas is controlling the position.
Rojas scoring with some ground and pound.
Briggs looking to hit a scissor sweep but Rojas is one step ahead there.

Briggs has his foot on Rojas's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Rojas works his way back into a safe position though.

Rojas got a little sloppy there for a moment and Briggs has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Rojas has managed to get both his arms back between Briggs's legs - danger averted.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Briggs can do anything to dispel that myth.
Rojas works over Briggs with some ground and pound from guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Briggs working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Rojas.
Rojas won't allow Briggs to sweep him here.

Rojas decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Briggs, up you get!
Briggs closes the distance but Rojas moves to the side
and Rojas counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Rojas tries to clinch there but Briggs circles away.
Briggs let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Briggs gets the takedown into side control.

Rojas bucks up and manages to escape back to his feet!
Briggs looks winded!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Briggs.

Rojas throws his opponent off and manages to get back to his feet! Nicely done!
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 Marcos Rojas will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Rojas closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Rojas breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Briggs gets a takedown into half guard.
Briggs is looking to stand up but he'll have to free his leg first. Instead, Rojas manages to get to full guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rojas manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Briggs manages to get himself to full guard.

Briggs looking to control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rojas throws a big right hand that misses.
Briggs is trying to keep Rojas in close.
Rojas keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Briggs's head.
Marcos Rojas overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Rojas accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Rojas is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Briggs can do to turn this around?
Rojas postures up and lands a big shot to Briggs's brow.

Briggs looking for a guillotine here but Rojas defends easily.
Rojas throws a big elbow that misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Rojas with a nice head shot there.
Rojas working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Rojas with a flurry of punches that miss.
Rojas with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Briggs avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Rojas trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Briggs working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Rojas.
Briggs avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Briggs wants to improve his position but instead Rojas has moved into half guard.
Rojas has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Briggs trying to hold on to Rojas's head to control him but Rojas postures up.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Briggs tries a head kick but it misses.
Rojas wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.

Briggs moves into the clinch successfully.
Briggs has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Rojas misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Briggs.
Rojas fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Briggs being controlled against the cage.

Briggs pulls Rojas into guard.
Rojas postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Briggs looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Rojas puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Rojas throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Briggs is trying to control but Rojas manages to pass to mount!
Briggs is breathing heavily.
Briggs tries to lock up and control but Rojas gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Rojas is trying to take his opponent's back.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Rojas cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Rojas lands a nice shot to the head.
Briggs tries to hold on but Rojas postures up.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Rojas scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Briggs is working to get back to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Marcos Rojas dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Briggs decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

Rojas manages to escape and get back to his feet!

Briggs throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Rojas tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Briggs is in Rojas's guard.
Briggs wants to control from the top but Rojas keeps moving.
Rojas pulls Briggs in close to prevent any damage.
Briggs stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Rojas swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rojas looking to hit a scissor sweep but Briggs is one step ahead there.
Briggs looking to sit in guard and control but Rojas gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Rojas postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Rojas landing some decent shots from guard.
Rojas working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's two 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.
Briggs wants to improve his position but instead Rojas has moved into half guard.
Rojas sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Briggs defending well though.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Rojas scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Briggs tries to roll over but Rojas keeps him under control.
Rojas missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Rojas not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Briggs is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Briggs takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rojas avoids a punch combination nicely.

Briggs manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Rojas on his heels. He'll look to pass Rojas's guard now, I'm sure.

Rojas pushes Briggs off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.

Briggs looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.

Rojas manages to escape and get back to his feet!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!

Briggs feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.

Rojas scrambles and gets back to his feet.
Todd Briggs is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Briggs swats away the attempt to clinch by Rojas.
Briggs doesn't manage to clinch there - Rojas circles away.
Briggs throws a right and a left that Rojas avoids nicely.
Briggs tries to clinch but Rojas is having none of it.
Rojas seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Todd Briggs has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Marcos Rojas is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Briggs looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.

Rojas manages to create a bit of space in order to work his way back to his feet. Briggs keeps hold of his opponent and drives him back against the cage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Marcos Rojas showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Rojas, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 30:26
Judge Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 30:27
Judge Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight 30:26

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Marcos Rojas!