PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Shane Rootham (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mike Howard (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). There are an array of beautiful celebrities at ringside tonight! I wonder if any of them paid for their tickets.

Rootham
vs
Howard

172 cm
25
130 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

165 cm
18
137 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Good chin

Good wrestler
Brawler
Tends to cut

KAISER

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Shane Rootham !
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Mike Howard!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Bishop, Richard Clark and William Gold.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rootham moves out of range as Howard strikes.
Rootham uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Howard.
Rootham shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Howard as he jumps to the side.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Rootham wants to stall.
Howard throws a punch but it's blocked by Rootham .

Rootham ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Rootham no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Howard wants to pass the guard but Rootham is keeping the position.
Howard must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Howard postures up in Rootham 's guard and throws a big left but Rootham blocks it.
Howard throws a big elbow that misses.
Howard missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rootham wants to get back to his feet but Howard is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Rootham utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Howard really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Rootham . If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Howard trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Howard is looking to work some ground and pound but Rootham has wrist control.
Howard throwing strikes but missing.
Rootham has momentary wrist control but Howard slips an elbow through the middle.
Howard trying to control but Rootham is working from the bottom.
Howard postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Howard lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Howard stands up over Rootham , holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Howard trying to control but Rootham is working from the bottom.
Howard is looking to work some ground and pound but Rootham has wrist control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rootham keeping full guard, as Howard tries to pass.
Howard trying to control the position from guard on top but Rootham is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Rootham controlling the position.
Howard postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Howard chips away with some ground and pound.
Howard trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Howard throwing strikes from guard but Rootham blocks nicely.
Howard lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Rootham keeping moving, preventing Howard from controlling successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Howard landing some decent shots from guard.
Rootham working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Howard.
Howard scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Howard lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Howard working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Rootham 's head.
Howard throws an elbow that misses. Rootham uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Howard's guard. Nice move by Rootham !

Rootham works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Howard tries to get to full guard but Rootham has control of the leg.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Howard can do anything to dispel that myth.
Howard is trying to maintain the position but Rootham is very close to passing his half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Howard wants to get back to full guard.
Howard trying to hold on to Rootham 's head to control him but Rootham postures up.
Howard might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Rootham haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mike Howard 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.

Howard stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Howard wants it to stay on the feet.
Rootham misses with a takedown attempt - Howard sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Howard misses with a straight right.
Rootham lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Howard looks to throw the jab but Rootham is out of range.
Howard pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Howard throws a poor cross that misses
and Rootham counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Rootham tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Howard defends well and Rootham ends up having to push Howard into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
A countering left hand to the body from Howard misses.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Shane Rootham . That's going to take a lot out of him.
Howard tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
An inside leg kick from Howard misses.

Howard closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
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!
Howard prevents Rootham from standing back up.
Howard has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Howard throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Howard is keen to just control but Rootham is a slippery customer.
Howard winds up and cracks Rootham with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Rootham trying to control but Howard postures up.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Howard landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.

Rootham looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Nice strikes from Howard there.
The fighters are battling for position here. Rootham manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Howard content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Howard is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Howard working some strikes from top position.
Howard keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Rootham 's head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Howard trying to control but Rootham is working from the bottom.
Howard postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Howard trying to control the position from guard on top but Rootham is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Rootham avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Howard postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Howard missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Howard is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Rootham has momentary wrist control but Howard slips an elbow through the middle.
Howard lands a couple of digs.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Howard cracks Rootham with a solid left hand.

Rootham is rocked!
Howard postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Oh Rootham is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Howard landing with the ground and pound.
Howard with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Howard chips away with some ground and pound.
Howard gets to his feet and stands over Rootham , holding his ankles. He dives in with a big left hand that connects! Rootham felt that one! Howard unloads more punches and elbows and this one is over! The ref has dived in to save Rootham from any more punishment!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:39 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Mike Howard!
Mike Howard decided to go for the less than humble approach in his post fight interview, telling everyone how he is going to conquer the world. The crowd seemed to like it when really that sort of approach could have gone either way.