PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Rex Velasquez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Myron Rose (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Myron Rose has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Rex Velasquez's chin.

Velasquez
vs
Rose

206 cm
24
162 lbs
0 - 3 - 0

178 cm
23
164 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Rex Velasquez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Myron Rose!
The judges for this bout are Matti Vanhoillinen, Arvi Lind and Roosa Järviläinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Crunch! Rose slams his shin into Velasquez's torso.

Rose moves into the clinch successfully.

Rose breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Velasquez enables Rose to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Velasquez manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.

Rose stands up from Velasquez's guard - Rose perhaps looking for a knockout.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Velasquez has Rose pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Velasquez pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Rose tumbling to the mat - Velasquez dives into Rose's guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Rose has a closed guard, preventing Velasquez from standing up.
Rose bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Velasquez's guard.

Rose stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Velasquez swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Velasquez keeping moving, preventing Rose from controlling successfully.
Rose controls from within his opponent's guard.
Velasquez keeping full guard, as Rose tries to pass.
Velasquez will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Velasquez can't keep his opponent in guard - Rose advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Velasquez is concentrating on defense, preventing Rose from advancing position.
Velasquez moves into full guard.
Rose engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Rose is looking to stand up but Velasquez won't let him.
Velasquez really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Rose is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Velasquez looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Velasquez is pulling down on Rose's head to control his posture.
Rose postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Velasquez trying to control the position here.

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

Rose shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Velasquez trying to hold on to Rose's head to control him but Rose postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Velasquez tries to get to full guard but Rose has control of the leg.
Velasquez is trying to maintain the position but Rose is very close to passing his half guard.
Velasquez is looking for a sweep. Rose is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Rose wants to lay and pray for a moment but Velasquez keeps working.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Rose tries to pass to full mount but Velasquez defends it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Rose shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Velasquez's guard.
Rose trying to control but Velasquez is working from the bottom.
Rose would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Rose showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Rose pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Velasquez is keeping the position for now.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rose trying to control but Velasquez is working from the bottom.
Myron Rose has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rose won't allow Velasquez to sweep him here.
Rose looking to pass the guard.
Rose looking to sit in guard and control but Velasquez gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Velasquez postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Rose is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Velasquez, into his guard.

Rose is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rose pushes down on Velasquez's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Rose trying to control the action but Velasquez is working from the bottom.
Rose throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Velasquez is trying to maintain the position but Rose is very close to passing his half guard.
Rose is looking to take a break and control but Velasquez is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Rose trying to advance position but Velasquez counters by regaining guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Velasquez is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Rose preventing the sweep.
Rose wants to pass the guard but Velasquez is keeping the position.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Rose accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Rose trying to control the position from guard on top but Velasquez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Velasquez bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Rose's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

Velasquez decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Myron Rose seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Rose bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Velasquez is trying to get back to half guard.
Rose wants to stand but Velasquez has his arm trapped.
Velasquez is holding Rose down, trying to stall.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Rose wants to take a breather but Velasquez manages to regain guard - a lesson learnt for Rose.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Myron Rose showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

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

Velasquez gets control of Rose's arms and successfully pulls guard. Velasquez will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.

Rose decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.

Velasquez looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Rose has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Rose is trying to stand up here but Velasquez is controlling him well.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Velasquez is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Velasquez thows a huge punch but Rose dodges it nicely.
Rose wants to control but Velasquez is keeping busy and won't allow it.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Velasquez seems to be looking for submissions.
Rose is looking for a sweep. Velasquez is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Velasquez looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Rose with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Velasquez lands with a punch from half guard.
Rose trying to control but Velasquez postures up.
Velasquez tries to stand but his arm is trapped.

Velasquez is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Rose trying to hold on to Velasquez's head to control him but Velasquez postures up.
Rose controlling the position well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Velasquez seems to be working for a kimura but Rose defends the submission attempt.
Velasquez seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Rose tries to roll over but Velasquez keeps him under control.
Velasquez is thwarting Rose's attempts to control the position.
Velasquez tries to stand but can't do so whilst Rose controls his leg.
Rose gets back to full guard.
Rose takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Velasquez has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Rose is proving hard to escape from.

Velasquez drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Rose manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Velasquez has Rose in his guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rose trying to control but Velasquez is working from the bottom.
Rose must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Velasquez controlling the position.
Velasquez's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Rose seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Velasquez is adopting a defensive guard.
Velasquez wants to sweep but no luck.
Velasquez is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Rose trying to control the position from guard on top but Velasquez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Rex Velasquez has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Myron Rose is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Rose gets a takedown into half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Rex Velasquez.
Well Rose 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 Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 27:30
Judge Arvi Lind scores the fight 28:29
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Myron Rose!