PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Heriberto Howe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rough Rider (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rough Rider has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Heriberto Howe's chin.

Howe
vs
Rider

202 cm
18
193 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

190 cm
22
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Hates pizza

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Heriberto Howe!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Rough Rider!
The judges for this bout are Paul Gruel, Josh West and Colin Fray.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Jab from Rider.
Rider throws a left and a right that both miss

and Howe moves into the clinch.
Howe tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Rider smiles and moves away.
Rider looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

Rider gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Howe jumps guard but Rider turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.

Rider manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Howe connects with a couple of short punches.

Rider looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rider looking to control.
Rider trying to strike off his back.
Rider has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Howe trying to control the position from guard on top but Rider is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Rider controlling the position.
Rider bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Howe's guard.

Rider slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Rider trying to control the position from guard on top but Howe is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Howe throws his legs up looking for a submission but Rider uses it to pass to side control.
Howe knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Rider on the ground.

Rider tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Rider has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Howe wants to get back to his feet but Rider drags him back down.
Howe really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Howe tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Rider wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Rider scores with punches from side control.
Rider slows the pace down.

Rider is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Howe is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Rider taking a breather here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rider working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rider advances to full mount.
Rider tries to control but Howe wriggling away.
Rider controlling his opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Rider tries to control but Howe wriggling away.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Rider cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Rider looking to control but Howe is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Howe is trying to escape the mount.
Howe is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Rider breaks from Howe's wrist control and lands an elbow.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rough Rider dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Rider will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

Rider moves into the clinch.
Howe is trying to pull guard but Rider has him pressed against the cage.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Howe tries to pull guard but Rider forces him back to his feet, against the cage.

Rider gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Howe regains guard.
Howe is looking to stand back up but Rider counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Howe.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Rider escapes and gets back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rider turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.

Rider gets a clinch.

Howe works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.

Rider is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.
Howe is trying to maintain a safe position but Rider gets an underhook and turns Howe into the cage.
Howe managing to block the knees to the body from Rider.
Howe tries to work over Rider's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.

Rider turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Rider decides to stand back up.

Howe gets caught napping as Rider dives in and scores a takedown. Howe manages to retain guard.
Rider works a leg free and moves into half guard.

Rider 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 two minutes gone in the round.
Howe wants to stand back up but Rider manages to pass into side control.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Howe is letting Rider control him for a moment.
Rider wants to lay and pray for a moment but Howe keeps working.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.
Rider working the ground and pound.

Rider swings around for an armbar but Howe sees it coming a mile off and turns beautifully into Rider's guard.
Rider is trying to control the position but Howe postures up.
Howe throwing strikes from guard but Rider blocks nicely.
Rider throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Howe trying to control the position from guard on top but Rider is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Howe lands a couple of digs.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Rider is on top in guard.

Rider passes Howe's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Rider not doing much here.
Rider lands strikes from half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rough Rider showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Rider fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Rider tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Howe defends well and Rider ends up having to push Howe into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Howe seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Howe throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

Rider closes the distance and pushes Howe back into the cage.
Rider manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.

Rider pulls guard successfully.
Rider has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Rider is on top in guard.

We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Howe is working an open guard so Rider takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.

Rider gets a clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Howe tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Rider smiles and moves away.
Rider misses with a body kick.
Rider tries for a takedown but Howe sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Howe is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Howe misses with a takedown
and Rider counters with a one-two to the body.

Rider moves into range and clinches up with Howe.
Rider changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Howe fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Heriberto Howe has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rough Rider.
Rider tries to bum rush Howe with a series of wild strikes but Howe uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Rider looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Howe is trying to close the distance and clinch up, after that failed offence from Rider.

Rider instigates a clinch.

Rider's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Rider moves into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Howe breaks the clinch.
Howe blocks a head kick by Rider.
Rider takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Rider closes the distance and clinches.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.

Howe manages to pull guard.

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

Rider looking for a sweep. Not yet Rider, not yet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Howe is looking to work some ground and pound but Rider has wrist control.
Howe preventing the sweep.
Howe postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Rider tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Rider looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Rider wants to sweep but no luck.

Rider looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Howe passes into side control.
Rider gets back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Howe throwing shots but Rider is blocking nicely.
Rider punching from the bottom.
Rider is not content to let Howe control the position.
Rider manages to get to full guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Rider not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rough Rider comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Rider 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 Paul Gruel scores the fight 27:30
Judge Josh West scores the fight 27:30
Judge Colin Fray scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rough Rider!