PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Eric Tanner (ranked 9527 p4p, 0 weight class) and Todd Rodd (ranked 24781 p4p, 0 weight class). Todd Rodd will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Tanner
vs
Rodd

170 cm
19
216 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

225 cm
21
210 lbs
1 - 7 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Dangerous knees
KO power

BJJ White Belt
Dangerous knees
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Eric Tanner!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Todd Rodd!
The judges for this bout are Alec Ball, Steve Smith and Gregory Folan.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Tanner misses the jab.
Tanner sets himself, and Rodd steps forward looking for the clinch! Tanner avoids it this time.
Rodd defending well as Tanner loads up on a big left hand.
Tanner tries to clinch but Rodd is having none of it.
Rodd tries a quick counter leg kick but Tanner is wise to it.
Tanner swings for the body but Rodd moves out of range.
Rodd now looks to counter with a shot at the body.
Tanner fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Rodd manages to avoid it.
Tanner throws a body punch but Rodd moves out of range.
Tanner really is a fat lump.
Rodd keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Tanner.
Tanner fails with an attempt to clinch.
Rodd doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tanner jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Rodd steps in looking to clinch after the strikes miss from Tanner.
Eric Tanner seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Tanner throws an overhand right that lands on Rodd's shoulder, as Rodd tries to avoid the shot.
Tanner tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Rodd manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Rodd flicks out a counter leg kick but Tanner steps away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rodd defending well as Tanner loads up on a big left hand.
Tanner fails in his attempt to clinch.
Rodd avoids the body shot from Tanner.
Rodd steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Tanner.
Rodd slaps away a takedown attempt from Tanner, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Tanner moves in looking to clinch but Rodd pushes him off.
Tanner backing away here, and Rodd unleashes a leg kick that just misses.
Tanner throws a body shot but no joy.
Tanner throws a hook to the side of Rodd's head but Rodd sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Tanner throws a body shot but no joy.
The fighters circling - Tanner throws out the jab but it was never going to land.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tanner throws a hook but Rodd avoids it easily.
Tanner throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Rodd sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Tanner tries to clinch there but Rodd circles away.
Tanner misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Rodd.
Tanner throws a big shot that misses.
A looping hook to the body misses from Tanner. Rodd does a little dance to reset his feet.
Tanner doesn't manage to clinch there - Rodd circles away.
Tanner takes a swing at Rodd's ribcage but misses.
A nice side step and Rodd releases a counter shot to the body, but it doesn't find it's home.
Tanner darts in trying to clinch
and Rodd makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rodd uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Tanner.
Rodd tries to counter by closing the distance.
Tanner misses with an uppercut. Rodd saw that one coming.
Tanner throws a big shot that misses.
Rodd blocks a jab.
Tanner looks to score with a jab to the body but Rodd is just out of range.
Rodd wants to counter the offense by Tanner and move into the clinch position.
Tanner throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Rodd swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Tanner takes a swing at Rodd's ribcage but misses.
Rodd steps in looking to clinch after the strikes miss from Tanner.
Tanner ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Rodd moves away.
Rodd tries to counter with a clinch but Tanner shakes him off and moves away.
Tanner is really struggling to find his range with his punches. Rodd's reach advantage is clearly causing him problems.
A slow jab from Tanner misses its intended target.
Rodd looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tanner closes the distance but Rodd moves to the side
and Tanner takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Tanner wants to clinch.
Tanner throws a body shot but no joy.
Tanner tries to close the distance and clinch up but Rodd swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Rodd tries a quick counter leg kick but Tanner is wise to it.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Rodd avoids the body shot from Tanner.
The fight stays on the outside here - Tanner looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eric Tanner dominated that round.
That's time! Tanner's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Tanner doesn't manage to clinch there - Rodd circles away.
Rodd keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Rodd wants to counter with a clinch but Tanner pushes him away.
Rodd swats away the attempt to clinch by Tanner.
Tanner wants to clinch up but Rodd keeps it at a distance.
Tanner shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Rodd as he avoids it easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tanner fails in his attempt to clinch.
Tanner ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Rodd moves away.
Tanner misses with a hook.
Rodd appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
Tanner wants to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nice sprawl there from Rodd as Tanner shoots in.
Rodd is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Eric Tanner. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Tanner closes the distance and clinches up with Rodd, looking for a takedown. Tanner pushes Rodd against the cage but Rodd circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Rodd avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Rodd looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Tanner tries to clinch but Rodd moves out of range.
Rodd is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Tanner with a body shot.
Tanner swings away with a body shot that misses
and Rodd counters with an inside leg kick.
Tanner misses with a lunging right hand
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Rodd slips under a jab from Tanner.
Tanner is looking to clinch but Rodd is avoiding it.
Rodd counters with a body kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rodd slips a straight right by Tanner.
Rodd looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Tanner tries to close the distance and clinch but Rodd swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
And Rodd responds with a good body kick, but Tanner manages to step out the way in time.
Tanner is looking to clinch.
Tanner throws a body shot but no joy.
Rodd looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Tanner looks to land a left hand but Rodd moved out of range nicely.
Rodd wants to counter with a clinch but Tanner pushes him away.
Rodd slips a straight right by Tanner.
Tanner loads up on a big right hand but Rodd slips the punch.
Rodd uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Tanner.
Rodd wants to counter the offense by Tanner and move into the clinch position.
Tanner misses with an uppercut. Rodd saw that one coming.
Tanner misses with an uppercut. Rodd saw that one coming.
Rodd tries to counter with a clinch but Tanner shakes him off and moves away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tanner throws a body punch but Rodd moves out of range.
Rodd is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.
Tanner wants to clinch.
Rodd avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Rodd steps in looking to clinch after the strikes miss from Tanner.
Tanner loads up on a big right hand but Rodd slips the punch.
Tanner throws a big shot that misses.
Rodd wants to counter with a clinch but Tanner pushes him away.
Rodd keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Rodd defending well as Tanner loads up on a big left hand.
Tanner sets himself, and Rodd steps forward looking for the clinch! Tanner avoids it this time.
Tanner fails with a takedown attempt.
Rodd wants to counter with a clinch but Tanner pushes him away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tanner shoots in but no luck this time.
Tanner fails in his attempt to clinch.
Rodd slips under a jab from Tanner.
Tanner throws an overhand right that lands on Rodd's shoulder, as Rodd tries to avoid the shot.
Tanner misses with a wild body shot.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Tanner tries to close the distance and clinch but Rodd swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Rodd staying out of range there.
A big right from Tanner misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Todd Rodd will probably get the nod - 10:9.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Tanner throws a lazy right hand but Rodd sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Rodd tries to counter with a clinch but Tanner shakes him off and moves away.
Tanner misses with an uppercut.
Rodd shapes to counter with a head kick.
Rodd moves away from the strike by Tanner.
Rodd throws a big counter head kick but Tanner avoids it with no problem.
Tanner rushes in with a sloppy looking punch

and Rodd counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Tanner missing with knees to the body.
Tanner using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Rodd has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Rodd content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Tanner tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Rodd avoids it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rodd is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Tanner is keeping busy.
Tanner using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Rodd has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tanner tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Tanner looking to throw knees to the head but Rodd is blocking nicely.
Tanner tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Rodd avoids it.
Tanner misses with a knee strike.
Rodd looking to stall.
Rodd on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Rodd is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Tanner is keeping busy.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Tanner tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Tanner tries to land a knee to the head but Rodd blocks with his arms.
Rodd managing to block the knees to the body from Tanner.
Tanner throws a knee to the head but misses.
Rodd looking to slow down the pace here.
Rodd avoiding damage as Tanner throws knees to the body.
Tanner is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Rodd is defending well for now.
Rodd trying to control the position but instead, Tanner has worked for underhooks and has pushed Rodd into the cage.
Tanner tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tanner throws a knee to the head but misses.
Rodd is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Tanner looking to throw knees to the head but Rodd is blocking nicely.
Tanner with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Tanner trying to land knees to the body.
Rodd is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Tanner misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Rodd.
Tanner throws an elbow that misses.
Rodd looking to stall.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Rodd is looking to control Tanner's arms but Tanner gets an underhook and turns him. Now Rodd has his back to the cage.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Todd Rodd.
Rodd moves away from the strike by Tanner.
Eric Tanner is winning the standup battle so far.
Tanner tries to clinch but Rodd moves away
and Rodd counters with a nice low kick that buckles Tanner's knee momentarily.
Rodd slips under a jab.
Tanner ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Rodd moves away.
A countering left hand to the body from Rodd misses.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Tanner tries to clinch but Rodd moves out of range.
Rodd is clearly looking to counter with head kicks.
Tanner missing with a left hand there. Rodd was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Tanner tries to close the distance and clinch but Rodd swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

And that's the end of the fight!
Eric Tanner showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Tanner has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Alec Ball scores the fight 30:27
Judge Steve Smith scores the fight 30:28
Judge Gregory Folan scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Eric Tanner!
After the fight, Eric Tanner was humble in paying tribute to his opponent but made it clear he wants to go on to bigger and better things. It seemed to go down well with the crowd who cheered him loudly.