PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Randy Rhodes (ranked 6712 p4p, 500 weight class) and Gennady Golovkin (ranked 8774 p4p, 558 weight class). Rhodes comes to the ring accompanied by Imperial March (L.O.D. Rage Mix). Both fighters really staring each other down here, as Gennady Golovkin enters the ring!

Rhodes
vs
Golovkin

174 cm
19
154 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

179 cm
23
158 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Can Moonwalk

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 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Randy Rhodes!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Gennady Golovkin!
The judges for this bout are Sosuke Kotani, Tatsuya Matsuyama and Ren Mimura.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rhodes shoots for a takedown but Golovkin saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Golovkin looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Rhodes is fending him off so far but Golovkin persists. Nope, Rhodes circles away and we're back to standing.
Golovkin with a poor takedown

and Rhodes counters by moving into the clinch.

Rhodes breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Golovkin changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Rhodes tries to avoid it but Golovkin manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Rhodes to the ground. Rhodes escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Randy Rhodes has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Gennady Golovkin.
Golovkin tries to clinch up.
Rhodes feinted with a counter takedown.
No luck for Golovkin with that takedown attempt.

Rhodes shoots in and bounces Golovkin off the ropes to secure the takedown into guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Rhodes thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Rhodes trying to control but Golovkin is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Golovkin looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Golovkin is trying to control the position but Rhodes postures up.
Golovkin keeping moving, preventing Rhodes from controlling successfully.
Rhodes wanted to stand there but Golovkin had control of the position.
Rhodes wants to control from the top but Golovkin keeps moving.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Rhodes tries to stand but Golovkin is controlling from the bottom.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

That's two 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.
Golovkin throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

Rhodes pushes Golovkin up against the ropes in a clinch.
Rhodes jumps guard but Golovkin turns him against the ropes and keeps the fight standing.

Rhodes breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
A low kick from Golovkin misses
and Rhodes counters with a straight right hand.
Rhodes throws a nice outside leg kick.
Golovkin misses with a looping left.
Golovkin pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Rhodes misses with a takedown attempt - Golovkin sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Golovkin shoots for a double leg takedown but Rhodes sprawls well. He's pushed Golovkin's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

Rhodes throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Golovkin tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Rhodes is in Golovkin's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rhodes tries to stand but Golovkin is controlling from the bottom.
Rhodes looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Rhodes seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Golovkin for as long as he can get away with.
Rhodes wants to stand and escape but instead Golovkin has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Rhodes trying to keep a closed guard but Golovkin is proving a slippery customer.
Rhodes avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

Rhodes manages to escape and get back to his feet.
Golovkin shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Rhodes as he jumps to the side.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Rhodes clinches up with Golovkin and pushes him back against the ropes.
Rhodes fails to pull the fight into his guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Randy Rhodes dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Rhodes gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Golovkin counters with a series of strikes. Rhodes will be more careful next time no doubt.
Golovkin shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Rhodes as he avoids it easily.
Golovkin fails to land the takedown.
Rhodes fails with the takedown.
Golovkin misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Randy Rhodes has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Gennady Golovkin.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A head kick misses from Rhodes.
Golovkin's coach down at CHRISTOPHERS MMA was telling us pre-fight that they have been working on Golovkin's balance. Obviously they view that as a key factor in the outcome of this fight.
Rhodes looks for a takedown but Golovkin sprawls well.
Golovkin looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Golovkin tries to clinch but Rhodes moves out of range.
Rhodes stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Golovkin enables Rhodes to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Golovkin manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Randy Rhodes overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Rhodes trying to control but Golovkin is working from the bottom.
Rhodes is looking to stand up but Golovkin won't let him.
Rhodes trying to control but Golovkin is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Golovkin controls Rhodes momentarily but Rhodes frees himself.
Rhodes wants to control from the top but Golovkin keeps moving.
Golovkin is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
A nice combination there by Golovkin.
Rhodes tries to clinch up against the ropes, rushing in to close the distance. Golovkin manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Rhodes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rhodes fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Golovkin throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
The fight stays on the outside here - Rhodes looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Rhodes looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Golovkin fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Rhodes is looking for a counter combo.
Golovkin is breathing heavily.
Rhodes keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Rhodes is looking to counter the offense by Golovkin and move into the clinch.
Rhodes tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Golovkin swivels and escapes.
Rhodes throws a right and a left that both miss.
The fight stays on the outside here - Golovkin looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Golovkin takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.

Rhodes looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Rhodes scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Rhodes wants to control from the top but Golovkin keeps moving.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Randy Rhodes will probably get the nod.
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. This is the final round!

Golovkin misses with a takedown attempt - Rhodes sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Rhodes throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Rhodes waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Golovkin.
Golovkin changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Rhodes tries to avoid it but Golovkin manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Rhodes to the ground. Rhodes escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.

Rhodes closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the ropes.
Rhodes tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Golovkin goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Rhodes wants to take the fight to the mat but Golovkin manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Golovkin looks to throw an elbow but misses.

Rhodes pulls guard effortlessly.
Rhodes wants to stand and escape but Golovkin is having none of it.
Rhodes is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rhodes looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.

Rhodes seems to be looking for submissions.
Golovkin tries to kick Rhodes off but Rhodes keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Rhodes wants to take a breather but Golovkin is having none of it.
Rhodes tries to stand and escape but Golovkin is controlling the position.

Rhodes moves into side control, avoiding a weak kimura attempt from Golovkin.
Golovkin takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Rhodes is looking to take a break and control but Golovkin is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's two 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.
Golovkin taking punishment in the form of punches.
Rhodes is looking to take a break and control but Golovkin is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Rhodes wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Golovkin, who protects the arm well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Golovkin tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Rhodes trying to control the position but Golovkin is working away.
Golovkin trying his best to control but Rhodes has mounted him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Rhodes lands a nice shot to the head.
Rhodes tries to control but Golovkin wriggling away.
Rhodes is really struggling to control Golovkin but he's trying to hold on to the position.
Randy Rhodes is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Rhodes controlling from mount.
Rhodes tries to control but Golovkin wriggling away.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

And that's the end of the fight!
Randy Rhodes showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Rhodes 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 Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 30:27
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 30:27
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Randy Rhodes!
Randy Rhodes was full of energy after the big win and talked about how he thinks he can do big things in this sport. The crowd were appreciative of his determination to succeed.