PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Bill Hicks (ranked 3762 p4p, 418 weight class) and Darryl Rose (ranked 2017 p4p, 257 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Hicks might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Bill Hicks at Dangerfields. Rose has chosen Mobb Deep - Shook ones as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Hicks
vs
Rose

185 cm
21
172 lbs
8 - 5 - 0

180 cm
24
180 lbs
6 - 4 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Experienced

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Bill Hicks!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 4 - 0, fighting out of New York, Darryl Rose!
The judges for this bout are Matti Vanhoillinen, Tarja Halkonen and Arvi Lind.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hicks takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Hicks misses with a looping right.
A lazy left from Hicks finds it's target.
Hicks misses with a body shot.
And Rose tries to counter it with a takedown but Hicks pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Rose tries to score a power double leg takedown but Hicks sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Rose somewhat.
Darryl Rose seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rose lands a jab.
Hicks tries to clinch up but Rose circles away and keeps his distance.
Rose drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Hicks defends it well.

Rose shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Rose showed some decent athleticism there.
Rose working the head and body with strikes.
Hicks tries to roll over but Rose keeps him under control.
Rose takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Rose lands a nice short elbow.

Rose wants to work for an arm triangle but Hicks is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Hicks is trying to get back to full guard.
Hicks is staying active underneath Rose, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hicks is looking to control Rose's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Hicks avoid being mounted?
Rose is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Rose is thwarting Hicks's attempts to control the position.
Rose is trying to control. Hicks wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

Rose is looking for a kimura but Hicks is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Rose to get the leverage.
Rose has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hicks is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Hicks manages to get to full guard.
Rose content to stall in guard here.

Hicks has his foot on Rose's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Rose works his way back into a safe position though.
Hicks wants to control the position but Rose says "no thanks buddy" and passes to half guard.
Rose is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Rose looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Hicks trying to control from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Hicks looking for submissions off his back.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Rose in particular looking to stall.
Hicks is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Rose's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Rose's back!
Rose is trying to break free.
Rose rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.
Rose has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Hicks is working away from the top position though.
Rose is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Hicks scores with a couple of nice shots.
Rose moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Rose keeping moving, preventing Hicks from controlling successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rose is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Rose wants to sweep but no luck.
Rose doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Hicks with a nice head shot there.
Hicks stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Rose swivels though and keeps the full guard.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Rose can do anything to dispel that myth.
Rose trying to control the position here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Rose looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Rose looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rose trying to control the action but Hicks is working from the bottom.
Hicks wants to control but Rose is keeping busy.
Hicks slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Hicks is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Rose is stalling in the full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rose trying to control but Hicks is working from the bottom.
Rose preventing the sweep.
Rose works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Hicks is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Hicks trying to hold on to Rose's head to control him but Rose postures up.

Rose is working for a submission of some sort.
Hicks on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rose looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Hicks with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Rose winds up and cracks Hicks with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Ground and pound from Rose.
Rose seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Hicks does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Rose looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Rose has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Rose wants to control but Hicks is keeping him busy.
Rose winds up and cracks Hicks with a swinging punch to the side of the head.

Rose is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Rose seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Hicks looking for submissions off his back.
Rose drops an elbow to the side of Hicks's head.
Rose is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Hicks trying to hold on to Rose's head to control him but Rose postures up.
Hicks is staying active underneath Rose, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Rose lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Rose landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rose looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Rose lands strikes from half guard.
Hicks tries to roll over but Rose keeps him under control.
Rose keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Hicks tries to roll over but Rose keeps him under control.
Rose is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Hicks looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

Rose 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.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Darryl Rose 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. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Rose looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Rose trying to control the position from guard on top but Hicks is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Rose is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rose trying to control but Hicks is working from the bottom.
Rose might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Hicks haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Rose preventing the sweep.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hicks working a defensive guard here.
Rose is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Hicks is trying to control the position but Rose postures up.
Rose works over Hicks with some ground and pound from guard.
Rose wants to control from the top but Hicks keeps moving.
Rose lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Rose is in close to Hicks's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Rose makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Rose trying to control the position from guard on top but Hicks is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Rose scoring with punches to the head and body.
Bill Hicks has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Hicks is rocked!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rose distracts Hicks with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Oh Hicks is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!

Rose drops back looking for a leg! Hicks is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Hicks manages to kick Rose off! Rose jumps back into Hicks's guard.
Rose lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Rose forces his way into half guard.
Still in half guard, Rose seems content to control.

Hicks looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Hicks seems to have got his legs back now.
Hicks has hold of Rose's hands but Rose slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Rose drops an elbow to the side of Hicks's head.
Rose takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Hicks trying to control but Rose postures up.
Rose lands a massive shot from half guard that has rocked Hicks! More strikes land and this one is all over! Rose jumps to his feet and is applauded loudly by the crowd!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:56 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Darryl Rose!
A determined Darryl Rose didn't want to dwell on this fight in his post fight interview. Instead he was more keen to state he wants a title shot. Let's see if he gets it!