PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Arzlan Bathory (ranked 30 p4p, 5 weight class) and Will Rock (ranked 77 p4p, 9 weight class). Rock has chosen I Wanna Rock as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Bathory
vs
Rock

175 cm
29
160 lbs
17 - 4 - 1

180 cm
30
156 lbs
22 - 7 - 3

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

BJJ Red Belt
World class MT
Good gas tank

KOMBAT KLOTHING
UnderGround Clothing Co.

Conviction
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Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the lightweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 17 - 4 - 1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Arzlan Bathory!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 22 - 7 - 3, fighting out of New York, Will Rock!
The judges for this bout are Donald Grub, Colin Fotheringham and Richard Clark.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A big right from Rock misses.
Rock doesn't manage to clinch there - Bathory circles away.
Bathory moves out of range of the strikes.
Bathory steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Rock.
Rock swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Rock pivots, looking for a leg kick but Bathory is out of range and Rock settles back down.
Rock moves in looking to clinch but Bathory pushes him off.
Rock misses with an uppercut.
Bathory tries to land a front kick but Rock steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Bathory.
Rock has been working on his striking defense in training and it's paying off as Bathory is landing a low percentage of strikes.
Bathory thumps Rock with a low kick.
Rock checks a leg kick nicely.
Rock checks a low kick from Bathory.

Rock clinches.
Rock tries to throw a body punch but Bathory avoids it by throwing Rock back against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rock keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Bathory's efforts to push away.
Rock blocks a punch to the side of the head.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Bathory.
Bathory struggles to land a body shot inside as Rock controls his hands.
Bathory blocking some punches.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bathory blocks a body shot from Rock.
Rock throws a punch but it's blocked by Bathory.
Bathory has Rock pressed against the cage.
Bathory misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Rock tries a body shot but Bathory blocks it.
Rock blocks a body shot from Bathory.
Bathory lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Bathory prevents a body shot from Rock.
Bathory misses with the head strike.
Rock lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Bathory pushes Rock back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Rock jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Bathory walks away with a smile on his face. Rock gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Bathory drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Bathory shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Rock takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Rock steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Bathory.
Bathory sets himself, and Rock steps forward looking for the clinch! Bathory avoids it this time.
Rock slips a straight right by Bathory.
Bathory attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Bathory throws a low kick, looking for Rock's leg but Rock calmly moves out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rock clobbers Bathory with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Bathory missing with a left hand there. Rock was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Bathory scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Rock misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Bathory.
As Rock looks to move away, Bathory throws a big counter combo but Rock just gets out of the way.
Rock takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Rock lands with a shot to the body.
Bathory checks the leg kick nicely there.
Rock with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Bathory to score with a decent uppercut.
Rock misses with a hook.
Rock misses with a low kick as Bathory jumps back.
Bathory jinks towards his opponent looking like he wants to counter with a mid kick but doesn't commit.
Bathory attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Rock tries a low kick but Bathory avoids it.
Rock takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Bathory scoring well with a low kick there.
Rock connects with an inside leg kick.
We've been told by Bathory's head coaches at Tosen's Home for Lost Boys that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.
Sloppy strikes from Bathory. Those never looked like landing.
Rock is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Bathory throws a body shot but no joy.
Rock tries to counter by closing the distance.
Bathory ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Bathory checks a leg kick nicely.
Rock throws a body shot but no joy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bathory scores with a sloppy right hand. Rock should have avoided that one.
Rock misses with a body shot
and Bathory counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
A nice inside leg kick there by Rock. That's going to slow Bathory down.
Rock cracks a nice hook into Bathory's ribs.
A jab from Bathory misses.

Rock closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Rock struggles to land a body shot inside as Bathory controls his hands.
Bathory lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Rock backwards.
Bathory blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Rock misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Bathory swings wildly with an uppercut but Rock uses good head movement to avoid it.
Rock misses with a punch to the body.
Bathory tries to work over Rock's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Bathory working aggressively here.
Bathory swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Bathory blocks a body shot from Rock.
A left hand lands to the body for Rock.
Rock tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rock is working Bathory over against the cage.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Rock misses with some punches.
A head punch on the inside from Bathory fails to land.
Rock can't find room to land a body shot as Bathory controls the action.
Rock misses with a hook to the ribs.
Rock blocking some punches.
Rock tries to pull guard but Bathory won't allow it.
Bathory misses with the head strike.
Bathory blocks a body shot from Rock.
Rock tries a body shot but Bathory blocks it.
Bathory tries to throw a body punch but Rock avoids it by throwing Bathory back against the cage.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Bathory blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Bathory misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Rock presses Bathory against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Rock fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Arzlan Bathory has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Will Rock.
Bathory misses with a hook to the ribs.
A short right from Rock.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Arzlan Bathory 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.

A chopping leg kick lands by Bathory.
Bathory misses the jab.
Bathory thows a left - swing and a miss!
Rock throws a body punch but Bathory moves out of range.
Rock uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Bathory misses with a body kick.
Bathory throws a body shot but no joy.
Rock wants to counter the offense by Bathory and move into the clinch position.
Bathory throws a leg kick that is checked

and Rock counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Bathory.
Will Rock seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Bathory lands with a short shot to the head.
Bathory throws a punch but it's blocked by Rock.
Rock tries to work over Bathory's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Bathory is trying to break the clinch but Rock has him pressed against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bathory tries to throw a body punch but Rock avoids it by throwing Bathory back against the cage.
A short right from Rock.
A right hook to the body lands for Rock.
Bathory can't find room to land a body shot as Rock controls the action.
Rock lands a hook to the side of the head.
Rock lands with a light punch inside.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Rock tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bathory misses with the head strike.
Rock misses with a shot to the kidneys.
A hook to the body from Bathory.
Rock tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Bathory just stands there and leans against the cage.
Rock misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Rock tries to pull guard but Bathory holds him up against the cage and eventually Rock drops back down to his feet.
Rock throws a punch but it's blocked by Bathory.

Rock decides to pull guard.
Rock controls Bathory momentarily but Bathory frees himself.

Rock isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Bathory stacks Rock on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Bathory!
Rock is trying to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rock wants to control but Bathory postures up.
Rock gets back to half guard.
Rock has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Bathory is working away from the top position though.
Bathory content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

Rock looking for submissions off his back.
Rock is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Bathory's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Bathory's back!
Well, with Rock on his back, surely it's only a matter of time before Bathory is tapping out... Can he escape the position?

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Rock is staying calm and holding on to the back position, whilst working on a rear naked choke. Bathory is defending well though. Rock let's go of the attempt for now.

Rock is working for the choke. It looks like he might have got it... has he...? Yes! Bathory is tapping out! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:32 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Will Rock!
Will Rock is the new lightweight champion!
Will Rock 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.