PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Josephus Miller (ranked 1719 p4p, 2288 weight class) and Ryan Rodriguez (ranked 188 p4p, 251 weight class). Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Miller
vs
Rodriguez

177 cm
23
160
5 - 2 - 0

175 cm
24
155
7 - 6 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Hardcore Alchemy
HARDCORE

Conviction

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 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Josephus Miller!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Ryan Rodriguez!
The judges for this bout are Franklyn Lucas, Joseph Jones and John Roberts.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The fight stays on the outside here - Miller looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Rodriguez! But no joy.
Miller walks into a straight right hand from Rodriguez.
Miller has been working on his boxing with his coaches at IMMA Gym of Elite ASS in the buildup to the fight.
Rodriguez throws a wild body kick that Miller sees coming a mile off.
Rodriguez has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.
Miller looks to score with a jab to the body but Rodriguez is just out of range.
Rodriguez swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
The fighters circle momentarily. Miller darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Miller is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Rodriguez ducks under a wild hook from Miller.
Rodriguez cracks Miller with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Rodriguez misses with a right hand
letting Miller counter with a right hand.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A looping hook to the body misses from Rodriguez. Miller does a little dance to reset his feet.
Rodriguez stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Rodriguez swinging wildly here.
Miller waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Rodriguez.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rodriguez looks to land a right hand but Miller moved out of range.
Miller with a nice cross.
Miller swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Rodriguez unleashes a big counter combination but Miller bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.
Miller staying out of range there.
Rodriguez ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Rodriguez tries a low kick but Miller avoids it.
Rodriguez takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
An inside leg kick lands from Rodriguez.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Rodriguez doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Rodriguez stalling in the clinch but Miller improves position.
Rodriguez blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Rodriguez tries to circle away but Miller has him pinned against the cage.
Rodriguez wants to stall.
Rodriguez misses with a body punch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Miller can't find room to land a body shot as Rodriguez controls the action.
Rodriguez is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Miller scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Miller pushes Rodriguez back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Miller misses with some punches.
Rodriguez lands a nice uppercut.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Rodriguez will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Miller up against the cage.
Rodriguez pushes Miller back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Rodriguez lands with a light punch inside.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.

Miller breaks the clinch.
Rodriguez scores with a decent looking hook.
Miller throws a shot from downtown. Rodriguez moves away and avoids it.
Rodriguez ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rodriguez walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Miller checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Miller keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Miller is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Rodriguez misses with a low kick.
Rodriguez throws the left hand but Miller avoids the punch easily.
Miller stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Rodriguez.
A chopping leg kick lands by Rodriguez.
A looping hook to the body misses from Miller. Rodriguez does a little dance to reset his feet.
Miller lands the left hand.
Miller connects with a good right hand that stumbles Rodriguez. Rodriguez circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Rodriguez takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
No joy there for Rodriguez, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Miller ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.

Miller gets a clinch.
Rodriguez blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
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!
Miller tries a body shot but Rodriguez blocks it.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Rodriguez.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Miller goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Rodriguez blocks a punch to the side of the head.

Rodriguez breaks the clinch.
Miller throws a body punch but Rodriguez moves out of range.
Rodriguez lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Miller listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Rodriguez throws a body shot but no joy.
Miller feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Rodriguezs jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Rodriguez takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Josephus Miller seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Miller lands with a cross.

Rodriguez is rocked!
Miller swings for the body but Rodriguez moves out of range.
Rodriguez tries a low kick but Miller avoids it.
Rodriguez wants to slow Miller down by chopping away at his legs.
A looping hook to the body misses from Rodriguez. Miller does a little dance to reset his feet.
Miller dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Miller ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Josephus Miller will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Miller misses with a looping left.
Rodriguez tries a quick counter leg kick but Miller is wise to it.
Rodriguez throws a lazy right hand but Miller sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Miller scores with a hook to the body. Rodriguez takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Decent striking displayed by Miller there.
Miller uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Rodriguez.
Miller blocks the body kick.
Rodriguez misses with a two punch combination.
Miller throws a looping overhand right but Rodriguez ducks down to avoid it.
Rodriguez gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Miller.
Rodriguez is still on wobbly legs! Can Miller finish him?
Miller is looking to clinch.
Rodriguez seems to have recovered his senses.
Rodriguez tests Miller's chin there with a solid looking shot.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
No joy there for Rodriguez, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Miller waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Rodriguez.
Miller lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Rodriguez at a distance.
Miller misses with an uppercut.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Rodriguez on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rodriguez misses with the combination.
Rodriguez looks for the body kick but Miller saw that one coming.
A head kick misses from Rodriguez.
The fighters circling - Miller throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Rodriguez throws a hook but Miller avoids it easily.
Miller moves out of range of the strikes.
Rodriguez throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
A little feinted left hand from Miller on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Miller looks to score with a jab to the body but Rodriguez is just out of range.
Miller throws a shot from downtown. Rodriguez moves away and avoids it.
Josephus Miller is winning the standup battle so far.
Rodriguez slips under a jab.
Rodriguez throws a chopping leg kick but Miller manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Nice defenses there by Miller.
Miller takes a swing at Rodriguez's ribcage but misses.
Rodriguez takes a jab right on the kisser.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Miller thuds his right hand into Rodriguez's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Miller throws a poor cross that misses
letting Rodriguez counter with a right hand.
Miller throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Miller checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Rodriguez.
Rodriguez uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Miller.
Rodriguez unleashes a big counter combination but Miller bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.
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!
Rodriguez does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Miller defending well as Rodriguez loads up on a big left hand.
A big right from Miller misses.
Rodriguez throws a series of punches but Miller avoids them all with ease.
Miller misses with an uppercut.
Rodriguez fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Miller throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Rodriguez on the side of the head.
Rodriguez fails to land with a series of punches.
A little feinted left hand from Miller on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Rodriguez avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Miller throws a body shot but no joy.
Miller lands with an uppercut that bounces Rodriguez off the cage and back into range.
Ryan Rodriguez is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
A jab from Miller does it's job there.
Rodriguez throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Miller.
Miller blocks a jab.
Miller thows a left - swing and a miss!
Rodriguez finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Rodriguez steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Miller.
Rodriguez wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
A jab from Miller misses.
Rodriguez throws a leg kick that misses.
Miller scores with a nice head shot.
Miller feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Rodriguezs jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Miller thows a left - swing and a miss!
A nice leg kick from Rodriguez, right into the meat of the thigh.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Miller throws a right hand that misses
and Rodriguez counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Miller connects with a crisp jab.
Rodriguez stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Rodriguez misses with the combination.
Miller connects with a body shot.
Rodriguez defending well as Miller loads up on a big left hand.
Miller scores with a sloppy right hand. Rodriguez should have avoided that one.
Miller has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Rodriguez.
Miller tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Miller connects with a single shot there.
Miller lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Rodriguez lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Rodriguez throws a leg kick but Miller checks it.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Josephus Miller will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare each other down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Rodriguez tries to land a front kick but Miller steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
A little feinted left hand from Miller on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Miller misses with a straight right.
Miller tries to clinch
and Rodriguez counters with a good, hard body kick but Miller shrugs it off.
A telegraphed right hand from Rodriguez misses the target.
Rodriguez ducks under a wild hook from Miller.
Miller lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Miller swings for the body but Rodriguez moves out of range.
Rodriguez swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
A big right from Miller misses.
Miller keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Miller is looking to counter punch.
Miller looks to throw the jab but Rodriguez is out of range.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A big left from Miller misses.
Miller throws a good cross that connects.
Miller misses with a looping left.
Rodriguez is clearly looking to counter with head kicks.
Miller scores with a body shot.
Miller on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Miller scores with a hook.
Miller throws a shot from downtown. Rodriguez moves away and avoids it.
Rodriguez unleashes a big counter combination but Miller bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.
Miller has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Miller throws a hook but Rodriguez blocks it.
Rodriguez looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
A shot to the liver by Rodriguez. Beautiful body shot.
A big right from Miller misses.
Rodriguez throws a sloppy head kick and Miller moves out of range easily.
Rodriguez tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Miller throws an off balance right hand
and Rodriguez counters with a straight right hand.
Rodriguez tries a low kick but Miller avoids it.
Rodriguez misses with an attempted mid kick.
Rodriguez lands a nice hook to Miller's body. Miller takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Rodriguez slips under a jab from Miller.
Rodriguez on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Miller lands a jab to Rodriguez's midsection.
Ryan Rodriguez has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rodriguez feints and then cracks Miller's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Miller down.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Some wild striking there from Rodriguez.
Miller throwing a counter right hand but Rodriguez manages to avoid it.

Miller has Rodriguez up against the cage in a clinch.

Rodriguez pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Miller misses with an uppercut. Rodriguez saw that one coming.
Rodriguez staying out of range there.
Rodriguez lands with an overhand left.
Miller shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Miller works the jab nicely.
Miller dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Rodriguez fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Miller manages to avoid it.
Miller misses with a wild body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rodriguez pulls out of a head kick attempt.
A looping hook to the body misses from Miller. Rodriguez does a little dance to reset his feet.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Rodriguez! But no joy.
A telegraphed right hand from Miller misses the target.
A clash of legs there as Miller blocks the low kick.
Rodriguez connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Miller's hands.
Rodriguez misses with a straight left.
A jab from Rodriguez misses.
Miller drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Miller cracks Rodriguez with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Rodriguez uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Miller.
Rodriguez looks to score with a jab to the body but Miller is just out of range.
Miller throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Rodriguez slips under a jab.
Miller throws a shot to the body.
Rodriguez slips under a jab.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rodriguez loads up on a big right hand but Miller slips the punch.
Miller takes a swing at Rodriguez's ribcage but misses.
Rodriguez misses with an uppercut
enabling Miller to counter with a crisp jab.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Miller dodges the punch combination from Rodriguez.
Miller throws a poor cross that misses
and Rodriguez counters with a nice kick to the body.
Miller cracks Rodriguez with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
A telegraphed right hand from Rodriguez misses the target.
Miller fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Miller keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Rodriguez.
Miller bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Rodriguez's head.
Miller fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Rodriguez manages to avoid it.
Rodriguez tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Miller scores with a jab to the head.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Josephus Miller.
Well Miller 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 Franklyn Lucas scores the fight 30:27
Judge Joseph Jones scores the fight 30:27
Judge John Roberts scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Josephus Miller!