PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Danny Rand (ranked 3745 p4p, 3402 weight class) and Brock Keller (ranked 354 p4p, 317 weight class). Rand comes into the arena with Wu Tang-Protect Ya Neck blaring out of the sound system. Brock Keller has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Rand
vs
Keller

176 cm
30
155
7 - 5 - 0

150 cm
18
145
3 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Experienced

Good wrestler
Counter fighter
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Danny Rand!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Brock Keller!
The judges for this bout are Darius Henderson, Topper Green and Damien Edna.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Keller forces Rand back against the cage and clinches.
Keller tries to pull guard but Rand forces him back to his feet, against the cage.

Rand manages to break the clinch.

Keller pushes Rand up against the cage in a clinch.
Keller jumps guard but Rand turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.

Keller turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Keller manages to end up in side control.

Rand bucks up and manages to escape back to his feet!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Rand shoots for a takedown but Keller saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Keller changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.

Keller takes the fight into the clinch.

Keller lands a takedown into guard.
Rand tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Keller trying to control the position from guard on top but Rand is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Keller stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Rand swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Keller drops back, looking for a kneebar! Rand looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Rand looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Rand!

Keller tries to bench press Rand off him but Rand keeps the position.

Rand goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Keller rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Rand's guard! Nice work there by Keller!
Rand pulls Keller in close to his closed guard and prevents Keller from doing any damage or advancing position.
Keller stops Rand from standing up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rand not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Keller must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

Keller postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Rand is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Keller, into his guard.

Rand throws a big right hand that misses.
Keller really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Rand. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Rand trying to control the position from guard on top but Keller is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Keller is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rand content to stall in guard here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Keller looks to be working for a triangle here. Oh, it looks like he might have it! Rand has picked Keller up and slammed him! Keller can't keep hold of the triangle and Rand manages to pass to side control!
Keller on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Keller is looking to reverse the position.
Rand controlling the position.

Rand stands up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rand wants to clinch.
And Keller tries to counter it with a takedown but Rand pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Keller swats away the attempt to clinch by Rand.
Keller throws a lazy right hand but Rand sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.

Keller rushes Rand and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Rand with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.

Keller jumps guard.
Rand trying to control the position from guard on top but Keller is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Keller is working an open guard so Rand takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.

Keller moves into the clinch.
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 Danny Rand will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Rand looks to clinch

and Keller counters with a nice double leg into half guard.

Rand kicks off Keller and gets to his feet.

Keller rushes Rand and presses him up against the cage.

Rand manages to break the clinch.
Rand is trying hard to land a takedown here. Keller sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Rand scores with a nice right hand.
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!

Keller closes the distance and clinches.
Rand missing with knees to the body.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Rand is defending well against a takedown attempt.

Keller decides to pull guard.

Rand stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Nice takedown defense from Keller. No joy for Rand on that attempt.

Keller moves into range and clinches up with Rand.
Keller jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Rand walks away with a smile on his face. Keller gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Rand looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rand wants to clinch up but Keller keeps it at a distance.

Rand drives through and clinches with Keller against the cage.
Keller fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Danny Rand has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Brock Keller.
Rand working Keller over with knees to the body.

Rand breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Keller swats away the attempt to clinch by Rand.

Keller rushes Rand and presses him up against the cage.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Rand tries to pull guard but Keller won't allow it.
Rand misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Keller.
Rand goes for a body shot but it's blocked.

Keller has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Rand is trying to keep an underhook but Keller manages to get the takedown into half guard.
Danny Rand overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Rand wants to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rand tries to get to full guard but Keller has control of the leg.

Keller 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.
Rand is looking to get back to is feet but Keller passes into side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rand is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Keller is controlling him well.
Rand regains half guard.

Keller is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.

Keller seems to be looking for submissions.

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.
Rand wants to control but Keller passes into side.
Rand throws an elbow to the body but it doesn't land.
Rand is looking to reverse the position.
Keller works to advance to full mount. Rand defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
Rand wants to control but Keller is having none of it.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Brock Keller will probably get the nod - 10:9.
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!

Rand throws a head kick that Keller semi-blocks.

Rand shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Rand seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Keller does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Rand will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

Keller is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Rand pulls his head out easily.
Keller felt the need to train up his defensive grappling in the buildup to the fight. Presumably he was expecting to be in a difficult position like this, so let's see if he can get out of it.

Keller looking to force a kimura from the bottom here. He's concentrating on that move too much though and Rand pushes past his half guard into mount!
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Keller really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Rand with a couple of short strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Rand has hold of Keller's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Keller manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Rand throwing strikes here but Keller is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Rand wants to take his opponent's back but he's not managed it.
Rand can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Keller is looking to escape.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Keller is working to get back to half guard.
Rand is trying to control here but Keller has managed to regain half guard.
Rand seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Keller does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

Rand stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.
Keller blocks a head kick by Rand.
Danny Rand is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Rand darts in looking for a takedown but Keller gets double underhooks and turns Rand into the cage.
Keller drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Rand defends it well.

Rand breaks the clinch.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Keller.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Keller closes the distance and clinches.

Keller turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Keller manages to end up in side control.

Keller thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Rand regains half guard.

Keller is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Rand sees it coming and defends easily.

Keller is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Rand has managed to free his arm - good work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Keller is working for a kimura but Rand is defending it quite comfortably.
Keller stops Rand from getting back to his feet.

And that's the end of the fight!
Danny Rand showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Rand has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Darius Henderson scores the fight 29:28
Judge Topper Green scores the fight 29:29
Judge Damien Edna scores the fight 28:29

The fight is ruled a draw!