PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Ned Kelly (ranked 2017 p4p, 2682 weight class) and Romulus Gerber (ranked 279 p4p, 351 weight class). Kelly's entrance music is I'm a Criminal. A fine choice. Both fighter's entrance songs getting the crowd jumping here.

Kelly
vs
Gerber

180 cm
31
180
15 - 11 - 0

179 cm
32
182
18 - 16 - 1

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Olympic wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Ma Balls Is Hot Clothing

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 15 - 11 - 0, fighting out of London, Ned Kelly!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 18 - 16 - 1, fighting out of Los Angeles, Romulus Gerber!
The judges for this bout are Francis DeMontford, Steve Erwin and Eliza Hachem.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kelly wants to clinch
and Gerber counters with a good low kick that Kelly was not able to check.
Gerber misses with an attempted mid kick.
Kelly tries to counter by clinching up but Gerber breaks away and moves out of range.
Kelly is looking to clinch but Gerber is avoiding it.
Gerber appeared to try and counter that last move with a leg kick.
Gerber misses with a body punch
enabling Kelly to counter with a crisp jab.
Gerber 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.
Kelly throws a right and a left that Gerber avoids nicely.
Gerber throws a looping overhand right but Kelly ducks down to avoid it.
Gerber misses with a straight right.
Kelly moves in looking to clinch but Gerber pushes him off.
Gerber swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.

Kelly takes the fight into the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gerber lands an elbow inside.

It looks like Ned Kelly has been cut.
Kelly avoids the elbow strike from Gerber, against the cage.
Kelly misses with a hook from the clinch.
A head punch on the inside from Kelly fails to land.
Kelly misses with some punches.
Kelly working aggressively here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kelly working aggressively here.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Gerber.
Kelly working aggressively here.
Kelly swings wildly with an uppercut but Gerber uses good head movement to avoid it.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Kelly.
Gerber throws a head punch that misses.
Kelly misses with the head strike.

Gerber escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Kelly throws a head kick but Gerber moves out of range.
Gerber comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Gerber looks to score with a jab to the body but Kelly is just out of range.
It looked like Kelly wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Kelly tries to clinch but Gerber is having none of it.
Kelly connects with a right hand. Gerber shakes it off.
Sloppy strikes from Kelly. Those never looked like landing.
Gerber counters with a body kick.
Gerber scoring well with a low kick there.
A swing and a miss from Gerber.
It looked like Kelly wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gerber looks to throw the jab but Kelly is out of range.
Kelly seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Gerber lands a jab to the nose.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Gerber defending well as Kelly loads up on a big left hand.
Gerber throws a body shot but no joy.
Gerber lands with an overhand left.

Kelly moves into range and clinches up with Gerber.
Gerber looking to throw knees to the head but Kelly is blocking nicely.
Gerber is looking to take this one to the mat.
Kelly lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Kelly working aggressively here.

Gerber breaks the clinch.
Kelly paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Gerber showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Kelly.
Gerber misses with a low kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kelly checks a leg kick.
Kelly moves in looking to clinch but Gerber pushes him off.
Gerber lands a nice shot to the body.
Kelly chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Gerber can pounce on him.

Kelly moves into the clinch.
Kelly misses with some punches.
Gerber takes a shot to the head.
Gerber looking to stall.
Kelly throws a head punch that misses.
Kelly tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Kelly fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Kelly tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
A head punch on the inside from Kelly fails to land.
Gerber blocks an uppercut.
Gerber misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Kelly.
Kelly avoiding damage as Gerber throws knees to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kelly swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Kelly fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Kelly misses with the head strike.

Gerber manages to break the clinch.
Kelly fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Kelly tries to clinch up but Gerber circles away and keeps his distance.
Sloppy strikes from Kelly. Those never looked like landing.
Gerber with a hook.
Gerber tries to work over Kelly's front leg with a kick but Kelly checks it.
Good exchange - Gerber coming out on top.

Kelly drives through and clinches with Gerber against the cage.
Kelly swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Gerber manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Kelly fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Kelly lands with a short shot to the head.
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 Ned Kelly will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Ned Kelly's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Kelly tries to close the distance and clinch up but Gerber swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Kelly fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Gerber, pushing him back against the cage.
Gerber lands a body shot in the clinch.
Gerber blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Come on Gerber - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Kelly gets through Gerber's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Gerber tries to break free but Kelly pushes him back against the cage.
Kelly working aggressively here.
Gerber blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Kelly misses with the head strike.
Gerber swings wildly with an uppercut but Kelly uses good head movement to avoid it.
Kelly misses with a punch on the inside.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gerber tries to break the clinch but Kelly is controlling the position.
Gerber wants to break the clinch but can't.
Gerber misses with an elbow strike.
Gerber trying to control the position but instead, Kelly has worked for underhooks and has pushed Gerber into the cage.
Gerber has a couple of punches blocked by Kelly.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gerber blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Gerber.
Gerber swings away with an uppercut that misses.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Gerber.
Gerber can't get the takedown.
Good body shot from Gerber.
Gerber softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Kelly blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Still in the clinch, Kelly scores with a nice short uppercut.
Kelly lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Gerber backwards.
Kelly misses with a hook from the clinch.
Kelly throws a punch but it's blocked by Gerber.
Kelly throws a punch but it's blocked by Gerber.
Kelly swings wildly with an uppercut but Gerber uses good head movement to avoid it.
Gerber blocks an uppercut.
Kelly misses with a punch on the inside.
Ned Kelly has scored more points in the clinch so far.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Kelly.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kelly swings wildly with an uppercut but Gerber uses good head movement to avoid it.
Gerber blocking some punches.
A head punch on the inside from Kelly fails to land.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Gerber drops down looking for an ankle pick but Kelly pulls his leg out and moves away.
Gerber clobbers Kelly with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Kelly throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Gerber.
Kelly swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Kelly checks a leg kick.
Kelly wants to clinch up but Gerber keeps it at a distance.
Gerber connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Gerber jabs Kelly to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Kelly tries to close the distance and clinch but Gerber swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kelly tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Ned Kelly is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Kelly keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Ned Kelly has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Romulus Gerber.
Kelly fails with an attempt to clinch.
Kelly with a nice cross.
Kelly is looking to clinch.
Gerber misses the shot to the body.
A counter left hand to the body from Kelly misses its target.

Gerber gets tackled into the cage by Kelly. Kelly maintains the clinch.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Kelly.
Kelly misses with a short punch on the inside.
Gerber blocks a punch to the side of the head.
The referee calls for Gerber to work.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Gerber.
Kelly throws a punch but it's blocked by Gerber.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kelly misses with the head strike.
Kelly has a couple of punches blocked by Gerber.
Kelly blocks an uppercut.
Gerber blocks an uppercut.
A head punch on the inside from Kelly fails to land.
Gerber tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Gerber has Kelly pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Kelly manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Kelly misses with some punches.
Gerber is trying to stall.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Gerber.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Kelly lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Gerber backwards.
Kelly misses with the head strike.
Kelly blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Kelly gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Gerber.
Kelly swings wildly with an uppercut but Gerber uses good head movement to avoid it.
Gerber is trying to force a seperation but Kelly has the dominant position.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Ned Kelly dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Ned Kelly's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Kelly tries to clinch up.
Kelly pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Gerber back to the cage. Kelly follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.
The fighters circling - Kelly throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Gerber takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Gerber throws a lazy body kick
and Kelly cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

Kelly closes the distance and pushes Gerber back into the cage.
Gerber throws a knee to the head but misses.
Kelly lands with a short shot to the head.
Kelly misses with a short punch on the inside.
A head punch on the inside from Kelly fails to land.
Gerber blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Gerber lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Kelly tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Kelly blocks a punch to the side of the head.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Gerber.
Kelly throws a head punch that misses.
Gerber blocking some punches.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kelly swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Gerber lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Kelly has a couple of punches blocked by Gerber.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Kelly.
Kelly misses with some punches.
Kelly misses with some punches.
Kelly makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.

Gerber breaks from the clinch.
Gerber misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Kelly.
Kelly on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Kelly takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Gerber misses the body punch
and Kelly counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Kelly tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Gerber manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
A left lands for Gerber.
Gerber misses with a jab to the body
and Kelly counters with a straight right hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Kelly chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Gerber can pounce on him.

Kelly gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Gerber tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Kelly's elbow.
A head punch on the inside from Kelly fails to land.
Kelly throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Gerbers head.
Gerber tries a knee to the head but Kelly blocks it.
Kelly fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Gerber blocks an uppercut.
Gerber creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Kelly.
Romulus Gerber has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Kelly misses with a short punch on the inside.
Gerber blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Kelly has a couple of punches blocked by Gerber.
Kelly dodges an elbow strike from Gerber.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Kelly.
Gerber stalling in the clinch but Kelly improves position.
Kelly misses with a hook from the clinch.
Gerber throws an elbow but it misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kelly makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Gerber wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Kelly has him pressed against the cage.
Gerber pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Gerber stalling against the cage.
Gerber blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Kelly tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.

Gerber breaks the clinch.
Kelly tries to clinch there but Gerber circles away.
Gerber misses with a takedown attempt - Kelly sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Kelly fails with an attempt to clinch.
Gerber throws a sloppy head kick and Kelly moves out of range easily.
Kelly moves in looking to clinch but Gerber pushes him off.
Gerber was about to counter that last move with a leg kick but changes his mind.
Kelly is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Kelly tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Gerber manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gerber connects with a good right hand that stumbles Kelly. Kelly circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Kelly tries to clinch up but Gerber circles away and keeps his distance.
Ned Kelly is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Kelly tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Kelly misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

Kelly fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Gerber, pushing him back against the cage.

Gerber pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Gerber swats away the attempt to clinch by Kelly.
Kelly looks to clinch
and Gerber counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Gerber connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Gerber throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Gerber lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Kelly has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Gerber finds it's way round the side to connect with Kelly's 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 Ned Kelly.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Kelly, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Francis DeMontford scores the fight 30:27
Judge Steve Erwin scores the fight 30:27
Judge Eliza Hachem scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ned Kelly!
A victorious Ned Kelly thanked his army of followers in his post fight interview, telling people to make sure they follow him on Twitter.