PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Denis Denisov (ranked 3262 p4p, 2361 weight class) and Mason Rogers (ranked 361 p4p, 285 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Denisov
vs
Rogers

167 cm
33
140
11 - 25 - 2

168 cm
37
152
16 - 14 - 0

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Excellent grappler
Lethal high kicks
Heavy handed

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 11 - 25 - 2, fighting out of Los Angeles, Denis Denisov!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 16 - 14 - 0, fighting out of London, Mason Rogers!
The judges for this bout are Percy O'Donnell, Frank Antenori and Jack Bonds.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Rogers throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Denisov was covering up waiting for the punch and Rogers finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Denisov looking to control.
Denisov can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Rogers controls the pace.
Rogers makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Rogers not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Denisov throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Denisov trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Rogers stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Denisov swivels though and keeps the full guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Denisov trying to keep a closed guard but Rogers is proving a slippery customer.
Denisov controlling the position.
Denisov seems to have improved his submission grappling technique since last time we saw him. Let's see if he can pull off a submission.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rogers controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Denisov striking off his back but it's not causing Rogers any problems.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Denisov striking off his back but it's not causing Rogers any problems.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Rogers fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Denisov fails with a takedown attempt.
Rogers changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Denisov walks forward, straight into a front kick from Rogers.
Denisov fails with the takedown
and Rogers counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Denisov uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Rogers.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rogers fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Rogers's coach down at Deathsquad was telling us pre-fight that they have been working on Rogers's balance. Obviously they view that as a key factor in the outcome of this fight.

Denisov closes the distance and clinches.
Denisov fails to pull guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Denis Denisov. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Rogers works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Denisov throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Denisov looking to hit a scissor sweep but Rogers is one step ahead there.
Denisov wants to hit a sweep here but Rogers passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for Denisov there!
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!
Rogers blocks Denisov's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Denisov is desperately trying to improve his position but Rogers has a good base and remains in mount.
Rogers wants to control the pace but Denisov is squirming around nicely.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Denisov wants to hold on but Rogers pushes him away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Rogers with good strikes from the mount here!
Rogers connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Rogers tries to control but Denisov wriggling away.
Denisov throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
Denisov flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.
Rogers controlling his opponent.
Denisov is trying desperately to improve position.
Rogers tries to control but Denisov wriggling away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rogers takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Denisov is looking to improve his position but Rogers isn't that keen on the idea.
Denisov is working hard here to advance position.
Denisov tries to hold on but Rogers pushes him away.
Denisov tries to reverse the position but Rogers maintains control.
Rogers avoids the attempt from Denisov to control.
Rogers dominating with strikes here.
Rogers lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Denisov is wriggling around trying to escape.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Mason Rogers dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Denisov gets a clinch.
Denisov is trying to pull guard but Rogers turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Rogers is looking to control Denisov's arms but Denisov gets an underhook and turns him. Now Rogers has his back to the cage.

Denisov escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Denisov moves in looking to clinch but Rogers pushes him off.
Denisov moves out of range of the body kick.
No joy there for Denisov, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Rogers displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Denisov.
Rogers is trying to counter with his kicks.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Denisov throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Rogers looks to land a left hand but Denisov moved out of range nicely.
Rogers lands with a nice body punch.
Rogers cracks Denisov with a good jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Denisov is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Denisov wants to clinch but Rogers slips to the side
and Rogers connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Rogers with a body punch. A glancing blow.

Denisov clinches with his opponent.
Rogers tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.

Denisov manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Rogers passes Denisov's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Denisov has hold of Rogers's hands but Rogers slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Rogers blocks the strikes from Denisov.
Mason Rogers has got the better of the ground game so far.
Rogers not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Rogers is nestled in close to Denisov, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Denisov wants to get back to full guard.
Rogers blocks the strikes from Denisov.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Denisov manages to get to full guard.
Denisov keeping moving, preventing Rogers from controlling successfully.
Rogers working some strikes from top position.
Rogers looking to sit in guard and control but Denisov gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Rogers controls Denisov momentarily but Denisov frees himself.
Denisov won't allow Rogers to sweep him here.
Denisov trying to control but Rogers is working from the bottom.
Denisov throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Rogers works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Denisov is pushing down on Rogers's leg trying to pass to half guard. Rogers is fighting to maintain full guard but Denisov has managed to sneak the leg through.
Denisov thows a huge punch but Rogers dodges it nicely.
Rogers tries to roll over but Denisov keeps him under control.
Rogers trying to hold on to Denisov's head to control him but Denisov postures up.
Rogers wants to sweep but Denisov has passed to side control!
Rogers on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Denisov in side control, throwing shots but Rogers defends.
Rogers can't do much from the bottom here.
Denisov is working Rogers over with some ground and pound from side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rogers is looking to regain half guard here but Denisov keeps moving and retains side control.
Denisov throws a strike aimed at the side of Rogers's head but Rogers avoids it well.
Rogers struggling a bit here.
Denisov has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Denisov lands a few punches from side control.
Rogers trying to control but Denisov flips him over like a cheap hooker and has his back!
Rogers has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Rogers is trapped and Denisov is scoring with shots to the head and body.
Rogers tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Rogers tries to hold on but Denisov pushes him away.
Denisov with the ground and pound from mount.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Denis Denisov dominated that second round.
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. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Denisov clinches with his opponent.
Rogers throws a knee to the head but misses.

Denisov jumps guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Denisov can't keep his opponent in guard - Rogers advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Rogers throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Rogers scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Denisov wants to get back to full guard.
Denisov is trying to maintain the position but Rogers is very close to passing his half guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rogers uses his free foot to push down on Denisov's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Denisov.
Rogers postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Denisov looks a forlorn figure.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Denisov keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Denisov throwing hammer fists to the chest of Rogers. What's that going to do exactly?
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Rogers cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Rogers with shots to the head and body - Denisov looks very uncomfortable down there.
Rogers lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Denisov swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.
Denisov is squirming around, avoiding Rogers's attempts to control the action.
Denisov swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Denisov is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Denisov holds on to Rogers around his waist, trying desperately to prevent any attacks.
Denisov tries to reverse the position but Rogers maintains control.
Denisov tries to hold on but Rogers pushes him away.
Denisov really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Rogers working Denisov over with strikes here.
Denisov wants to hold on but Rogers pushes him away.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Rogers cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Denisov throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
Rogers pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Denisov can't escape the position.
Rogers controlling the position easily from mount.
Rogers putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Rogers controlling from the full mount.
Denisov flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.
Rogers controlling from the full mount.
Rogers trying to control but Denisov is having none of it.
Denisov taking shots to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rogers tries to control but Denisov wriggling away.
Rogers avoids the attempt from Denisov to control.
Denisov sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Denisov missing with punches from the bottom.
Denisov works his way to full guard. Good work.
Rogers wants to control from the top but Denisov keeps moving.
Rogers throwing strikes from guard but Denisov blocks nicely.
Rogers preventing the sweep.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mason Rogers comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Rogers has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 28:29
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 28:29
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mason Rogers!
After winning the bout, Mason Rogers thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.