PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Devon Sage (ranked 787 p4p, 1356 weight class) and Ernesto Romero (ranked 71 p4p, 123 weight class). Devon Sage has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Sage
vs
Romero

170 cm
28
157
14 - 2 - 0

165 cm
28
150
8 - 3 - 1

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter fighter
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Solid Muay Thai
Heavy handed

Northern Zombie
Shadow Realm Apparel

Silverguard Outfitters 🛡
Furnace Performance 🔥

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 14 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Devon Sage!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 3 - 1, fighting out of Amsterdam, Ernesto Romero!
The judges for this bout are Ivan Kurochkin, Aleksei Zolotukhin and Viktor Lagutenko.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Romero clinches.
Sage tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Romero smiles and moves away.

Romero clinches.
Sage fails to pull guard.
Sage tries to pull guard but Romero won't allow it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Devon Sage. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Romero doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Romero can't find room to land a body shot as Sage controls the action.
Sage jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Romero walks away with a smile on his face. Sage gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.

Romero closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Romero tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
A short uppercut from Romero.

Sage drags the fight down to the ground.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Romero tries to stand but Sage is controlling from the bottom.
Romero stopping the sweep attempt from Sage.
Sage has Romero pulled in close to control his posture.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sage not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Romero wants to get up but he can't break Sage's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Sage managing to control the position.

Sage is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

Sage working for a triangle but Romero defends it easily.

Sage throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Sage is on top in guard.

The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sage stays in close to Romero's body and controls the position.
Romero is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Sage is controlling him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sage content to stall in guard here.
Romero wants to stand up but Sage is controlling him.

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.
Sage looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.
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 Devon Sage will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Romero dips to his left and cracks Sage with an uppercut!

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Romero lands a body punch in the clinch.
A short right from Romero.

Sage jumps into guard, dragging Romero to the mat.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Romero trying to stand up but can't free himself from Sage's guard.

Sage looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Romero passes into half guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Romero tries to stand but his arm is trapped.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Romero throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Sage trying to control from the bottom.
Romero is trying to control. Sage wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Sage wants to control but Romero is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Romero looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Sage is looking for a sweep. Romero is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Sage is controlling Romero's position as best he can from this difficult position.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Sage walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.

Romero drives through and clinches with Sage against the cage.
Romero lands with a short shot to the head.
Romero has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
A nice right hand lands inside from Romero.
Sage is trying to pull guard but Romero has him pressed against the cage.
Sage fails to pull guard.

Sage manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.

Sage had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Romero defends it easily.
Romero wants to stand but Sage is controlling his posture from full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sage working a defensive guard here.

Romero got a little sloppy there for a moment and Sage has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Romero has managed to get both his arms back between Sage's legs - danger averted.
Sage manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Romero manages to get himself to full guard.

Romero really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Sage. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Romero is looking to stand up but Sage isn't so interested in that idea.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Romero can do anything to dispel that myth.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Romero can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Sage controls the pace.
Sage passes Romero's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Sage controlling the action here.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Ernesto Romero showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Romero forces Sage back against the cage and clinches.
Sage is trying to pull guard but Romero has him pressed against the cage.
Sage is trying to pull guard but Romero has him pressed against the cage.
Romero tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Sage's elbow.
Sage fails to pull guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Devon Sage. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sage tries to pull guard but Romero won't allow it.
Sage tries to pull guard but Romero holds him up against the cage and eventually Sage drops back down to his feet.
Romero lands a body shot in the clinch.
Sage is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Romero to keep the fight standing.
Romero works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Romero works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Romero lands a nice uppercut.
Sage fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Romero lands a left hand.
Sage is trying to pull guard but Romero turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Romero lands a nice uppercut.
Sage fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Romero's coach down at MMA Training and Sparring Buddies was telling us pre-fight that they have been working on Romero's balance. Obviously they view that as a key factor in the outcome of this fight.
Romero lands with a short punch from the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A short right from Romero on the inside.
Romero cracks Sage with a nice body shot.
Romero working some nice short punches in the clinch.

Romero breaks from the clinch.
Romero tests Sage's chin there with a solid looking shot.

It looks like Devon Sage has been cut.
Romero dips to his left and cracks Sage with an uppercut!
Sage is looking light on his feet compared to last time was saw him fight.

Romero clinches up with Sage and pushes him back against the cage.
Romero lands a hook that snaps the head of Sage backwards.

Romero breaks from the clinch.

Romero darts in and clinches Sage up against the cage.
Sage tries to pull guard but Romero holds him up against the cage and eventually Sage drops back down to his feet.

Sage drags the fight down to the ground.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Romero postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Romero has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Sage is proving hard to escape from.

Romero stands up and waves to Sage to follow him.
Romero works the jab nicely.
Romero misses with a double jab.
An attempted straight right counter from Sage misses the target.

Romero clinches up with Sage and pushes him back against the cage.
Nice body punch from Romero.
Sage jumps guard but Romero turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Sage fails to pull the fight into his guard.

Romero breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Sage tries to keep at a distance but Romero has taken the fight into the clinch.
Romero lands an uppercut.
Sage tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Romero smiles and moves away.

Romero takes the fight into the clinch.
Romero tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Romero gets through Sage's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Romero lands a left hand.
Romero lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Sage backwards.
Romero lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Sage.
Sage takes a shot to the head.
Romero lands a shoulder strike.
Romero misses with a hook to the ribs.
Sage jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Romero walks away with a smile on his face. Sage gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Ernesto Romero seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Romero darts in and clinches Sage up against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Sage tries to pull guard but Romero won't allow it.
Sage fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Romero scores with a nice hook to the head.
A right hook to the body lands for Romero.

Romero breaks from the clinch.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Sage tries to pull guard but Romero holds him up against the cage and eventually Sage drops back down to his feet.
Romero lands with a left to the head.
Sage fails to pull guard.

Romero pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Sage closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Sage tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Romero smiles and moves away.

Romero has taken the fight to the clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ernesto Romero comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Romero 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 Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 27:29
Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 27:29
Judge Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ernesto Romero!
During a confident post fight interview, Ernesto Romero thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.