PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Dave Rob (ranked 4655 p4p, 4631 weight class) and John O Dowd (ranked 294 p4p, 289 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Rob
vs
O Dowd

172 cm
18
144
0 - 0 - 0

170 cm
18
145
0 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Brawler
Big right hand

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Tends to cut

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Dave Rob!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, John O Dowd!
The judges for this bout are Matti Vanhoillinen, Arvi Lind and Anni Minnemäki.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Rob darts in and clinches O Dowd up against the cage.
A right handed body shot lands from Rob.

O Dowd gets control of Rob's arms and successfully pulls guard. O Dowd will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Rob seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Rob won't allow O Dowd to get back to his feet.
Rob tries to free his leg and advance position but O Dowd is retaining full guard.
Rob is looking to work some ground and pound but O Dowd has wrist control.
Rob throwing strikes from guard but O Dowd blocks nicely.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rob stops O Dowd from standing up.
Rob postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Rob won't allow O Dowd to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rob postures up.
O Dowd can't keep his opponent in guard - Rob advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Rob landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Rob content to control rather than advance.
Rob scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Rob works his way into full mount!
O Dowd bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rob keeping moving, preventing O Dowd from controlling successfully.
Rob on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Rob tries to get out of the position.
Rob pulls O Dowd in to control the position.

Rob is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
O Dowd won't allow Rob to sweep him here.
O Dowd tries to stand but Rob is controlling from the bottom.
O Dowd won't allow Rob to get back to his feet.
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.
O Dowd trying to control the position from guard on top but Rob is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
O Dowd is looking to stand up but Rob won't let him.

Rob is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and O Dowd defends well.
Rob is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
O Dowd postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Rob keeping moving, preventing O Dowd from controlling successfully.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
A head kick misses from O Dowd.
Rob fails to land the takedown.

Rob moves into range and clinches up with O Dowd.
O Dowd is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Rob to keep the fight standing.
O Dowd goes for a takedown in the clinch but Rob prevents it.
Rob makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
O Dowd is trying to break the clinch but Rob has him pressed against the cage.
O Dowd fails to pull the fight into his guard.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Dave Rob dominated that 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.

Rob has managed to clinch.
Rob lands a body punch in the clinch.
Rob lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down O Dowd.
A frustrated look appears on O Dowd's face as he tries to break the clinch.
O Dowd is defending well against a takedown attempt.
O Dowd is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Rob gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Rob changes levels and goes for a takedown here. O Dowd fights it off and pushes away nicely.

Rob closes the distance and clinches.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rob jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as O Dowd walks away with a smile on his face. Rob gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Dave Rob. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rob shoots in looking for a takedown. O Dowd tries to sprawl out of it but Rob keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. O Dowd manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
O Dowd shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Rob as he jumps to the side.
Rob shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
O Dowd looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Rob tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but O Dowd swivels and escapes.

O Dowd moves into the clinch.
O Dowd is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Rob to keep the fight standing.
Rob is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that O Dowd can do to turn this around?
Rob lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
O Dowd tries to pull guard but Rob forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Rob lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Rob keeps the fight in the clinch, despite O Dowd's efforts to push away.
Rob is trying to break the clinch but O Dowd is controlling him.
A battle for position here, against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rob tries to score a body lock takedown but O Dowd shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Rob stops a takedown attempt from O Dowd.
O Dowd is trying to stall.
Rob wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
O Dowd misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Rob.

Rob pulls guard effortlessly.
Rob has his hands on O Dowd's head, controlling the position.

O Dowd avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Rob is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Rob wants to get back to his feet but O Dowd is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Rob is pulling down on O Dowd's head to control his posture.
O Dowd looking to pass the guard.
Rob wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Rob throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.

Rob had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. O Dowd defends it easily.
O Dowd is working Rob over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Rob pulls O Dowd in close to prevent any damage.
O Dowd makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Rob has his hands on O Dowd's head, controlling the position.
Rob's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Dave Rob dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Rob misses with an attempted mid kick.
No luck with that takedown attempt from O Dowd.
O Dowd tries to clinch up but Rob circles away and keeps his distance.
Dave Rob is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
O Dowd throws a head kick that misses.
Rob darts in looking for a takedown but O Dowd gets double underhooks and turns Rob into the cage.
Rob stops a takedown attempt from O Dowd.
O Dowd has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Rob avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Dave Rob has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of John O Dowd.
O Dowd wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rob blocks a body shot from O Dowd.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Rob taking a breather.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rob drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Rob tries to break the clinch but O Dowd is controlling the position.
Rob is defending well against a takedown attempt.
O Dowd tries to break free but Rob pushes him back against the cage.
Rob tries to break free but O Dowd pushes him back against the cage.
O Dowd tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
O Dowd tries to score a body lock takedown but Rob shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
O Dowd is trying to pull guard but Rob turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Rob tries to pull guard but O Dowd holds him up against the cage and eventually Rob drops back down to his feet.

Rob gets control of O Dowd's arms and successfully pulls guard. Rob will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rob pulls O Dowd in close to his closed guard and prevents O Dowd from doing any damage or advancing position.
O Dowd preventing the sweep.
Rob is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Further stalling from Rob.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
O Dowd wants to pass the guard but Rob is keeping the position.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Rob has control of O Dowd's left arm, preventing O Dowd from doing any damage.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

Rob rushes O Dowd and presses him up against the cage.
O Dowd has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Rob after a bit of a struggle.
O Dowd wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Rob is stalling here.

Rob manages to pull guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rob is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Rob utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Rob keeping moving, preventing O Dowd from controlling successfully.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Rob wants to sweep but no luck.

And that's the end of the fight!
Dave Rob showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Rob, 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 Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 30:27
Judge Arvi Lind scores the fight 30:27
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Dave Rob!
Dave Rob bigged himself up after the win. The crowd seemed to love it.