PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Jamie Rooney (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and josh lester (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rooney comes to the cage accompanied by Prodigy - Spitfire. The crowd seem to be enjoying lester's choice of entrance music: stupify. josh lester will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Rooney
vs
lester

180 cm
18
179 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

189 cm
21
175 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

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 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Jamie Rooney!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, josh lester!
The judges for this bout are Ben Zyskovitsi, Tarja Halkonen and Johanna Lukiainen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rooney will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

Rooney is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in lester's half guard.
Rooney is keen to just control but lester is a slippery customer.
lester controlling the position for now.
lester is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Rooney's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Rooney's back!
Rooney looking very determined here, making life difficult for lester.
A bit of a pause in the action here. lester controlling the positon.
Rooney covering up well under a barage of strikes.
lester trying to control momentarily.
Rooney turns into lester and is now in his guard.

lester working for a triangle but Rooney defends it easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Rooney thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Rooneyis looking to pass into half guard but lester pushes him away with his feet and jumps on top - now lester is in guard.
lester preventing the sweep.
Rooney is working hard here to advance position.

lester avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Rooney is breathing heavily.
lester trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

Rooney working for a triangle but lester defends it easily.
lester trying to control but Rooney is working from the bottom.
lester must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

lester gets to his feet - Rooney follows without any prompting.
lester fails in his attempt to clinch.
Rooney throws a combination but it was largely blocked by lester.
lester gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Rooney counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
lester wants to get back to his feet.
Rooney is thwarting lester's attempts to control the position.
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.
Rooney wants to control but lester is keeping him busy.
lester is trying to control but can't.
Rooney wants to pass the guard but lester is defending well.
lester is staying active underneath Rooney, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Rooney is thwarting lester's attempts to control the position.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
lester moves in looking to clinch but Rooney pushes him off.
Rooney shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
lester is looking to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
lester looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
lester tries to clinch

and Rooney counters with a nice double leg into side control. lester won't be happy with that.
lester is looking for a sweep.
Rooney tries to advance to mount but lester denies him.

Rooney thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Rooney wants to control but lester is keeping him busy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jamie Rooney dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

lester tries to clinch but Rooney moves away

and Rooney counters with a takedown into side control.

Rooney goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, lester has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Rooney but great work by lester.
lester cracks Rooney with a big right hand but Rooney just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Rooney is looking for a sweep.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
lester advances to full mount.
Rooney is in all sorts of trouble here.
lester content just to control the position here.
lester working Rooney over with strikes here.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
lester content just to control the position here.
lester looking to control but Rooney is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rooney is looking to improve his position but lester isn't that keen on the idea.
lester lands a nice shot to the head.
Rooney is trying to escape the mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Rooney is in a horrible position here. lester smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Rooney really wants to buck lester off and get back to his feet.
lester unloading with bombs!

lester is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Rooney is surviving well by controlling lester's body position as best he can.
Rooney is wriggling around trying to escape.
lester putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Rooney is looking to get to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
lester controlling the position easily from mount.
Rooney keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
lester tries to control but Rooney wriggling away.
Rooney looking to escape from mount but he's given up his back!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Rooney is defending well here and trying to improve his position.
lester is looking to control Rooney but Rooney is wriggling around and keeping busy.
Rooney turns into lester and is now in his guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Rooney thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
lester tries to score a power double leg takedown but Rooney sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten lester somewhat.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but josh lester will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. And we move into the final round!

lester throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
Rooney misses with a takedown

and lester counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Rooney's guard now.
lester stands and throws Rooney's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Rooney tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but lester wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Rooney manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
lester wants to stand up but Rooney is controlling the position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
lester is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.

That's one minute gone in the round.
lester trying to control from half guard but Rooney is working away.
Rooney makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Rooney.
Rooney wants to sweep here but lester controlling him for the moment.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as lester accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Rooney keeping moving, preventing lester from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Rooney is looking to stand up but lester isn't so interested in that idea.
lester trying to control the position from guard on top but Rooney is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
lester fails in his attempt to clinch.
Rooney throws a sloppy head kick and lester moves out of range easily.
lester shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Rooney counters with a nice double leg into side control. lester won't be happy with that.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
lester is looking for a sweep.

Rooney goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, lester has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Rooney but great work by lester.
Rooney manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Jamie Rooney overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Rooney wants to get back to full guard.
lester tries to pass to full mount but Rooney defends it.
Rooney trying to control but lester postures up.
lester is trying to control the action in half guard but Rooney is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Rooney is trying to get back to full guard.

Rooney looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Rooney is positioning himself well to prevent lester advancing to mount.
Rooney tries to kick lester off but lester keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
lester has his takedown stuffed

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

Rooney seems to be working for a kimura but lester defends the submission attempt.
Rooney is keen to just control but lester is a slippery customer.
Rooney tries to pass to full mount but lester defends it.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jamie Rooney showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Rooney 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 Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 30:28
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 29:28
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jamie Rooney!