PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Vince Buckner (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Valentino Rosso (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The key to victory for Vince Buckner has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Buckner
vs
Rosso

198 cm
20
275 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

225 cm
22
240 lbs
6 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Cuts easily

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Vince Buckner!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Valentino Rosso!
The judges for this bout are William Gold, James Ackerman and James Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Buckner shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Buckner not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Buckner wants to pass to mount but Rosso is defending the position.

Buckner is trying to work for a kimura but Rosso is defending well.

Buckner looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Buckner is keen to just control but Rosso is a slippery customer.
Buckner thows a huge punch but Rosso dodges it nicely.
Buckner thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Rosso's head.
Buckner wants to pass to mount but Rosso is defending the position.
Rosso is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

That's one minute gone in the round.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Buckner tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Rosso swivels and escapes.
Rosso tries to close the distance and clinch but Buckner swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Rosso misses with a head kick.
Rosso tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Buckner swivels and escapes.
Buckner tries for a takedown but Rosso circles away easily

and Rosso counters with a shoot takedown. Buckner fights it but they end up in guard.
Buckner is breathing heavily.
Rosso sitting in guard here, content to control.
Let's hope that Rosso has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.

Buckner working for submissions but it's allowed Rosso to get to half guard.
Buckner tries to roll over but Rosso keeps him under control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rosso performing his best blanket impression for a moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Buckner looking for submissions off his back.
Rosso seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Buckner tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Buckner moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Buckner working a defensive guard here.
Rosso wants to control from the top but Buckner keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Buckner looking for a sweep. Not yet Buckner, not yet.
Rosso not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

Buckner has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Rosso can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Rosso controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Rosso trying to control the position from guard on top but Buckner is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Buckner shoots and misses

and Rosso counters with a single leg into guard. Buckner didn't expect that.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Vince Buckner. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Buckner can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Rosso controls the pace.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Buckner looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Rosso puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Rosso wants to control but Buckner is keeping him busy.

Buckner is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Rosso pulls his head out easily.

Buckner is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Rosso pulls his head out easily.
Buckner tries to get to full guard but Rosso has control of the leg.
Rosso slows the pace down in half guard.
Rosso works his way into full mount!
Rosso controlling the position easily from mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Valentino Rosso dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Buckner fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Buckner shoots in for a takedown but Rosso shows good takedown defense.
A cross from Buckner lands.

Rosso shoots in and bounces Buckner off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Rosso controlling from the top position.

Buckner is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rosso sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Buckner's guard.
Rosso content to control rather than advance.
Buckner is looking to improve his position.
Rosso takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Despite being in the dominant position, Valentino Rosso just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Rosso throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Buckner shoots and misses
and Rosso counters with a straight right hand.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Vince Buckner. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rosso misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

Buckner decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Rosso is doing well to control the position and prevent Buckner from advancing to side control.
Rosso is trying to maintain the position but Buckner is very close to passing his half guard.
Buckner is figuring out what he wants to do next.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rosso is trying to maintain the position but Buckner is very close to passing his half guard.
Buckner passes the guard and advances to mount!

Buckner wants to finish this one by submission but Rosso is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Buckner.
Buckner misses with a head shot.
Valentino Rosso has got the better of the ground game so far.
Rosso is looking to improve his position but Buckner isn't that keen on the idea.
The step up in weight doesn't seem to be a problem for Rosso. He's performing admirably here against the bigger man.
Buckner takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Rosso tries to hold on but Buckner pushes him away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

Buckner goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Rosso is on top in guard.
Rosso sitting in guard here, content to control.
Rosso passes Buckner's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Buckner trying to hold on to Rosso's head to control him but Rosso postures up.
Buckner wants to improve his position but Rosso is controlling well.
Rosso is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Buckner wants to control but Rosso is keeping busy.
Rosso keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Valentino Rosso 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!

Rosso tries to clinch there but Buckner circles away.

Buckner shoots in and bounces Rosso off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Rosso looking to control.
Buckner wanted to stand there but Rosso had control of the position.
Rosso pulls Buckner in close to prevent any damage.
Buckner stopping the sweep attempt from Rosso.
Buckner looking to sit in guard and control but Rosso gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Rosso content to stall in guard here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Buckner wants to sweep but no luck.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Buckner working for a triangle but Rosso defends it easily.
Buckner keeping full guard, as Rosso tries to pass.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Buckner throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Rosso preventing the sweep.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Buckner throws a big shot that misses.

Buckner closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Rosso is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.
Rosso is refusing to be controlled, as Buckner sits in half guard.
Buckner is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.

Buckner is looking for a kimura here.

Buckner wants to work for an arm triangle but Rosso is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Buckner passes the guard and advances to mount!

Buckner looking to secure an arm triangle but Rosso defends it well.
Rosso wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Buckner.
Buckner avoids the attempt from Rosso to control.
Rosso keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Buckner scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Rosso tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Buckner putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Rosso is trying desperately to improve position.
Buckner trying to control but Rosso is having none of it.
Rosso tries to hold on but Buckner postures up.
Buckner looking to control but Rosso is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Vince Buckner has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Buckner is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Rosso is surviving well by controlling Buckner's body position as best he can.

And that's the end of the fight!
Vince Buckner showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Rosso has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 William Gold scores the fight 28:29
Judge James Ackerman scores the fight 28:29
Judge James Glass scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Valentino Rosso!