PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Shael Connen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Samuel Rowan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Connen comes to the cage accompanied by Rock You Like a Hurricane. Rowan is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: NoMeansNo - The Tower. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Connen
vs
Rowan

175 cm
31
170 lbs
10 - 10 - 0

178 cm
20
180 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Very quick

Good takedowns
Good kicks
Good gas tank

Cyclone Nutrition Company
Reaper Combatwear

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 10 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Shael Connen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Samuel Rowan!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Blasius, Nard Betker and Wagner Zegers.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A punch combination from Connen misses.
Rowan wants to slow Connen down by chopping away at his legs.
Rowan throws a quick inside leg kick.
Connen tries to clinch up but Rowan circles away and keeps his distance.
Connen lands an overhand right.
Connen misses with a few strikes there.
Connen misses with a looping left.
Rowan circles away from the clinch attempt.
Rowan fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Rowan slips a straight right by Connen.
A nice leg kick lands there from Rowan.
A good leg kick by Rowan.
Connen swinging wildly here.
Connen lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Rowan throws a shot from downtown. Connen moves away and avoids it.
Connen fails with an attempt to clinch.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Connen misses with a double jab.
Rowan walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Connen checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Connen has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Rowan.
Connen scores with a one two! Rowan had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Rowan scores with a nice body kick.
Connen takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Rowan lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Connen at a distance.
Rowan ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Connen moves away.
A decent looking cross lands there for Connen.
Connen dips to his left and cracks Rowan with an uppercut!
Connen lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Connen.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Connen moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Rowan tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Connen was well out of range. Poor timing from Rowan.
Rowan ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Connen moves away.
Connen rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Rowan moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
A solid leg kick lands there for Rowan.
Connen throws a head kick that misses.
Connen looks to throw the jab but Rowan is out of range.
Rowan looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Connen works Rowan's body with a nice hook.
Connen throws a right and a left that Rowan avoids nicely.
Connen moves away from the strike by Rowan.
Connen throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Connen is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Rowan lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Connen misses with an uppercut. Rowan saw that one coming.
Rowan blocks a head kick by Connen.
Rowan lands a jab to the nose.
Rowan avoids a punch combination nicely.
Connen shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.

Connen rushes Rowan and presses him up against the cage.
Connen tries to break the clinch but Rowan is controlling the position.

Rowan breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
A combination from Connen does no damage.
Shael Connen is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Connen throws a right and a left that both miss.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Connen misses with a head kick.
Rowan swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Connen lands a jab-cross combination.
Connen tries to clinch but Rowan is having none of it.
Rowan uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Connen.
Connen uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Rowan.
A kick lands to the mid section there for Rowan.
A chopping leg kick lands by Rowan.
Connen tries to close the distance and clinch but Rowan swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Connen drives through and clinches with Rowan against the cage.
Rowan stalls.
Rowan tries to pull guard but Connen won't allow it.
Connen tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Connen is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Rowan connects with a nasty looking knee right to Connen's face.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rowan tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Connen's elbow.

Rowan breaks the clinch.
Shael Connen seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Connen throws a nice looking combination but Rowan bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Rowan scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Sloppy strikes from Connen. Those never looked like landing.
Connen throws a combination that misses
and Rowan counters with a slapping leg kick.
Connen tries to close the distance and clinch but Rowan swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Connen is working the combinations to good effect here.
Both fighters circling a little - Rowan finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Rowan throws a sloppy head kick and Connen moves out of range easily.
Rowan throws a sloppy head kick and Connen moves out of range easily.
Connen pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Rowan delivers a nice body kick.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
A punch combination from Connen misses.
Rowan scores with a spinning back kick!
Rowan dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Connen. That did some damage!
Connen misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Shael Connen will probably get the nod.
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.

Connen wants to clinch.
Connen takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Rowan lands with a kick to the ribs.
Connen misses the jab.
Connen takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Connen misses with the combination.
The fight stays on the outside here - Connen looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Connen takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Connen getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
A good leg kick by Rowan.
Connen slips a jab from Rowan.
Rowan showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Connen.
Connen on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Connen will be looking to protect his midsection after taking some solid kicks to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rowan lands a nice leg kick that just misses Connen's sensitive parts.
Rowan takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Rowan shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Connen but Connen pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Decent striking displayed by Rowan there.
Connen looks to throw the jab but Rowan is out of range.
Connen tries to clinch but Rowan moves out of range.
Connen swinging wildly here.

Connen gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Rowan works on Connen's body with a couple of short punches.
Rowan will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Connen up against the cage.
Connen takes a shot to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A short uppercut from Rowan.
Rowan landing some nice looking knees to the body.

Rowan's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Connen takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Connen displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Connen tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Rowan manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Samuel Rowan seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Rowan slips under a jab from Connen.
Rowan misses with a wild body shot.
Connen pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Rowan scores with a jab.
Connen swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Connen misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Connen misses with a head kick.
Thud! ouch! good body kick from Rowan - that will leave a mark!
Rowan cracks the inside of Connen's front leg.
Rowan works the jab nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Connen throws a shot from downtown. Rowan moves away and avoids it.
Connen looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

Rowan shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Connen utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Rowan trying to control but Connen is working from the bottom.
Rowan is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
Rowan throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Rowan working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Connen on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Connen tries to get out of the position.
Rowan trying to control but Connen is working from the bottom.
Rowan slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rowan is in close to Connen's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Rowan throwing strikes from guard but Connen blocks nicely.
Rowan has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Rowan working some strikes from top position.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Rowan is looking to work some ground and pound but Connen has wrist control.
Connen knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Rowan on the ground.
Connen avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Rowan prevents Connen from getting back to his feet.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Rowan landing with the ground and pound.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rowan scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Samuel Rowan showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Connen stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Rowan.
Rowan avoids the head kick by Connen.
Rowan lands a nice leg kick that just misses Connen's sensitive parts.
Rowan ducks under a wild hook from Connen.
Connen jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Connen is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Rowan tries to score a power double leg takedown but Connen sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Rowan somewhat.
Connen misses with a double jab
and Rowan counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Connen feints a jab promting Rowan to slip. Connen then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Rowan slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.
Rowan moves out of range as Connen strikes.
Rowan shoots in for a double leg but Connen sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Connen slips a jab from Rowan.

Rowan closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Connen to the mat! Connen manages to get full guard.
Rowan trying to control but Connen is working from the bottom.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Rowan is looking to work some ground and pound but Connen has wrist control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Connen wants to get back to his feet but Rowan is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Rowan postures up in Connen's guard and throws a big left but Connen blocks it.
Rowan passes into half guard.
Rowan trying to pass the guard but Connen defending well.
Rowan sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Connen defending well though.
Rowan landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Connen keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Rowan drops an elbow to the side of Connen's head.
Samuel Rowan has got the better of the ground game so far.
Rowan working over Connen with some ground and pound. Connen looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rowan trying to control from half guard but Connen is working away.
Connen is trying to stand up here but Rowan is controlling him well.
Connen blocking the ground and pound attempt from Rowan.
Rowan thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Rowan takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Rowan seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Rowan seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Connen does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Rowan working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Rowan is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Connen!
Rowan lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.

Connen is rocked!
Rowan is landing with some decent strikes but Connen is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Oh Connen is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Rowan postures up and connects with a big shot that has rocked Connen badly. He's trying desperately to grab hold of Rowan around the waist but Rowan pushes him off and unloads with more strikes, forcing the referee to jump in and save him! Rowan is the winner by TKO! Rowan jumps onto the cage and shouts into the camera. "We did it momma!"

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:56 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Samuel Rowan!
After the fight, Samuel Rowan was humble in paying tribute to his opponent but made it clear he wants to go on to bigger and better things. It seemed to go down well with the crowd who cheered him loudly.