PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Steve Makeo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Roman Reigns (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighter's entrance songs getting the crowd jumping here.

Makeo
vs
Reigns

185 cm
23
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

200 cm
25
185 lbs
1 - 0 - 1

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Steve Makeo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 1, fighting out of London, Roman Reigns!
The judges for this bout are William Gold, Daniel Bishop and Chris Edwards.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Makeo shoots in for a takedown but Reigns shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Reigns tries to clinch up but Makeo circles away and keeps his distance.
Reigns is trying hard to land a takedown here. Makeo sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.

Reigns fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Makeo sprawls well initially but Reigns persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Reigns not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Makeo is trying to stand back up but Reigns is controlling him
Makeo is controlling Reigns's trapped leg to prevent Reigns from advancing to side control.
Reigns has decided to stand back up but his arm is trapped. Whilst he's worrying about his arm, Makeo works to full guard.
Makeo keeping moving, preventing Reigns from controlling successfully.
Reigns throwing strikes but missing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Reigns wants to control from the top but Makeo keeps moving.
Reigns must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Reigns won't allow Makeo to sweep him here.
Makeo pulls Reigns in close to prevent any damage.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Roman Reigns.
Reigns misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Makeo slaps away a takedown attempt from Reigns, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Makeo shoots in for a takedown but Reigns shows good takedown defense.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Makeo is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Makeo is defended easily by Reigns.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Steve Makeo. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Reigns shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Makeo but Makeo pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Makeo throws a nice inside leg kick.
Makeo tries for a takedown but Reigns circles away easily
and Reigns counters with a left to the body.
Reigns shoots for a takedown but Makeo saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Reigns shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Makeo sprawls well. Makeo wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Reigns gets slowly back to his feet.
Reigns looks winded!
Makeo tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Reigns throws a nice looking combination but Makeo bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Reigns stuffs the takedown.
Reigns tries for a takedown but Makeo sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Reigns misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Reigns is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Reigns takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Reigns tries to clinch there but Makeo circles away.
Reigns stuffs the takedown attempt from Makeo. Makeo gets slowly back to his feet.
Reigns shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Reigns on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.

Makeo closes the distance and clinches.

Reigns ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Reigns no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Makeo is stalling in the full guard.

Makeo stands up and waves to Reigns to follow him.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Makeo misses with the combination.
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 Steve Makeo will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Reigns gets a clinch.

Makeo's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Makeo looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Reigns is fending him off so far but Makeo persists. Nope, Reigns circles away and we're back to standing.
Reigns shoots in for a double leg but Makeo sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Makeo throws a right and a left that Reigns avoids nicely.
Reigns shoots in for a takedown but Makeo shows good takedown defense.
Makeo fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

Makeo fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Reigns to the ground. Makeo is now in Reigns's guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Makeo trying to control the position from guard on top but Reigns is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Reigns working a defensive guard here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Makeo trying to control but Reigns is working from the bottom.
Reigns really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Makeo. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

Steve Makeo has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Makeo tries to clinch there but Reigns circles away.
Reigns tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

Makeo fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Reigns, pushing him back against the cage.
Makeo looking for a takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Steve Makeo. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Makeo pulls guard successfully.
Makeo is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Makeo is adopting a defensive guard.
Makeo working a defensive guard here.
Reigns not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Makeo slaps away a takedown attempt from Reigns, before circling back to the center of the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Makeo will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Reigns throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Makeo tries for a takedown but Reigns circles away easily

and Reigns counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Reigns has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Makeo is trying to stall.
Reigns lands a right hand that snaps the head of Makeo backwards.
Reigns misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Makeo.
Makeo goes for a takedown in the clinch but Reigns prevents it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Reigns has had enough of the clinch but Makeo keeps him there for the moment.
Reigns wants a takedown but no success here.
Makeo is pressed up against the cage. Reigns has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Makeo down to the mat. Makeo avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Reigns moves out of range of the strikes.
Reigns shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Makeo defends it nicely.
Makeo shoots in but Reigns avoids the takedown attempt easily.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Makeo enables Reigns to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Makeo manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Steve Makeo 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. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Makeo shoots in for a double leg but Reigns sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Makeo avoids the head kick by Reigns.
Steve Makeo is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Makeo throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Reigns tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

Reigns throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Makeo tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Reigns is in Makeo's guard.
Reigns is looking to stand up but Makeo won't let him.
Makeo throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.

Makeo is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Makeo working for a triangle but Reigns defends it easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Reigns wants to control from the top but Makeo keeps moving.
Reigns wants to stand and escape but instead Makeo has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Reigns manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Makeo in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Reigns looking to control but Makeo is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Roman Reigns has got the better of the ground game so far.
Reigns avoids the attempt from Makeo to control.
Makeo sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Reigns is trying to control the action in half guard but Makeo is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Makeo wants to control but Reigns is keeping busy and won't allow it.

Reigns wants to work for an arm triangle but Makeo is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Makeo keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.

Makeo kicks Reigns off and gets back to his feet.
Makeo tries for a takedown but Reigns circles away easily
letting Reigns counter with a right hand.
Nice sprawl there from Makeo as Reigns shoots in.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Makeo wants to clinch.
Makeo swats away the attempt to clinch by Reigns.
Reigns is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Makeo fails with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Steve Makeo. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Reigns misses with a leg kick.
Roman Reigns has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Steve Makeo is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Makeo shoots in for a takedown but Reigns shows good takedown defense.

And that's the end of the fight!
Roman Reigns comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Makeo 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 William Gold scores the fight 29:28
Judge Daniel Bishop scores the fight 29:29
Judge Chris Edwards scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Steve Makeo!