PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Hooli Gaan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and CJ Rose (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rumors backstage are that the fighters have been paid to keep it standing but we know that would never happen in MMA!

Gaan
vs
Rose

176 cm
22
152 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

173 cm
20
145 lbs
4 - 4 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Determined

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 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Hooli Gaan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 4 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, CJ Rose!
The judges for this bout are Vladimir Khabensky, Ivan Kurochkin and Aleksei Zolotukhin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Gaan has closed the distance and engaged Rose in a clinch.
Rose on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

Rose wants the takedown. Gaan is fighting it off but Rose persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Gaan's guard against the cage.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Gaan controls Rose momentarily but Rose frees himself.
Gaan tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Gaan manages to escape and get back to his feet.

Rose shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Rose showed some decent athleticism there.
Rose wants to stand up but Gaan has a hold of him and won't allow it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gaan trying to control from the bottom.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Gaan is trying to get back to full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gaan is working hard here to advance position.
Rose seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.

Rose is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Gaan defends it well.

Rose decides to return to a standing position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Gaan is defended easily by Rose.

Rose rushes Gaan and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Rose lands a takedown into guard.
Gaan bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Rose's guard.
Gaan has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Gaan wants to control from the top but Rose keeps moving.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Rose is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Rose wants to stand but Gaan has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rose stops Gaan from getting back to his feet.
Rose tries to stand but his arm is trapped.

Rose decides to stand up.
Gaan shoots in and drives through. Rose sprawls well.
Rose throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Gaan tries to clinch but Rose moves out of range.
Gaan wants to clinch.
Gaan shoots in but Rose avoids the takedown attempt easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Hooli Gaan. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Rose darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.

Rose postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Gaan to stand up.
Gaan tries to clinch there but Rose circles away.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Gaan is looking to clinch but Rose is avoiding it.
Hooli Gaan seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Gaan moves into the clinch.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Rose escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

CJ Rose dominated that round.
That's time! Gaan's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Rose throws a nice looking combination but Gaan bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Gaan misses with a body kick.

Gaan moves into range and clinches up with Rose.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Gaan wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Gaan jumps guard but Rose stands there with Gaan around his waist. Gaan gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.

Rose breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Rose blocks a head kick by Gaan.
Rose throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

Rose has Gaan up against the cage in a clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Rose drags the fight down to the ground.
Gaan trying to control the position from guard on top but Rose is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Gaan has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Rose is proving hard to escape from.
Gaan cracks Rose with a solid left hand.
Gaan stops Rose from standing up.
Gaan wants to control from the top but Rose keeps moving.
Rose is looking to stand up but Gaan isn't so interested in that idea.

Rose is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Gaan is aware though and is defending well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rose looking for a sweep. Not yet Rose, not yet.

Gaan stands and steps away. Rose gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Gaan displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Gaan tries to close the distance and clinch up but Rose swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Rose closes the distance and clinches.
Gaan tries to circle away but Rose has him pinned against the cage.
Gaan tries to pull guard but Rose holds him up against the cage and eventually Gaan drops back down to his feet.
The referee calls for Gaan to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Rose jumps guard.
Rose tries to strike from the bottom.
Rose manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Gaan manages to get himself to full guard.
Rose would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Rose stands up from Gaan's guard - Rose perhaps looking for a knockout.
Gaan closes the distance looking to clinch
and Rose counters with a nice body kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gaan lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Gaan.
Gaan throws a body kick, spinning off balance
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Rose throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

Rose fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Gaan, pushing him back against the cage.

Gaan breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Gaan shoots in looking for a takedown. Rose tries to sprawl out of it but Gaan keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Rose manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Hooli Gaan. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Rose feints and as Gaan raises his hands in defense, Rose changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Gaan knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Rose on the ground.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Rose's corner is telling him to maintain position.

Gaan looking for subs off his back but Rose has passed one foot through into half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but CJ Rose will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Rose buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Rose throws a leg kick but Gaan sees it coming and moves out of range.
Gaan tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Rose rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Gaan moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Gaan scores with a three punch combo!
Rose scores with a nice body kick.

Rose gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Gaan.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gaan is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Rose is defending well.

Rose tightens his grip and picks Gaan up, before dumping him to the ground. Gaan manages to land in guard.

Rose gets to his feet. Gaan looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!

Rose has taken the fight to the clinch.
Rose lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Rose misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Gaan digs a right hand into Rose's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Rose's gas tank.

Rose has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Gaan regains guard immediately.
Rose would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Gaan on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Gaan tries to get out of the position.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Rose stands up from Gaan's guard - Rose perhaps looking for a knockout.
Rose takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Rose feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.

The fighters are working up against the cage. Gaan manages to wriggle his way back to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched against the cage.
Rose stops a takedown attempt from Gaan.
Rose looking to throw knees to the head but Gaan is blocking nicely.
Rose has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

Rose turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Rose manages to end up in side control.
Gaan is trying to improve his position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rose is looking to take a break and control but Gaan is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Gaan is trying to get back to half guard.

Rose has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rose checks the leg kick nicely there.

Gaan has closed the distance and engaged Rose in a clinch.
Rose wants to break the clinch but can't.

Rose turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Rose manages to end up in side control.
Gaan is looking to slip a leg under and get half guard but Rose is one step ahead and moves to full mount!

Rose wants to finish this one by submission but Gaan is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Rose.
Rose controlling the position easily from mount.

And that's the end of the fight!
CJ Rose comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Rose winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 27:30
Judge Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 27:30
Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... CJ Rose!