PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Bradley Romero (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mark Sullivan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Bradley Romero has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Romero
vs
Sullivan

193 cm
19
193 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

200 cm
25
188 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Prefers standup

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Solid chin

Valhalla Fight Wear
Dynamo Clothing

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 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Bradley Romero!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Mark Sullivan!
The judges for this bout are Taro Takaoka, Yukihiro Yamamoto and Yukihiro Shimada.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Romero takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.

Sullivan gets a double leg takedown into Romero's guard.
Sullivan pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Romero is keeping the position for now.
Romero is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Sullivan is controlling him.
Romero controls Sullivan momentarily but Sullivan frees himself.
Sullivan wants to pass the guard but Romero is keeping the position.
Romero has Sullivan pulled in close to control his posture.

We're going to have a standup here because Bradley Romero wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Sullivan motions for Romero to come forward. Sullivan throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.

Sullivan rushes Romero and presses him up against the cage.

Sullivan breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Romero just misses with a punch to the body.
Romero is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sullivan throws a big shot that misses.
Sullivan rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Romero moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Sullivan looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Sullivan misses with a takedown attempt - Romero sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Sullivan scoring well with a low kick there.
No joy there for Sullivan, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Sullivan fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Romero misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Sullivan dives in and grabs Romero's left leg, looking for a takedown. Romero pushes down on Sullivan's head and hops out.
Bradley Romero has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mark Sullivan.
Sullivan is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Romero.
Sullivan showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Romero.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Romero blocks a leg kick.
Sullivan swings for the body but Romero moves out of range.
Sullivan swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Romero tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Sullivan is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Romero misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
A head kick misses from Romero.

Romero darts in and clinches Sullivan up against the cage.
Sullivan tries for a takedown. No joy.
Sullivan has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Romero after a bit of a struggle.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Sullivan.
Sullivan is looking to control Romero's arms but Romero gets an underhook and turns him. Now Sullivan has his back to the cage.
Romero is looking to take this one to the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sullivan misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Sullivan is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Romero pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Sullivan looks winded!

Romero jumps into guard, dragging Sullivan to the mat.
Romero is pulling down on Sullivan's head. It's preventing any offense from Sullivan, at least for the moment.
Sullivan prevents Romero from getting back to his feet.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Romero holds on and takes a little breather.
Sullivan working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Romero is trying to keep Sullivan in close.

Bradley Romero has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Sullivan connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.

Sullivan decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sullivan prevents Romero from standing back up.
Sullivan wants to lay and pray for a moment but Romero keeps working.
Romero is trying to maintain the position but Sullivan is very close to passing his half guard.
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!
Sullivan tries to stand and escape but Romero is controlling the position.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Sullivan wants to control but Romero is keeping him busy.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Mark Sullivan wasn't active enough on the ground.
Sullivan throws an off balance right hand

and Romero counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Sullivan's guard now.
Romero is in close to Sullivan's body, working some short punches and elbows.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Sullivan wants to sweep but no luck.

Romero is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Romero with a flurry of punches that miss.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Mark Sullivan will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Sullivan fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Romero is out of range.
Good work by Romero as he checks the leg kick.
Sullivan fails to land the takedown.
Romero steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Sullivan.
Sullivan misses with a takedown

and Romero counters with a single leg into guard. Sullivan didn't expect that.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Romero throws a big elbow that misses.
Romero postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Sullivan pulls Romero in close to prevent any damage.
Romero postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Sullivan pulls Romero in close to his closed guard and prevents Romero from doing any damage or advancing position.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Sullivan can do anything to dispel that myth.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Romero makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Romero scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Sullivan is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Bradley Romero overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Romero loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Romero postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Sullivan is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Sullivan working a defensive guard here.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Romero throws an elbow that misses. Sullivan uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Romero's guard. Nice move by Sullivan!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sullivan stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Romero swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Romero trying to control the position here.
Sullivan sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Sullivan throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Romero works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Sullivan uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Romero.
A head kick misses from Romero.
Sloppy strikes from Sullivan. Those never looked like landing.
Romero on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Sullivan gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Sullivan missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Sullivan stops Romero from getting back to his feet.
Romero is refusing to be controlled, as Sullivan sits in half guard.
Romero wants to get back to his feet.
Romero won't allow Sullivan to pass to mount.
Sullivan wants to lay and pray for a moment but Romero keeps working.
Sullivan is breathing heavily.

Mark Sullivan has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
A shot to the liver by Sullivan. Beautiful body shot.
Sullivan throws an overhand right that lands on Romero's shoulder, as Romero tries to avoid the shot.

Romero tries to keep at a distance but Sullivan has taken the fight into the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sullivan tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Romero's elbow.
Romero is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Bradley Romero has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mark Sullivan.

Romero gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Romero takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Sullivan trying to control here.
Sullivan wants to get back to full guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Sullivan avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Romero.
Romero is controlling the pace.
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 Bradley Romero will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Romero throws a right hand that Sullivan ducks under and follows up with a left that Sullivan also avoids with ease.
Sullivan fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Romero misses with a few strikes there.
Sullivan avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Sullivan lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Romero throws a head kick that misses.
Sullivan shoots in for a double leg but Romero sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Sullivan lands a two punch combo.
Romero doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Sullivan takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Sullivan avoids the body shot from Romero.
Sullivan lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Sullivan moves into the clinch.
Sullivan drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Romero gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Bradley Romero has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mark Sullivan.

Sullivan has moved round to his opponent's back and is looking for a suplex! Oh snap! He's tossed Romero clear over his head and slammed him to the mat!
Romero's corner are yelling at him, telling him to just focus on controlling Sullivan's hands.
Sullivan gets his hands free as Romero looks to control.
Romero looking very determined here, making life difficult for Sullivan.
Despite being in a bad position, Romero is controlling the hands, preventing any submission attempts.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Romero tries to escape but Sullivan has the hooks in and won't let him break free.

Sullivan is remaining active here, looking for the choke. The more discerning members of the crowd will appreciate his efforts.
Romero is being controlled on the ground here - he must escape this position otherwise surely the end is near.
Sullivan avoiding Romero 's attempts to control his hands.
Romero has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Romero is trying to get back to his feet but he's not managed it yet.
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!
Romero is keeping busy.
Sullivan gets his hands free as Romero looks to control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Sullivan working for the choke.
Romero is covering up but some of the strikes from Sullivan are getting through and doing damage.
Sullivan avoiding Romero 's attempts to control his hands.
Romero holding both Sullivan 's hands and preventing any damage.
Sullivan tries to get the hooks in deep but Romero pushed the leg off.

Sullivan has his opponent's back but Romero is looking to stand. He manages to get to his feet and shakes off Sullivan.
Sullivan throws a series of strikes that have Romero backpedaling.
A nice combination there by Sullivan.
Sullivan shoots in looking for a takedown but Romero manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Sullivan's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Romero tries to clinch up but Sullivan circles away and keeps his distance.
A looping hook to the body misses from Sullivan. Romero does a little dance to reset his feet.

Romero gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Romero is trying to pull guard but Sullivan turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Sullivan taking a breather.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Romero is defending well against a takedown attempt.

Romero breaks from the clinch.
Romero keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Sullivan throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Sullivan slips a straight right by Romero.
Romero misses with a body shot.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mark Sullivan comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Sullivan has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Taro Takaoka scores the fight 28:29
Judge Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 28:29
Judge Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mark Sullivan!
Mark Sullivan took to the microphone after his victory and thanked his sponsors, Dynamo Clothing for their support in the buildup to the fight.