PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Isreal Rocha (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Owen Hicks (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Owen Hicks has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Isreal Rocha's chin.

Rocha
vs
Hicks

150 cm
24
151 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

183 cm
25
151 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Granite chin

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Isreal Rocha!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Owen Hicks!
The judges for this bout are Alec Ball, Robert Douchet and Trevor Gratis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Hicks dives in and scores a takedown into Rocha's guard.
Rocha is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Rocha is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Rocha has control of Hicks's left arm, preventing Hicks from doing any damage.
Rocha is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Hicks is controlling him.
Rocha seems keen to control Hicks's posture.
Rocha looking for a sweep. Not yet Rocha, not yet.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hicks being controlled here momentarily.
Rocha manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Hicks manages to get himself to full guard.

Rocha might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hicks is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Hicks trying to keep a closed guard but Rocha is proving a slippery customer.
Rocha wants to control from the top but Hicks keeps moving.

Rocha is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Hicks is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Hicks has escaped and now he's on top!

Hicks won't allow Rocha to sweep him here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Rocha had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Hicks defends it easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Hicks working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Hicks looking to pass the guard.
Hicks stays in close to Rocha's body and controls the position.
Rocha is pulling down on Hicks's head to control his posture.
Rocha wants to sweep here but Hicks controlling him for the moment.

Rocha is looking for a triangle but Hicks pushes his legs off easily.
Rocha throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Rocha is looking for a triangle but Hicks pushes his legs off easily.
Hicks is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Hicks throws a big right hand that misses.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Hicks connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Rocha really is a fat lump.
Rocha takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Rocha circles away from the clinch attempt.

Hicks shoots in and bounces Rocha off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Hicks throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Rocha works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hicks looking to pass the guard.
Hicks stopping the sweep attempt from Rocha.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Rocha is on top in guard.

Rocha trying to control but Hicks is working from the bottom.
Hicks is trying to keep Rocha in close.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Rocha scoring with some ground and pound.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Owen Hicks dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Hicks pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Hicks feints and as Rocha raises his hands in defense, Hicks changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Hicks preventing the sweep.

Rocha looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Rocha seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Hicks stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Rocha swivels though and keeps the full guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rocha has control of Hicks's left arm, preventing Hicks from doing any damage.
Hicks must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rocha looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Hicks trying to stand up but can't free himself from Rocha's guard.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Rocha wants to sweep but no luck.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Hicks gets a clinch.
Rocha working hard to break the clinch.

Hicks's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Hicks fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Rocha to the ground. Hicks is now in Rocha's guard.
Rocha bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Hicks's guard.

Hicks is breathing heavily.

Rocha avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

Rocha drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Rocha jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Hicks is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.

Hicks gets control of Rocha's arms and successfully pulls guard. Hicks will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Rocha looking to sit in guard and control but Hicks gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Rocha has Hicks pulled in close to control his posture.
Rocha 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.
Rocha controls Hicks momentarily but Hicks frees himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rocha wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Hicks is now in half guard.
Hicks seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.
Rocha striking from half guard on the bottom.
Rocha is looking to improve his position.
Rocha is looking to control Hicks's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Rocha avoid being mounted?
Hicks has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Rocha landing rabbit punches to the side of Hicks's head. Not doing much damage but still scoring a few points.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Rocha controlling the position well.
Rocha is looking to control Hicks's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Rocha avoid being mounted?
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Rocha is looking to improve his position.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
A head kick misses from Hicks.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Hicks fails with an attempt to clinch.

Rocha clinches with his opponent.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Owen Hicks showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Rocha's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Hicks shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Rocha is trying to defend but Hicks finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Hicks tries to stand but can't do so whilst Rocha controls his leg.
Rocha wants to get back to his feet.
Rocha slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rocha trying to control the position here.
Rocha has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Rocha is on top in guard.

Rocha postures up in Hicks's guard and throws a big left but Hicks blocks it.
Rocha working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

Rocha 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.

Hicks is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Hicks takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Rocha trying to control but Hicks is working from the bottom.
Hicks is pulling down on Rocha's head. It's preventing any offense from Rocha, at least for the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Rocha trying to control the position from guard on top but Hicks is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Hicks trying to control the position.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Hicks is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

Hicks fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Rocha sprawls well initially but Hicks persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Rocha makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Rocha.
Rocha is controlling Hicks's posture.
This is a sustained period of stalling by Rocha.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rocha controls Hicks momentarily but Hicks frees himself.
Rocha is adopting a defensive guard.
Rocha is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Rocha wants to sweep but no luck.
Rocha seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Owen Hicks seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.

Hicks changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Rocha looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Rocha is trying to get back to half guard.
Hicks throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Rocha is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Hicks's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Rocha is looking to improve his position.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Isreal Rocha has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Owen Hicks is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Rocha lands with a few short shots to the body.

And that's the end of the fight!
Owen Hicks comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Hicks 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 Alec Ball scores the fight 27:30
Judge Robert Douchet scores the fight 27:30
Judge Trevor Gratis scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Owen Hicks!