PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Jrock Mandela (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rodney Wilkes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Wilkes is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Seven Nation Army. I don't know about you partner, but I'm pumped for this one!

Mandela
vs
Wilkes

180 cm
24
195 lbs
8 - 6 - 1

198 cm
23
198 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Experienced

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Solid chin

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 8 - 6 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Jrock Mandela!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Rodney Wilkes!
The judges for this bout are Tiny Johnson, Gwen Towbar and Robert Twigg.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Wilkes dips to his left and cracks Mandela with an uppercut!

It looks like Jrock Mandela has been cut.
Mandela fails with a takedown attempt.
Mandela tries to clinch up.

Mandela instigates a clinch.
Wilkes lands an elbow inside.
Wilkes scores a nice knee to the body.

Wilkes breaks from the clinch.
Wilkes tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Mandela cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Mandela circles away from the clinch attempt

and Mandela counters with a takedown into side control.
Wilkes really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Mandela. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Wilkes pushes Mandela away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Mandela gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Wilkes can do anything to dispel that myth.
Mandela wants to lay and pray for a moment but Wilkes keeps working.
Mandela lands a decent elbow from side control.
Mandela 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.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mandela looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Wilkes is avoiding damage well.

Mandela decides to stand back up.

Wilkes rushes Mandela and presses him up against the cage.

Wilkes manages to break the clinch.
Good leg kick by Wilkes there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Rodney Wilkes is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Mandela is breathing heavily.
Wilkes tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Mandela counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Wilkes is looking to stand up but Mandela isn't so interested in that idea.
Mandela slips nicely into half guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Wilkes wants to get back to his feet.

Mandela is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Wilkes sees it coming and defends easily.
Wilkes is trying to stand up here but Mandela is controlling him well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Mandela stands, ready to strike. The ref makes him back up and allows Wilkes to get to his feet.
Wilkes connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Wilkes scores with a spinning back kick!

Wilkes clinches up with Mandela and pushes him back against the cage.
Wilkes lands a knee to the head.

Wilkes pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Wilkes tries to close the distance and clinch but Mandela swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Mandela has a takedown stuffed.

Wilkes has taken the fight to the clinch.
Wilkes looking to throw knees to the head but Mandela is blocking nicely.
Wilkes with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Wilkes can't break the clinch.
Wilkes tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Wilkes with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Mandela tries for a takedown but Wilkes manages to get underhooks.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jrock Mandela. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Wilkes connects with a nasty looking knee right to Mandela's face.
Mandela is trying to break the clinch but Wilkes has him pressed against the cage.
Mandela throws a head punch that misses.
Wilkes landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Wilkes misses with a knee to the head.
Wilkes wants to break the clinch but can't.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Mandela.
Mandela avoiding damage as Wilkes throws knees to the body.
Mandela lands a body punch in the clinch.

Mandela breaks from the clinch.
Wilkes doesn't manage to clinch there - Mandela circles away.
Wilkes keeps the fight on the outside.
Wilkes keeps the fight on the outside.
The fight stays on the outside here - Wilkes looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Wilkes looks to clinch

and Mandela counters with a nice double leg into side control. Wilkes won't be happy with that.
Wilkes is trying to escape and get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Mandela decides to stand back up.

Wilkes moves into the clinch.
Mandela wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Wilkes has him pressed against the cage.
Knees in the clinch landing for Wilkes.
Mandela tries to break the clinch but Wilkes is controlling the position.
Wilkes with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Wilkes gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Mandela misses with a short punch on the inside.
Mandela takes a knee right on the jaw!
Mandela can't break the clinch.
Mandela fails to pull guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Wilkes scores with a knee to the head.

Mandela breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Wilkes throws a low kick, looking for Mandela's leg but Mandela calmly moves out of range.
Mandela circles away from the clinch attempt.

Mandela bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jrock Mandela dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Jrock Mandela's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Wilkes closes the distance looking to clinch

and Mandela counters with a takedown into side control.
Wilkes wants to get back to his feet but Mandela drags him back down.

Mandela decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Mandela closes the distance looking to clinch
and Wilkes counters with a head kick.
The fight stays on the outside here - Mandela looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Wilkes tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Mandela counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Wilkes!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Mandela tries to control but Wilkes wriggling away.
Wilkes is trying to stand.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Wilkes is using up a lot of energy trying to get back to his feet. Perhaps he should improve his position first.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mandela controlling from the full mount.
You get the feeling that Wilkes really doesn't like being in this position too much.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Mandela trying to control but Wilkes is having none of it.
Wilkes is bucking up trying to escape but Mandela cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Mandela won't let Wilkes get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.
Mandela lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Mandela scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Mandela cracks Wilkes with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Jrock Mandela overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Wilkes tries to buck Mandela off but Mandela takes his back!
Mandela is punishing Wilkes with strikes - can he finish him?!
Wilkes is trying to stand back up.

Wilkes is trying to defend against the choke here but Mandela has an arm under his chin. This one might not last much longer. Mandela Tightens the hold and Wilkes taps out furiously! Mandela displays superior BJJ to win the fight.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:30 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Jrock Mandela!