PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Connor Hart (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Yoel Romero (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Connor Hart looks tired to me. Hopefully he has got enough gas left in the tank to put in a good performance.

Hart
vs
Romero

192 cm
25
188 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

190 cm
23
195 lbs
7 - 3 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Knockout power

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 St Petersburg, Connor Hart!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Yoel Romero!
The judges for this bout are Ivan Kurochkin, Viktor Lagutenko and Fedor Mirinova.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nice shot lands for Hart.
Hart misses the shot to the body.
A big right from Hart misses.
Romero slips under a jab from Hart.
Hart bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Romero defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Hart.
Romero tries to counter by closing the distance.

Romero closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Romero lands in his opponent's guard.
Hart lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Romero keeping moving, preventing Hart from controlling successfully.
Hart throws an elbow that misses. Romero uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Hart's guard. Nice move by Romero!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hart controlling the position.
Romero postures up and lands a big shot to Hart's brow.
Hart is looking to stand up but Romero isn't so interested in that idea.
Hart avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Romero controlling from the top position.
Romero chips away with some ground and pound.
Hart wants to stand but Romero is controlling the position.
Hart keeping full guard, as Romero tries to pass.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Romero cracks Hart with a solid left hand.
Romero is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Hart looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Hart preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Romero is looking to work some ground and pound but Hart has wrist control.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Romero working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Hart keeping moving, preventing Romero from controlling successfully.
Romero postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Hart looks for a takedown but Romero sprawls well.
Hart is breathing heavily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hart misses with a lunging right hand
and Romero counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Hart thinking.

Romero throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Hart tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Romero is in Hart's guard.
Romero wants to control from the top but Hart keeps moving.
Romero won't allow Hart to get back to his feet.
Romero with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Romero trying to control but Hart is working from the bottom.
Hart wants to get back to his feet but Romero is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Hart knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Romero on the ground.
Romero trying to control but Hart is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Romero throws a big right hand that misses.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.

Romero bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Romero is working Hart over with some ground and pound from side control.
Romero taking a break here but Hart is having none of it and regains half guard.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Romero connects with a nice short shot to Hart's temple.
We've been informed that Romero has been working hard on his conditioning in the buildup to the fight.

Romero is trying to work for a kimura but Hart is defending well.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Romero not landing any meaningful shots this time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yoel Romero dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Romero walks into a straight right hand from Hart.
Ooooh, nice body kick lands from Hart. Romero shrugs it off though.
Hart closes the distance and clinches up with Romero, looking for a takedown. Hart pushes Romero against the cage but Romero circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Hart shoots in but Romero avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Romero lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Hart fails with the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Connor Hart. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Romero shoots in and gets a takedown into Hart's guard.
Yoel Romero has got the better of the ground game so far.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Romero throwing strikes but missing.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Romero accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Romero with a flurry of punches that miss.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Romero trying to control the position from guard on top but Hart is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Romero throwing strikes from guard but Hart blocks nicely.
Romero slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Romero in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Romero wants to control but Hart is keeping him busy.
Romero scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Hart to see if he's OK.
Hart is looking for a sweep.
Romero lands a few punches from side control.
Romero has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Hart tries to bench press Romero off him but Romero keeps the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hart avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Romero.
Romero lands an elbow.
Hart is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Romero has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Romero lands an elbow.
Romero tries to move into full mount but can't pass Hart's legs.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Romero cracks Hart with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Romero is looking to take a break and control but Hart is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Hart on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Hart tries to get out of the position.
Romero lands some shots froms side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Romero working the ground and pound but Hart is defending the strikes.

Romero looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Romero lands an elbow.
Romero scoring with punches and elbows.
The ground and pound from Romero seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.

Romero tries for a kimura but Hart is defending well.
Romero landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Romero connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Hart some visible discomfort.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Romero is putting a hurting on Hart here, landing some big shots from side control.
Hart wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!

Romero looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Romero remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
Sloppy strikes there by Romero.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Hart is not content to let Romero control the position.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Hart is trying to escape and get back to his feet.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yoel Romero showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Hart with a poor takedown
and Romero counters with a straight right hand.
Hart tries for a takedown but Romero sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Hart swings widly with a right hand

and Romero counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Romero loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Hart preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Romero is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Hart is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Romero landing with the ground and pound.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Romero engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Romero lands a couple of digs.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Romero with a flurry of punches that miss.
Romero chips away with some ground and pound.
Romero throws a big right hand that misses.
Romero pushes down on Hart's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Romero is trying to control the action in half guard but Hart is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Hart tries to kick Romero off in order to stand up. Romero Avoids the leg push though and dives into side control.
Romero wants to lay and pray for a moment but Hart keeps working.
Romero works to advance to full mount. Hart defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Romero lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Romero wants to control the pace but Hart is squirming around nicely.
Romero punishing his opponent with strikes.

Romero wants to finish this one by submission but Hart is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Romero.
A nice elbow there by Romero.
Romero landing strikes, looking to finish!
Romero raining down shots from the mount!
Romero postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Hart looks a forlorn figure.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hart is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.
Romero landing shots from mount.
Romero lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.

Hart is rocked!
Romero postures up and throws a couple of big shots that have Hart in real trouble here! The ref calls for Hart to improve his position which he doesn't do, so the referee has no choice but to end the fight due to the strikes!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:44 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Yoel Romero!