PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Liam Higgins (ranked 394 p4p, 422 weight class) and Roger Penrose (ranked 56 p4p, 60 weight class). I can't wait for this one - let's get the fighter introductions out of the way and get this one started!

Higgins
vs
Penrose

194 cm
22
265
8 - 1 - 0

194 cm
29
277
14 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Bondi MMA 🏝️
AVALON

Conquer
SynCity Fightwear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Liam Higgins!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 14 - 3 - 0, fighting out of London, Roger Penrose!
The judges for this bout are Yuuki Gou, Shigeki Fujiwara and Ren Mimura.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Penrose ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Higgins finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Higgins buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Penrose lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Higgins avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Higgins throws a leg kick but Penrose sees it coming and moves out of range.
Higgins throws a body shot but no joy.
Penrose tests Higgins's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Penrose has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.
Higgins jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Penrose avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Penrose gets off balance looking for a body kick
and Higgins makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Higgins rushes in with a sloppy looking punch

and Penrose counters by clinching up.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Higgins.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Higgins has a couple of punches blocked by Penrose.
Penrose pushes Higgins back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Higgins doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Penrose lands with a right to the head.
Penrose throws a punch but it's blocked by Higgins.
Higgins misses with a body punch.
Penrose fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Higgins lands a nice shot to the body.
Higgins working aggressively here.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
A short uppercut from Higgins.
Higgins working aggressively here.
Penrose has a couple of punches blocked by Higgins.
Higgins goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Penrose tries to work over Higgins's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Higgins scores with a hook to the body.
Higgins wants to stall.
A short uppercut from Higgins.
Higgins works on Penrose's body with a couple of short punches.
Penrose looks winded!
Higgins lands with a light punch inside.
Penrose doesn't land with the attempted body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A head punch on the inside from Penrose fails to land.
Higgins throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Higgins misses with a body punch.
Higgins works on Penrose's body with a couple of short punches.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
A short left from Higgins.
Higgins lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
A nice right hand lands inside from Higgins.
Higgins swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Penrose blocks a body shot from Higgins.
Penrose is stalling here.
Higgins will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Penrose up against the cage.
Penrose is trying to stall.
Higgins misses with a body punch.
Higgins misses with some punches.
Higgins lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Higgins throws a head punch that misses.
Penrose's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Penrose lands a left hand.
Penrose slows down the pace here.
Higgins tries to work over Penrose's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Penrose tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Higgins lands with a light punch inside.
Penrose's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Penrose lands a hook that snaps the head of Higgins backwards.
Penrose misses with the head strike.
Penrose trying to stall but Higgins improves his position.
Higgins blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Higgins swings wildly with an uppercut but Penrose uses good head movement to avoid it.
A nice right hand lands inside from Higgins.
Penrose swings wildly with an uppercut but Higgins uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Penrose swings away with an uppercut that misses.
A short left from Higgins.
A short right from Higgins on the inside.
A head punch on the inside from Penrose fails to land.
Penrose looking to slow down the pace here.
Higgins goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Higgins blocks an uppercut.

Penrose's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Higgins throws a hook but Penrose blocks it.
Penrose avoids the body shot from Higgins.
Higgins throws a body shot but no joy.
Penrose is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Higgins with a body shot.
Higgins with a jab.
Higgins works the jab nicely.
Penrose lands with a kick to the ribs.
Higgins moves out of range of the body kick from Penrose.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

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

Higgins connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Liam Higgins seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Higgins throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
Higgins moves out of range of the body kick from Penrose.
Higgins appeared to be looking to counter that last move with a leg kick.
Higgins walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Higgins looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
A head kick misses from Penrose.
Penrose looks to score with a jab to the body but Higgins is just out of range.
Higgins circles away from the clinch attempt.

Penrose clinches up against the cage.
Higgins lands a nice uppercut.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Penrose misses with a punch to the body.
Higgins tries to stall but Penrose uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Higgins lands a hook that snaps the head of Penrose backwards.
Penrose misses with a short punch on the inside.
Penrose misses with a punch to the body.
Penrose blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Penrose misses with some punches.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Higgins can't find room to land a body shot as Penrose controls the action.
Penrose misses with some punches.
Higgins misses with a punch to the body.
Higgins misses with a body punch.
Penrose blocking some punches.
Higgins lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Higgins blocks a body shot from Penrose.
Higgins has Penrose pressed against the cage, preventing Penrose from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Penrose misses with a hook to the ribs.
Higgins misses with some punches.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Higgins is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Penrose can do to turn this around?
Penrose is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Higgins fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Higgins.
Higgins blocks an uppercut.
Penrose misses with the head strike.
Penrose wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Higgins has him pressed against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Penrose dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
A short uppercut from Penrose.
Penrose working aggressively here.
Higgins misses with the head strike.
Penrose prevents a body shot from Higgins.
A left hand lands to the body for Penrose.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Higgins.
Penrose blocks an uppercut.
Higgins misses with a punch to the body.
Higgins lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Penrose tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
A shot in the inside from Higgins.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Higgins softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Higgins swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Higgins misses with a punch on the inside.
Higgins blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
A short left from Higgins.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Higgins.
Penrose is breathing heavily.
Higgins lands on the inside with an uppercut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nice body punch from Higgins - that landed with a thud.
Liam Higgins has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Higgins makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Higgins lands with a light punch inside.
Higgins digs a right hand into Penrose's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Penrose's gas tank.
A short left from Higgins.
Higgins doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Higgins goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Higgins lands a nice uppercut.
Penrose swings wildly with an uppercut but Higgins uses good head movement to avoid it.
Penrose misses with a punch to the body.
Higgins lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Penrose.
Higgins lands with a left to the head.
Higgins lands a left hand.
Higgins goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
A shot in the inside from Higgins.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Higgins throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Higgins lands with a right to the head.
Higgins pushes Penrose back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Higgins misses with a hook from the clinch.
Higgins lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
A right hook to the body lands for Higgins.
Higgins tries to work over Penrose's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Higgins struggles to land a body shot inside as Penrose controls his hands.
Higgins works on Penrose's body with a couple of short punches.
Higgins lands with a left to the head.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Higgins creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Higgins lands a shoulder strike.
Higgins slows down the pace here.
Higgins scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Higgins scores with a nice hook to the head.
Higgins misses with a hook to the ribs.
Higgins misses with a punch to the body.
A short right from Higgins.
Penrose has a couple of punches blocked by Higgins.
Higgins scores with a shot to the side of Penrose's head.
Penrose doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

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

Penrose goes for a high kick. It partially lands.

Higgins lands a big uppercut and Penrose crumbles to the floor! The ref thinks about stopping the fight but Penrose looks OK. Higgins waves Penrose back to his feet!

Penrose is rocked!
Higgins misses with a low kick as Penrose jumps back.
Penrose is still on wobbly legs! Can Higgins finish him?
Higgins lands with a good body shot.
Penrose seems to have recovered his senses.
Higgins ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Penrose moves away.
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!
Higgins is stalking Penrose. Penrose circles to his left. Keeps circling left. Bam! Straight right from Higgins, and it's lights out! Penrose really payed the price for that rookie mistake.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:30 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Liam Higgins!
Liam Higgins retains his heavyweight title!
A very excited looking Liam Higgins made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.