PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Roman Welch (ranked 4606 p4p, 4114 weight class) and Big Boss (ranked 463 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Welch
vs
Boss

195 cm
21
185
1 - 0 - 0

200 cm
25
265
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Big heart

BJJ White Belt
Lethal high kicks
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Roman Welch!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Big Boss!
The judges for this bout are Yasuomi Hirokawa, Shigeki Fujiwara and Tatsuya Matsuyama.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Welch pushes Boss up against the cage in a clinch.
Welch tries to pull guard but Boss holds him up against the cage and eventually Welch drops back down to his feet.
Boss wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Boss wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Welch has him pressed against the cage.
Welch really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Boss is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Welch with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Welch is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Boss to keep the fight standing.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Welch drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Boss gets the underhooks and prevents it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Roman Welch. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Boss can't break the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Welch jumps guard but Boss stands there with Welch around his waist. Welch gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Welch tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Boss just stands there and leans against the cage.
Welch fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Welch has Boss pressed against the cage, preventing Boss from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Boss is trying to force a seperation but Welch has the dominant position.
Welch misses with a hook from the clinch.
Boss tries to circle away but Welch has him pinned against the cage.

Welch breaks the clinch.
Welch darts in looking for a takedown but Boss gets double underhooks and turns Welch into the cage.
Welch moves out of the way of the counter high kick fromBoss.

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.
Welch tries to pull guard but Boss holds him up against the cage and eventually Welch drops back down to his feet.

Welch breaks the clinch.
Welch shoots and misses
and Boss counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Welch dives in and grabs Boss's left leg, looking for a takedown. Boss pushes down on Welch's head and hops out.
Welch throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Boss looks like he wanted to counter with a high kick but didn't throw it.
Welch fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Boss avoids it really well and circles away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Welch has Boss up against the cage in a clinch.

Welch breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Roman Welch seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Boss avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Welch moves out of the way of the counter high kick fromBoss.
Welch misses with a takedown attempt
and Boss counters with a big head kick but Welch shrugs it off.
Welch fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Boss shapes to counter with a head kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Welch shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Boss throws a fast counter high kick but Welch manages to duck under it in time.
Welch is breathing heavily.
Welch connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Boss momentarily.
Welch throws a chopping leg kick but Boss manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Welch moves out of the way of the counter high kick fromBoss.
Welch tries to clinch but Boss moves out of range.
Nice takedown defense from Boss. No joy for Welch on that attempt.
Welch moves out of the way of the counter high kick fromBoss.
Welch lands with a good body shot.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Welch fails with an attempt to clinch.
Welch shoots for a double leg takedown but Boss sprawls well. He's pushed Welch's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Boss throws a big counter head kick but Welch avoids it with no problem.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Big Boss 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.

Welch tries to clinch but Boss moves away
and Boss counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Welch shoots in but no luck this time.
Boss looks like he wanted to counter with a high kick but didn't throw it.
Welch throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Boss's waist but Boss gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Welch off to one side.
Boss swats away the attempt to clinch by Welch.
Welch tries to clinch but Boss is having none of it.
Boss throws a big counter head kick but Welch avoids it with no problem.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Welch.
Boss throws a fast counter high kick but Welch manages to duck under it in time.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Roman Welch. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Welch misses with an attempted mid kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Welch is looking to clinch.
Boss throws a fast counter high kick but Welch manages to duck under it in time.
Welch tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Boss swivels and escapes.
Boss has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Welch shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Boss pinned against the cage. Boss gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Welch pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Boss is clearly looking to counter with head kicks.
Sloppy strikes from Welch. Those never looked like landing.
Boss throws a big counter head kick but Welch avoids it with no problem.
Welch misses with a takedown attempt
and Boss counters with a head kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Boss keeps the fight on the outside.
Boss throws a big counter head kick but Welch avoids it with no problem.
Welch misses with a leg kick
and Boss counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Welch is lucky that one didn't land flush.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Welch.
Boss keeps the fight on the outside.
Boss raises up his leg as if looking to counter with a high kick.
Roman Welch is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Welch shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Boss as he jumps to the side.
Boss raises up his leg as if looking to counter with a high kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Welch doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Boss counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Welch is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Horrible takedown attempt by Welch or perhaps it was just good defense by Boss, which made it look bad.
Boss looks like he wanted to counter with a high kick but didn't throw it.
Welch misses the shot to the body.
Boss shapes to counter with a head kick.
Welch fails in his attempt to clinch.
Boss throws a big counter head kick but Welch avoids it with no problem.
Welch is trying hard to land a takedown here. Boss sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Welch shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Boss as he avoids it easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Welch misses with a takedown
and Boss counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Welch tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Boss manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Boss throws a fast counter high kick but Welch manages to duck under it in time.
Welch is trying hard to land a takedown here. Boss sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Boss throws a big counter head kick but Welch avoids it with no problem.
Welch shoots in looking for a takedown. Boss tries to sprawl out of it but Welch keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Boss manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Big Boss showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Boss stuffs the takedown attempt from Welch. Welch gets slowly back to his feet.
Welch shoots in for a takedown but Boss shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Welch tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Boss defends well and Welch ends up having to push Boss into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Boss looks like he wanted to counter with a high kick but didn't throw it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Roman Welch. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.

Welch's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Welch doesn't manage to clinch there - Boss circles away.
Welch shoots in for a takedown but Boss shows good takedown defense.
Boss shapes to counter with a head kick.
Welch fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Welch tries for a takedown but Boss circles away easily
and Boss counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Welch is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Boss keeps the fight on the outside.
Welch fails to land the takedown.
Boss raises up his leg as if looking to counter with a high kick.
Welch throws a series of punches but Boss avoids them all with ease.
Welch moves out of the way of the counter high kick fromBoss.
Welch wants to clinch but Boss slips to the side
and Boss counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Welch is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Big Boss is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Welch wants to clinch
and Boss counters with a head kick. That will keep Welch thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
The fight stays on the outside here - Welch looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Welch darts in trying to clinch
and Boss counters with a big head kick but Welch shrugs it off.
Welch closes the distance looking to clinch
and Boss counters with a flying knee. Nice.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Welch tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Boss paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Welch rushes Boss and presses him up against the cage.
Boss has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

Welch breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Welch tries to clinch but Boss moves away
and Boss counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Welch is lucky that one didn't land flush.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Boss gets tackled into the cage by Welch. Welch maintains the clinch.
Welch is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Welch wants to stall.

Welch pulls guard.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Welch is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Boss is aware though and is defending well.

And that's the end of the fight!
Big Boss comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Boss winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight for Big Boss!
Judge Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight for Big Boss!
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight for Big Boss!

Big Boss wins by unanimous decision!