PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Ryan Rooney (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Liam Machin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rooney comes to the cage accompanied by Belfast Boy. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Rooney
vs
Machin

177 cm
22
169 lbs
4 - 5 - 0

180 cm
27
165 lbs
10 - 5 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Cardio machine

BJJ Blue Belt
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 5 - 0, fighting out of London, Ryan Rooney!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 5 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Liam Machin!
The judges for this bout are James Atkins, Donald Grub and Steven Brown.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rooney avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Machin throws a series of punches but Rooney moves out of range.
Machin misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Rooney.
Machin jabbing away but nothing is landing.

Rooney clinches.
Rooney lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Machin backwards.
Machin has had enough of the clinch but Rooney keeps him there for the moment.
Machin prevents the takedown attempt.
Rooney is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Machin is defending well.
Rooney lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Machin or not.
Rooney is looking for a takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ryan Rooney. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Machin is trying to break the clinch but Rooney has him pressed against the cage.

Rooney turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Machin can do anything to dispel that myth.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Machin managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Rooney.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Machin defending against the ground and pound.
Rooney misses with the ground and pound.
Rooney throws an elbow but Machin slips to the side and avoids it well.
Machin wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Rooney in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Rooney throws a strike aimed at the side of Machin's head but Machin avoids it well.
Rooney throwing ground and pound but whilst doing so, he forgets to control position and Machin works his way back to half guard. Good composure under pressure.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Machin is trying to stand up here but Rooney is controlling him well.
Rooney is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Machin avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Rooney.
Rooney is looking to take a break and control but Machin is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Rooney throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Nice strikes from Rooney there.
Machin is refusing to be controlled, as Rooney sits in half guard.
Rooney prevents Machin from standing back up.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Rooney not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Machin works his way to full guard. Good work.
Rooney is looking to advance position but Machin has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!
Rooney 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.
Machin manages to capitalize on a mistake by Rooney to take his back!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Machin is not going to allow Rooney to sit and survive in this position.

Rooney is trying escape back to his feet. He turns into his opponent's guard and eventually finds his way back to his feet.

Rooney closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Machin did well to prevent Rooney getting side control.
Rooney landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rooney not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Rooney is looking to take a break and control but Machin is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Rooney passes the guard and advances to mount!
Machin suckers Rooney into throwing a sloppy strike and uses the momentum to reverse the position beautifully! Machin is now in Rooney's guard!
Machin wants to stand but Rooney has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Machin stands and steps away. Rooney gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ryan Rooney dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Machin thows a body shot but no joy.
Machin swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Rooney ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Machin moves away.
Machin fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Machin attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Machin rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Rooney moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Machin tries to bum rush Rooney with a series of wild strikes but Rooney uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Machin catches Rooney with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!

Excellent takedown into side control there by Rooney.
Rooney controlling the position.
Rooney in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rooney landing strikes.
Rooney working away.
Both fighters take a look at the clock.
Rooney controlling the position.
Machin dodges the ground and pound from Rooney.
Machin takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Rooney tries to score with some ground and pound. Machin controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rooney working the ground and pound.
Machin trying to remain calm as Rooney controls from the top position.
Rooney creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
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!
Rooney throwing ground and pound but whilst doing so, he forgets to control position and Machin works his way back to half guard. Good composure under pressure.
Machin really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Rooney. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Machin is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Rooney is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Machin is desperately trying to improve his position but Rooney has a good base and remains in mount.
Rooney looking to finish with strikes here!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rooney misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Ryan Rooney overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Rooney trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Rooney thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
Rooney trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Rooney looking to ground and pound but Machin is blocking nicely.
Rooney can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Machin is looking to escape.
Rooney throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Machin is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.
Machin avoids a series of strikes thrown by Rooney.
Rooney lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Machin hang on?
Rooney looking to control but Machin is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Rooney lands with some strikes.
This has been an exciting period of action!
The referee warns Machin that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Rooney connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Machin tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Rooney looking to finish Machin with some ground and pound. This is bad for Machin!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ryan Rooney dominated that second round.
That's time! Rooney's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Rooney slips a straight right by Machin.
Machin misses with a jab, cross combination.
Rooney avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Machin scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Sloppy strikes from Machin. Those never looked like landing.
Machin looks to throw the jab but Rooney is out of range.
Machin wants to slow Rooney down by chopping away at his legs.
Machin swats away the attempt to clinch by Rooney.
Rooney jabs at Machin's body.
Rooney moves away from the strike by Machin.
Rooney shoots in and drives through. Machin sprawls well.
Rooney fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rooney fails with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ryan Rooney. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rooney throws a series of punches but Machin moves out of range.
Machin digs a good body shot into Rooney's ribs.
Machin rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Rooney moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Rooney showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Machin.
Machin swats away the attempt to clinch by Rooney.

Rooney forces Machin back against the cage and clinches.
Machin is looking to break free of the clinch but Rooney has double underhooks.
Rooney drops down looking for an ankle pick but Machin pulls his leg out and moves away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Machin throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Rooney shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Machin but Machin pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Rooney walks into a jab.
Rooney closes the distance and clinches up with Machin, looking for a takedown. Rooney pushes Machin against the cage but Machin circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Machin's jab looks to have found its range, popping Rooney under the eye.
Machin motions for Rooney to come forward. Machin throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Rooney is defended easily by Machin.
Rooney misses with the combination.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Machin tries a low kick but Rooney avoids it.

Rooney gets the takedown into side control.
Rooney cracks Machin with a big right hand but Machin just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Ryan Rooney is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Rooney throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Machin tries to buck Rooney off but Rooney is having none of it.
Rooney wants to lay and pray for a moment but Machin keeps working.
Rooney is trying to ground and pound but Machin uses the momentary lack of control by Rooney to regain half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rooney moves into full mount! Machin won't be happy about that!
Rooney controlling the position easily from mount.
Machin is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rooney controlling the pace for now.
Liam Machin has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
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!
Rooney looking to control but Machin is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ryan Rooney showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Rooney, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 James Atkins scores the fight 30:27
Judge Donald Grub scores the fight 30:27
Judge Steven Brown scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ryan Rooney!
An out of breath Ryan Rooney thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.