PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Roger Lin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Hawk Gunner (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Hawk Gunner has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Lin
vs
Gunner

163 cm
33
285 lbs
23 - 17 - 0

195 cm
25
284 lbs
7 - 3 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Very quick

BJJ Brown Belt
Excellent boxer
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 23 - 17 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Roger Lin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Hawk Gunner!
The judges for this bout are Kenichi Hosakawa, Hirohito Nitta and Yasuomi Hirokawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Lin shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

Lin is looking for a kimura here.
Lin is pressing down on Gunner's thigh, looking to free his foot. Gunner is holding on for now.
Gunner is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Lin is controlling the pace.
Lin missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Gunner trying to hold on to Lin's head to control him but Lin postures up.

Lin postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Gunner to stand up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gunner lands a nice hook to Lin's body. Lin takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Lin fails with the takedown.
Gunner misses with a looping left.
Gunner misses with a few strikes there.

Lin dives in and scores a takedown into Gunner's guard.
Lin sitting in guard, not really doing much.

Gunner escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Lin gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Lin has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Gunner is looking for a triangle but Lin pushes his legs off easily.
Lin landing with the ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Gunner keeping moving, preventing Lin from controlling successfully.
Gunner not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Gunner keeping moving, preventing Lin from controlling successfully.
Lin pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Gunner is keeping the position for now.
Lin works over Gunner with some ground and pound from guard.
Lin preventing the sweep.
Lin trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Lin drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Lin jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Lin advances to half guard.

Lin is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Gunner is refusing to be controlled, as Lin sits in half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lin working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Lin is working for a submission of some sort.
Lin is pressing down on Gunner's thigh, looking to free his foot. Gunner is holding on for now.
Lin drops an elbow to the side of Gunner's head.
Gunner makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Gunner.
Lin passes Gunner's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Gunner wants to control but Lin is keeping busy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gunner is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Lin scoring with strikes to the body and head.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Lin is working for a submission of some sort.
Gunner wants to improve his position but Lin is controlling well.
Lin landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Lin is pressing down on Gunner's thigh, looking to free his foot. Gunner is holding on for now.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Gunner is trying to control but can't.
Gunner told us pre-fight that he has been working on his escapes in training. Let's see if he can call on some of his new skills to get back to his feet.
Gunner might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Lin haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Lin passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Gunner!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Roger Lin dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Lin goes for a double leg but Gunner avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Gunner continues to drive forward.
Gunner controlling the action here for a moment.

Lin gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Gunner is looking to control Lin's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Gunner avoid being mounted?
Gunner gets full guard.
Gunner managing to control the position.
Gunner looking to hit a scissor sweep but Lin is one step ahead there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gunner has his hands on Lin's head, controlling the position.
Lin tries to free his leg and advance position but Gunner is retaining full guard.
Lin is working hard here to advance position.
Lin wants to get up but he can't break Gunner's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Gunner is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Gunner dodges the punch combination from Lin.
Lin shoots in for a takedown but Gunner shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gunner's jab looks to have found its range, popping Lin under the eye.
Lin moves out of range as Gunner strikes.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Gunner enables Lin to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Gunner manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Lin would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Lin trying to control the position from guard on top but Gunner is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Gunner looking to hit a scissor sweep but Lin is one step ahead there.
Lin slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Gunner is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

Lin postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Gunner is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Lin, into his guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gunner trying to control but Lin is working from the bottom.
Lin lands a good elbow from the bottom.
Lin controls Gunner momentarily but Gunner frees himself.

Lin escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Gunner gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Lin is controlling Gunner's posture.
Lin wants to stand up but Gunner is controlling him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lin keeping moving, preventing Gunner from controlling successfully.
Gunner trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Lin keeping moving, preventing Gunner from controlling successfully.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Hawk Gunner.
No joy there for Gunner, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Gunner is breathing heavily.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Lin shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Gunner but Gunner pushes him off and we're back to square one.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Roger Lin. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Gunner keeps the fight on the outside.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Roger Lin will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Gunner throws a shot from downtown. Lin moves away and avoids it.
Hawk Gunner seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Gunner jabs at Lin's body.
A telegraphed right hand from Gunner misses the target.
Gunner will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Gunner works Lin's body with a nice hook.
Gunner lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Gunner fails with a takedown attempt.
Gunner throws a jab when Lin was well out of range.
Gunner takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Gunner shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Lin but Lin pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Lin fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gunner stuffs the takedown attempt from Lin. Lin gets slowly back to his feet.
Gunner shoots in but no luck this time.
Roger Lin has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Hawk Gunner.

Lin instigates a clinch.

Lin lands a takedown into guard.
Lin scoring with some ground and pound.
Lin working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Gunner's head.
Lin preventing the sweep.
Lin working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Lin trying to control but Gunner is working from the bottom.
Gunner is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Lin might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Lin regains full guard. Nicely done.
Lin managing to control the position.
Lin wants to stand and escape but Gunner is having none of it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Lin has his foot on Gunner's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Gunner works his way back into a safe position though.
Lin is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Gunner trying to control but Lin is working from the bottom.
Gunner stopping the sweep attempt from Lin.
Roger Lin is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Lin working for a triangle but Gunner defends it easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Lin is on top in guard.
Lin postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Lin controls from within his opponent's guard.

Gunner looks to be working for a triangle here. Oh, it looks like he might have it! Lin has picked Gunner up and slammed him! Gunner can't keep hold of the triangle and Lin manages to pass to side control!
Gunner wants to control but Lin postures up.
Gunner manages to work his way to half guard, despite Lin's best efforts.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gunner trying to hold on to Lin's head to control him but Lin postures up.
Lin wants to lay and pray for a moment but Gunner keeps working.
Lin tries to pass the half guard into mount. Gunner knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Lin prevents Gunner from improving his position.

Gunner is defending against the submission attempts here by Lin.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Lin is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Hawk Gunner has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Lin is keen to just control but Gunner is a slippery customer.

And that's the end of the fight!
Roger Lin showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Lin, 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 Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 30:27
Judge Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 30:27
Judge Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Roger Lin!
Roger Lin opened up his post fight interview with a scream to camera that he wants a title shot! Whether he deserves the shot will be up to the management of the organization, so I guess he'll have to wait and see.