PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Johnny Best (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Riccardo Rodriguez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Johnny Best had real problems making weight for this fight. After initially coming in at 171.0lbs, he had two hours to make the official fight weight. He made it but it will have taken a lot out of him to cut those extra few pounds. Both fighters really staring each other down here, as Riccardo Rodriguez enters the cage!

Best
vs
Rodriguez

175 cm
28
182 lbs
10 - 5 - 0

175 cm
27
170 lbs
6 - 5 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Experienced

Good takedowns
Counter fighter
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 10 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Johnny Best!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 5 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Riccardo Rodriguez!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Sano, Yukihiro Shimada and Tatsuya Matsuyama.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Best lands a really nice looking cross but Rodriguez seems unphased.
Rodriguez keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Rodriguez throws a looping overhand right but Best ducks down to avoid it.
Rodriguez uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Best.
Rodriguez falls off balance throwing a combination

and Best counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Best trying to control the position from guard on top but Rodriguez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Rodriguez 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.
Best looking to sit in guard and control but Rodriguez gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Rodriguez won't allow Best to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rodriguez looking to sit in guard and control but Best gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Rodriguez utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Rodriguez keeping full guard, as Best tries to pass.
Best working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Best with a flurry of punches that miss.
Best trying to control but Rodriguez is working from the bottom.
Rodriguez is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Rodriguez throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Rodriguez is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Rodriguez doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Rodriguez wants to stand and escape but Best is having none of it.
Best stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Rodriguez swivels though and keeps the full guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Rodriguez has done a lot of speed work in the buildup to this fight.
Rodriguez moves out of range as Best strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Rodriguez fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Best, pushing him back against the cage.
Rodriguez pressing his opponent against the cage.
Rodriguez stalling.
Come on Rodriguez - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Rodriguez misses with a short punch on the inside.
Rodriguez tries to work over Best's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Rodriguez goes for a body shot but it's blocked.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Best letting Rodriguez take a breather here.
Rodriguez looking to stall.
Best goes for a takedown in the clinch but Rodriguez prevents it.
Nice body punch from Rodriguez - that landed with a thud.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Rodriguez is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Riccardo Rodriguez.
Rodriguez throws a series of punches but Best moves out of range.
Best lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Rodriguez backs up against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Johnny Best will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Rodriguez throws a nice looking combination but Best bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Best tries to clinch there but Rodriguez circles away.
Rodriguez unleashes a big counter combination but Best bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.
Best moves in looking to clinch but Rodriguez pushes him off.
Despite the aggression on Rodriguez's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Rodriguez tries to bum rush Best with a series of wild strikes but Best uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
A telegraphed right hand from Best misses the target.
Rodriguez jabs Best right on the nose. Best blinks but takes it well.
Rodriguez throws a nice looking combination but Best bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
A swing and a miss from Best.
Rodriguez throws a series of punches but Best moves out of range.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rodriguez misses with a two punch combination.
Rodriguez fails in his attempt to clinch.
Best lands with a nice combination. Rodriguez backs away looking to recover.
Rodriguez lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Best circles away quickly and effectively.
Rodriguez dodges the punch combination from Best.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Rodriguez pushes Best up against the cage in a clinch.
Best wants to take the fight to the mat but Rodriguez manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Rodriguez taking a breather.
Rodriguez is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Rodriguez takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
A battle for position here, against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Rodriguez is struggling to control the position.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Riccardo Rodriguez.
Rodriguez misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

Oooh a lovely combination from Rodriguez sends Best down but not out. Rodriguez dives into side control looking to finish.

Best is rocked!
Rodriguez cracks Best with a big elbow. Oh, he's hurt! Rodriguez immediately mounts and start dropping bombs! Best is done! The referee jumps in and saves him from any more punishment - a quick and decisive finish by Rodriguez!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:44 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Riccardo Rodriguez!