PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Romulo Barral (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bob Koff (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Barral
vs
Koff

178 cm
29
184 lbs
15 - 6 - 0

179 cm
27
167 lbs
13 - 4 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Brawler
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Granite chin

Four Aces Nutrition
Fury Nutrition Inc.

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 15 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Romulo Barral!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 13 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Bob Koff!
The judges for this bout are Roger Salmon, Ryoma Takatsuka and Chris Saunders.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Barral tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Koff swivels and escapes.
Koff stuffs the takedown.

Barral drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.

Barral goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Koff rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Barral's guard! Nice work there by Koff!

Barral is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Koff is aware though and is defending well.
Koff trying to control the position from guard on top but Barral is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Barral is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Koff trying to control but Barral is working from the bottom.
We've been hearing good reports from Barral's training camp. Apparently he has been rolling around with some good quality BJJ practitioners and has been sharpening his skills. Let's see if that has an impact on the fight today.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barral 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.
Koff wants to control from the top but Barral keeps moving.

Barral is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Koff slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.

Barral looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Koff tries to free his leg and advance position but Barral is retaining full guard.

Koff avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

Barral looking for a guillotine here but Koff defends easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Koff passes Barral's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Barral is looking to get back to full guard here but Koff has managed to pass to side control instead.
Koff wants to control but Barral is keeping him busy.
Koff landing a few strikes.
Barral is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Koff off and has taken his back!
I really don't envy Koff right now.

Barral is persistently looking for the submission but Koff is defending it well.
Barral is trying to stick to Koff's back but Koff is turning into Barral. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Barral's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Koff.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Barral is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Koff stopping the sweep attempt from Barral.
Koff must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

Koff is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Koff won't allow Barral to sweep him here.
Barral bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Koff's guard.

Koff is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Barral defends well.
Koff keeping full guard, as Barral tries to pass.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

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

Barral keeping moving, preventing Koff from controlling successfully.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Koff's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Koff trying to control but Barral is working from the bottom.
Koff wants to pass the guard but Barral is keeping the position.

Barral throws his legs up looking for a submission but Koff uses it to pass to side control.
Koff controlling from side mount.

Koff looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Bob Koff will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Barral is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Koff's half guard.

Barral is looking for a kimura. It's pretty deep but Koff still has the half guard so he's probably OK. Oh, Koff has exploded into a beautiful escape there and after a quick scramble, he's ended up in side control on top! Nice work!
Barral is looking to regain half guard here but Koff keeps moving and retains side control.
Koff wants to control but Barral is keeping him busy.
Barral is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Koff's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
The fighters are battling for position here. Barral manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Koff preventing the sweep.
Koff trying to control but Barral is working from the bottom.
Koff preventing the sweep.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Koff trying to control but Barral is working from the bottom.
Koff forces his way into half guard.
Koff wants to lay and pray for a moment but Barral keeps working.

Barral looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Barral is looking to improve his position.

Koff is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Barral wants to get back to full guard but Koff has passed into side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Barral is trying to improve his position.

Koff is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Barral knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Koff lands a few punches from side control.
Barral tries to buck Koff off but Koff is having none of it.
Barral is looking to slip a leg under and get half guard but Koff is one step ahead and moves to full mount!
Koff controlling his opponent.

Koff looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barral is looking to improve his position but Koff isn't that keen on the idea.
The referee warns Barral that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Barral can't escape the position.
Koff content just to control the position here.
Barral regains half guard.
Barral is looking for a sweep. Koff is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Bob Koff has got the better of the ground game so far.

Koff is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Barral tries to get to full guard but Koff has control of the leg.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Barral is working hard here to advance position.
Koff wants to control but Barral is keeping him busy.
Barral taking some punishment here, with Koff in his half guard.
Koff wants to take a breather but Barral is having none of it.

Barral is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Koff pulls his head out easily.
Barral won't allow Koff to pass to mount.
Koff prevents Barral from improving his position.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Koff trying to control the action but Barral is working from the bottom.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Barral is looking for a sweep. Koff is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

Koff is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.

Koff wants to work for an arm triangle but Barral is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bob Koff showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Barral shoots in for a double leg but Koff sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Barral fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Barral misses with a takedown

and Koff counters with a single leg into guard. Barral didn't expect that.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Romulo Barral. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Koff avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Koff slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Koff trying to control but Barral is working from the bottom.
Koff lands a couple of digs.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Koff won't allow Barral to sweep him here.
Koff seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Koff trying to control the position from guard on top but Barral is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Barral is on top in guard.

Barral is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Koff is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Koff has escaped and now he's on top!

Koff got a little sloppy there for a moment and Barral has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Koff has managed to get both his arms back between Barral's legs - danger averted.
Koff controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Koff trying to control but Barral is working from the bottom.
Koff seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Barral wants to hit a switch here but Koff passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for Barral there!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Koff looking to control but Barral is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Koff sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Koff has his opponent pinned against the ropes, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Barral's face.
Koff looking to control and managing it successfully.
Barral prevents Koff from taking his back.
Koff connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Barral bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Koff is trying to control the position but Barral postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Koff might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Barral haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Koff manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Barral manages to get himself to full guard.

Koff is pushing down on Barral's leg trying to pass to half guard. Barral is fighting to maintain full guard but Koff has managed to sneak the leg through.
Barral trying to get back to full guard but Koff takes advantage of the position and moves to full mount!
Koff landing strikes from the mount.
Koff trying to control but Barral is having none of it.
Bob Koff is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Barral is looking to get to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Koff controlling the pace for now.
Koff trying to control but Barral is having none of it.
Koff works his way to his opponent's back.
Koff controlling from the back.
Koff lands with a nice looking elbow that stuns Barral.
Barral is really stuck here.
Koff wants to control but Barral is keeping busy.
So, who will make the next big move? In this position it could be crucial.
Romulo Barral has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Barral tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!

And that's the end of the fight!
Bob Koff comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Koff has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Roger Salmon scores the fight 28:30
Judge Ryoma Takatsuka scores the fight 28:29
Judge Chris Saunders scores the fight 27:30

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