PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Cody Rhodes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jesse Manners (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Cody Rhodes had a look across the cage there at his opponent. He definitely means business

Rhodes
vs
Manners

185 cm
20
179 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

200 cm
18
180 lbs
0 - 2 - 1

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Intelligent

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Cody Rhodes!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Jesse Manners!
The judges for this bout are George Francis, Robert Twigg and Alan Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Rhodes moves into the clinch successfully.

Rhodes breaks from the clinch.
Manners showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Rhodes.
Rhodes attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Manners looks for a takedown but Rhodes sprawls well.
Manners showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Rhodes.
Manners fails to land the takedown.
Manners shoots in and drives through. Rhodes sprawls well.
Cody Rhodes has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jesse Manners.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Manners shoots in for a double leg but Rhodes sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Rhodes stuffs the takedown attempt from Manners. Manners gets slowly back to his feet.
Manners closes the distance and clinches up with Rhodes, looking for a takedown. Manners pushes Rhodes against the cage but Rhodes circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Manners shoots in for a takedown but Rhodes shows good takedown defense.
Manners fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Manners looks gassed!
Manners tries for a takedown but Rhodes sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Some wild striking there from Rhodes.
Rhodes fails to land with a series of punches.
Manners tries to close the distance and clinch but Rhodes swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Manners shoots in for a takedown but Rhodes shows good takedown defense.

Rhodes closes the distance and clinches.

Rhodes pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Rhodes closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Manners misses with a punch on the inside.

Rhodes breaks from the clinch.
Rhodes moves into range and connects with a jab.

Rhodes scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.

Rhodes has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.

Rhodes shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Manners's guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Rhodes slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Manners keeping moving, preventing Rhodes from controlling successfully.
Rhodes trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Manners has momentary wrist control but Rhodes slips an elbow through the middle.
Rhodes slips nicely into half guard.
Rhodes trying to mount his opponent but Manners defends it.
Rhodes wants to get back to his feet.
Rhodes is keen to just control but Manners is a slippery customer.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rhodes performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Rhodes has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.

That's four 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.
Rhodes wants to take a breather but Manners is having none of it.
Rhodes thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Rhodes in particular looking to stall.
Manners is looking to control Rhodes's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Manners avoid being mounted?
Rhodes is nestled in close to Manners, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Rhodes stalling.
Manners trying to control here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Rhodes scores with a takedown into Manners's guard.
Manners working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Rhodes.
Rhodes wants to control from the top but Manners keeps moving.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rhodes pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Manners is keeping the position for now.

Manners looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Rhodes pushes down on Manners's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Rhodes trying to mount his opponent but Manners defends it.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Rhodes postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Manners to stand up.
Manners has his takedown stuffed

and Rhodes counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Manners wants to sweep here but Rhodes controlling him for the moment.
Rhodes tries to stand but Manners is controlling from the bottom.
Rhodes trying to control the position from guard on top but Manners is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Rhodes controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Manners throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Rhodes is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Rhodes passes Manners's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Manners slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Manners striking from his own guard.
Manners is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Manners wants to sweep here but Rhodes controlling him for the moment.
Manners is trying to control the position but Rhodes postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rhodes's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Rhodes sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Manners's guard.
Manners is not content to let Rhodes control the position.
Rhodes 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.
Manners is positioning himself well to prevent Rhodes advancing to mount.
Manners wants to improve his position but Rhodes is controlling well.

Manners looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Rhodes scores with a couple of good hammerfists.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Rhodes lands a nice short elbow.
Rhodes not doing much here.
Manners is refusing to be controlled, as Rhodes sits in half guard.
Rhodes trying to control from Manners's half guard. Manners has other ideas though and has regained full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Cody Rhodes dominated that second round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. And we move into the final round!

Rhodes gets caught flat footed, as Manners shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Cody Rhodes just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Manners throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Manners shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Rhodes decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Manners's guard.
Manners 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.
Rhodes trying to control but Manners is working from the bottom.
Cody Rhodes overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Rhodes lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Manners keeping moving, preventing Rhodes from controlling successfully.
Rhodes stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Manners swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Rhodes slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.

Rhodes stands up and beckons Manners to his feet.
Jesse Manners seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rhodes swats away the attempt to clinch by Manners.

Rhodes clinches up against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Manners tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Rhodes prevents Manners from breaking the clinch.
Rhodes's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Manners fails to pull the fight into his guard.

Rhodes jumps guard and drags Manners to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Rhodes manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Rhodes tries to control but Manners wriggling away.
Manners is desperately trying to improve his position but Rhodes has a good base and remains in mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rhodes landing strikes from the mount and Manners is in trouble!
Rhodes looking to control and managing it successfully.
Rhodes landing punches.
Rhodes scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Rhodes prevents Manners from getting the reversal.

Rhodes working for a submission but Manners is keeping him at bay.
Manners wants to control but Rhodes is having none of it.

That's four 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.
Manners is wriggling around trying to escape.
Rhodes trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Rhodes controlling the pace for now.
Rhodes connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Rhodes trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Jesse Manners has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Cody Rhodes is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Manners can do anything to dispel that myth.
Manners is trying desperately to improve position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Cody Rhodes showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Rhodes has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 George Francis scores the fight 30:27
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 30:26
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Cody Rhodes!