PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Romulus Gerber (ranked 1278 p4p, 1780 weight class) and Zdravko Zdravkov (ranked 190 p4p, 249 weight class). Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Gerber
vs
Zdravkov

179 cm
24
175
7 - 3 - 0

185 cm
25
184
8 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Brawler
Granite chin

WARHORSE Fightwear

Conviction
Convicted Trap House

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 7 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Romulus Gerber!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Zdravko Zdravkov!
The judges for this bout are Patrick Alders, Paulsen Ambrosius and Paul Aken.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Zdravkov closes the distance and clinches up with Gerber, looking for a takedown. Zdravkov pushes Gerber against the cage but Gerber circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Zdravkov fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Gerber moves into range and lands a nice body kick.
A decent looking cross lands there for Gerber.
Gerber fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Zdravkov on the side of the head.
Gerber closes the distance and lands a one-two.

It looks like Zdravko Zdravkov has been cut.
Nice jab there from Gerber.
Zdravkov misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Romulus Gerber has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Zdravko Zdravkov.
Zdravkov shoots in for a takedown but Gerber shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Gerber connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Zdravkov's hands.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Zdravkov with a poor takedown
and Zdravkov takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Zdravkov shoots and misses
and Gerber counters with a two punch combo.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zdravkov fails with a takedown attempt.
Zdravkov takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Gerber lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Zdravkov darts in looking for a takedown but Gerber gets double underhooks and turns Zdravkov into the cage.
Zdravkov walks into a left hand.
Gerber lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Zdravkov at a distance.
Zdravkov takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Gerber.
Gerber lands a front kick.
Zdravkov chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Gerber can pounce on him.
Zdravkov changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Gerber tries to avoid it but Zdravkov manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Gerber to the ground. Gerber escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
It looked like Gerber wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Nice jab there from Gerber.
Gerber has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.
Gerber is really peppering his opponent's head with punches.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zdravkov looks for a takedown but Gerber sprawls well.
Gerber misses with a double jab

and Zdravkov counters with a nice double leg into side control. Gerber won't be happy with that.

Gerber explodes and escapes back to his feet! Nice escape there!
Zdravkov with a lazy takedown attempt
and Gerber counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Nice takedown defense from Gerber. No joy for Zdravkov on that attempt.
Gerber tried to counter with a leg kick but Zdravkov avoided it.
Zdravkov misses with a takedown
and Gerber counters with a head kick. That will keep Zdravkov thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
Zdravkov looks winded!
Zdravkov looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Zdravkov shoots in for a takedown but Gerber shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Gerber scoring well with a low kick there.
Romulus Gerber seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Zdravkov with a poor takedown
and Zdravkov takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gerber turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Romulus Gerber is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Zdravkov tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Gerber swivels and escapes.
An attempted straight right counter from Gerber misses the target.
Jab, jab by Gerber - just one landing.
Gerber misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Zdravkov misses with a takedown
and Gerber counters with a stiff right hand.
Zdravkov looks for a takedown but Gerber sprawls well.
Gerber cracks Zdravkov with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Gerber turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Gerber tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Zdravkov was well out of range. Poor timing from Gerber.
A punch lands to the side of Zdravkov 's head but he takes it in his stride.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gerber lunges at Zdravkov with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Zdravkov's hand.

Zdravkov is rocked!
Gerber scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Gerber displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Zdravkov.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Gerber misses with a body shot.
Zdravkov misses with a takedown attempt - Gerber sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Gerber throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Zdravkov misses with a takedown
and Gerber counters with a solid body kick.
Zdravkov takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Gerber explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.
That kick from Gerber tenderised Zdravkov's leg. Zdravkov is trying to keep his angry face on.
Gerber goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Romulus Gerber dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Zdravko Zdravkov's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Gerber scores with a head kick.
Nice defenses there by Zdravkov.
Gerber lands with a nice body punch.
Gerber lands a leg kick that knocks Zdravkov off balance momentarily.
Zdravkov takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Zdravkov shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Gerber counters with a straight right hand.
Gerber lands a leg kick that knocks Zdravkov off balance momentarily.
Gerber lands the left hand.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gerber throws a body kick that misses.
Zdravkov's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Zdravkov dives in for a single leg takedown but Gerber sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Zdravkov misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Romulus Gerber has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Zdravko Zdravkov.
Gerber uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Zdravkov has time to react.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zdravkov shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Gerber makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Zdravkov will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Zdravkov is breathing heavily.
Gerber throws a series of strikes that have Zdravkov backpedaling.
Zdravkov is still on wobbly legs! Can Gerber finish him?
Gerber scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Zdravkov seems to have recovered his senses.
Gerber connects with an inside leg kick.
Gerber swings for the body but Zdravkov moves out of range.
Zdravkov feints the counter takedown.

Zdravkov dives in and scores a takedown into Gerber's guard.

Gerber has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Zdravkov off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Gerber bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Zdravkov's head.
Zdravkov dives in for a single leg takedown but Gerber sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.

Zdravkov throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Gerber tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Zdravkov is in Gerber's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gerber looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Gerber scrambles and gets back to his feet.
Gerber cracks Zdravkov with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Zdravko Zdravkov is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Gerber scores with a jab to the jaw.
Zdravkov has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Gerber finds it's way round the side to connect with Zdravkov's head.

Zdravkov fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Gerber to the ground. Zdravkov is now in Gerber's guard.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Zdravkov working his ground and pound in the gym. He isn't landing a great percentage of his ground strikes so far though.
Gerber keeping moving, preventing Zdravkov from controlling successfully.
Gerber can't keep his opponent in guard - Zdravkov advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Zdravkov sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Gerber defending well though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zdravkov is stalling here. Gerber is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Zdravkov seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Gerber has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
Zdravkov tries to buck Gerber off but Gerber is having none of it.
Zdravkov can't do much from the bottom here.
Gerber is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Zdravkov can do to turn this around?
Gerber remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
Zdravkov is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gerber is staying tight to Zdravkov's torso, preventing him from escaping.
Gerber has knee on belly and moves into mount.
Gerber takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Zdravkov really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Zdravkov bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Zdravkov missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Zdravkov throws an elbow that misses. Gerber uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Zdravkov's guard. Nice move by Gerber!

And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Romulus Gerber dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Zdravko Zdravkov's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Zdravkov with a poor takedown
letting Gerber counter with a right hand.
Gerber lands a leg kick that knocks Zdravkov off balance momentarily.
Zdravkov doesn't succeed with the takedown
enabling Gerber to counter with a crisp jab.
A nice leg kick from Gerber, right into the meat of the thigh.
Gerber scores with a body shot.
Gerber stuffs the takedown.
Gerber looked to counter that last move with a leg kick but didn't pull the trigger.
Romulus Gerber has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Zdravko Zdravkov.
Gerber comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Zdravkov shoots in and drives through. Gerber sprawls well.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Zdravkov takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Zdravkov on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Zdravkov takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Gerber with the inside leg kick.
Zdravkov has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Gerber.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Zdravkov shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
enabling Gerber to counter with a crisp jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gerber lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Nice jab there from Gerber.
Gerber connects with a body shot that sends Zdravkov's belly button to the back.
Gerber lands a lovely overhand right.
Gerber paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Gerber throws a leg kick which misses Zdravkov's front leg but catches the back leg as Zdravkov tries to avoid it.
Zdravkov moves forwards but Gerber connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Gerber scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Zdravkov tries for a takedown but Gerber circles away easily
and Gerber counters with a series of strikes. Zdravkov will be more careful next time no doubt.
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!
Nice uppercut there from Gerber.
Zdravko Zdravkov has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gerber lands a lovely overhand right.
Gerber turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Gerber throws a nice outside leg kick.
Nice sprawl there from Gerber as Zdravkov shoots in.
Gerber paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Gerber scores with a body shot.
Zdravkov on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Gerber swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Zdravkov drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Gerber defends it well.
Zdravkov looks to land a combination but Gerber avoids it well.
Gerber smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Gerber scores with a spinning back kick!
Gerber lands with a thumping leg kick.
Gerber fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gerber misses with the combination.
Zdravkov feints the counter takedown.
Zdravkov changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Gerber tries to avoid it but Zdravkov manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Gerber to the ground. Gerber escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Zdravkov has developed a nice purple lump on his ribcage, as a result of some heavy body kicks from Gerber.
Zdravkov on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Zdravkov tries for a takedown but Gerber circles away easily
and Gerber counters with a stiff right hand.
Romulus Gerber is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Both fighters circling a little - Gerber finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Gerber lands with a nice body punch.
Gerber throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Zdravkov stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Zdravkov shoots in looking for a takedown but Gerber manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Zdravkov's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Zdravkov fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zdravkov walks forward, straight into a front kick from Gerber.
Zdravkov doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Gerber counters with a nice body shot.
Zdravkov walks into a left hand.
Gerber tests Zdravkov's chin there with a solid looking shot.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Zdravkov has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Gerber.
Zdravkov misses with a double jab.
Gerber lands a jab to the head.
No luck for Zdravkov with that takedown attempt.
Zdravkov throws a body shot but no joy.

And that's the end of the fight!
Romulus Gerber showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Gerber 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 Patrick Alders scores the fight 30:25
Judge Paulsen Ambrosius scores the fight 30:25
Judge Paul Aken scores the fight 30:25

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Romulus Gerber!
Our winner, Romulus Gerber, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.