PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Billy Rooster (ranked 5130 p4p, 3279 weight class) and John Plant (ranked 516 p4p, 197 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Rooster
vs
Plant

173 cm
22
156
0 - 0 - 0

173 cm
18
135
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Billy Rooster!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, John Plant!
The judges for this bout are Mauricio Rocha, Luis Engracia and Paulo Santos.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Plant throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
It looked like Rooster wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.

Plant has managed to clinch.
Rooster wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Plant tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Plant tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Rooster on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Plant prevents Rooster from breaking the clinch.

Rooster breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Plant tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Rooster manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Plant moves in looking to clinch but Rooster pushes him off.
A counter left hand to the body from Rooster misses its target.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Plant shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.

Plant moves into range and clinches up with Rooster.
Rooster is trying to push Plant away but Plant has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Rooster is trying to push Plant away but Plant has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Rooster prevents the takedown attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rooster tries to break the clinch but Plant is controlling the position.
A bit of stalling here from Plant.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
A short uppercut from Plant.
Plant tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Billy Rooster has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of John Plant.
Rooster dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Rooster is trying to push Plant away but Plant has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Rooster slows down the pace here.
Rooster trying to land knees to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Plant is trying to force a seperation but Rooster has the dominant position.
Rooster stops a takedown attempt from Plant.
Plant taking a breather.
Plant wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Rooster has him pressed against the cage.

Rooster pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
A head kick misses from Plant.
Rooster seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.
Plant doesn't manage to clinch there - Rooster circles away.
Plant fails to land with a series of punches.
Plant wants to clinch.
Plant wants to clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Plant lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Plant is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Plant fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Rooster looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Decent striking displayed by Plant there.
Rooster circles away from the clinch attempt.
Rooster lands a body shot.
Plant tries to clinch there but Rooster circles away.
Plant doesn't manage to clinch there - Rooster circles away.
Rooster was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Rooster swinging wildly here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Plant misses with a head kick.
Rooster swinging wildly here.
Rooster works Plant's body with a nice hook.
Rooster avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Plant will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Plant moves into the clinch successfully.
Rooster keeps control of Plant as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Rooster has had enough of the clinch but Plant keeps him there for the moment.
Rooster slows down the pace here.
Plant wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but John Plant will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Left hook, right uppercut from Rooster.
Rooster tries to bum rush Plant with a series of wild strikes but Plant uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Plant tries to close the distance and clinch but Rooster swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Plant closes the distance but Rooster moves to the side
and Plant takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Rooster scores with a crisp jab that stopped Plant in his tracks.
Plant tries to clinch but Rooster is having none of it.

Rooster gets tackled into the cage by Plant. Plant maintains the clinch.
Plant is looking to take this one to the mat.
Rooster is trying to break the clinch but Plant is controlling him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Plant tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Rooster smiles and moves away.
Rooster bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Plant's head.
Rooster throws out a token jab with nothing on it.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Plant clinches.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.

Plant has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Rooster uses from the top position.
Plant looking for a sweep. Not yet Plant, not yet.
Plant bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Rooster's guard.

Rooster kicks Plant off and gets to his feet.
Plant tries to clinch up but Rooster circles away and keeps his distance.
Rooster is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Plant.
Rooster throws a jab but it's blocked by Plant.
Plant uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Rooster.
Rooster misses with a jab, cross combination.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Plant tries to clinch but Rooster moves out of range.
A left and a right from Plant both land. Nice combination.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Plant misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Plant is breathing heavily.
Rooster misses with a wild combination.
Plant is looking to clinch but Rooster is avoiding it.
Rooster lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Plant circles away quickly and effectively.
Rooster throws a hook to the side of Plant's head but Plant sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Plant moves in looking to clinch but Rooster pushes him off.
Plant tries to clinch there but Rooster circles away.
Rooster rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Plant moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Rooster avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Plant has taken the fight to the clinch.

Plant jumps guard and drags Rooster to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Rooster stands up from Plant's guard - Rooster perhaps looking for a knockout.
Plant tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Rooster manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Plant wants to clinch up but Rooster keeps it at a distance.
It looked like Rooster wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Plant throws a sloppy head kick and Rooster moves out of range easily.
Plant moves in looking to clinch but Rooster pushes him off.
Billy Rooster is winning the standup battle so far.
Plant closes the distance looking to clinch
enabling Rooster to counter with a crisp jab.
Rooster avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Plant misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Plant changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Plant misses with a series of wild punches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rooster missing with a left hand there. Plant was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Rooster fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

Plant fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Rooster, pushing him back against the cage.
Rooster has had enough of the clinch but Plant keeps him there for the moment.
Plant tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Rooster just stands there and leans against the cage.
Billy Rooster has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of John Plant.
Plant tries to pull guard but Rooster won't allow it.
Rooster is trying to break the clinch but Plant is controlling him.
Rooster can't break the clinch.
Rooster is pressed up against the cage. Plant has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Rooster down to the mat. Rooster avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Rooster misses with a straight right.
Plant fails with an attempt to clinch.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Billy Rooster dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Plant tries to clinch but Rooster moves out of range.
Rooster with a hook.
Rooster throws a hook to the side of Plant's head but Plant sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Plant wants to clinch.
Plant fails in his attempt to clinch.
Plant lands with a good body shot.
Plant is looking to clinch.
Plant moves out of range as Rooster strikes.
Rooster is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rooster comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Plant slips under a jab.
Plant wants to clinch up but Rooster keeps it at a distance.
Rooster throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Plant on the side of the head.
Rooster takes a shot right to the bread basket.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rooster keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Plant tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Rooster manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Plant moves into the clinch.
Plant is trying to stall.
Stalling in the clinch from Rooster.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Plant tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Rooster smiles and moves away.
Plant is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Plant closes the distance and pushes Rooster back into the cage.
Rooster looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Plant looking for a takedown.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Plant looking for a takedown.
Billy Rooster has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of John Plant.

Plant jumps guard and drags Rooster to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Rooster postures up.
Plant can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Rooster controls the pace.

Rooster gets to his feet - Plant follows without any prompting.
A slow jab from Rooster misses its intended target.
Plant is looking to clinch.
A big left from Rooster misses.
Rooster circles away from the clinch attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rooster lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Plant circles away quickly and effectively.
Plant dodges the punch combination from Rooster.
Rooster avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Plant is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Rooster went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
Plant moves in looking to clinch but Rooster pushes him off.
Plant tries to clinch but Rooster moves out of range.
Plant punishes Rooster's body with a nice straight punch.
Plant throws the kick towards the body but Rooster avoids it.
Sloppy strikes from Rooster. Those never looked like landing.
Plant tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Rooster manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Plant will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A nice combination there by Plant.
Plant doesn't manage to clinch there - Rooster circles away.
Plant is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Rooster rather than just go for the knockout.
Rooster swats away the attempt to clinch by Plant.
Rooster has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.

Plant rushes Rooster and presses him up against the cage.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Plant breaks from the clinch.
Nice defenses there by Plant.
Rooster circles away from the clinch attempt.
Plant wants to clinch up but Rooster keeps it at a distance.

Plant takes the fight into the clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to John Plant.
I think Plant has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Mauricio Rocha scores the fight for Billy Rooster!
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight for Billy Rooster!
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight for John Plant!

Billy Rooster wins by split decision!