PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Diego Rodriguez (ranked 4036 p4p, 4015 weight class) and Nicky Manu (ranked 0 p4p, 213 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.

Rodriguez
vs
Manu

170 cm
25
144
0 - 0 - 0

169 cm
18
145
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Good chin

Decent wrestler
Basic striking
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Diego Rodriguez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Nicky Manu!
The judges for this bout are Santiago Holmes, Dirk Anderson and Winston Alpacca.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rodriguez connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Manu momentarily.
Rodriguez with a nice cross.
Rodriguez avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Manu checks a leg kick.
Manu tries to clinch but Rodriguez moves out of range.
Manu on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Rodriguez fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Nice shot by Rodriguez.
Rodriguez walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Manu checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Nice uppercut lands for Rodriguez. That snapped Manu's head back.
Rodriguez scores with a decent looking hook.
Rodriguez throws a low kick but it's checked well by Manu.
Rodriguez punishes Manu's body with a nice straight punch.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Manu keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Rodriguez tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Rodriguez lands with a straight right. Manu didn't see that one coming.
Rodriguez displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Manu throws out the jab.
Rodriguez gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Manu displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Rodriguez throws out the jab.
Rodriguez bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Manu's head backwards.
Manu tries to clinch up but Rodriguez circles away and keeps his distance.
Manu checks a low kick from Rodriguez.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rodriguez fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.

Manu fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Rodriguez, pushing him back against the cage.
Rodriguez is trying to break the clinch but Manu is controlling him.
Manu tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Manu misses with a short punch on the inside.
A short right from Manu on the inside.
Manu tries to work over Rodriguez's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Rodriguez is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Manu fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Manu keeps control of Rodriguez as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Manu misses with a hook to the ribs.
Manu misses with a short punch on the inside.
Rodriguez blocking some punches.
Rodriguez wants to get back to striking at distance but Manu won't allow it.
Manu scores with a nice hook to the head.
Rodriguez is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Manu lands with a right to the head.
A nice left hand lands by Manu.
A short right from Manu on the inside.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Manu is working Rodriguez over against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rodriguez wants to break free but Manu has control.
Manu lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Manu scores with a shoulder strike.
Rodriguez has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Manu misses with the head strike.
Manu doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Rodriguez tries to break free but Manu pushes him back against the cage.
Rodriguez takes a shot to the head.
Manu lands an uppercut.
Rodriguez is trying to break the clinch but Manu has him pressed against the cage.
Rodriguez has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Manu misses with the head strike.
Rodriguez wants to get back to striking at distance but Manu won't allow it.
Manu misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Rodriguez is trying to break the clinch but Manu is controlling him.
Rodriguez can't break the clinch.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Manu.
Manu tries to work over Rodriguez's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Rodriguez is trying to break the clinch but Manu is controlling him.
Manu tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Rodriguez's elbow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rodriguez wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Manu has him pressed against the cage.
Manu misses with a hook to the ribs.
Manu lands a left hand that snaps the head of Rodriguez backwards.
Manu keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Rodriguez's efforts to push away.
Manu lands a right hand.
Rodriguez working hard to break the clinch.
Manu works on Rodriguez's body with a couple of short punches.
Rodriguez is trying to break free.
Manu has Rodriguez pressed against the cage, preventing Rodriguez from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Manu tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Manu tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Rodriguez's elbow.
Rodriguez is trying to push Manu away but Manu has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Manu has Rodriguez pressed against the cage, preventing Rodriguez from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Manu misses with a hook from the clinch.
Rodriguez wants to break the clinch but can't.
Manu pushes Rodriguez back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Rodriguez can't break the clinch.
Manu is leaning against Rodriguez and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
A head punch on the inside from Manu fails to land.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A short uppercut from Manu.
Rodriguez is trying to push Manu away but Manu has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Manu misses with a punch to the body.
Manu can't find room to land a body shot as Rodriguez controls the action.
Manu misses with a hook to the ribs.
A shot in the inside from Manu.
Manu lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Rodriguez looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Rodriguez is looking to break free of the clinch but Manu has double underhooks.
Manu misses with a punch on the inside.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Manu.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Rodriguez has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Manu misses with a hook to the ribs.
Rodriguez is looking to break free of the clinch but Manu has double underhooks.
A head punch on the inside from Manu fails to land.
Rodriguez is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
A right hook to the body lands for Manu.
Rodriguez's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Manu lands a hook to the side of the head.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Nicky Manu dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Rodriguez's jab looks to have found its range, popping Manu under the eye.
Rodriguez misses the shot to the body.
Rodriguez misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Manu.
Manu tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Rodriguez paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Rodriguez ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Rodriguez digs a good body shot into Manu's ribs.
Manu blocks a low kick nicely.
Manu looks to score with a jab to the body but Rodriguez is just out of range.
Rodriguez throws a shot to the body.
Rodriguez scores with a nice right hand.
Diego Rodriguez is winning the standup battle so far.
Manu takes one to the chin there.
Rodriguez with a jab.
Manu tries to clinch but Rodriguez is having none of it.
Manu tries to clinch up but Rodriguez circles away and keeps his distance.
Manu throws a body punch but Rodriguez moves out of range.
Rodriguez scores with a crisp jab that stopped Manu in his tracks.

Manu moves into the clinch successfully.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Manu tries to work over Rodriguez's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Manu swings wildly with an uppercut but Rodriguez uses good head movement to avoid it.
Rodriguez wants to get back to striking at distance but Manu won't allow it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Manu keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Rodriguez's efforts to push away.
Rodriguez blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Rodriguez working hard to break the clinch.
Rodriguez wants to get back to striking at distance but Manu won't allow it.
Rodriguez blocking some punches.
A frustrated look appears on Rodriguez's face as he tries to break the clinch.
A short right from Manu.
Manu scores with a hook to the body.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Manu.
Manu lands a right hand.
A nice left hand lands by Manu.
Rodriguez tries to break free but Manu pushes him back against the cage.
Manu lands an uppercut.
Manu lands a left hand.
Manu throws a head punch that misses.
Manu misses with a short punch on the inside.
Manu working aggressively here.
Manu keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Rodriguez's efforts to push away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Manu throws a head punch that misses.
Manu keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Rodriguez's efforts to push away.
Rodriguez is trying to force a seperation but Manu has the dominant position.
Rodriguez's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Rodriguez wants to get back to striking at distance but Manu won't allow it.
Rodriguez is trying to push Manu away but Manu has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Manu swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Rodriguez looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
A right handed body shot lands from Manu.
Manu lands with a right to the head.
Rodriguez wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Manu throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Rodriguezs head.
Manu lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Manu lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Rodriguez wants to break the clinch but can't.
Manu lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Rodriguez.
Manu misses with a punch to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Manu doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Manu is working Rodriguez over against the cage.
Manu has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Manu lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Manu misses with a body punch.
Manu presses Rodriguez against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Manu lands with a short shot to the head.
Manu throws a punch but it's blocked by Rodriguez.
Manu lands a nice uppercut.
Rodriguez tries to break free but Manu pushes him back against the cage.
Rodriguez wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Manu has him pressed against the cage.
Rodriguez looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Manu lands a hook that snaps the head of Rodriguez backwards.
Rodriguez takes a shot to the head.
Manu fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Manu tries to work over Rodriguez's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Rodriguez is trying to break the clinch but Manu is controlling him.
Manu scores with an uppercut up the middle.
A left hand lands to the body for Manu.
Rodriguez wants to get back to striking at distance but Manu won't allow it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rodriguez working hard to break the clinch.
Rodriguez can't break the clinch.
Manu lands a nice shot to the body.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Manu lands a body shot.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
A short body shot lands from Manu as the two fighters clinch.
Manu cracks Rodriguez with a nice body shot.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Manu.
Nicky Manu seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Manu tries to work over Rodriguez's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Manu lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Manu lands with a right to the head.
Rodriguez takes a shot to the head.
Manu lands with a light punch inside.
Manu lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Manu lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.

Rodriguez is rocked!
Rodriguez working hard to break the clinch.
Manu lands a hook to the side of the head.
Oh Rodriguez is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Manu lands with a short shot to the head.
Rodriguez can't break the clinch.
Manu has Rodriguez pressed against the cage, preventing Rodriguez from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Nicky Manu 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! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Rodriguez missing with a left hand there. Manu was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Rodriguez seems to have got his legs back now.
Rodriguez moves away from the strike by Manu.
Manu waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Rodriguez.
Rodriguez slips under a jab from Manu.
Manu looks to throw the jab but Rodriguez is out of range.
Rodriguez is looking to score with low kicks.
Rodriguez ducks under a wild hook from Manu.
Rodriguez throws a low kick but Manu avoids it.
Diego Rodriguez seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rodriguez blocks a jab.
Manu moves in looking to clinch but Rodriguez pushes him off.
As Manu tries to get set, Rodriguez tries to push him back and clinch up but Manu manages to avoid the attempt.
Manu fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Rodriguez manages to avoid it.
Rodriguez misses with a low kick as Manu jumps back.
Manu swings and misses with a hook to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rodriguez tests Manu's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Manu tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Rodriguez was well out of range. Poor timing from Manu.
Rodriguez takes a swing at Manu's ribcage but misses.
Good work by Manu as he checks the leg kick.
Rodriguez scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Rodriguez changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
A jab from Manu misses.
As Manu looks to move away, Rodriguez throws a big counter combo but Manu just gets out of the way.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Rodriguez tries to keep at a distance but Manu has taken the fight into the clinch.
Rodriguez is trying to break the clinch but Manu is controlling him.
A nice right hand lands inside from Manu.
Rodriguez blocks a punch to the side of the head.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Rodriguez.
Manu swings wildly with an uppercut but Rodriguez uses good head movement to avoid it.
Rodriguez blocks an uppercut.
Rodriguez tries to break the clinch but Manu is controlling the position.
Manu working aggressively here.
Rodriguez can't break the clinch.
Manu lands a right hand that snaps the head of Rodriguez backwards.
Rodriguez prevents a body shot from Manu.
Manu goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Manu fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Manu lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Manu lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Rodriguez or not.
Diego Rodriguez has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Manu misses with a hook from the clinch.
Rodriguez wants to break the clinch but can't.
Rodriguez blocks a body shot from Manu.
Manu scores with a hook to the body.
Manu scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Manu lands a right hand.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Manu misses with a punch to the body.
Rodriguez tries to break free but Manu pushes him back against the cage.
Manu tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Rodriguez's elbow.
Manu keeps control of Rodriguez as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Rodriguez blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Manu misses with a hook to the ribs.
Rodriguez working hard to break the clinch.
Rodriguez wants to break the clinch but can't.
Manu throws a head punch that misses.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Rodriguez.
Manu tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Rodriguez's elbow.
Rodriguez blocking some punches.
Manu keeps control of Rodriguez as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Manu struggles to land a body shot inside as Rodriguez controls his hands.
Manu cracks Rodriguez with a nice body shot.
A short right from Manu on the inside.
Rodriguez looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Manu lands with a left to the head.
Manu softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Manu.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Manu keeps control of Rodriguez as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Manu lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Manu lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Rodriguez backwards.
Manu goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Rodriguez working hard to break the clinch.
Manu lands a hook to the side of the head.
Rodriguez tries to break free but Manu pushes him back against the cage.
Manu working aggressively here.
A short left from Manu.
Rodriguez blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A short left from Manu.
Rodriguez missing with knees to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A frustrated look appears on Rodriguez's face as he tries to break the clinch.
A short body shot lands from Manu as the two fighters clinch.
Manu misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Manu tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Rodriguez's elbow.
Manu goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Rodriguez tries to circle away but Manu has him pinned against the cage.
A head punch on the inside from Manu fails to land.
Rodriguez misses with the head strike.
Manu swings wildly with an uppercut but Rodriguez uses good head movement to avoid it.
Rodriguez is looking to break free of the clinch but Manu has double underhooks.
Rodriguez takes a shot to the head.
Manu throws a head punch that misses.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Rodriguez.
Manu misses with a hook from the clinch.
Rodriguez with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Manu blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Manu blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

And that's the end of the fight!
Nicky Manu comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Manu winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Santiago Holmes scores the fight 27:30
Judge Dirk Anderson scores the fight 27:30
Judge Winston Alpacca scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Nicky Manu!