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WP 19 PBP Commentary |
This TWGC bout is 1 fifteen minute round in the super heavyweight division. Introducing today's competitors. In the red corner, competing out of New York, with a TWGC record of 22 wins and 28 losses; Boris Balkan! And in the blue corner, fighting out of New York, with a TWGC record of 25 wins and 8 losses; Nick Rodriquez!
The judges for this bout are Leandro Rodrigues, Seu Braga and Luis Engracia.
The fighters bow as they face eachother in the middle of the mat and we are under way.
Balkan shoots in but no luck this time.
Rodriquez tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Balkan closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth. Score +4 for clean takedown past guard: Balkan (4) vs (0) Rodriquez
A lull in the action here.
Balkan wants to lay and pray for a moment but Rodriquez keeps working.
Balkan is pausing for a moment. What's he doing? It looks like he's clearing his nose. Oh dude! He's shot a load of snot all down Rodriquez's shoulder. That is not cool.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Balkan is looking to take a break and control but Rodriquez is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Rodriquez is trying to escape the position but Balkan is controlling the position.
Balkan trying to control the action but Rodriquez is working from the bottom.
Rodriquez struggling a bit here.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rodriquez is looking to reverse the position.
Rodriquez is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Balkan happy to just control the position for now.
Balkan thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rodriquez is looking to regain half guard here but Balkan keeps moving and retains side control.
Balkan trying to control the position but Rodriquez is working away.
We've been hearing good reports from Balkan'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.
Balkan is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Rodriquez will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Balkan trying to control the action but Rodriquez is working from the bottom.
That's five minutes gone in the round.
Balkan looking to control but instead Rodriquez has slipped a leg in, to regain half guard.
Rodriquez makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Rodriquez.
Balkan trying to control the position from guard on top but Rodriquez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Balkan stopping the sweep attempt from Rodriquez.
Balkan trying to control but Rodriquez is working from the bottom.
Rodriquez is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
That's six minutes gone in the round.
Rodriquez has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Balkan trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Rodriquez controls Balkan momentarily but Balkan frees himself.
That's seven minutes gone in the round.
Balkan pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Rodriquez is keeping the position for now.
Balkan trying to control but Rodriquez is working from the bottom.
Balkan stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Rodriquez swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Balkan is working hard here to advance position.
That's eight minutes gone in the round.
Balkan's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Balkan looking to sit in guard and control but Rodriquez gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top. Score +2 for sweep to guard / half guard: Balkan (4) vs (2) Rodriquez
Balkan controls Rodriquez momentarily but Rodriquez frees himself.
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.
Balkan keeping full guard, as Rodriquez tries to pass.
Balkan looking to control but Rodriquez passes into half guard.
That's nine minutes gone in the round.
Rodriquez perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
My spies in KFA inform me that Rodriquez has been getting involved in the gym's BJJ sparring sessions. Let's see whether that pays dividends!
Rodriquez has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount. Score +3 for passing guard: Balkan (4) vs (5) Rodriquez
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.
That's ten minutes gone in the round.
Balkan is desperately trying to improve his position but Rodriquez has a good base and remains in mount.
Balkan wants to control but Rodriquez is having none of it.
Balkan is wriggling around trying to escape.
That's eleven minutes gone in the round.
Balkan tries to hold on but Rodriquez postures up.
Rodriquez can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Balkan is looking to escape.
Balkan has given up his back - I don’t know if this is a deliberate ploy to try and escape or if he is just struggling down there.
Score +3 for taking back: Balkan (4) vs (8) Rodriquez
That's twelve minutes gone in the round.
Balkan wants to control his opponent's hands but Rodriquez gets his hands free.
Balkan wants to escape the position.
Rodriquez keeps control of the position easily here as Balkan tries to buck him off.
Rodriquez tries to keep control of the position but Balkan is staying busy.
Balkan trying to control the action but Rodriquez just sinks the hooks in.
That's thirteen minutes gone in the round.
Balkan wants to escape the position.
I would not like to be Balkan right now.
Rodriquez is working hard for the rear naked choke here.
Rodriquez controlling the position well here. Balkan rolled but Rodriquez kept the hooks locked in and stayed in the dominant position.
That's fourteen minutes gone in the round.
It looks like Rodriquez might be adopting somewhat of a lay and pray gameplan here, which I'm sure won't go down too well with the paying fans in attendance... Or the ring announcers come to think of it.
A lull in the action here.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Balkan is really stuck here.
And that's the end of the fight!
Rodriquez wins on points by 8 to 4.
Nick Rodriquez decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well. |
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