PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Benjamin Barbu (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Brian Rodelin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Barbu
vs
Rodelin

189 cm
19
178 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

180 cm
27
172 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

Good takedowns
Solid boxing
Granite chin

Powerful takedowns
Brawler
Powerful

Voodoo Nutrition
Underworld Clothing

Voodoo Nutrition

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 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Benjamin Barbu!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Brian Rodelin!
The judges for this bout are Taro Takaoka, Yukihiro Shimada and Sosuke Kotani.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Barbu misses the shot to the body.
Barbu lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.

Rodelin scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Rodelin trying to control the action but Barbu is working from the bottom.
Barbu is looking to reverse the position.
Barbu can't do much from the bottom here.

Rodelin is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Barbu is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rodelin wants to control but Barbu is keeping him busy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rodelin passes to full mount! That's big trouble for Barbu!
Rodelin lands with some strikes.
Rodelin controlling the position easily from mount.
Barbu is trying to escape the mount.
Barbu wants to control but Rodelin is having none of it.

Rodelin working for a submission but Barbu is keeping him at bay.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Rodelin gets to his feet and calls his opponent to stand. Here come the fireworks!

Rodelin manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Barbu on his heels. He'll look to pass Barbu's guard now, I'm sure.
Rodelin wants to get up but he can't break Barbu's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Rodelin is using up a lot of energy trying to get back to his feet. Perhaps he should improve his position first.
Rodelin postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.

Barbu is looking for a triangle but Rodelin pushes his legs off easily.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Rodelin is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rodelin wanted to stand there but Barbu had control of the position.
Rodelin looking to sit in guard and control but Barbu gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Barbu stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Rodelin swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Rodelin looking to hit a scissor sweep but Barbu is one step ahead there.
Rodelin bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Barbu's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rodelin won't allow Barbu to sweep him here.
Rodelin seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Rodelin wants to control from the top but Barbu keeps moving.
Rodelin scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Barbu is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Barbu has a closed guard, preventing Rodelin from standing up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Brian Rodelin dominated that 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.

Barbu lands with a hook. Rodelin tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.

Rodelin gets a double leg takedown into Barbu's guard.
Rodelin would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Barbu pulls Rodelin in to control the position.
Rodelin wants to control from the top but Barbu keeps moving.

Barbu throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rodelin pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Barbu is keeping the position for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Barbu had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Rodelin defends it easily.
Rodelin pushing down on Barbu's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.

Rodelin is trying to work for a kimura but Barbu is defending well.

Rodelin is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Barbu is looking to improve his position.

That's two 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.
Rodelin is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Barbu is trying to control but can't.
Brian Rodelin has got the better of the ground game so far.
Rodelin trying to pass the guard but Barbu defending well.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Barbu avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Rodelin.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rodelin slows the pace down in half guard.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Rodelin checks a leg kick.
Rodelin with a poor takedown
and Barbu counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Barbu throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Rodelin.
Rodelin shoots in looking for a takedown. Barbu tries to sprawl out of it but Rodelin keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Barbu manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Barbu fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Rodelin.
Rodelin fails with a takedown attempt.
Benjamin Barbu has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Brian Rodelin.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rodelin shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Barbu pinned against the cage. Barbu gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Barbu takes a swing at Rodelin's ribcage but misses.
Rodelin takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
Barbu works Rodelin's body with a nice hook.
Rodelin tries to score a power double leg takedown but Barbu sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Rodelin somewhat.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Barbu, as that shot connected.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Rodelin stuffs the takedown attempt from Barbu. Barbu gets slowly back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Benjamin Barbu 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. This is the final round!

Rodelin shoots in and drives through. Barbu sprawls well.
Rodelin defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Barbu.
Rodelin on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Barbu cracks Rodelin with a good jab.
Nice sprawl there from Barbu as Rodelin shoots in.
Barbu scores with a jab. Rodelin acknowledges it with a nod of the head.

Rodelin scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Barbu manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Rodelin stops Barbu from getting back to his feet.

Rodelin looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Rodelin wants to pass the guard but Barbu is defending well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rodelin sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Barbu has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Rodelin is working away from the top position though.

Barbu is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Rodelin pulls his head out easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Barbu has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Rodelin is working away from the top position though.
Rodelin keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Rodelin.
Benjamin Barbu has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Brian Rodelin.
A lazy left from Barbu finds it's target.
Rodelin keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barbu is looking to land body kicks.
An inside leg kick lands from Barbu.
Barbu's corner calls for a 1-2. Barbu obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Rodelin shoots in but no luck this time.
Benjamin Barbu is winning the standup battle so far.
Rodelin shoots for a takedown but Barbu saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Barbu throws a shot to the body.
A lazy left from Barbu finds it's target.
Barbu cracks Rodelin with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.

Rodelin shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Rodelin showed some decent athleticism there.
Barbu pushes Rodelin off looking to stand but Rodelin dives back in and keeps control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Barbu is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Rodelin pulls his head out easily.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Barbu looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Rodelin wants to control but Barbu is keeping him busy.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Rodelin trying to pass the guard but Barbu defending well.
Rodelin slows the pace down in half guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

And that's the end of the fight!
Benjamin Barbu showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Barbu has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Taro Takaoka scores the fight 29:28
Judge Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 29:28
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Benjamin Barbu!
Benjamin Barbu looked relieved post fight as he said the following; 'WHO S NEXT ? RALF JONES ! LETS GO JONES ..STOP HIDING AND COME FIGHT BB KING !'.