PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Roger Birbiglia (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Frank Finisher (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Roger Birbiglia had a look across the cage there at his opponent. He definitely means business

Birbiglia
vs
Finisher

186 cm
20
199 lbs
7 - 0 - 0

185 cm
26
205 lbs
4 - 3 - 0

Decent wrestler
Basic striking
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the light heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Roger Birbiglia!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Frank Finisher!
The judges for this bout are Chris Dean, Darius Henderson and Eliza Hachem.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Finisher dives in for a single leg takedown but Birbiglia sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Birbiglia ducks under a wild hook from Finisher.
Birbiglia misses with a hook. Finisher ducked under it nicely.
Finisher tries to clinch but Birbiglia moves out of range.
Finisher shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Birbiglia defends it nicely.
Birbiglia drops down looking for a counter takedown but Finisher sprawls and moves away.
Finisher throws a body kick, spinning off balance

and Birbiglia counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Birbiglia.
Birbiglia 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.
Birbiglia with a flurry of punches that miss.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Finisher avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Birbiglia scoring with some ground and pound.
Birbiglia throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Finisher works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Finisher keeping moving, preventing Birbiglia from controlling successfully.
Finisher utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Finisher told us pre-fight that he has been working on his escapes in training. Let's see if he can call on some of his new skills to get back to his feet.
Finisher wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.

Birbiglia drops back, looking for a kneebar! Finisher looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Finisher looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Finisher!

Finisher taking a breather here.
Birbiglia manages to work his way to half guard, despite Finisher's best efforts.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Birbiglia looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Birbiglia tries to roll over but Finisher keeps him under control.
Birbiglia is refusing to be controlled, as Finisher sits in half guard.
Birbiglia on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Birbiglia tries to get out of the position.
Birbiglia desperately trying to maintain half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Birbiglia trying to control here.

Finisher is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Birbiglia doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Finisher.
Birbiglia tries to get to full guard but Finisher has control of the leg.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Birbiglia trying to control here.
Finisher sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Birbiglia defending well though.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Birbiglia looks to throw the jab but Finisher is out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Finisher scores with a punch to the head.
Finisher lands a nice shot to the body.
Finisher shoots in for a takedown but Birbiglia shows good takedown defense.
Roger Birbiglia has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Frank Finisher.
Finisher lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Finisher looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Finisher misses with a takedown
and Birbiglia counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Finisher shoots in for a takedown but Birbiglia shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Finisher misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Finisher looks winded!
A punch combination from Finisher misses.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Birbiglia misses with a body shot.
Finisher bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Finisher throws a solid leg kick but Birbiglia takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Finisher.
Finisher ducks under a wild hook from Birbiglia.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Roger Birbiglia will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Birbiglia throws a hook to the side of Finisher's head but Finisher sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
A head kick misses from Finisher.

Finisher tries to sprawl but Birbiglia drives through with a takedown into half guard.

Finisher pushes Birbiglia off and gets back to his feet.
Roger Birbiglia is winning the standup battle so far.
Birbiglia swings for the body but Finisher moves out of range.
Frank Finisher seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Finisher scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Finisher defending well as Birbiglia loads up on a big left hand.
Finisher is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Finisher staying out of range there.
Birbiglia keeps the fight on the outside.
A jab lands there for Finisher.
Birbiglia swings for the body but Finisher moves out of range.
Frank Finisher is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Finisher wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Birbiglia displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Finisher.

Birbiglia shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Finisher napping and manages to drive through into side control!

Finisher sneaks out the side door and pushes Birbiglia away - he's back to his feet. The crowd show their appreciation for the escape.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Finisher lands with an uppercut that bounces Birbiglia off the cage and back into range.
Finisher throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Birbiglia's waist but Birbiglia gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Finisher off to one side.
Finisher is breathing heavily.
Finisher thuds a left hand into Birbiglia's body.
Some bone on bone action there as Birbiglia checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Birbiglia misses with a looping left.
Finisher takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Birbiglia misses with a takedown attempt - Finisher sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Birbiglia lands a nice shot that snaps Finisher's head back.
Finisher connects with a good right hand that stumbles Birbiglia. Birbiglia circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Finisher shoots in for a double leg but Birbiglia sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Roger Birbiglia has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Frank Finisher.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Birbiglia scores with a jab to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Birbiglia throws an off balance right hand
and Finisher counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Birbiglia moves out of range of the body kick.
Birbiglia drops down looking for a counter takedown but Finisher sprawls and moves away.
Birbiglia throws a right hand that Finisher ducks under and follows up with a left that Finisher also avoids with ease.
Birbiglia throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Birbiglia goes for a double leg but Finisher avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Finisher continues to drive forward.
Birbiglia swings for the body but Finisher moves out of range.
Finisher dives in for a single leg takedown but Birbiglia sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Birbiglia swinging wildly here.
Finisher displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Birbiglia throws out the jab.
Finisher uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Birbiglia.
Birbiglia throws a body punch but Finisher moves out of range.
Finisher throws a right hand that Birbiglia ducks under and follows up with a left that Birbiglia also avoids with ease.
An attempted straight right counter from Birbiglia misses the target.

Birbiglia closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Finisher wants to get back to full guard.
Birbiglia drops an elbow to the side of Finisher's head.
Finisher is in trouble now - Birbiglia has advanced to mount!
Birbiglia has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Finisher's face.
Birbiglia unloading with bombs!
Birbiglia lands a nice shot to the head.
Finisher takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Birbiglia lands a big elbow.

Finisher is rocked!
Birbiglia lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Finisher is still in real trouble! Can Birbiglia finish him?
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Birbiglia is in full mount looking to finish with strikes. He lands a big shot, followed by another and Finisher goes limp! The ref jumps in to end the fight - a big win for Birbiglia!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:59 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Strikes). Roger Birbiglia!
Roger Birbiglia retains his light heavyweight title!
Our winner, Roger Birbiglia, 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.