PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between James Rocksteady (ranked 850 p4p, 1580 weight class) and Hjalmar Raak (ranked 122 p4p, 211 weight class). Rocksteady comes to the cage accompanied by Red Right Hand. This should be a great matchup!

Rocksteady
vs
Raak

170 cm
29
190
13 - 10 - 0

191 cm
24
197
6 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Very quick

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Powerful

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Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 13 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, James Rocksteady!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Hjalmar Raak!
The judges for this bout are Anni Minnemäki, Tarja Halkonen and Roosa Järviläinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Raak tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Rocksteady manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
A left and a right from Raak both land. Nice combination.
Raak jabs Rocksteady to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Raak scores with a jab.
Nice shot lands for Raak.
Raak misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Rocksteady.
Rocksteady feinted with a counter takedown.
Raak displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Rocksteady throws out the jab.
Raak bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Raak fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Donk. Rocksteady catches Raak right on the button with a cross.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Rocksteady shoots for a takedown but Raak saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Rocksteady slips under a jab.
Rocksteady throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

Raak takes the fight into the clinch.
Rocksteady misses with a shot to the kidneys.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rocksteady misses with a shot to the kidneys.
A right hook to the body lands for Rocksteady.
Raak swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Rocksteady misses with a punch on the inside.

Raak escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Raak misses with a double jab

and Rocksteady counters with a single leg into guard. Raak didn't expect that.
Rocksteady wants to control from the top but Raak keeps moving.
Rocksteady slips nicely into half guard.
Raak is trying to get back to full guard.
Rocksteady missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Raak is refusing to be controlled, as Rocksteady sits in half guard.
Raak is pressing down on Rocksteady's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Raak utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Raak looking for a sweep. Not yet Raak, not yet.
Raak is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Raak wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Raak is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Rocksteady tries to free his leg and advance position but Raak is retaining full guard.

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

A momentary lapse in concentration from Raak enables Rocksteady to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Raak manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Raak is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Rocksteady is looking to work some ground and pound but Raak has wrist control.
Raak seems keen to control Rocksteady's posture.
Rocksteady is looking to advance position but Raak has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Raak controlling from mount.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Raak can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Rocksteady is looking to escape.
Rocksteady really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Rocksteady might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Raak trying to control but Rocksteady is having none of it.
Rocksteady wants to control but Raak is having none of it.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Hjalmar Raak will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Rocksteady misses with a looping right.
Raak throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.

Rocksteady pushes Raak up against the cage in a clinch.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Rocksteady.
Rocksteady avoiding damage.
Raak missing with knees to the body.
Rocksteady pushes Raak back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Rocksteady tries for a takedown. No joy.
Rocksteady is looking for a takedown.
Rocksteady lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Raak backwards.
Raak misses with a shot to the kidneys.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rocksteady with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Rocksteady works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Raak throws a head punch that misses.
Raak doesn't land with the attempted body shot.

Rocksteady successfully pulls guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Rocksteady is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Raak pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Rocksteady is keeping the position for now.
Rocksteady is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Raak trying to control but Rocksteady is working from the bottom.
Rocksteady is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Rocksteady looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Raak's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Raak wants to control from the top but Rocksteady keeps moving.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.

Rocksteady takes the fight into the clinch.
Rocksteady tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Raak lands a hook to the side of the head.
Rocksteady goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Rocksteady has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Raak avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for James Rocksteady. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rocksteady is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Raak working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Rocksteady tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Raak's elbow.
Raak wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Raak scores with a shoulder strike.
Raak tries to stall but Rocksteady uses the opportunity to gain a better position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Raak swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Raak is pressed up against the cage. Rocksteady has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Raak down to the mat. Raak avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Raak uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Rocksteady.
Raak uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Rocksteady.
Hjalmar Raak is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Rocksteady keeps the fight on the outside.
Raak ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Rocksteady looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Raak is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Rocksteady with a body shot.
Rocksteady takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Hjalmar Raak seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Raak moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.

Rocksteady gets the takedown into side control.
Raak parries the strikes from Rocksteady easily there. Rocksteady is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Raak to escape.
Raak is being controlled here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Raak is looking to regain half guard here but Rocksteady keeps moving and retains side control.
Rocksteady lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Raak down.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Rocksteady misses with the ground and pound.
Raak is not content to let Rocksteady control the position.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

James Rocksteady dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Rocksteady moves in looking to clinch but Raak pushes him off.
A looping hook to the body misses from Rocksteady. Raak does a little dance to reset his feet.
Raak lands with a straight right. Rocksteady didn't see that one coming.
Rocksteady lands a lovely overhand right.
Raak swings for the body but Rocksteady moves out of range.

Raak has managed to clinch.

Rocksteady pulls Raak into guard.
Rocksteady lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Rocksteady trying to control but Raak is working from the bottom.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Raak wants to get back to his feet but Rocksteady is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Raak keeping moving, preventing Rocksteady from controlling successfully.
Rocksteady preventing the sweep.
Rocksteady loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Rocksteady missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Rocksteady pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Raak is keeping the position for now.
Rocksteady trying to control but Raak is working from the bottom.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Raak holds on and takes a little breather.

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.
Raak keeping full guard, as Rocksteady tries to pass.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Rocksteady wants to control from the top but Raak keeps moving.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Raak is looking to clinch but Rocksteady is avoiding it.
Raak misses with a wild body shot.
Raak swings and misses with a shot to the body

and Rocksteady counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Rocksteady.
Rocksteady sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Rocksteady preventing the sweep.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rocksteady working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Raak's head.
Rocksteady is looking to work some ground and pound but Raak has wrist control.
Rocksteady tries to free his leg and advance position but Raak is retaining full guard.
Rocksteady throws a big right hand that misses.
Raak keeping moving, preventing Rocksteady from controlling successfully.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Raak wants to sweep but no luck.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Hjalmar Raak is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
A telegraphed right hand from Raak misses the target.
Nice takedown defense from Raak. No joy for Rocksteady on that attempt.
Raak lands a really nice looking cross but Rocksteady seems unphased.
Raak jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Raak throws a series of punches but Rocksteady avoids them all with ease.
Rocksteady keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Raak moves in looking to clinch but Rocksteady pushes him off.
Raak dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Horrible takedown attempt by Rocksteady or perhaps it was just good defense by Raak, which made it look bad.
Rocksteady fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Raak avoids it really well and circles away.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to James Rocksteady.
I think Rocksteady 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 Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 29:28
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 29:29
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... James Rocksteady!
An out of breath James Rocksteady thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.