PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Jake Askren (ranked 1086 p4p, 1372 weight class) and Jan Sokol (ranked 81 p4p, 101 weight class). This should be fireworks!

Askren
vs
Sokol

170 cm
30
132
17 - 18 - 1

182 cm
28
135
15 - 12 - 1

Great wrestler
Excellent boxer
Very quick

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Powerful

Fantasy Threads

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 17 - 18 - 1, fighting out of London, Jake Askren!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 12 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Jan Sokol!
The judges for this bout are Ben Watson, Francis DeMontford and Chris Dean.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sokol fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Askren manages to avoid it.
We've been told by Askren's head coaches at Shut Up & Train! that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.

Sokol drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Sokol working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Sokol throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Sokol working the ground and pound from side control.
Sokol is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.
Sokol throws an elbow but Askren slips to the side and avoids it well.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A lull in the action here as Sokol stalls from top position.
Sokol throws an elbow but Askren slips to the side and avoids it well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sokol tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Askren defending against the ground and pound.
Askren is breathing heavily.
Sokol is looking to take a break and control but Askren is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Sokol is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

Sokol looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Sokol working the ground and pound but Askren is defending the strikes.
Sokol working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Sokol throws a strike aimed at the side of Askren's head but Askren avoids it well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sokol throws a strike aimed at the side of Askren's head but Askren avoids it well.
Askren might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Sokol looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Askren is avoiding damage well.
Sokol tries to score with some ground and pound. Askren controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Askren managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Sokol.
Askren is not content to let Sokol control the position.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Sokol working his ground and pound in the gym. He isn't landing a great percentage of his ground strikes so far though.
Askren parries the strikes from Sokol easily there. Sokol is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Askren to escape.
Sokol tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Sokol trying to control the action but Askren is working from the bottom.
Sokol working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sokol in side control, throwing shots but Askren defends.
The strikes coming from Sokol are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Sokol misses with the ground and pound.
Sokol creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Sokol is chipping away with strikes.
Sokol throws a strike aimed at the side of Askren's head but Askren avoids it well.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Sokol misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Sokol tries to move into full mount but can't pass Askren's legs.
Sokol looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Askren is avoiding damage well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sokol working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Askren takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Askren is not content to let Sokol control the position.
Sokol tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Sokol throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Sokol just content to control the position.
Sokol throws an elbow but Askren slips to the side and avoids it well.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Sokol misses with the ground and pound.
Sokol tries to move to mount but Askren blocks the move with his legs.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Jan Sokol dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Sokol, as that shot connected.

Askren rushes Sokol and presses him up against the cage.
Come on Sokol - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Sokol working aggressively here.
Askren wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Sokol working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Sokol prevents a body shot from Askren.
A short right from Sokol.
Askren can't get the takedown.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Sokol takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Askren fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sokol lands a left hand.
Sokol tries to work over Askren's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Sokol swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Askren blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Askren blocking some punches.
Askren's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sokol lands an uppercut.
Sokol lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Sokol has Askren pushed against the cage.
Askren blocking some punches.
Sokol working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Sokol lands with a right to the head.
Sokol lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Sokol misses with some punches.
Askren lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Sokol avoiding damage.
A body shot lands from Sokol.
Sokol misses with the head strike.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Sokol.
Good body shot from Sokol.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Sokol.
Sokol lands a hook to the side of the head.
Sokol throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Askrens head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Sokol.

Askren has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Sokol regains guard immediately.
Sokol manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Askren manages to get himself to full guard.

Askren keeping moving, preventing Sokol from controlling successfully.
Sokol postures up in Askren's guard and throws a big left but Askren blocks it.
Askren has momentary wrist control but Sokol slips an elbow through the middle.
Askren keeping full guard, as Sokol tries to pass.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Askren keeping moving, preventing Sokol from controlling successfully.
Sokol is looking to work some ground and pound but Askren has wrist control.
Sokol throwing strikes from guard but Askren blocks nicely.
Jan Sokol has got the better of the ground game so far.
Sokol working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Sokol throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Askren works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Sokol is pushing down on Askren's leg trying to pass to half guard. Askren is fighting to maintain full guard but Sokol has managed to sneak the leg through.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Sokol trying to pass the guard but Askren defending well.
Sokol is trying to control the action in half guard but Askren is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Sokol tries to pass the half guard into mount. Askren knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Askren blocking the ground and pound attempt from Sokol.
Askren keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.
Good standup being displayed there by Sokol as he connects with a hook.
Sokol lands a head shot.
Sokol lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Sokol lands with an overhand left.
Sokol's jab looks to have found its range, popping Askren under the eye.
Sokol fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Sokol thows a body kick. Askren tries to catch it but that hurt him.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Jan Sokol showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Sokol wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Sokol has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Askren blocks the body kick.
Sokol throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Askren on the side of the head.
Askren takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Askren gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Askren has a takedown stuffed.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Sokol, as that shot connected.
Askren is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.

Sokol pushes Askren up against the cage in a clinch.
A nice left hand lands by Sokol.
A nice left hand lands by Sokol.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
A short right from Sokol on the inside.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Sokol throws a punch but it's blocked by Askren.
Askren lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Sokol backwards.
Askren letting Sokol take a breather here.
A head punch on the inside from Askren fails to land.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Askren blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Sokol fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Sokol lands with a short shot to the head.
Sokol throws a punch but it's blocked by Askren.
Sokol has Askren pressed against the cage, preventing Askren from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Sokol pushes Askren back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Askren blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Still in the clinch, Sokol scores with a nice short uppercut.
Sokol lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.

Askren is rocked!
Askren looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Oh Askren is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Sokol is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Sokol.
Askren seems to have got his legs back now.
Sokol swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Askren tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Sokol will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Askren up against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A short body shot lands from Sokol as the two fighters clinch.
Sokol lands with a light punch inside.
A head punch on the inside from Sokol fails to land.
A short right from Sokol on the inside.
Askren tries to score a body lock takedown but Sokol shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Sokol scores with a nice hook to the head.
Sokol lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Sokol misses with a hook from the clinch.
Askren blocks an uppercut.
A nice right hand lands inside from Sokol.
Sokol has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Sokol lands a right hand that snaps the head of Askren backwards.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Askren.
Sokol scores with a shoulder strike.
Sokol misses with the head strike.
A right handed body shot lands from Sokol.
Sokol lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sokol misses with a body punch.
Sokol lands a shoulder strike.
Askren wants to get back to striking at distance but Sokol won't allow it.
Sokol lands a left hand.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Sokol.
Sokol misses with some punches.
Sokol softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Sokol lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Sokol lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Sokol lands a right hand.
Sokol gets through Askren's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Askren blocking some punches.
Askren blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Askren wants a takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jake Askren. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Askren misses with a punch on the inside.
Sokol lands an uppercut.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Sokol misses with some punches.
Sokol misses with the head strike.
Sokol tries to throw a body punch but Askren avoids it by throwing Sokol back against the cage.
Jan Sokol is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Askren is looking to take this one to the mat.
Sokol lands an uppercut.
Sokol lands with a right to the head.
Sokol lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Askren backwards.
Askren is trying to break the clinch but Sokol is controlling him.
Askren has Sokol pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Sokol manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Jake Askren has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Askren misses with some punches.
Askren goes for a takedown in the clinch but Sokol prevents it.
Sokol swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Sokol lands a hook that snaps the head of Askren backwards.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jan Sokol comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Sokol has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Ben Watson scores the fight 25:30
Judge Francis DeMontford scores the fight 25:30
Judge Chris Dean scores the fight 25:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jan Sokol!
During a confident post fight interview, Jan Sokol thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.