PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Dan Sanchez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ville Virtanen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Sanchez comes to the cage accompanied by Taste of Ink - The Used. Virtanen is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Pantera - Strength Beyond Strength. Dan Sanchez could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Ville Virtanen's chin.

Sanchez
vs
Virtanen

167 cm
21
148 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

180 cm
19
145 lbs
4 - 0 - 1

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Dangerous knees
Determined

Biobonds Supplements

Divine - Mary Jane

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Dan Sanchez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Ville Virtanen!
The judges for this bout are Ben Zyskovitsi, Marco Blurström and Tarja Halkonen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sanchez shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Virtanen looks to land a body kick but Sanchez moved away.
Virtanen moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Sanchez swats away the attempt to clinch by Virtanen.
Virtanen wants to clinch.
A shot to de liver by Sanchez. Beautiful body shot.
A punch combination from Sanchez misses.
A jab from Sanchez misses.
Virtanen tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Sanchez paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Virtanen is looking to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Virtanen fails with an attempt to clinch.
Sanchez tries to score a power double leg takedown but Virtanen sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Sanchez somewhat.

Sanchez gets a takedown into half guard.
Virtanen keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Virtanen trying to hold on to Sanchez's head to control him but Sanchez postures up.
Sanchez sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Virtanen defending well though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Sanchez not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Sanchez has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Virtanen regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Sanchez.
Sanchez throwing strikes but missing.

Sanchez drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Virtanen manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Sanchez has Virtanen in his guard.
Sanchez might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Sanchez looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Virtanen puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez tries to roll over but Virtanen keeps him under control.
Virtanen is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Sanchez is trying to maintain the position but Virtanen is very close to passing his half guard.
Sanchez is looking for a sweep. Virtanen is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

Sanchez looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Sanchez tries to roll over but Virtanen keeps him under control.
Virtanen trying to control the action but Sanchez is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Sanchez misses with some strikes from the bottom.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
The fight stays on the outside here - Virtanen looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Virtanen tries to clinch up but Sanchez circles away and keeps his distance.
Virtanen tries to close the distance and clinch up but Sanchez swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Virtanen tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Sanchez keeps the fight on the outside.
Sanchez fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dan Sanchez dominated that round.
That's time! Sanchez's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Virtanen tries to clinch up.
Virtanen slaps away a takedown attempt from Sanchez, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Sanchez is trying hard to land a takedown here. Virtanen sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Sanchez shoots for a double leg takedown but Virtanen sprawls well. He's pushed Sanchez's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Dan Sanchez. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sanchez shoots in but no luck this time.
Virtanen fails in his attempt to clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Virtanen tries to clinch but Sanchez moves out of range.
Virtanen tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Sanchez takes a swing at Virtanen's ribcage but misses.
Virtanen throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Sanchez.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Virtanen tries to clinch there but Sanchez circles away.
Dan Sanchez is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Sanchez shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Virtanen defends it nicely.
Sanchez throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Virtanen's waist but Virtanen gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Sanchez off to one side.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Virtanen wants to clinch.
Sanchez avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Sanchez misses with a few strikes there.
Sanchez misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

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.
Nice body kick there by Virtanen.
Virtanen tries to clinch but Sanchez is having none of it.
Sanchez keeps the fight on the outside.
Virtanen wants to clinch up but Sanchez keeps it at a distance.
Virtanen tries to close the distance and clinch but Sanchez swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Virtanen fails in his attempt to clinch.
Virtanen tries to clinch up.
Virtanen is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Virtanen looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Virtanen thows a body shot but no joy.
Virtanen fails in his attempt to clinch.
Sanchez avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Sanchez shoots in looking for a takedown. Virtanen tries to sprawl out of it but Sanchez keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Virtanen manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Ville Virtanen seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Virtanen forces Sanchez back against the cage and clinches.
Virtanen misses with a knee to the head.
Virtanen is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Sanchez is defending well for now.
Virtanen connects with a knee to the head.
Virtanen scores with a nice hook to the head.

That's four 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.
Knees in the clinch landing for Virtanen.
Sanchez being controlled against the cage.
Sanchez has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Virtanen avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Sanchez avoiding damage as Virtanen throws knees to the body.
Virtanen landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Virtanen pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Virtanen tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Sanchez avoids it.
Virtanen tries to land a knee to the head but Sanchez blocks with his arms.
Virtanen tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Virtanen unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Virtanen lands a knee to the body.
Virtanen putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Sanchez in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Virtanen has a couple of punches blocked by Sanchez.
Virtanen using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Sanchez has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Virtanen throws a knee to the head but misses.
Virtanen utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ville Virtanen showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Virtanen fails in his attempt to clinch.
Virtanen tries to clinch but Sanchez is having none of it.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Sanchez.
Virtanen is working to avoid the ground and pound but Sanchez connects with a decent elbow.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Virtanen is pushing Sanchez's head away, looking to escape. Sanchez manages to hold on to the position though.
Virtanen can't do much from the bottom here.
Sanchez scoring with punches and elbows.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Virtanen takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Sanchez is trying to get an arm triangle but Virtanen is defending well.
Virtanen manages to get back to half guard.
Virtanen is looking to escape.
Virtanen is in trouble now - Sanchez has advanced to mount!

Sanchez moves into side control, trying to work for a kimura. That looks painful! Will he finish!!?? No, Virtanen has worked his arm free - good work by Virtanen!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez working the strikes but Virtanen uses the opportunity to regain half guard.
Sanchez stalling.
Virtanen avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Sanchez.
Virtanen wants to get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Virtanen's head.
Sanchez is looking to advance position but Virtanen won't allow it.

Sanchez is trying to work for a kimura but Virtanen is defending well.
Sanchez trying to control the pace.
Sanchez throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Virtanen wants to clinch up but Sanchez keeps it at a distance.
Sanchez keeps the fight on the outside.
Sanchez tries for a takedown but Virtanen sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Sanchez tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Virtanen swivels and escapes.
Virtanen moves in looking to clinch but Sanchez pushes him off.
Ville Virtanen is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Sanchez fails to land the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Dan Sanchez. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Virtanen stuns Sanchez with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.

And that's the end of the fight!
Dan Sanchez showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Sanchez 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 Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 29:28
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 29:28
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Dan Sanchez!