PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Craig Finger (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mala Ika (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Finger comes to the cage accompanied by The downfall of us all. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Finger
vs
Ika

173 cm
22
140 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

173 cm
20
138 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

Good takedowns
Brawler
Intelligent

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Determined

Blaze Ronin Street Gear
Boondock Fightwear

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Craig Finger!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Mala Ika!
The judges for this bout are Alan Glass, Daniel Franklin and George Francis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ika goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Ika moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Ika misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Ika throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Ika chopping away at his opponent's legs.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Finger.
Ika lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Ika lands a two punch combo.
Finger tries for a takedown but Ika sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Ika stalks Finger and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Finger's face. Finger staggers backwards, shaken.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Finger.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Craig Finger. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Finger takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
A right-left combo lands from Ika.
Ika throws a one two combo.
Finger has a takedown stuffed.
Finger swats away the attempt to clinch by Ika.
Nice takedown defense from Ika. No joy for Finger on that attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ika fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Finger.
Finger will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Ika lands with an overhand left.

Ika drives through and clinches with Finger against the cage.
Finger tries to pull guard but Ika holds him up against the cage and eventually Finger drops back down to his feet.
Ika using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Ika scores with a knee to the head.
A shot in the inside from Ika.

Ika escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Finger tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Ika swivels and escapes.
Mala Ika seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Finger is breathing heavily.
Finger fails with the takedown.
Ika scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Ika lands a with a good body shot.
A good leg kick by Ika.
Ika lands a nice hook to Finger's body. Finger takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.

Ika drives through and clinches with Finger against the cage.
Finger tries to pull guard but Ika won't allow it.
Finger has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Ika is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Ika connects with a nasty looking knee right to Finger's face.
Finger takes a knee right on the jaw!
Ika lands an elbow inside that Finger shrugs off.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ika landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Ika lands an elbow just above Finger 's eye.
Finger drops down looking for an ankle pick but Ika pulls his leg out and moves away.
Ika misses with the combination.
Ika lands a front kick.
Ika is working the combinations to good effect here.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Finger.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Finger postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Ika is trying to get back to half guard.
Finger in side control, throwing shots but Ika defends.
Finger wants to lay and pray for a moment but Ika keeps working.

Ika throws his opponent off and manages to get back to his feet! Nicely done!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nice sprawl there from Ika as Finger shoots in.
Finger looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Ika is fending him off so far but Finger persists. Nope, Ika circles away and we're back to standing.

Finger feints and as Ika raises his hands in defense, Finger changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Finger stays in close to Ika's body and controls the position.
Finger passes into half guard.
Finger throwing shots but Ika is blocking nicely.
Finger stops Ika from getting back to his feet.

Finger is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Finger throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ika trying to hold on to Finger's head to control him but Finger postures up.

Finger is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Finger looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Ika wants to control but Finger is keeping busy and won't allow it.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Ika pushes Finger off looking to stand but Finger dives back in and keeps control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mala Ika dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Finger gets the takedown into side control.
You can see the frustration on Ika's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Ika is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Finger asserts his dominance and retains side control.

Finger tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Finger has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Ika is looking to regain half guard here but Finger keeps moving and retains side control.
You can see the frustration on Ika's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Finger goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Ika has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Finger but great work by Ika.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Finger struggling a bit here.
Finger is looking to regain half guard here but Ika keeps moving and retains side control.
Finger throws a couple of strikes even though he's not really in a good position to do so.

Ika decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Ika tries to clinch but Finger moves out of range.
Ika looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
A right-left combo lands from Ika.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Finger fails with a takedown attempt.
Finger circles away from the clinch attempt.
Ika is looking to slow Finger down with leg kicks.
Nice sprawl there from Ika as Finger shoots in.
Finger is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Ika.
Ika lands with a nice combination. Finger backs away looking to recover.

Ika instigates a clinch.
Ika using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Ika lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
A short uppercut from Ika.

Ika escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Ika tries to clinch there but Finger circles away.
Ika with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Finger tries to move into range but Ika moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Finger will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Craig Finger. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Ika clinches up against the cage.
Finger fails to pull the fight into his guard.

Ika breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Ika moves into the clinch successfully.
A right handed body shot lands from Ika.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A right hook to the body lands for Ika.
Ika lands a nice uppercut.
Ika lands a shoulder strike.
Finger has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Ika is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Ika lands a damaging elbow.
Knees to the body from Ika.
Ika with a knee to the head.
Ika lands a shoulder strike.

Ika breaks the clinch.
Ika throws a nice looking combination but Finger bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Ika stuffs the takedown attempt from Finger. Finger gets slowly back to his feet.
Ika scores with a three punch combo!
Finger will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Finger fails with a takedown attempt.
Finger has a takedown stuffed.
Finger showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Ika.
Finger shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Finger looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Ika is fending him off so far but Finger persists. Nope, Ika circles away and we're back to standing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Finger shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Ika cracks the inside of Finger's front leg.
Ika misses with the combination.
Finger shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Ika but Ika pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Mala Ika is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Ika moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Ika throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Craig Finger is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Ika throws a right hand that Finger ducks under and follows up with a left that Finger also avoids with ease.
Finger is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Finger on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Finger keeps the fight on the outside.

Finger darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Finger thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Ika's head.
Finger throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Finger moves nicely into side control.
Finger 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.
Ika is looking to regain half guard here but Finger keeps moving and retains side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mala Ika showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Finger's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Ika misses with a two punch combination.
A left and a right from Ika both land. Nice combination.
Finger shoots in but no luck this time.
Ika closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Finger tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Ika swivels and escapes.
Danga de danga de dang - Ika scores with a four punch combination!

Finger is rocked!
A right-left combo lands from Ika.
Oh Finger is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Ika connects with a good straight punch right through the guard and follows up with a right hook and a left hook! That last one sent Finger tumbling to the canvas! Ika pours on the pressure with more strikes and the referee has no hesitation diving in to stop the fight! Finger was done - good stoppage!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:29 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Punches). Mala Ika!