PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Mats Madsen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Vincent Assaf (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Madsen's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Jedi Mind Tricks - Heavy Metal Kings. Assaf is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: click click boom. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Madsen
vs
Assaf

186 cm
23
193 lbs
6 - 2 - 0

183 cm
23
190 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Determined

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 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Mats Madsen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Vincent Assaf!
The judges for this bout are Gwen Towbar, Wesley Smith and Alan Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Assaf showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Madsen.
Madsen misses with a double jab.
Madsen misses with a wild combination.
Madsen fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Madsen throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

Assaf closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Assaf wants to take a breather but Madsen is having none of it.
Still in half guard, Assaf seems content to control.
Madsen is trying to stand up here but Assaf is controlling him well.

Assaf is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Madsen tries to get to full guard but Assaf has control of the leg.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Assaf throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Assaf sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Madsen defending well though.
Assaf is taking a breather. Madsen says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Assaf slips a jab from Madsen.
Madsen throws a body punch but Assaf moves out of range.
Madsen looks to land a combination but Assaf avoids it well.

Madsen feints and as Assaf raises his hands in defense, Madsen changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Assaf controls Madsen momentarily but Madsen frees himself.
Madsen throwing strikes but missing.
Madsen tries to free his leg and advance position but Assaf is retaining full guard.
Madsen wants to control from the top but Assaf keeps moving.
Assaf looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Assaf trying to control the position.
Assaf 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.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Madsen accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Madsen thuds his right hand into Assaf's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Assaf misses with a takedown
letting Madsen counter with a right hand.

Madsen feints and then winds up with a huge right hand that connects perfectly and sends Assaf sprawling to the canvas! Assaf rolls over backwards and springs off the cage and manages to regain his footing - how acrobatic! Oh, he's still wobbly - can Madsen finish him?!

Assaf is rocked!
Madsen swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

Assaf looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Madsen!
Assaf looks gassed!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Madsen really wants to buck Assaf off and get back to his feet.
Madsen wants to hold on but Assaf pushes him away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Madsen tries to buck Assaf off but he can't manage it.
Assaf can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Madsen is looking to escape.
Assaf throws some wild stikes that Madsen manages to avoid easily.
Assaf punching from mount but Madsen doing a good job of avoiding damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Assaf with a poor takedown
and Madsen connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Assaf doesn't manage to clinch there - Madsen circles away.
Madsen misses with a hook.
Madsen throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Assaf.
The fight stays on the outside here - Madsen looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Assaf slips under a jab from Madsen.
Madsen misses with a jab, cross combination.
Mats Madsen is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Madsen misses with a looping right.
Assaf shoots for a double leg takedown but Madsen sprawls well. He's pushed Assaf's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Assaf doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Madsen counters with a nice body shot.
Mats Madsen has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Vincent Assaf.
Assaf is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Madsen throws a series of punches but Assaf avoids them all with ease.
Assaf dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Madsen misses with a wild combination.
Assaf has his takedown stuffed
and Madsen counters with a stiff right hand.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Assaf.
Madsen throws a leg kick which misses Assaf's front leg but catches the back leg as Assaf tries to avoid it.
Madsen misses with a body shot

and Assaf decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Madsen's guard.
Madsen is looking to stand up but Assaf isn't so interested in that idea.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Madsen has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Assaf off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Assaf looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Madsen is fending him off so far but Assaf persists. Nope, Madsen circles away and we're back to standing.
Madsen throws a big shot that misses.
Madsen misses the jab.
Madsen misses with a double jab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Assaf will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Madsen misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Madsen swats away the attempt to clinch by Assaf.
Assaf gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Madsen cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Madsen throws a right hand that Assaf ducks under and follows up with a left that Assaf also avoids with ease.
Madsen will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Madsen ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Assaf moves away.
Madsen cracks a nice hook into Assaf's ribs.

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.
Madsen throws a series of punches but Assaf moves out of range.
Assaf moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Assaf shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Madsen counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Assaf gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Madsen counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Assaf uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Madsen.
Mats Madsen seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Assaf with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Madsen to score with a decent uppercut.
Madsen misses with a series of wild punches.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mats Madsen dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Madsen swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Madsen throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Madsen throws a right and a left that both miss.

Assaf scores a takedown into full mount!
Assaf trying to control but Madsen is having none of it.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Assaf is going olschool here, as he tries to force Madsen to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Madsen shrugs it off.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Madsen is controlling an arm, preventing Assaf from taking his back. Although keeping him in mount is no better to be honest.
Madsen really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Assaf throws some wild stikes that Madsen manages to avoid easily.

Assaf moves into side control, trying to work for a kimura. That looks painful! Will he finish!!?? No, Madsen has worked his arm free - good work by Madsen!
Madsen is trying to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Madsen manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Assaf is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Assaf prevents Madsen from improving his position.

Assaf is actively looking for submissions here but good counter grappling here from Madsen as he works his way to full guard.

Madsen wriggles free and stands up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Danga de danga de dang - Madsen scores with a four punch combination!
Madsen misses with a double jab

and Assaf counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

Madsen kicks Assaf off and gets back to his feet.
Madsen throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Assaf counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Madsen stuffs the takedown.
Madsen misses with a double jab

so Assaf counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Assaf advances position into side control!
Madsen tries to buck Assaf off but Assaf is having none of it.
Mats Madsen is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Madsen is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Assaf is controlling him well.
Vincent Assaf has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Assaf is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Madsen is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Assaf trying to control the position but Madsen is working away.

And that's the end of the fight!
Vincent Assaf comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Madsen 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 Gwen Towbar scores the fight 29:28
Judge Wesley Smith scores the fight 29:28
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mats Madsen!