PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Austin Ricketts (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and The Maniac (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Ricketts
vs
Maniac

178 cm
22
180 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
18
170 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Austin Ricketts!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, The Maniac!
The judges for this bout are Matti Vanhoillinen, Roosa Järviläinen and Arvi Lind.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ricketts works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Maniac looks really tired already! That doesn't bode well for a good, competitive fight!
Maniac is trying hard to land a takedown here. Ricketts sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.

Maniac gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Maniac being controlled here, momentarily.
Ricketts wants to pass the guard but Maniac is keeping the position.
Ricketts won't allow Maniac to sweep him here.
Ricketts not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Ricketts trying to control but Maniac is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Ricketts is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Ricketts looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Ricketts chips away with some ground and pound.

Ricketts decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
The Maniac seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Ricketts fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Maniac on the side of the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maniac fails with the takedown
and Maniac takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.

Ricketts drives through with a takedown into guard.

Maniac has his foot on Ricketts's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Ricketts works his way back into a safe position though.
Ricketts has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Ricketts pushing down on Maniac's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Still in half guard, Ricketts seems content to control.
Maniac is looking to control Ricketts's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Maniac avoid being mounted?
Ricketts performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Ricketts is trying to control the action in half guard but Maniac is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maniac is in trouble now - Ricketts has advanced to mount!
Maniac is trying to escape the mount but Ricketts keeps good control and instead manages to take Maniac's back.
Ricketts tries to keep control of the position but Maniac is staying busy.
Ricketts missing with punches from the back.
Maniac trying to get back to his feet but Ricketts is in full control for now.
Maniac staying busy and making it hard for Ricketts to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Maniac tries to escape but Ricketts has the hooks in and won't let him break free.
Ricketts connects with a big shot to the side of Maniac's head.
Maniac tries to escape the position.
Ricketts cracks Maniac with a big shot to body and one to the head - really punishing Maniac from the back mount here, looking to soften him up.
Ricketts tries to get the hooks in deep but Maniac pushed the leg off.
Ricketts scores with punches to the body.

Ricketts has his hand under the chin of his opponent looking for the choke. He's nearly got it! This one could be all over! But no, Maniac has freed his hand and lives to survive another… well, another couple of seconds at least!
Maniac trying to control the action but Ricketts just sinks the hooks in.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Ricketts closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Ricketts lands in his opponent's guard.

Ricketts stands and steps away. Maniac gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Ricketts tries to close the distance and clinch up but Maniac swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Ricketts shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Maniac napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Maniac tries to bench press Ricketts off him but Ricketts keeps the position.
Ricketts lands some shots froms side control.
Maniac tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Ricketts wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Ricketts cracks Maniac with a big right hand but Maniac just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Ricketts working the head with strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maniac wants to control but Ricketts postures up.
Ricketts connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Maniac some visible discomfort.
Ricketts trying to control the position but Maniac is working away.
Ricketts controls the position from side control.
Ricketts seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Maniac for as long as he can get away with.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Ricketts wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Maniac, who protects the arm well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Maniac is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

Ricketts decides to stand back up. Ricketts steps back and let's Maniac get back to his feet.
Maniac fails with the takedown

and Ricketts decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Maniac's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maniac wants to sweep here but Ricketts controlling him for the moment.
Ricketts controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Maniac is trying to keep Ricketts in close.

Ricketts stands and steps away. Maniac gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.

Ricketts scores a takedown into full mount!
Maniac is working to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ricketts sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Maniac is in all sorts of trouble here.
Ricketts raining down shots from the mount!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Austin Ricketts dominated that second round.
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!

Ricketts closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Ricketts wants to lay and pray for a moment but Maniac keeps working.
Maniac struggling a bit here.
Ricketts scoring with punches and elbows.
Ricketts works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Ricketts trying to control the position but Maniac is working away.
Maniac is trying to get back to half guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Ricketts stands up.
Ricketts misses with a double jab.
Ricketts lands a right hook to the body.

Ricketts bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Maniac is looking to reverse the position.
Ricketts is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Maniac can do to turn this around?
A lull in the action here.
Maniac is trying to control Ricketts's posture but Ricketts avoids it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maniac is trying to escape the position but Ricketts is controlling the position.
Ricketts is putting a hurting on Maniac here, landing some big shots from side control.
Maniac is not content to let Ricketts control the position.
Ricketts working away.

Ricketts swings around for an armbar but Maniac sees it coming a mile off and turns beautifully into Ricketts's guard.
The Maniac has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Maniac drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Ricketts dives on top into guard.

Maniac looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Ricketts trying to control but Maniac is working from the bottom.
Maniac manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Ricketts manages to get himself to full guard.
Maniac slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.

Maniac tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

Maniac tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Maniac has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Maniac working the strikes but Ricketts uses the opportunity to regain half guard.
Ricketts is trying to get back to full guard.
Maniac looks to land a strike but Ricketts avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Maniac accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Maniac looking to pass the guard.
Austin Ricketts is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Maniac postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

And that's the end of the fight!
Austin Ricketts showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Ricketts has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 30:25
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 30:25
Judge Arvi Lind scores the fight 30:25

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Austin Ricketts!