PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Markus Mattila (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Craig Mabbit (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Mattila
vs
Mabbit

188 cm
23
190 lbs
2 - 5 - 0

188 cm
23
184 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Enjoys gardening

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 2 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Markus Mattila!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Craig Mabbit !
The judges for this bout are Matti Vanhoillinen, Anni Minnemäki and Marco Blurström.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mattila throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.

It looks like Craig Mabbit has been cut.
Mattila fails in his attempt to clinch.
Mabbit has a takedown stuffed.
Mattila fails with the takedown

and Mabbit holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Mabbit wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Mattila has him pressed against the cage.
Mabbit tries for a takedown but Mattila manages to get underhooks.
Mabbit blocks an elbow strike from Mattila.
Mabbit fails to pull guard.
Markus Mattila has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Craig Mabbit .
Mattila is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Mabbit gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Mattila throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Mabbit is trying to force a seperation but Mattila has the dominant position.
Mattila tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Mattila dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Mabbit blocks the elbow strike.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mattila prevents Mabbit from breaking the clinch.
Mabbit throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Mattila avoids the elbow strike from Mabbit , against the cage.
Mabbit is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Mattila pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Mattila creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Mabbit tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Mabbit using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Mattila has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Mabbit tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Mattila smiles and moves away.

Mabbit shoots in and bounces Mattila off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.

Mabbit avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mattila is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

Mabbit decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Mattila doesn't manage to clinch there - Mabbit circles away.
Mattila throws a right hand that Mabbit ducks under and follows up with a left that Mabbit also avoids with ease.
Mattila closes the distance looking to clinch
and Mabbit counters with an inside leg kick.
Mattila is breathing heavily.
Mattila wants to clinch but Mabbit slips to the side

and Mabbit counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

Mabbit manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mabbit has a closed guard, preventing Mattila from standing up.
Mattila stopping the sweep attempt from Mabbit .
Mabbit looking to control.
Mabbit keeping moving, preventing Mattila from controlling successfully.

Mabbit uses the cage to get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

Mabbit shoots in and bounces Mattila off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Mabbit is in close to Mattila's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Mattila preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Mabbit thows a big elbow that misses.

Mabbit decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Markus Mattila seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Mabbit throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Mattila.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Craig Mabbit dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Craig Mabbit 's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Mabbit throws a nice head kick!
Mabbit avoids a kick to the body.
Mabbit fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Mattila looks to clinch

and Mabbit counters by clinching up.
Mattila avoids the elbow strike from Mabbit , against the cage.
Mattila throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Mattila missing with knees to the body.
Mabbit throws a knee to the head but misses.
Mabbit throws an elbow that misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Mabbit throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Mabbit is trying to break the clinch but Mattila has him pressed against the cage.
A frustrated look appears on Mabbit 's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Mabbit tries to score a body lock takedown but Mattila shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Mabbit is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mabbit avoids a wild elbow strike from Mattila.
Mabbit drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Markus Mattila has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Craig Mabbit .
Mattila looking for a takedown.
Mattila prevents a takedown attempt there.
Mabbit is working for takedown but Mattila is calmly controlling the position for now.
Mattila lands a damaging elbow.
Mattila is trying to drag Mabbit to the mat but Mabbit just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Mattila is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Mabbit is defending well for now.

That's two 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.
Stalling in the clinch from Mattila.
Mabbit fails to pull guard.

Mabbit breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Mattila tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Mabbit paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Mabbit plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Mattila circles away from the clinch attempt.
Mattila wants to clinch
and Mabbit counters with an outside leg kick.
Mattila has a takedown stuffed.
Mattila tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Mabbit counters with a head kick. That will keep Mattila thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Mabbit moves into the clinch.

Mabbit pulls guard effortlessly.

Mabbit looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Mattila passes into side control.
Mabbit is trying to escape and get back to his feet.

Mattila tries for a kimura but Mabbit is defending well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mabbit wants to get back to his feet.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Mabbit manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Craig Mabbit showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Craig Mabbit 's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Mabbit fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Mattila tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Mabbit counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Mattila tries to clinch
and Mabbit counters with a thumping low kick.
Mattila tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Mabbit paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Mattila clinches but Mabbit breaks the clinch

and Mabbit moves into the clinch.
Mabbit tries to pull guard but Mattila won't allow it.
Mattila gets underhooks to prevent Mabbit 's takedown attempt.
Markus Mattila has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Craig Mabbit .
Mabbit tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Mattila just stands there and leans against the cage.

Mabbit drags the fight down to the ground.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Mabbit has a closed guard, preventing Mattila from standing up.

Mabbit has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Mattila can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mattila wants to pass the guard but Mabbit is keeping the position.
Mabbit is trying to control the position but Mattila postures up.

Mabbit pushes Mattila off and scrambles back to his feet.

That's two 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.
Mabbit will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Mabbit shoots in but no luck this time.
Mattila doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Mabbit counters with a head kick.
Mattila looks to land a right hand but Mabbit moved out of range.
Mattila doesn't manage to clinch there - Mabbit circles away.
Mabbit is looking to clinch but Mattila is avoiding it.
Mabbit is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Mabbit throws a nice outside leg kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mattila tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Mabbit holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Mattila has Mabbit pressed against the cage, preventing Mabbit from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Mattila tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Mabbit avoids it.
Mabbit looking for a takedown.
Mattila trying to control the position but instead, Mabbit has worked for underhooks and has pushed Mattila into the cage.
Mabbit is trying to drag Mattila to the mat but Mattila just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Mattila creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Mabbit 's defenses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Mabbit tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Mattila smiles and moves away.
Markus Mattila is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Mattila clinches but Mabbit breaks the clinch
enabling Mabbit to counter with a crisp jab.
Mabbit throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Mattila.
Mattila misses with a kick to the body

and Mabbit counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Mabbit accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

Mabbit avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Mabbit really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Mattila. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

Mattila working for a triangle but Mabbit defends it easily.
Mabbit working some strikes from top position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Craig Mabbit comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Mabbit 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 Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 27:30
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 27:30
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Craig Mabbit !