PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Oswaldo Sanchez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Michael Koch (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Sanchez kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is In The Ghetto - By Elvis Presley. 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.

Sanchez
vs
Koch

183 cm
21
195 lbs
5 - 0 - 0

187 cm
25
197 lbs
8 - 7 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Very strong

Powerful takedowns
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

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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 5 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Oswaldo Sanchez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Michael Koch!
The judges for this bout are Marco Blurström, Johanna Lukiainen and Anni Minnemäki.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Koch misses with a series of wild punches.
Koch lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Koch on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Sanchez staying out of range there.
A decent looking cross lands there for Sanchez.
Sanchez gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Koch.
Koch lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.

It looks like Oswaldo Sanchez has been cut.
Michael Koch seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Koch goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Sanchez avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Koch misses the shot to the body.
Sanchez uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Koch.
Koch misses with a series of wild punches.
Koch throws a body punch but Sanchez moves out of range.

Koch scores with a takedown into Sanchez's guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Koch slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sanchez has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Koch trying to control the position from guard on top but Sanchez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Koch seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.

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.
Sanchez keeping moving, preventing Koch from controlling successfully.
Sanchez working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Koch.
Koch trying to control the position from guard on top but Sanchez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Michael Koch.
Koch misses with a jab, cross combination.
Sanchez lands a jab to the head.
Sanchez's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Sanchez duly obliges.
Sanchez uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Koch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Koch drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Sanchez knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Koch on the ground.
Koch throws a strike aimed at the side of Sanchez's head but Sanchez avoids it well.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Koch wants to control but Sanchez is keeping him busy.
Koch taking a break here but Sanchez is having none of it and regains half guard.
Koch is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Koch tries to pass to full mount but Sanchez defends it.
Sanchez tries to get to full guard but Koch has control of the leg.
Sanchez pushes Koch off looking to stand but Koch dives back in and keeps control.
Well, if Koch is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Michael Koch dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Oswaldo Sanchez's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Koch shoots in but no luck this time.
Koch moves into range and connects with a jab.
Koch misses with a straight left.
Koch takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Koch takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Sanchez comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Sanchez thows a left - swing and a miss!
Sanchez jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Koch misses with an uppercut.
Koch throws a body punch but Sanchez moves out of range.
Koch looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Koch fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Sanchez manages to avoid it.
Koch misses with an uppercut. Sanchez saw that one coming.
Koch throws a predictable looking body shot
and Sanchez counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Koch thinking.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Koch throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Sanchez sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Koch throws a big shot that misses.
Sanchez bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Koch keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Koch looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Sanchez is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Koch.
Koch pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Sanchez misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Koch.
Koch throws a left and a right that both miss
and Sanchez counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Sanchez misses with the combination.
Koch misses with a straight left.
Koch throws the left hand but Sanchez avoids the punch easily.
Koch throws a series of punches but Sanchez avoids them all with ease.
Sanchez swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Koch throws a left and a right that both miss
and Sanchez counters with a nice body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Koch shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Sanchez keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Koch listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Oswaldo Sanchez is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
A telegraphed right hand from Sanchez misses the target.
Koch scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Sanchez doesn't seem bothered though.
Koch swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Sanchez counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Koch doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Sanchez counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Oswaldo Sanchez has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Michael Koch.
Koch is breathing heavily.
Sanchez connects with a looping right hand.
Sanchez loads up on a big right hand but Koch slips the punch.
Sanchez throws an overhand right that lands on Koch's shoulder, as Koch tries to avoid the shot.
Koch uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Sanchez.
Koch throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Koch throws a predictable looking body shot
and Sanchez connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez works the jab nicely.
Nice body punch from Sanchez.
Sanchez misses with a jab to the body
and Koch counters with a nice uppercut.
Koch misses with an uppercut.
A punch combination from Koch misses.
Sanchez scores with a jab.
Koch thows a body shot but no joy.
Sanchez scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Koch avoids the body shot from Sanchez.
Michael Koch seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Koch cracks Sanchez with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
A swing and a miss from Koch.
Sanchez throws a right and a left that both miss.
Sanchez keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Koch swings and misses with a shot to the body
letting Sanchez counter with a right hand.
Sanchez connects with the punch.
Sanchez throws a body punch but Koch moves out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Koch.
Koch thows a left - swing and a miss!
Koch throws a series of punches but Sanchez moves out of range.
Some wild striking there from Koch.
Koch walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Sanchez throws out a loose jab but Koch uses good head movement to avoid it.
Sanchez misses with a straight left.
Sanchez fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Koch on the side of the head.
Michael Koch is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Sanchez throws a big shot that misses.
Koch throws a right hand that Sanchez ducks under and follows up with a left that Sanchez also avoids with ease.
A slow jab from Koch misses its intended target.
Sanchez cracks Koch with a good jab.
Sanchez jabs away that one connects to the head of his opponent.
Sanchez throws a quick inside leg kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Oswaldo Sanchez dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Oswaldo Sanchez'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. This is the final round!

Sanchez clobbers Koch with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Koch gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Sanchez stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.

Koch drops Sanchez with a left right combo! Koch follows him down to the ground into side control.
Sanchez sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Koch prevents Sanchez from standing back up.
Sanchez regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Koch.
Koch stays in close to Sanchez's body and controls the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sanchez wants to stand but Koch is controlling the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Koch wants to pass the guard but Sanchez is keeping the position.
Koch slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Koch trying to control but Sanchez is working from the bottom.
Sanchez looking to hit a scissor sweep but Koch is one step ahead there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Koch showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Koch tries to free his leg and advance position but Sanchez is retaining full guard.
Sanchez working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Koch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Koch sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Sanchez's guard.
Sanchez won't allow Koch to pass to mount.
Koch is trying to control the action in half guard but Sanchez is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Sanchez is trying to stand up here but Koch is controlling him well.
Sanchez on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Sanchez tries to get out of the position.
Sanchez trying to control but Koch postures up.
Koch wants to pass the guard but Sanchez is defending well.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Sanchez throws a hook but Koch blocks it.
Sanchez steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Koch.

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.
Sanchez takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
A telegraphed right hand from Sanchez misses the target.
Koch works Sanchez's body with a nice hook.
Koch moves out of range of the strikes.
Koch misses with a telegraphed body shot
enabling Sanchez to counter with a crisp jab.
Koch connects with a crisp jab.
Sanchez throws a hook but Koch blocks it.
Sanchez connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Sanchez lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Sanchez swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Koch counters with a straight right hand.
Sanchez misses with a straight left.
Koch misses with a looping right.
Nice takedown defense from Sanchez. No joy for Koch on that attempt.
Koch defending well as Sanchez loads up on a big left hand.

And that's the end of the fight!
Michael Koch comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Koch 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 Marco Blurström scores the fight 28:29
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 28:29
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Michael Koch!