PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Tweed Apollo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Wolfgang Schleicher (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Apollo
vs
Schleicher

185 cm
19
165 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

177 cm
20
161 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Tweed Apollo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Wolfgang Schleicher!
The judges for this bout are Tarja Halkonen, Johanna Lukiainen and Arvi Lind.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Apollo shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Schleicher pinned against the cage. Schleicher gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Apollo displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Schleicher.
Schleicher fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Apollo checks it well.
Schleicher swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Apollo misses with a takedown

and Schleicher counters with a shoot takedown. Apollo fights it but they end up in guard.
Apollo wants to get back to his feet but Schleicher is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

Schleicher decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Schleicher rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Apollo moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Apollo has his takedown stuffed

and Schleicher counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Schleicher.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tweed Apollo. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Schleicher drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Apollo gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Schleicher tries to score a body lock takedown but Apollo shows good agility there to stay on his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Schleicher breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Apollo swats away the attempt to clinch by Schleicher.
Schleicher is looking to clinch.
Apollo tests Schleicher's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Apollo moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Apollo scores with a one two! Schleicher had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Schleicher tries to land a leg kick but Apollo saw it coming and moves away.
Wolfgang Schleicher seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Good leg kick by Schleicher there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Schleicher throws a combination that misses
and Apollo counters with a nice body kick.
Schleicher looks gassed!
Schleicher tries to clinch up but Apollo circles away and keeps his distance.
Schleicher lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Apollo tries to clinch up.

Schleicher has Apollo up against the cage in a clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A frustrated look appears on Schleicher's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Apollo lands a nice uppercut.

Schleicher pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Apollo looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Schleicher darts in trying to clinch

and Apollo counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Schleicher is trying to stand up here but Apollo is controlling him well.

Schleicher looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Schleicher wants to improve his position but Apollo is controlling well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Apollo passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Schleicher!
Apollo controlling the pace for now.
Apollo can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Schleicher is looking to escape.

That's four 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.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Schleicher tries to hold on but Apollo pushes him away.
Apollo prevents Schleicher from getting the reversal.
Schleicher looking to escape from mount but he's given up his back!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Apollo has the hooks sunk in and you can see the will to fight slowly draining out of Schleicher's body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tweed Apollo dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Apollo.
Schleicher circles away from the clinch attempt.
Apollo walks into a jab.
Schleicher looks to clinch

and Apollo counters with a takedown into side control.
Schleicher is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Schleicher is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Apollo asserts his dominance and retains side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Apollo decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Schleicher misses with the combination.
Tweed Apollo is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Schleicher throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Apollo counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Apollo pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Schleicher is keeping the position for now.
Apollo stopping the sweep attempt from Schleicher.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Apollo trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Schleicher manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!
Schleicher distracts Apollo with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.

Schleicher got a little sloppy there for a moment and Apollo has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Schleicher has managed to get both his arms back between Apollo's legs - danger averted.
Schleicher slips nicely into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Schleicher working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Apollo is trying to stand up here but Schleicher is controlling him well.

Schleicher stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.
Schleicher looks to clinch
and Apollo counters with a series of strikes. Schleicher will be more careful next time no doubt.
Schleicher rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Apollo moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Apollo shoots in for a takedown but Schleicher shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Apollo slips a jab and a cross from Schleicher.
Apollo throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Apollo is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Schleicher.
Apollo swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Schleicher counters with a one-two to the body.

Schleicher rushes Apollo and presses him up against the cage.
Schleicher tries to break the clinch but Apollo is controlling the position.

Schleicher's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
No luck for Apollo with that takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tweed Apollo. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Apollo avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Schleicher looks to land a body kick but Apollo moved away.
Schleicher misses with a few strikes there.
Nice sprawl there from Schleicher as Apollo shoots in.
Apollo takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
A head kick misses from Apollo.

Schleicher has Apollo up against the cage in a clinch.
Apollo prevents a takedown attempt there.

Apollo is trying to trip Schleicher. He has hold of a leg but Schleicher is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Apollo persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Apollo trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Apollo is looking to advance position but Schleicher has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tweed Apollo dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Schleicher fails with an attempt to clinch.
Schleicher circles away from the clinch attempt.
Apollo buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Apollo tries for a takedown but Schleicher circles away easily

and Schleicher counters with a takedown into side control.

Schleicher stands up and we're back to a striking position.
A combination from Apollo does no damage.
Good standup being displayed there by Schleicher as he connects with a hook.
Apollo closes this distance looking for a takedown but Schleicher circles away.
Apollo dodges the punch combination from Schleicher.
A punch combination from Schleicher misses.
Schleicher scores with a leg kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Schleicher throws a sloppy head kick

and Apollo counters with a nice double leg into side control. Schleicher won't be happy with that.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Schleicher is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Apollo has just dragged him back down to the mat.

Apollo stands up and beckons Schleicher to his feet.
Schleicher tries to clinch up

and Apollo counters with a takedown into side control.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Apollo wants to lay and pray for a moment but Schleicher keeps working.
Schleicher is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Apollo has just dragged him back down to the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Apollo lands a decent elbow from side control.
Apollo is trying to ground and pound but Schleicher uses the momentary lack of control by Apollo to regain half guard.
Schleicher is looking to escape.

Apollo decides to stand up.
Schleicher takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Apollo is trying hard to land a takedown here. Schleicher sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tweed Apollo. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Apollo takes one to the side of the head.
A slapping leg kick lands for Schleicher.
Schleicher keeps the fight on the outside.
Nice shot lands for Schleicher.
Schleicher lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Apollo showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Schleicher.
Schleicher paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Schleicher is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Schleicher avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Schleicher wants to clinch
and Apollo counters with a series of strikes. Schleicher will be more careful next time no doubt.

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.
Apollo shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Schleicher counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Apollo shoots in but no luck this time.
A lazy body kick from Schleicher
and Apollo counters with a thumping low kick.
Apollo walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Apollo tries a head kick but it misses.
Schleicher doesn't manage to clinch there - Apollo circles away.
Schleicher throws a left and a right that both miss

and Apollo holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Schleicher drops down looking for an ankle pick but Apollo pulls his leg out and moves away.
Schleicher throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Schleicher tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Apollo counters with a shoot takedown. Schleicher fights it but they end up in guard.
Wolfgang Schleicher has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Tweed Apollo is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Apollo wants to control from the top but Schleicher keeps moving.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tweed Apollo showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Apollo, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 30:27
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 30:27
Judge Arvi Lind scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tweed Apollo!