PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Sabin Figaro (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Matt Serra (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Figaro comes to the cage accompanied by Prospect - Warrior. Sabin Figaro could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Matt Serra's chin.

Figaro
vs
Serra

180 cm
23
180 lbs
7 - 1 - 0

177 cm
21
180 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
KO power

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

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 7 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Sabin Figaro!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Matt Serra!
The judges for this bout are Marco Blurström, Arvi Lind and Johanna Lukiainen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Serra thows a left - swing and a miss!
Serra takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Figaro just misses with a punch to the body.
Figaro swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Figaro thows a body shot but no joy.
Figaro wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Figaro throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Serra avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Serra misses the shot to the body.
Figaro fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Figaro tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Serra was well out of range. Poor timing from Figaro.
A cross from Serra lands.
Figaro takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Figaro just misses with a punch to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Serra throws a shot to the body.
Figaro misses with a shot to the body
and Serra counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Serra fails with a takedown attempt.
Figaro misses with a wild body shot.
Figaro misses with an uppercut.
Serra slips under a jab from Figaro.
Figaro misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Serra.
Serra slips under a jab from Figaro.
Figaro scores with a jab to the head.
Figaro misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Serra.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Serra shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Figaro's guard.
Serra with a flurry of punches that miss.
Serra trying to control but Figaro is working from the bottom.
Serra might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Figaro kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Figaro pulls Serra in to control the position.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Serra throws a strike but Figaro rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Figaro is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Figaro preventing the sweep.
Figaro slips nicely into half guard.
Serra is trying to get back to full guard.
Serra is trying to control but can't.
Serra holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.
Figaro controlling the pace.
Serra is refusing to be controlled, as Figaro sits in half guard.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Nice body punch from Figaro.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Serra looks to score with a jab to the body but Figaro is just out of range.
Figaro misses with a jab to the body

and Serra counters with a nice double leg into side control. Figaro won't be happy with that.
Figaro avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Serra.
Serra working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Serra working the ground and pound.
Serra sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Figaro is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Figaro tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Figaro struggling a bit here.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Serra working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Sabin Figaro will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Figaro ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Serra moves away.
Figaro keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Serra.
Serra thows a body shot but no joy.
Figaro thows a body shot but no joy.
Figaro is looking to wear down Serra with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Figaro throws a nice looking combination but Serra bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Figaro throws a hook but Serra avoids it easily.
Serra fails to land the takedown.
Serra has a takedown stuffed.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A combination from Serra does no damage.
Serra avoids the body shot from Figaro.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Serra bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Figaro displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Serra.
Sabin Figaro has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Matt Serra.
Figaro misses with a straight left.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Figaro lands a right hook to the body.
Serra takes a swing at Figaro's ribcage but misses.
Figaro misses with a hook.
Serra swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Figaro counters with a right hand to the body.
Figaro takes a swing at Serra's ribcage but misses.
Serra ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Serra swings away with a body shot that misses
and Figaro counters with a right hand to the body.

Serra shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Serra showed some decent athleticism there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Figaro gets full guard.
Figaro manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Serra manages to get himself to full guard.
Serra working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Figaro.
Serra keeping moving, preventing Figaro from controlling successfully.
Serra is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Figaro trying to hold on to Serra's head to control him but Serra postures up.

Serra looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Figaro avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Serra.
Figaro avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Serra.
Serra stops Figaro from getting back to his feet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Serra missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Figaro pushes Serra off looking to stand but Serra dives back in and keeps control.
Figaro regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Serra.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Serra postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Figaro is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Serra, into his guard.
Serra being controlled here, momentarily.
Serra working a defensive guard here.
Figaro trying to control but Serra is working from the bottom.
Serra pulls Figaro in to control the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sabin Figaro dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Nice uppercut lands for Serra. That snapped Figaro's head back.
Figaro throws a looping overhand right but Serra ducks down to avoid it.
Serra ducks under a wild hook from Figaro.
Figaro scores with a jab to the head.
Serra looks to throw the jab but Figaro is out of range.
Serra lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Figaro at a distance.
Serra lands a jab-cross combination.
Serra keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Figaro.
Serra shoots in for a double leg but Figaro sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Figaro scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Serra doesn't seem bothered though.
Serra connects with a looping right hand.
Figaro dips down and scores with a jab to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Figaro misses with a body shot

and Serra counters with a nice double leg into side control. Figaro won't be happy with that.

Serra wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Figaro, who protects the arm well.
You can see the frustration on Figaro's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Figaro is looking for a sweep.
Figaro looking for a sweep but Serra has passed into full mount! Oh no!
Figaro can't escape the position.
Serra misses with a head shot.
Serra landing strikes from the mount and Figaro is in trouble!
Sabin Figaro is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Figaro tries to lock up and control but Serra gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Figaro regains half guard.
Matt Serra has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Serra drops an elbow to the side of Figaro's head.
Figaro is trying to stand back up but Serra is controlling him
Figaro wants to control but Serra is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Serra is nestled in close to Figaro, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Figaro blocking the ground and pound attempt from Serra.
Figaro trying to control but Serra postures up.
Figaro is pressing down on Serra's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Serra looking to sit in guard and control but Figaro gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Figaro trying to control but Serra is working from the bottom.
Serra controls Figaro momentarily but Figaro frees himself.
Serra 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.
Figaro pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Serra is keeping the position for now.
Serra has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Serra controlling Figaro's posture.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Figaro showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Sabin Figaro.
Figaro on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Sabin Figaro is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Serra misses with a body shot.
Serra misses with a body shot.
Figaro moves out of range of the strikes.
A looping hook to the body misses from Serra. Figaro does a little dance to reset his feet.
Figaro changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.

And that's the end of the fight!
Matt Serra comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Figaro 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 Marco Blurström scores the fight 29:28
Judge Arvi Lind scores the fight 29:28
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Sabin Figaro!