PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Felix Sturm (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Yoshi Manza (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.

Sturm
vs
Manza

178 cm
24
169 lbs
8 - 4 - 0

190 cm
27
159 lbs
5 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Very quick

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Solid 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 8 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Felix Sturm!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Yoshi Manza!
The judges for this bout are Marco Blurström, Tarja Halkonen and Roosa Järviläinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Manza gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Sturm counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Sturm wanted to stand there but Manza had control of the position.
Sturm is stalling in the full guard.
Sturm stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Manza swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Sturm might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Sturm is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

Sturm decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Manza, up you get!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sturm misses with an uppercut

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

Manza drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Sturm manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Manza has Sturm in his guard.

Sturm stands up from Manza's guard - Sturm perhaps looking for a knockout.

Manza darts in and clinches Sturm up against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Manza has had enough of the clinch but Sturm keeps him there for the moment.

Sturm breaks the clinch.
Manza is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Sturm pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
No joy there for Sturm, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Manza tries to clinch up
enabling Sturm to counter with a crisp jab.
Manza moves to clinch but Sturm breaks away
and Sturm counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Yoshi Manza seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Manza moves out of range as Sturm strikes.
Manza tries to clinch but Sturm moves away
and Sturm counters with a stiff right hand.
Sturm bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
A swing and a miss from Sturm.
Sturm scores with a nice strike.
Manza tries to clinch
and Sturm counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Sturm throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Sturm is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Manza fails with the takedown
and Sturm counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Manza steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Sturm.
Manza tries to clinch up
and Sturm counters with a nice body kick.
Manza tries to clinch
and Sturm counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Sturm misses with a hook. Manza ducked under it nicely.
Sturm rushes in with a sloppy looking punch

and Manza counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Sturm is trying to stand.
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 Felix Sturm will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Manza tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Sturm counters with a two punch combo.
Manza tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Sturm counters with a nice low kick that buckles Manza's knee momentarily.
Manza moves to clinch but Sturm breaks away
and Sturm counters with a stiff right hand.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sturm throws a poor cross that misses

and Manza counters by moving into the clinch.
Sturm tries to land a knee to the head but Manza blocks with his arms.

Sturm's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Manza shoots and misses
and Sturm counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Manza wants to clinch
and Sturm cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Sturm clobbers Manza with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Sturm connects with a looping right hand.
Yoshi Manza is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Sturm fails to land with a series of punches.
Sturm circles away from the clinch attempt
letting Sturm counter with a right hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Sturm lands a lovely overhand right.
Manza gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Nice shot lands for Sturm.
Manza slips under a jab from Sturm.
Nice uppercut there from Sturm.
Sturm misses with a hook. Manza ducked under it nicely.
Manza is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Sturm throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sturm throws a nice inside leg kick.
Manza misses with a takedown attempt
and Sturm cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Manza takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Sturm lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Sturm misses the jab.
Manza avoids the head kick by Sturm.
Sturm throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Manza doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Sturm counters with a low kick, right behind Manza 's knee.
Felix Sturm has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Yoshi Manza.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Manza gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Sturm counters with a nice uppercut.
Manza is breathing heavily.
Manza tries for a takedown but Sturm circles away easily
and Sturm counters with a stiff right hand.
Manza tries for a takedown but Sturm circles away easily
letting Sturm counter with a right hand.
Sturm does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Felix Sturm dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

A slow jab from Sturm misses its intended target.
Sturm throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Sturm cracks Manza with a right hand to the side of the head.
Manza uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Sturm.
Manza closes the distance but Sturm moves to the side
and Sturm counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A telegraphed right hand from Sturm misses the target.
Manza ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
No joy there for Sturm, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

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

and Manza holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Manza wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Sturm working hard to break the clinch.
Manza tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Sturm avoids it.

Sturm breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Sturm throws an off balance right hand

and Manza counters by moving into the clinch.
Manza missing with knees to the body.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Manza wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

Sturm breaks the clinch.
Sturm cracks Manza with a right hand to the side of the head.
Manza tries for a takedown but Sturm circles away easily
and Sturm counters with a straight right hand.
Manza takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Manza closes the distance but Sturm moves to the side
letting Sturm counter with a right hand.
Manza shoots and misses
and Sturm counters with a straight right hand.
Sturm connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Felix Sturm is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Manza moves away from the strike by Sturm.
Sturm lands a head kick!
Manza blocks a jab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Manza looks to clinch
and Sturm counters with a straight right hand.
Manza tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Sturm counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Manza tries to clinch but Sturm moves away
and Sturm cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Sturm throws out a loose jab but Manza uses good head movement to avoid it.
Sturm misses with a looping right.
Sturm throws a poor cross that misses

and Manza holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

Sturm manages to break the clinch.
Manza tries to clinch
and Manza takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Sturm pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Manza back to the cage. Sturm follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Manza moves to clinch but Sturm breaks away
and Sturm counters with a nice uppercut.
Manza misses with a takedown
letting Sturm counter with a right hand.
Felix Sturm has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Yoshi Manza.
Manza uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Sturm.
Manza looks to clinch
and Sturm connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Sturm looks to throw the jab but Manza is out of range.
Yoshi Manza has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Felix Sturm is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Manza slips a jab and a cross from Sturm.

And that's the end of the fight!
Felix Sturm showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Sturm, 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 Marco Blurström scores the fight 30:27
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 30:27
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Felix Sturm!