PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Herold Hassium (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mads Soren Kassler (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Hassium
vs
Soren Kassler

171 cm
28
168 lbs
6 - 5 - 0

176 cm
24
158 lbs
6 - 8 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Counter striker
Very quick

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Knockout power

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 6 - 5 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Herold Hassium!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 8 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Mads Soren Kassler!
The judges for this bout are Aleksei Zolotukhin, Ivan Kurochkin and Illya Tyunina.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Hassium shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Hassium looking to finish with strikes here!
Kassler regains half guard.
Kassler tries to get to full guard but Hassium has control of the leg.
Kassler is looking to control Hassium's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Kassler avoid being mounted?

Hassium is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.

Hassium 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.

Hassium seems to be working for a kimura but Kassler defends the submission attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hassium is thwarting Kassler's attempts to control the position.
Hassium is stalling here. Kassler is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Hassium seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Kassler has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
Kassler wants to control but Hassium is keeping him busy.
Hassium wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Kassler wants to control but Hassium is keeping him busy.
Hassium is looking for a sweep.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hassium manages to work his way to half guard, despite Kassler's best efforts.
Kassler wants to take a breather but Hassium is having none of it.

Hassium looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Kassler controlling the pace.

Hassium pushes Kassler off and gets back to his feet.
Mads Soren Kassler seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Hassium shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Kassler sprawls well. Kassler wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Hassium gets slowly back to his feet.
Kassler tries to clinch up

and Hassium counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hassium sitting in guard, not really doing much.

Hassium avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Hassium trying to control the position from guard on top but Kassler is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Hassium slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Hassium throwing strikes but missing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kassler doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Hassium trying to control but Kassler is working from the bottom.

Kassler has his foot on Hassium's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Hassium works his way back into a safe position though.
Hassium scoring with some ground and pound.

Hassium is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.

Kassler has his foot on Hassium's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Hassium works his way back into a safe position though.
Hassium is pushing down on Kassler's leg trying to pass to half guard. Kassler is fighting to maintain full guard but Hassium has managed to sneak the leg through.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Hassium is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Kassler is just riding it out for now. Hassium eventually gives up the hold.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Hassium wants to take a breather but Kassler is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Herold Hassium dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Kassler tries to clinch

and Hassium counters with a nice double leg into side control. Kassler won't be happy with that.
Hassium wants to control but Kassler is keeping him busy.

Hassium thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Kassler is trying to control Hassium's posture but Hassium avoids it.
Kassler is trying to get back to half guard.
Hassium is staying tight to Kassler's torso, preventing him from escaping.

Hassium wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Kassler, who protects the arm well.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
You can see the frustration on Kassler's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

Hassium working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Kassler is looking to regain half guard here but Hassium keeps moving and retains side control.
Kassler is not content to let Hassium control the position.
Hassium is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Kassler is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Hassium is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Kassler knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

Hassium is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Kassler has escaped the position, nice work there.
Kassler is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.

Hassium is working for a kimura but Kassler is defending it quite comfortably.
Hassium controlling the action here.
Hassium prevents Kassler from improving his position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hassium wants to pass the guard but Kassler is defending well.
Kassler wants to control but Hassium is keeping busy.

Hassium 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.
Hassium has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Kassler defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Hassium.
Hassium misses with a head shot.
Kassler regains half guard.
Kassler makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Kassler.
Hassium is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Hassium stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Kassler swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Hassium trying to control but Kassler is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Herold Hassium dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Kassler fails with the takedown.
Hassium throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Kassler's waist but Kassler gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Hassium off to one side.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hassium shoots in for a takedown but Kassler shows good takedown defense.
Hassium stuffs the takedown.
Both fighters are looking to counter, which isn't making for the most exciting fight in the world.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hassium circles away from the clinch attempt.
Kassler misses with a takedown attempt

and Hassium counters with a takedown into side control.
Herold Hassium has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mads Soren Kassler.

Hassium is trying to get an arm triangle but Kassler is defending well.
Hassium is looking to take a break and control but Kassler is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Hassium is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Kassler has escaped the position, nice work there.

Hassium is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Kassler is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kassler is trying to control Hassium's posture but Hassium avoids it.

Hassium goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Kassler has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Hassium but great work by Kassler.
A control attempt from Hassium but he's now mounted!
Hassium is desperately trying to improve his position but Kassler has a good base and remains in mount.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Kassler landing shots from mount.
Kassler lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Hassium tries to lock up and control but Kassler gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Hassium is looking to improve his position but Kassler isn't that keen on the idea.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kassler is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Hassium is looking to get to half guard.
Hassium wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Kassler.
Hassium is trying to stand up.
Kassler tries to control but Hassium wriggling away.
Hassium wants to get back to his feet.
Kassler throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Hassium really trying hard to get back to half guard here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kassler lands a heavy elbow.
Kassler throwing strikes here but Hassium is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Kassler controlling from mount.
Kassler fails to move to back control.
Hassium is trying desperately to improve position.
Herold Hassium overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Hassium is trying to reverse the position but instead Kassler has taken his back - oops!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Kassler looking for the choke from the back.
Mads Soren Kassler has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Hassium looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Herold Hassium.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Hassium, 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 Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 29:28
Judge Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 29:28
Judge Illya Tyunina scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Herold Hassium!