PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Dace Javis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Reino Vaananen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Javis comes to the cage accompanied by Highwayman. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Javis
vs
Vaananen

190 cm
26
223 lbs
13 - 9 - 0

182 cm
23
199 lbs
9 - 4 - 1

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Very quick

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 13 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Dace Javis!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 4 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Reino Vaananen!
The judges for this bout are Tiny Johnson, Gwen Towbar and Stewart Dunkirk.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Javis is looking to clinch.
A big left from Vaananen misses.
Javis tries to clinch but Vaananen moves out of range.

Javis shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Javis showed some decent athleticism there.
Javis throwing shots but Vaananen is blocking nicely.
Javis tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Vaananen.
Vaananen preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.
Javis tries to pass the half guard into mount. Vaananen knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vaananen trying to control from the bottom.
Vaananen really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Javis. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Vaananen keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Javis trying to mount his opponent but Vaananen defends it.
Vaananen avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Javis.
Javis wants to pass the guard but Vaananen is defending well.
Vaananen trying to control here.
Javis tries to pass the half guard into mount. Vaananen knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

Javis is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Vaananen is just riding it out for now. Javis eventually gives up the hold.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Vaananen is trying to maintain the position but Javis is very close to passing his half guard.

Javis 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.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Vaananen is looking to escape.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Javis wants to stand but his hand is trapped. Vaananen uses the opportunity to regain full guard.
Vaananen wants to stand and escape but Javis is having none of it.
Javis wants to control from the top but Vaananen keeps moving.
Vaananen avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Javis won't allow Vaananen to sweep him here.
Javis lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Javis stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Vaananen swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Vaananen is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Javis has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Vaananen is proving hard to escape from.
Vaananen looking to hit a scissor sweep but Javis is one step ahead there.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Javis would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Vaananen is trying to control the position but Javis postures up.
Javis trying to control the position from guard on top but Vaananen is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Vaananen keeps the fight on the outside.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Javis is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dace Javis dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Javis tries to close the distance and clinch up but Vaananen swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Vaananen scores with a nice head shot.
Javis throws a lazy right hand but Vaananen sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Javis fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Vaananen avoids it really well and circles away.
Javis takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Javis scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Vaananen bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Javis's head backwards.
Vaananen displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Vaananen circles away from the clinch attempt
enabling Vaananen to counter with a crisp jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vaananen looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.

Javis has managed to clinch.
Javis creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Vaananen avoids a wild elbow strike from Javis.
Vaananen blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Javis misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Vaananen.
Vaananen prevents a body shot from Javis.
Vaananen takes a knee right on the jaw!
A frustrated look appears on Vaananen's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Javis has Vaananen pressed against the cage, preventing Vaananen from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Javis tries to land knees in the clinch but Vaananen avoids the damage to the body.
Javis lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Javis tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Vaananen avoids it.
Vaananen on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Vaananen wants to break the clinch but can't.
Vaananen blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Javis throws an elbow that misses.
Vaananen on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Javis tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Vaananen on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
With the fighters up against the cage, Javis throws an elbow but misses.
Javis landing knees to the head.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Vaananen escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Javis fails with a takedown attempt.
Javis misses with a kick to the body.
Dace Javis seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Vaananen keeps the fight on the outside.
A combination from Vaananen does no damage.
Vaananen throws a looping overhand right but Javis ducks down to avoid it.
Javis with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Vaananen to score with a decent uppercut.
Jab by Javis.
Javis tries to clinch up
and Vaananen counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Javis shoots in for a takedown but Vaananen shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Dace Javis. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Vaananen throws a hook but Javis avoids it easily.
Javis has a takedown stuffed.
Javis takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Vaananen stuffs the takedown attempt from Javis. Javis gets slowly back to his feet.
Reino Vaananen is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Javis pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Vaananen back to the cage. Javis follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.
Reino Vaananen seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Vaananen misses with an uppercut.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Javis drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Vaananen connects with a crisp jab.
Javis tries to clinch up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Dace Javis will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Vaananen connects with the punch.
A big right from Javis misses.
Vaananen takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.

Vaananen tries to sprawl but Javis drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Javis wants to stand up but Vaananen is controlling the position.

Javis 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.
Javis throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vaananen manages to get to full guard.
Javis trying to control but Vaananen is working from the bottom.
Vaananen has his hands on Javis's head, controlling the position.
Vaananen tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Javis wants to control from the top but Vaananen keeps moving.
Javis postures up in Vaananen's guard and throws a big left but Vaananen blocks it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Vaananen looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Dace Javis just wasn't active enough.

Javis clinches up against the cage.
Javis landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Javis is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Vaananen is defending well for now.
Javis avoiding damage.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
A shot in the inside from Javis.
Javis misses with a hook from the clinch.
Javis misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Vaananen.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vaananen blocking some punches.
Javis tries to land knees in the clinch but Vaananen avoids the damage to the body.
Vaananen avoiding damage as Javis throws knees to the body.
Javis throws a knee to the head but misses.
Javis trying to stall but Vaananen improves his position.
Javis looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Javis tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Vaananen's elbow.
Javis softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.

Vaananen breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Vaananen lands a glancing blow to the side of Javis's head.
No luck for Javis with that takedown attempt.
Javis has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Javis there as he acknowledges the shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Vaananen lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Javis moves in looking to clinch but Vaananen pushes him off.
Javis throws a nice looking combination but Vaananen bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Javis fails to land the takedown.
Vaananen misses with an uppercut. Javis saw that one coming.
Vaananen throws a right hand that Javis ducks under and follows up with a left that Javis also avoids with ease.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Javis cracks Vaananen with an open hand slap.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Vaananen throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Reino Vaananen has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Dace Javis is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Javis scores with a leg kick.

And that's the end of the fight!
Dace Javis showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Javis, 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 Tiny Johnson scores the fight 30:27
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 30:27
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Dace Javis!