PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between David Letter (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bentong Baliskad (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Bentong Baliskad is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Letter
vs
Baliskad

175 cm
20
178 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

190 cm
22
170 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

Decent wrestler
Basic striking
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Heavy handed

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, David Letter!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Bentong Baliskad!
The judges for this bout are Johanna Lukiainen, Arvi Lind and Roosa Järviläinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Baliskad moves away from the strike by Letter.
Baliskad looks really tired already! That doesn't bode well for a good, competitive fight!

Letter clinches with his opponent.
Letter pushes Baliskad back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.

Letter wants the takedown. Baliskad is fighting it off but Letter persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Baliskad's guard against the cage.
Letter sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Baliskad's guard.
Baliskad is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Letter scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Letter takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Letter lands a nice short elbow.
Letter scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Letter has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Letter works his foot free and advances to mount.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Letter putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Letter putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Letter with the ground and pound from mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Letter landing strikes from the mount.
Letter landing strikes from the mount.
Letter connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Letter landing punches.
Letter unloading with bombs!
Letter has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Baliskad's face.
Letter cracks Baliskad with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Letter unloading with bombs!
Letter is landing with some decent strikes but Baliskad is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Letter landing punches.
Letter landing punches.
Letter lands a nice shot to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Baliskad in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Letter scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Letter landing shots from mount.
Letter can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Baliskad is looking to escape.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Letter is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Baliskad is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Letter scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Baliskad?
Letter pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for leaving it all in the cage!
Letter punishing his opponent with strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Letter lands with some strikes.
Letter sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Letter landing punches.
Letter controlling the position easily from mount.
Letter scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Letter breaks from Baliskad's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Letter working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Letter punishing his opponent with strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Letter with a couple of short strikes.
Letter lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Baliskad hang on?
Letter breaks from Baliskad's wrist control and lands an elbow.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Letter cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Letter working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Letter punishing his opponent with strikes.
Letter lands with some strikes.
Letter looking to finish Baliskad with some ground and pound. This is bad for Baliskad!
Letter looking to finish Baliskad with some ground and pound. This is bad for Baliskad!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Letter has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Baliskad's face.
Letter in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Baliskad in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

David Letter dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Letter shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Letter advances to half guard.
Letter working the head and body with strikes.
Letter scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Letter looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Letter winds up and cracks Baliskad with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Letter moves nicely into side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Baliskad takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Letter working the ground and pound from side control.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Letter is working Baliskad over with some ground and pound from side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Letter wants to control but Baliskad is keeping him busy.
Baliskad really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Letter. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Letter is pausing for a moment. What's he doing? It looks like he's clearing his nose. Oh dude! He's shot a load of snot all down Baliskad's shoulder. That is not cool.
Letter working the ground and pound.
Letter lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Letter scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Baliskad to see if he's OK.
Letter connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Baliskad some visible discomfort.
Letter landing strikes.
Letter trying to control the position but Baliskad is working away.
Baliskad takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Baliskad is not content to let Letter control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Baliskad taking a bit of punishment here - Letter scoring with strikes.
Baliskad is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Letter has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for Baliskad!
Letter is landing with some decent strikes but Baliskad is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Baliskad tries to hold on but Letter postures up.
Letter with a couple of short strikes.
Letter with shots to the head and body - Baliskad looks very uncomfortable down there.
Letter lands a nice shot to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Letter wants to control the pace but Baliskad is squirming around nicely.
Letter lands a big shot there that rocks Baliskad but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Baliskad tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Letter pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Letter blocks Baliskad's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Letter raining down shots from the mount!
Letter is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Baliskad can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Letter unloading with bombs!
Letter working Baliskad over with strikes here.
Letter lands with some strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Letter unloading with bombs!
Letter with a couple of short strikes.
Letter prevents Baliskad from getting the reversal.
Letter landing strikes from the mount and Baliskad is in trouble!
Letter working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Letter trying to control but Baliskad is having none of it.
David Letter overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Letter landing punches.
Letter putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Letter postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Baliskad looks a forlorn figure.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Baliskad scores with a body shot.
Letter is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Baliskad can do to turn this around?
Baliskad lands a front kick.
Baliskad tries to close the distance and clinch up but Letter swats him away and circles back towards the center.
No joy there for Letter, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

Letter feints and as Baliskad raises his hands in defense, Letter changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Letter makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Letter lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Letter is working Baliskad over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Letter trying to control the position from guard on top but Baliskad is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Baliskad utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Letter scoring with punches to the head and body.
Letter working some strikes from top position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Letter chips away with some ground and pound.
Baliskad throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Baliskad 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.
Letter controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Letter landing some decent shots from guard.
Baliskad keeping moving, preventing Letter from controlling successfully.
Letter prevents Baliskad from getting back to his feet.
Letter forces his way into half guard.

That's two 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.
Letter is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Letter not doing much here.
Letter 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.
Letter 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.
Baliskad on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Nice strikes from Letter there.
Baliskad is staying active underneath Letter, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ground and pound from Letter.
Baliskad is not content to let Letter control the position.
Letter throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Letter is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Letter sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Baliskad defending well though.
Baliskad tries to kick Letter off but Letter keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Letter with a body punch. A glancing blow.

Letter scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Letter working the ground and pound from side control.
Baliskad wants to control but Letter postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Check out the look on Letter's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Letter tries to advance to mount but can't.
Baliskad taking punishment in the form of punches.
Letter cracks Baliskad with a big right hand but Baliskad just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Letter is chipping away with strikes.
Letter working the ground and pound from side control.
Letter scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Baliskad to see if he's OK.
Baliskad is working to avoid the ground and pound but Letter connects with a decent elbow.
Letter has knee on belly and moves into mount.
Bentong Baliskad has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Letter with the ground and pound from mount.

And that's the end of the fight!
David Letter showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Letter, 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 Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 30:26
Judge Arvi Lind scores the fight 30:25
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 30:25

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... David Letter!