PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Leon Garcia (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Amin Sax (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Garcia comes to the cage accompanied by AnSchanz. Sax is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Infected Mushroom - Smashing The Opponent. 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.

Garcia
vs
Sax

188 cm
29
195 lbs
19 - 15 - 0

181 cm
33
190 lbs
12 - 16 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Great low kicks
Very strong

Good wrestler
Good low kicks
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 19 - 15 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Leon Garcia!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 16 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Amin Sax!
The judges for this bout are Matti Vanhoillinen, Arvi Lind and Johanna Lukiainen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sax looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Garcia is fending him off so far but Sax persists. Nope, Garcia circles away and we're back to standing.
A low kick from Sax misses

and Garcia counters by clinching up.
Sax tries for a takedown but Garcia manages to get underhooks.
Garcia creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Sax has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Garcia is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Leon Garcia has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Amin Sax.
Sax wants to take the fight to the mat but Garcia manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Sax changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Garcia fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Sax has a takedown stuffed.
Sax throws out a leg kick but Garcia moves out of range and Sax only half commits.
Garcia fails with an attempt to clinch.
Sax fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Sax shoots for a takedown but Garcia saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Garcia slaps away a takedown attempt from Sax, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Garcia turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Sax lands a leg kick that knocks Garcia off balance momentarily.
Garcia throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Garcia defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Sax.
Garcia throws a sloppy head kick and Sax moves out of range easily.
Sax throws a leg kick
and Sax takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Sax throws a leg kick that misses.
Garcia is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sax tries for a takedown but Garcia circles away easily
and Garcia counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Sax fails with the takedown.
Leon Garcia is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Sax fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Garcia checks a leg kick.
Garcia throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Sax attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Sax takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Garcia tries a head kick but it misses.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Garcia tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Garcia has taken the fight to the clinch.
Sax is trying to break the clinch but Garcia is controlling him.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Garcia obliges.
Sax avoids the elbow strike from Garcia, against the cage.

Sax turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Garcia tries to improve position but can't.

Sax is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Garcia has escaped the position, nice work there.
Sax remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Sax wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Garcia, who protects the arm well.
Garcia is trying to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Garcia regains half guard.
Sax thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Garcia's head.
Garcia manages to get to full guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Sax pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Garcia is keeping the position for now.

Garcia had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Sax defends it easily.

Garcia has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Sax can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

Garcia escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Sax gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Sax trying to control but Garcia is working from the bottom.
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 Leon Garcia will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Sax looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Amin Sax seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Sax fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Horrible takedown by Sax or perhaps it was just good defense by Garcia which made him look bad.
Leon Garcia has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Amin Sax.
Sax changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Garcia tries to avoid it but Sax manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Garcia to the ground. Garcia escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Sax ducks right into an uppercut from Garcia.

Sax drives through with a takedown into guard.

Garcia throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Sax stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Garcia swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Garcia working for a triangle but Sax defends it easily.
Sax trying to control the position from guard on top but Garcia is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Sax thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Garcia keeping moving, preventing Sax from controlling successfully.

Garcia has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Sax can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

Garcia is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Sax is aware though and is defending well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Sax stands and steps away. Garcia gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Garcia moves in looking to clinch but Sax pushes him off.
Sax avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Sax fails with a takedown attempt.
Garcia is looking to clinch but Sax is avoiding it.
Nice sprawl there from Garcia as Sax shoots in.
Sax gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Garcia counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Garcia wants to clinch up but Sax keeps it at a distance.
Garcia is looking to clinch but Sax is avoiding it.
Sax tries for a takedown but Garcia circles away easily
and Garcia counters with a big head kick but Sax shrugs it off.
Sax shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Garcia sprawls well. Garcia wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Sax gets slowly back to his feet.
Sax is breathing heavily.
A low kick from Sax is predictable there
and Garcia counters with a low kick, right behind Sax 's knee.
Leon Garcia is winning the standup battle so far.
Sax throws a low kick, looking for Garcia's leg but Garcia calmly moves out of range.
Garcia tries to clinch but Sax is having none of it.
Amin Sax is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Sax fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
A leg kick checked by Garcia.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Garcia fails with an attempt to clinch.
Garcia displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Sax.

Garcia clinches up against the cage.
Garcia is stalling here.

Garcia pulls guard effortlessly.

Garcia is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Sax is aware though and is defending well.
Sax trying to control but Garcia is working from the bottom.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Sax avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Sax in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
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 Leon Garcia 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. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Garcia fails in his attempt to clinch.
Sax shoots in looking for a takedown but Garcia manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Sax's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Sax 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.

Sax scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Garcia is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Sax's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Sax's back!
Sax prevents Garcia from getting a body triangle.
Sax is very frustrated here, being controlled quite effectively by Garcia.
Sax rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.
Garcia seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.
Sax trying to control from the bottom.
Garcia is looking to advance position but Sax won't allow it.
Amin Sax has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sax tries to kick Garcia off but Garcia keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Garcia trying to control the action but Sax is working from the bottom.
Sax is looking for a sweep. Garcia is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

Leon Garcia has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Horrible takedown by Sax or perhaps it was just good defense by Garcia which made him look bad.
Sax takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Sax has a takedown stuffed.
Leon Garcia has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Amin Sax.
Sax shoots and misses
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Both fighters circling a little - Garcia finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Garcia is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Amin Sax has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Garcia throws a head kick that Sax semi-blocks.
Sax swats away the attempt to clinch by Garcia.
Sax looks for a takedown but Garcia sprawls well.
Garcia wants to clinch.

Garcia tries to sprawl but Sax drives through with a takedown into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Garcia looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

Garcia looking for submissions off his back.

Sax 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.

Garcia is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Sax pulls his head out easily.
Sax trying to pass the guard but Garcia defending well.
Garcia is looking for a sweep. Sax is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sax works his foot free and advances to mount.
Garcia regains half guard.

Sax is working for a submission of some sort.
Sax not landing any meaningful shots this time.

Sax is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
The fighters are battling for position here. Garcia manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Sax looking to pass the guard.

Garcia is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Sax is aware though and is defending well.
Leon Garcia is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Garcia is trying to control the position from the bottom.

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 Leon Garcia.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Garcia, 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 Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 30:27
Judge Arvi Lind scores the fight 30:27
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 30:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Leon Garcia!