PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Sami Saari (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Benga Mbenga (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both these guys have solid standup skills and neither is particularly fantastic on the ground, so let's hope for a nice standup war!

Saari
vs
Mbenga

170 cm
19
177 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

172 cm
23
174 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

CEC Nutrition Q160 & Loans

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Sami Saari!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Benga Mbenga!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Fujiwara, Yukihiro Shimada and Sosuke Kotani.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mbenga takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
Mbenga is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Mbenga displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Saari throws out the jab.
Saari loads up on a big right hand but Mbenga slips the punch.
Mbenga connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Saari tests Mbenga's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Saari cracks Mbenga with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Mbenga displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Saari throws out the jab.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Mbenga holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Saari misses with some punches.
A nice left hand lands by Saari.
Saari swings away with an uppercut that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Saari being controlled against the cage.
Mbenga tries a body shot but Saari blocks it.
Saari doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Mbenga dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
A short uppercut from Saari.
Saari misses with a short punch on the inside.
Mbenga's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Mbenga pushes Saari back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Saari has a couple of punches blocked by Mbenga.
Saari misses with some punches.
Mbenga misses with a body punch.
Mbenga taking a breather.
Saari misses with a punch to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Saari makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Mbenga doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Saari tries to work over Mbenga's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Saari is looking to control Mbenga's arms but Mbenga gets an underhook and turns him. Now Saari has his back to the cage.
Saari stalling in the clinch.
Saari swings wildly with an uppercut but Mbenga uses good head movement to avoid it.
Mbenga swings wildly with an uppercut but Saari uses good head movement to avoid it.
Saari is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Saari stalling the fight.

Saari pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Mbenga tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Mbenga throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Saari throws a combination. Mbenga tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Saari throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Mbenga uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Saari.
Saari throws the left hand but Mbenga avoids the punch easily.
Saari throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Saari is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Mbenga tries to clinch there but Saari circles away.
Mbenga gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Saari.
Mbenga defending well as Saari loads up on a big left hand.
Saari fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Saari throws a right hand that misses
letting Mbenga counter with a right hand.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Mbenga fails in his attempt to clinch.
Saari bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Saari moves forwards but Mbenga connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Saari keeps the fight on the outside.
The crowd cheers as Saari lands an impressive looking overhand right. Mbenga doesn't seem phased though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mbenga fails with an attempt to clinch.
Mbenga tries to clinch up but Saari circles away and keeps his distance.
Mbenga tries to clinch but Saari is having none of it.

Saari drops Mbenga with a beautiful combination! Mbenga stares up at his opponent, who ushers him back to his feet - Saari is looking for the KO!
Saari throws a hook to the side of Mbenga's head but Mbenga sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Saari misses with a few strikes there.
Saari keeps the fight on the outside.
Saari lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Saari throws a jab but it's blocked by Mbenga.
Saari missing with a left hand there. Mbenga was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Saari pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Mbenga moves out of range of the strikes.
Saari waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Mbenga.
Mbenga is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Saari waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Mbenga.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sami Saari dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Mbenga showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Saari.
Mbenga tries to close the distance and clinch up but Saari swats him away and circles back towards the center.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Mbenga dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Mbenga tries a body shot but Saari blocks it.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Saari doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Saari misses with a hook from the clinch.
Mbenga stalling in the clinch.
Nice body punch from Mbenga - that landed with a thud.
Mbenga is pushing Saari up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Saari lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Mbenga backwards.
Saari blocks a body shot from Mbenga.
Mbenga blocks an uppercut.
Mbenga tries to throw a body punch but Saari avoids it by throwing Mbenga back against the cage.
Saari tries to stall but Mbenga uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Mbenga stalling against the cage.
Mbenga misses with a punch on the inside.
Mbenga controlling the action here for a moment.
Saari taking a breather.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Saari has a couple of punches blocked by Mbenga.
Mbenga leaning against his opponent.
Saari throws a head punch that misses.
Mbenga has Saari pressed against the cage, preventing Saari from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Saari creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Saari trying to stall but Mbenga improves his position.
Mbenga lands with a light punch inside.
Mbenga blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Saari tries to throw a body punch but Mbenga avoids it by throwing Saari back against the cage.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Mbenga's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Saari has had enough of the clinch but Mbenga keeps him there for the moment.
Mbenga has Saari pushed against the cage.
Mbenga continues to stall. The referee tells him to work or he's going to break them up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Saari tries to stall but Mbenga uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Saari is trying to break the clinch but Mbenga is controlling him.
Saari stalling in the clinch but Mbenga improves position.
A nice left hand lands by Saari.
Stalling in the clinch from Saari.
Saari swings wildly with an uppercut but Mbenga uses good head movement to avoid it.
Mbenga tries to work over Saari's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Saari.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Saari working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Saari misses with a short punch on the inside.
Mbenga scores with a shoulder strike.
Saari is looking to control Mbenga's arms but Mbenga gets an underhook and turns him. Now Saari has his back to the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Saari misses with a punch on the inside.
Saari working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Mbenga tries to throw a body punch but Saari avoids it by throwing Mbenga back against the cage.
Saari tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Saari.
A shot in the inside from Saari.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Mbenga blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Mbenga blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Mbenga leaning against his opponent.
Saari taking a breather.

Saari escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Mbenga tries to close the distance and clinch up but Saari swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Saari dips to his left and cracks Mbenga with an uppercut!
Saari sizes up Mbenga with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sami Saari dominated that second round.
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. And we move into the final round!

Saari swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Saari throws a jab when Mbenga was well out of range.
Saari fails with an attempt to clinch.
Saari lands a right hook to the body.
Saari throws the left hand but Mbenga avoids the punch easily.
Mbenga uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Saari.
Saari is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Mbenga.
Mbenga takes one on the button.
Mbenga wants to clinch.
Sami Saari is winning the standup battle so far.
Mbenga walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Saari jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Saari tries to clinch up but Mbenga circles away and keeps his distance.
Mbenga is looking to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mbenga is looking to clinch.
Sami Saari seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Saari misses with an uppercut. Mbenga saw that one coming.
Saari misses with a body shot.
Saari lands with a shot to the body.
Saari loads up on a big right hand but Mbenga slips the punch.
Mbenga on the wrong end of a nice jab.

Mbenga clinches.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Mbenga as Saari tries to tie him up.
Mbenga blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Saari misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Saari throws a punch but it's blocked by Mbenga.
Saari is trying to maintain a safe position but Mbenga gets an underhook and turns Saari into the cage.
Saari has Mbenga pressed against the cage.
Saari working aggressively here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mbenga is pushing Saari up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Saari.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Saari dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Sami Saari has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Saari lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Saari is trying to maintain a safe position but Mbenga gets an underhook and turns Saari into the cage.
Mbenga misses with a punch on the inside.
Saari tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mbenga throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Saaris head.
Saari swings wildly with an uppercut but Mbenga uses good head movement to avoid it.
Saari content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Mbenga tries to throw a body punch but Saari avoids it by throwing Mbenga back against the cage.
Saari tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Mbenga's elbow.
Mbenga blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Saari swings wildly with an uppercut but Mbenga uses good head movement to avoid it.
Mbenga throws a punch but it's blocked by Saari.
Saari stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Mbenga misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Saari is looking to control Mbenga's arms but Mbenga gets an underhook and turns him. Now Saari has his back to the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mbenga slowing the pace effectively.
Saari misses with a punch on the inside.
Mbenga is stalling here.
Saari avoiding damage.
A short right from Mbenga on the inside.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Mbenga taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Saari working aggressively here.
Benga Mbenga has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Mbenga blocks an uppercut.

And that's the end of the fight!
Sami Saari showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Saari has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 30:27
Judge Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 30:27
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Sami Saari!