PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Armin Starke (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and John Drogo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Starke
vs
Drogo

198 cm
18
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

170 cm
18
207 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Armin Starke!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, John Drogo!
The judges for this bout are Anni Minnemäki, Johanna Lukiainen and Marco Blurström.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Starke is trying hard to land a takedown here. Drogo sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Drogo fails to land with a series of punches.
Starke tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Drogo swivels and escapes.
Drogo tries to clinch but Starke is having none of it.
Starke throws a sloppy head kick and Drogo moves out of range easily.
Starke shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Drogo defends it nicely.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Armin Starke. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Drogo tries to keep at a distance but Starke has taken the fight into the clinch.
Drogo's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.

Drogo has hold of one of Starke's legs. Starke is fighting the takedown attempt but Drogo gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Starke uses the cage to get back to his feet.
Starke displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Drogo throws a right hand that Starke ducks under and follows up with a left that Starke also avoids with ease.
Starke shoots in and drives through. Drogo sprawls well.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Drogo is defended easily by Starke.
Starke fails with a takedown attempt.
Starke circles away from the clinch attempt
and Starke counters with a nice uppercut.
Starke tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Drogo paws at him with a jab and circles away.
John Drogo seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Drogo swinging wildly here.
Starke stuffs the takedown.
Drogo looks winded!
Drogo leaves Starke with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Drogo misses with a few strikes there.
Drogo is looking to clinch but Starke is avoiding it.

Drogo clinches up with Starke and pushes him back against the cage.

Drogo escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Starke shoots in for a takedown but Drogo shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Starke with a poor takedown
and Drogo counters with a stiff right hand.
Drogo throws a combination that misses
and Starke counters with a one-two to the body.

It looks like John Drogo has been cut.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Starke throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Drogo's waist but Drogo gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Starke off to one side.
Starke shoots in and drives through. Drogo sprawls well.
Drogo fails with an attempt to clinch.
Starke throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Drogo slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Starke swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Starke showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Drogo.
Drogo stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Drogo wants it to stay on the feet.
Drogo throws a right and a left that Starke avoids nicely.
Drogo tries to clinch up.
Horrible takedown by Starke or perhaps it was just good defense by Drogo which made him look bad.
Starke slips a jab and a cross from Drogo.
Starke fails with the takedown
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Starke wants to clinch up but Drogo keeps it at a distance.
Drogo leaves Starke with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nice uppercut lands for Drogo. That snapped Starke's head back.

Drogo darts in and clinches Starke up against the cage.
Drogo looking to slow down the pace here.
Drogo tries to circle away but Starke has him pinned against the cage.
Starke wants to break the clinch but can't.
A short uppercut from Starke.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Starke is trying to drag Drogo to the mat but Drogo just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.

Drogo escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Drogo dominated that round.
The cut man is working on John Drogo's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Starke leaves Drogo with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Drogo throws a right hand that Starke ducks under and follows up with a left that Starke also avoids with ease.
Drogo fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
A chopping leg kick lands by Drogo.
Armin Starke is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Starke fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Starke shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Drogo defends it nicely.
Starke fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Drogo avoids it really well and circles away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Armin Starke. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Starke looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Starke chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Drogo can pounce on him.
Drogo tries to clinch but Starke moves out of range.
Starke lands a jab-cross combination.
No joy there for Starke, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
The fight stays on the outside here - Drogo looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Drogo misses with a few strikes there.
Starke shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Drogo but Drogo pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Drogo tries to clinch there but Starke circles away.
No joy there for Drogo, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Drogo throws a series of punches but Starke avoids them all with ease.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Drogo slaps away a takedown attempt from Starke, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Starke shoots in but Drogo avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Drogo throws a hook but Starke avoids it easily.
Starke fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Drogo swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Drogo throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Starke shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Drogo as he jumps to the side.
John Drogo seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Drogo throws a right and a left that both miss.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Starke shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Drogo sprawls well. Drogo wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Starke gets slowly back to his feet.
Drogo throws a left and a right that both miss

and Starke counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

Drogo manages to break the clinch.
Starke shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Drogo defends it nicely.
Starke fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Drogo's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Drogo duly obliges.
Starke closes the distance and clinches up with Drogo, looking for a takedown. Starke pushes Drogo against the cage but Drogo circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Drogo misses with a series of wild punches.
Starke fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Drogo tries to close the distance and clinch up but Starke swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Drogo throws a nice inside leg kick.
Drogo throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Starke counters with a three punch combo that has Drogo backing up. Drogo nods at Starke to acknowledge the strikes.
Drogo will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Drogo misses with a jab, cross combination.
Starke shoots in for a double leg but Drogo sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Drogo misses with a head kick.
Starke scores with the left hand. Drogo knows he should have avoided that one.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Drogo misses with a combination
and Starke counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Drogo misses with a combination
and Starke counters with a series of strikes. Drogo will be more careful next time no doubt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Drogo showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on John Drogo's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Drogo fails with an attempt to clinch.
Drogo cracks Starke with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.

It looks like Armin Starke has been cut.
Drogo displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Starke.
Starke shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Starke with a poor takedown
and Drogo makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Armin Starke. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Drogo turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Sloppy strikes from Drogo. Those never looked like landing.
Drogo is looking to clinch.
Starke wants to clinch but Drogo slips to the side

and Drogo counters by clinching up.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Drogo misses with a punch on the inside.
Drogo prevents Starke from breaking the clinch.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Drogo misses with some punches.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Drogo breaks the clinch.
This is turning into a torrid day at the office for Starke. He's trying desperately to land a takedown but he's failing miserably and getting slapped silly on the feet to compound his misery.
Drogo keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Danga de danga de dang - Drogo scores with a four punch combination!
Starke slips a jab and a cross from Drogo.
Starke misses with a takedown attempt - Drogo sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Drogo swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Starke fails with a takedown attempt.
Starke throws a series of punches but Drogo avoids them all with ease.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Starke throws a right hand that Drogo ducks under and follows up with a left that Drogo also avoids with ease.
Good leg kick by Drogo there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Drogo wants to clinch up but Starke keeps it at a distance.

Drogo moves into range and clinches up with Starke.

Drogo's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Drogo keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Starke slips a jab and a cross from Drogo.
Drogo tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Drogo throws a combination that misses
and Starke counters with a two punch combo.
Drogo swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Starke counters with a two punch combo.
Drogo throws a series of punches but Starke moves out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Starke tries to score a power double leg takedown but Drogo sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Starke somewhat.
Starke shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Drogo as he jumps to the side.
Starke misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Drogo throws a right and a left that Starke avoids nicely.
Sloppy strikes from Drogo. Those never looked like landing.
Drogo throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Starke counters with a two punch combo.
Drogo slaps away a takedown attempt from Starke, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Starke is looking to clinch but Drogo is avoiding it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Drogo misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Drogo misses with a combination
and Starke counters with a straight right hand.
Starke shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Drogo sprawls well. Drogo wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Starke gets slowly back to his feet.
Starke avoids the head kick by Drogo.
Nice straight punches there by Drogo. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Drogo.
Armin Starke has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Starke moves out of range of the strikes.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Starke fails with the takedown.
Starke slips a jab and a cross from Drogo.

And that's the end of the fight!
John Drogo comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Drogo has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 27:30
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 27:30
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... John Drogo!