PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Vasara Hai (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ben Matlock (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). 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.

Hai
vs
Matlock

181 cm
29
165 lbs
12 - 6 - 0

178 cm
29
164 lbs
7 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Cardio machine

Decent wrestler
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Vasara Hai!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Ben Matlock!
The judges for this bout are Matti Vanhoillinen, Tarja Halkonen and Marco Blurström.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hai thows a body shot but no joy.
Matlock avoids the body shot from Hai.
Hai looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Matlock is fending him off so far but Hai persists. Nope, Matlock circles away and we're back to standing.
Hai throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Hai shoots for a double leg takedown but Matlock sprawls well. He's pushed Hai's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Matlock catches Hai with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Matlock works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Hai rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Matlock counters with a stiff right hand.
Hai throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Vasara Hai seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Hai cracks Matlock with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.

Hai shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Matlock manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Matlock working a defensive guard but Hai manages to pass into side control anyway.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hai wants to control but Matlock is keeping him busy.
Hai in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Hai 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.
You can see the frustration on Matlock's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Matlock avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Hai.
Matlock is pushing Hai's head away, looking to escape. Hai manages to hold on to the position though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hai throws a strike aimed at the side of Matlock's head but Matlock avoids it well.
Matlock managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Hai.
Hai is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Matlock will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.

Hai goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Matlock rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Hai's guard! Nice work there by Matlock!
Hai tries to land a sweep but no joy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hai trying to keep a closed guard but Matlock is proving a slippery customer.
Hai wants to sweep but no luck.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Hai throws a poor cross that misses
and Matlock counters with a right hand to the body.
Hai throws a big shot that misses.

Hai drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Hai wants to lay and pray for a moment but Matlock keeps working.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Matlock parries the strikes from Hai easily there. Hai is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Matlock to escape.
Hai fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Matlock really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Hai. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Hai wants to control but Matlock is keeping him busy.
The strikes coming from Hai are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Hai wants to control but Matlock is keeping him busy.
Hai in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vasara Hai dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Hai ducks under a wild hook from Matlock.
Hai takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Hai uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Hai misses with an uppercut
and Matlock counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Matlock feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Hais jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Hai misses with a right hand
and Matlock cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Matlock walks into a jab.
Hai swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Matlock counters with a nice low kick that buckles Hai's knee momentarily.
Hai throws a looping overhand right but Matlock ducks down to avoid it.
Hai misses with a wild body shot.
Hai thuds a left hand into Matlock's body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hai throws an off balance right hand
and Matlock cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Hai shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Matlock throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Nice defenses there by Hai.
Hai misses with a lunging right hand
and Matlock counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Hai throws a jab when Matlock was well out of range.
Matlock takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Matlock keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Hai swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Matlock fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Hai manages to avoid it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hai looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Matlock is fending him off so far but Hai persists. Nope, Matlock circles away and we're back to standing.
Some wild striking there from Hai.
Hai throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Matlock bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Hai thuds a left hand into Matlock's body.
Hai misses with a wild body shot.
Hai throws a jab when Matlock was well out of range.
Hai swinging wildly here.
Hai scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Matlock walks into a stiff left hand from Hai.
Hai misses with a shot to the body
and Matlock counters with a one-two to the body.
Matlock dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Hai misses with a straight right.
Hai tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Matlock was well out of range. Poor timing from Hai.
Hai lands a right hook to the body.
Hai lands a really nice looking cross but Matlock seems unphased.
Hai is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Hai throws a jab when Matlock was well out of range.
Hai just misses with a punch to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hai pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Hai paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Ben Matlock is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Hai misses with a looping left.
Hai gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Matlock counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Vasara Hai. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Hai throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Matlock was covering up waiting for the punch and Hai finishes the takedown easily into guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Hai accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vasara Hai dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Hai dives in and grabs Matlock's left leg, looking for a takedown. Matlock pushes down on Hai's head and hops out.
Matlock misses with a looping left.
Hai looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Matlock is fending him off so far but Hai persists. Nope, Matlock circles away and we're back to standing.
A telegraphed right hand from Hai misses the target.
Matlock uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Hai.
Hai lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Matlock circles away quickly and effectively.
Matlock defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Hai.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Vasara Hai. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Hai takes one to the chin there.
Hai misses with a body punch
and Matlock counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Hai throws a jab when Matlock was well out of range.
Hai misses with a body shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Matlock dodges the punch combination from Hai.
Hai comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Matlock slips under a jab from Hai.
Hai misses with a hook
and Matlock counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Hai thinking.
Hai lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Hai misses with a hook
and Matlock counters with a stiff right hand.
A punch combination from Matlock misses.
Hai misses the body punch
and Matlock counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Matlock throws a body punch but Hai moves out of range.
Ben Matlock has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hai misses with a left hand
enabling Matlock to counter with a crisp jab.
Hai throws a poor cross that misses
and Hai takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Hai misses with a body punch
and Matlock counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Hai shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Matlock but Matlock pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Matlock avoids the body shot from Hai.
Hai ducks under a wild hook from Matlock.
Hai misses with a straight right.
Hai has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Hai fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Matlock avoids the body shot from Hai.
Hai looks to land a combination but Matlock avoids it well.
Matlock steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Hai.
Hai loads up on a big right hand but Matlock slips the punch.
Hai throws a right and a left that both miss.
Vasara Hai is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
A punch combination from Hai misses.
Hai looks to score with a jab to the body but Matlock is just out of range.
Hai misses with a looping left.
Matlock scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Hai thows a body shot but no joy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nice uppercut there from Hai.
Hai blocks a jab.
A jab from Hai does it's job there.
Hai swings away with a body shot that misses
and Matlock counters with a right hand to the body.
Hai throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Hai slips under a jab from Matlock.
Matlock with a hook.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Hai takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Hai misses the jab.
Hai connects with a crisp jab.

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 Vasara Hai.
Well Hai 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 Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 30:27
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 30:27
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Vasara Hai!
After the fight, Vasara Hai was humble in paying tribute to his opponent but made it clear he wants to go on to bigger and better things. It seemed to go down well with the crowd who cheered him loudly.