PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Emilio Izturis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Alan Sharpe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Sharpe comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Fleetwood Mac - Albatross kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Izturis
vs
Sharpe

190 cm
21
190 lbs
6 - 3 - 0

182 cm
21
197 lbs
6 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Cardio machine

Powerful takedowns
Counter fighter
Powerful

FinnFighter Nutrition (Five 160Q supps!)

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 6 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Emilio Izturis!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Alan Sharpe!
The judges for this bout are Donald Grub, Andrew Berry and James Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Izturis shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Sharpe napping and manages to drive through into side control!
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Izturis cracks Sharpe with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Sharpe tries to buck Izturis off but Izturis is having none of it.
Sharpe wants to control but Izturis postures up.
A lull in the action here as Izturis stalls from top position.
Izturis wants to lay and pray for a moment but Sharpe keeps working.
Sharpe wants to control but Izturis postures up.
Sharpe is looking for a sweep.
Izturis trying to control the position but Sharpe is working away.
You can see the frustration on Sharpe's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Sharpe is looking for a sweep.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Izturis is looking to take a break and control but Sharpe is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Sharpe is trying to get back to half guard.
Izturis is staying tight to Sharpe's torso, preventing him from escaping.
Sharpe is looking to regain half guard here but Izturis keeps moving and retains side control.
Sharpe is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Izturis wants to lay and pray for a moment but Sharpe keeps working.
Sharpe tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Sharpe is not content to let Izturis control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sharpe is looking to reverse the position.
Sharpe gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Sharpe is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Sharpe is still trying to improve position.
Sharpe wants to control but Izturis is keeping busy.
Izturis thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Izturis misses with a head shot. Sharpe uses the momentum to regain guard.
Sharpe being controlled here, momentarily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Sharpe looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Izturis passes into half guard.
Well, if Izturis is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Izturis passes to full mount!
Izturis controlling from mount.
Sharpe is desperately trying to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sharpe gets back to half guard.
Izturis is keen to just control but Sharpe is a slippery customer.
Sharpe wants to improve his position but Izturis is controlling well.
Sharpe trying to control from the bottom.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Sharpe looking for submissions off his back.
Sharpe makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Sharpe.
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 Emilio Izturis will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Izturis swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Izturis avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Izturis ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.

Sharpe scores with a takedown into Izturis's guard.
Izturis trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Sharpe trying to control the position from guard on top but Izturis is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Sharpe tries to free his leg and advance position but Izturis is retaining full guard.
Izturis has control of Sharpe's left arm, preventing Sharpe from doing any damage.
Izturis 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.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Izturis not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Izturis keeping moving, preventing Sharpe from controlling successfully.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
The fighters circling - Sharpe throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Sharpe looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Izturis misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Sharpe.

Izturis closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Izturis keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Sharpe is refusing to be controlled, as Izturis sits in half guard.
Sharpe tries to roll over but Izturis keeps him under control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sharpe moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Izturis wants to control from the top but Sharpe keeps moving.

Sharpe is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Izturis defends well.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Izturis sitting in guard, not really doing much.

Sharpe has an active guard here but Izturis has managed to pass into half guard.
Izturis thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Sharpe's head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sharpe gets full guard.

Sharpe is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Izturis defends well.
Izturis throwing strikes from guard but Sharpe blocks nicely.
Izturis makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Sharpe is adopting a defensive guard.

Sharpe looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

Sharpe has his foot on Izturis's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Izturis works his way back into a safe position though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Izturis is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Sharpe throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Emilio Izturis overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Izturis slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Izturis in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Sharpe is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Sharpe seems keen to control Izturis's posture.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Alan Sharpe will probably get the nod - 10:9.
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. This is the final round!

Izturis fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Sharpe looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Sharpe checks a leg kick.

Izturis scores with a takedown into Sharpe's guard.
Izturis trying to control but Sharpe is working from the bottom.
Sharpe looking to hit a scissor sweep but Izturis is one step ahead there.
Izturis distracts Sharpe with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Izturis with a flurry of punches that miss.
Sharpe working a defensive guard here.
Sharpe manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Izturis is squirming around, avoiding Sharpe's attempts to control the action.
Sharpe lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Izturis blocking the ground and pound.
Sharpe throwing strikes here but Izturis is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Sharpe wants to control the pace but Izturis is squirming around nicely.
Sharpe fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Izturis is looking to improve his position but Sharpe isn't that keen on the idea.
Sharpe tries to control but Izturis wriggling away.
Izturis tries to reverse the position but Sharpe maintains control.
Izturis sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Izturis wants to get back to full guard.
Sharpe missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Sharpe tries to pass to full mount but Izturis defends it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Izturis is looking to improve his position.
Sharpe not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Izturis wants to get back to full guard.
Sharpe is keen to just control but Izturis is a slippery customer.
Sharpe wants to pass to mount but Izturis is defending the position.
Sharpe is trying to control the action in half guard but Izturis is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Izturis controlling the position for now.
Sharpe throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Izturis has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Sharpe is working away from the top position though.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Sharpe fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

Sharpe tries to sprawl but Izturis drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Izturis controlling the pace.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Sharpe wants to improve his position but Izturis is controlling well.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Izturis trying to control the action but Sharpe is working 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 Emilio Izturis.
Well Izturis 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 Donald Grub scores the fight 29:28
Judge Andrew Berry scores the fight 29:28
Judge James Glass scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Emilio Izturis!
During a confident post fight interview, Emilio Izturis thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.