PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Fighter Guy (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Zarius Matzischin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rumors backstage are that the fighters have been paid to keep it standing but we know that would never happen in MMA!

Guy
vs
Matzischin

190 cm
22
215 lbs
3 - 3 - 0

188 cm
22
215 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter striker
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Counter striker
Determined

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 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Fighter Guy!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Zarius Matzischin!
The judges for this bout are Tarja Halkonen, Marco Blurström and Anni Minnemäki.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Matzischin keeps the fight on the outside.
Guy will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Guy shoots in but Matzischin avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Guy is looking to clinch but Matzischin is avoiding it.
Guy shoots in looking for a takedown. Matzischin tries to sprawl out of it but Guy keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Matzischin manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Fighter Guy. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Matzischin avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Zarius Matzischin is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Guy feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Matzischin's calf.
Guy pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Guy throws a right hand that Matzischin ducks under and follows up with a left that Matzischin also avoids with ease.
Matzischin finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Matzischin jabs away that one connects to the head of his opponent.
Guy steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Matzischin.

Matzischin gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Matzischin tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Matzischin working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Matzischin breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Matzischin misses with a wild combination.
Guy connects with a high kick.
Guy is looking to clinch but Matzischin is avoiding it.
A solid leg kick lands there for Matzischin.
Matzischin throws a head kick but Guy moves out of range.
Guy shoots in but no luck this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Matzischin misses with a low kick as Guy jumps back.
Matzischin swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Guy counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Guy misses with a combination
and Matzischin counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Guy uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Matzischin.
Guy misses with a takedown attempt

and Matzischin counters with a flying knee that sends his opponent to the canvas! Matzischin looking to finish!

Guy is rocked!
Matzischin 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.
Oh Guy is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Guy is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Guy is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Guy seems to have got his legs back now.
Matzischin really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Guy. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

Guy is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Guy is breathing heavily.
Matzischin is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Matzischin wants to pass the guard but Guy is keeping the position.
Matzischin must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Guy wants to sweep here but Matzischin controlling him for the moment.
Matzischin controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Matzischin pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Guy is keeping the position for now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Zarius Matzischin dominated that 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.

Guy shoots in for a takedown but Matzischin shows good takedown defense.
Fighter Guy seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Guy shoots for a takedown but Matzischin saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Matzischin misses with a leg kick
and Guy counters with a body kick that stops Matzischin in his tracks momentarily.
Guy doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Matzischin cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Fighter Guy. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Matzischin stuffs the takedown attempt from Guy. Guy gets slowly back to his feet.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Guy looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Matzischin is fending him off so far but Guy persists. Nope, Matzischin circles away and we're back to standing.
Guy gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Matzischin counters with a big head kick but Guy shrugs it off.
Matzischin misses with a wild combination.
A combination from Guy does no damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Guy misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Matzischin throws out a leg kick but Guy moves out of range and Matzischin only half commits.
Guy throws a predictable looking body shot
and Matzischin counters with a nice leg kick.
Matzischin blocks a leg kick.
Matzischin fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
A slow jab from Matzischin misses its intended target.
This is turning into a torrid day at the office for Guy. He's trying desperately to land a takedown but he's failing miserably and getting slapped silly on the feet to compound his misery.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Matzischin fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Guy, pushing him back against the cage.
Matzischin lands a body shot in the clinch.
Matzischin controlling the action here for a moment.
Guy takes a knee right on the jaw!

Matzischin breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
A head kick by Matzischin misses
and Guy counters with a head kick.
Matzischin throws a hook but Guy avoids it easily.
Guy doesn't succeed with the takedown
letting Matzischin counter with a right hand.

It looks like Fighter Guy has been cut.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Guy moves out of range of the leg kick from Matzischin.
Matzischin misses with a wild combination.
Matzischin throws a leg kick but Guy sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Zarius Matzischin seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Guy blocks a head kick by Matzischin.
Guy looks to clinch
and Matzischin counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Zarius Matzischin showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Fighter Guy'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!

Guy closes this distance looking for a takedown but Matzischin circles away.
Guy misses with a kick to the body
and Matzischin counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Matzischin stuns Guy with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Guy wants to clinch
and Matzischin makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Matzischin is looking to score with low kicks.
Guy misses with a takedown attempt

and Matzischin counters with a flying knee that drops Guy!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Matzischin content to stall in guard here.
Let's hope that Matzischin has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Matzischin trying to control but Guy is working from the bottom.
Matzischin tries to free his leg and advance position but Guy is retaining full guard.
Matzischin trying to control the position from guard on top but Guy is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Matzischin wants to pass the guard but Guy is keeping the position.

Guy looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Matzischin trying to control but Guy is working from the bottom.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Guy dodges the punch combination from Matzischin.
A head kick by Guy misses
and Matzischin makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Matzischin misses with a combination
and Guy counters with a two punch combo.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Guy slips a straight right by Matzischin.
Guy tries to move into range but Matzischin moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Guy tries for a takedown but Matzischin circles away easily
and Matzischin connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Fighter Guy. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Guy fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Guy takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Matzischin moves into range and clinches up with Guy.

Matzischin escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Fighter Guy is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Guy shoots and misses
and Matzischin counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Guy looks to throw a body kick
and Matzischin scores with a counter punch that sends Guy to the canvas! Matzischin smells blood - he's punishing Guy with more strikes and the ref has stopped it! Guy has no idea where he is - he's tackled the ref... oh dear, poor guy, the crowd is in hysterics!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:35 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Zarius Matzischin!