PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Phil Laak (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Frank Steinberg (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Laak
vs
Steinberg

172 cm
30
169 lbs
6 - 2 - 1

190 cm
26
167 lbs
11 - 6 - 0

Good wrestling
World class MT
Cardio machine

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

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 6 - 2 - 1, fighting out of Montreal, Phil Laak!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Frank Steinberg!
The judges for this bout are Dillan Fox, Alec Ball and Trevor Gratis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Steinberg wants to slow Laak down by chopping away at his legs.

Laak closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Laak missing with knees to the body.
Laak tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Steinberg avoids it.
Steinberg managing to block the knees to the body from Laak.
Laak misses with a shot to the kidneys.

Laak breaks from the clinch.
Steinberg fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Laak manages to avoid it.
Laak scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Steinberg doesn't seem bothered though.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Laak checks a leg kick.
Steinberg doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Steinberg throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Laak.
Laak throws a left and a right that both miss
and Steinberg counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Laak moves out of range of the strikes.
We've been informed that Steinberg has been sparring a lot of Muay Thai in the buildup to this fight so let's see if that has an impact on the result.
Steinberg tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Laak lands with a thumping leg kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Laak throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Laak rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Steinberg moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Laak moves out of range of the strikes.
Laak looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Steinberg keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Steinberg scores with a jab to the jaw.
Laak scores with a spinning back kick!
Laak throws a body kick despite being completely out of range
and Laak takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Laak uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Steinberg.
Laak throws a nice looking combination but Steinberg bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Steinberg is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Steinberg attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Laak with a hook.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Steinberg keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Laak.
Steinberg keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
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!
Laak scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Laak misses with an attempted mid kick.
Steinberg throws a right hand that misses
and Laak connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Laak throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Laak looks to throw the jab but Steinberg is out of range.
Steinberg connects with a body shot.
A big right from Steinberg misses.
Steinberg tries to land a leg kick but Laak saw it coming and moves away.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Laak fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Steinberg swings wildly with an uppercut but Laak uses good head movement to avoid it.
Steinberg is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Laak is keeping busy.
Laak misses with a knee to the head.
Laak lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!

It looks like Frank Steinberg has been cut.
Laak utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.

Laak breaks the clinch.
Steinberg is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Laak tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Steinberg was well out of range. Poor timing from Laak.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Laak pushes off an throws an elbow but Steinberg leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Laak keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Steinberg's efforts to push away.
Steinberg trying to stall but Laak improves his position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Laak with a knee to the head.
Steinberg misses with the head strike.
Steinberg prevents a body shot from Laak.
Steinberg takes a knee to the side of the body.
This has been an exciting period of action!
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.

Laak escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Laak throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Laak is looking to score with low kicks.
Laak fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
A solid leg kick lands there for Laak.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!

Laak fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Steinberg, pushing him back against the cage.
Laak looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Laak lands an elbow inside that Steinberg shrugs off.
Laak works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Phil Laak dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Frank Steinberg's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Steinberg cracks Laak with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
That kick from Laak tenderised Steinberg's leg. Steinberg is trying to keep his angry face on.
An inside leg kick from Steinberg misses.
Steinberg lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Steinberg takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Laak lands a head kick. Steinberg smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Laak looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Laak misses with a kick to the body.
Laak fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Laak misses with the combination.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Steinberg misses with a straight right.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A swing and a miss from Steinberg.
Steinberg misses with an uppercut.
Laak throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Laak lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
A shot to the liver by Steinberg. Beautiful body shot.
Steinberg jabs Laak to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Laak lands a nice leg kick that just misses Steinberg's sensitive parts.
Steinberg misses with a straight right.
Steinberg throws a body punch but Laak moves out of range.
Laak swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Steinberg on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A big right from Steinberg misses.
Laak misses the shot to the body.
Steinberg loads up on a big right hand but Laak slips the punch.
Steinberg on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Steinberg throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Laak sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Laak keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Laak throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Laak throws a big shot that misses.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Steinberg throws an overhand right that lands on Laak's shoulder, as Laak tries to avoid the shot.
Laak uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Steinberg.
Danga de danga de dang - Laak scores with a four punch combination!
Laak misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Steinberg.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Laak throws a nice outside leg kick.
Laak bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Steinberg jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Steinberg's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Laak lands with a hook. Steinberg tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
The fighters circling - Laak throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Laak throws a lazy right hand but Steinberg sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Laak swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
A chopping leg kick lands by Laak.
Steinberg moves out of range as Laak throws a body kick.
Steinberg throws the left hand but Laak avoids the punch easily.
Steinberg tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Laak moves out of range as Steinberg strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Laak moves out of range of the body kick from Steinberg.
Laak ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Steinberg moves away.
Laak moves out of range as Steinberg throws a body kick.
Steinberg checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Steinberg lands a nice looking kick to the body. Laak takes a step back to recover.
Laak ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Laak misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Steinberg.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Nice body punch from Laak.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Laak throws a body punch but Steinberg moves out of range.
Good standup being displayed there by Steinberg as he connects with a hook.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Phil Laak dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Frank Steinberg's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Laak throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Steinberg was covering up waiting for the punch and Laak finishes the takedown easily into guard.
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.
Steinberg can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Laak controls the pace.
Steinberg 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.
Steinberg trying to keep a closed guard but Laak is proving a slippery customer.
Laak looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Laak stopping the sweep attempt from Steinberg.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Laak trying to control but Steinberg is working from the bottom.

Phil Laak has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Laak will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Laak uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Steinberg has time to react.
Laak scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Laak shoots in for a takedown but Steinberg shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Steinberg throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Steinberg delivers a nice body kick.
Laak looks to score with a jab to the body but Steinberg is just out of range.
Steinberg looks to score with a jab to the body but Laak is just out of range.
Phil Laak is winning the standup battle so far.
Laak will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Steinberg lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Phil Laak seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Steinberg on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Frank Steinberg is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Steinberg scoring well with a low kick there.
Steinberg blocks the body kick.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Laak lands with a nice body kick.
Steinberg ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Laak works the jab nicely.
Laak takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Laak doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Steinberg, as that shot connected.
Steinberg pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Laak misses with a low kick.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Laak, right into the meat.
Steinberg moves out of range of the strikes.
Steinberg bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Laak slips under a jab from Steinberg.
Steinberg lands a nice looking body shot.
Steinberg throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Laak gets a clinch.
Laak tries to land a knee to the head but Steinberg blocks with his arms.
Laak lands with a short head shot on the inside.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Laak lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Laak throws an elbow that misses.
Steinberg throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Frank Steinberg has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Steinberg lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Laak backwards.

Laak pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Laak staying out of range there.
Steinberg closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Laak bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Steinberg looks to land a left hand but Laak moved out of range nicely.
Phil Laak is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Steinberg throws a hook to the side of Laak's head but Laak sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.

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 Phil Laak.
Well Laak 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 Dillan Fox scores the fight 30:27
Judge Alec Ball scores the fight 30:27
Judge Trevor Gratis scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Phil Laak!
After the big win, Phil Laak made sure to do all the important stuff like thanking his sponsors Hellbent and telling the interviewer how much he loves him.