PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Daren Welch (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Routa Maa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Well, the cameraman is lingering on a pretty young lady for a bit too long there. Keep your eyes on the prize buddy or you'll miss the fighter intros!

Welch
vs
Maa

180 cm
22
162 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

181 cm
24
160 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Decent wrestler
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Tends to cut

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 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Daren Welch!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Routa Maa!
The judges for this bout are Roosa Järviläinen, Matti Vanhoillinen and Arvi Lind.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Maa shoots in for a takedown but Welch shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.

Maa closes the distance and clinches.
Welch is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Welch'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.
Maa has Welch pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Welch manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Daren Welch has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Routa Maa.
Welch is trying to break the clinch but Maa has him pressed against the cage.
Welch has Maa pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Maa manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Maa is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Welch gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Welch'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.

Maa pulls guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maa not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Welch has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Maa has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Welch can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Maa striking off his back but it's not causing Welch any problems.

Maa isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Welch stacks Maa on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Welch!
You can see the frustration on Maa's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Maa is looking for a sweep.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Maa is letting Welch control him for a moment.
Maa is trying to control Welch's posture but Welch avoids it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Welch scoring with punches from side control.
Maa is looking for a sweep.
Welch wants to control but Maa is keeping him busy.

Welch is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Maa knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Maa on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Maa taking punishment in the form of punches.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Maa is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Welch has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Welch is putting a hurting on Maa here, landing some big shots from side control.
Welch tries to stand but Maa is controlling his head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Welch trying desperately to get back to his feet here but he's not having any joy at all. He's going to tire himself out if he's not careful.
Maa manages to work his way to half guard, despite Welch's best efforts.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Maa wants to improve his position but Welch is controlling well.
Maa looks winded!
Maa trying to hold on to Welch's head to control him but Welch postures up.
Welch perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Maa gets full guard.
Welch advances position into side control!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Maa on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Maa tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Welch wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

Welch tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Welch has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Welch working the ground and pound.
Maa is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Welch asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Maa is looking to reverse the position.
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!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Welch wants to lay and pray for a moment but Maa keeps working.
Maa is trying to improve his position.
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 Daren Welch will probably get the nod.
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.

Welch throws a body kick that misses.
Welch swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Welch fails with the takedown.
Welch throws a sloppy head kick and Maa moves out of range easily.
Welch misses with a takedown attempt - Maa sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Welch swats away the attempt to clinch by Maa.
Maa moves in looking to clinch but Welch pushes him off.
Maa closes this distance looking for a takedown but Welch circles away.
Maa misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Welch misses with a two punch combination.

Welch shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Welch was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Maa gives up the full mount - oops, sloppy defensive grappling there!
Maa is breathing heavily.
Welch controlling from the full mount.
Maa tries to reverse the position but Welch maintains control.
Maa wants to improve position but instead he's given up his back.
Maa controlling the position well but he knows he's in a bad position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maa trying to control but not successfully.
Welch softening up his opponent with strikes here.

Maa showing good submission defense here.
Welch scores with punches to the body.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Welch throwing strikes from the back - he gets a warning from the referee for striking the back of the head but all these shots are hurting Maa!
Maa holding both Welch 's hands and preventing any damage.
Welch trying to control momentarily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Maa preventing the rear naked choke attempt from Welch.
Maa has the hand control, trying to stop the rear naked choke.

Welch looking for the choke from the back.
You can see the frustration on Maa's face… He knows he is in trouble unless he improves his position sooner rather than later.
Welch lands a punch that was close to the back of the head but the ref thinks it's OK.
Maa holding both Welch 's hands and preventing any damage.

Maa is trying escape back to his feet. He turns into his opponent's guard and eventually finds his way back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Welch moves into the clinch.

Welch pulls guard effortlessly.

Welch has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Maa can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Maa has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Welch is proving hard to escape from.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Welch is looking to stand up but Maa isn't so interested in that idea.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Daren Welch dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Welch misses with a leg kick.
Maa fails with the takedown

and Welch counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Maa is looking to stand up but Welch isn't so interested in that idea.

Maa is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Maa looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Maa is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Welch is aware though and is defending well.
Welch works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Welch tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Maa.
Maa takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Maa wants to improve his position but Welch is controlling well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Welch frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Welch controlling his opponent.
Maa is trying to escape the mount.
Welch cracks Maa with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maa reaches up to try and control the position but Welch seems to have an arm triangle now! Uh oh! Maa rolls and tries to escape and now Welch has his back!
Welch connects with a big shot to the side of Maa's head.
Welch gets his hands free as Maa looks to control.
Maa controlling the position well but he knows he's in a bad position.

Welch is working hard for the rear naked choke here.
Welch slows the pace down here. Having a little breather whilst he's in a dominant position, looking to rest and regain some energy, ready to go for the finish.

Maa defends a rear naked choke attempt by controlling one of Welch's arms.
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!
Maa looking to stop the rear naked choke attempt by controlling the hands.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maa just trying to survive but Welch is wriggling into a better position, looking to finish.
The crowd hopeful of a finish here - Welch's supporters are on their feet, screaming for him to go for the rear naked choke.
Maa trying to control the hands but Welch breaks the grip.
Welch controlling the position well here. Maa rolled but Welch kept the hooks locked in and stayed in the dominant position.
Welch keeps control of the position as Maa tries to break free.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Welch slows the pace down here. Having a little breather whilst he's in a dominant position, looking to rest and regain some energy, ready to go for the finish.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Welch controlling well, preventing Maa from escaping the position.
Welch biding his time, looking for the opening.
Maa wants to escape the position.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Maa is being controlled on the ground here - he must escape this position otherwise surely the end is near.
Maa tries to roll but Welch sticks to his back.

And that's the end of the fight!
Daren Welch showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Welch 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 Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 30:27
Judge Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 30:27
Judge Arvi Lind scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Daren Welch!