PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Sami Tarake (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tommy Foley (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). I'm sure you'll be fascinated to know that I was talking to some pointless Z list celebrity before the fight and he thought that Tommy Foley was going to win. Let's see if he was right.

Tarake
vs
Foley

174 cm
22
182 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

172 cm
25
176 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Very quick

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter fighter
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Sami Tarake!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, Tommy Foley!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Blasius, Radbod Blank and Paulsen Ambrosius.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Tarake with a poor takedown

and Foley counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Foley passes to full mount!

Foley with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Foley seems to be looking to move to his opponent's back but Tarake is holding on tight.
Tarake can't escape the position.
Tarake is just holding on here. Foley manages to take his back.

Foley working for a choke but Tarake is defending well.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Foley is looking to finish the fight by rear naked choke. Tarake knows exactly what he's got planned though, so he's defending well. Maybe a few strikes would soften Tarake for a finish.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Foley keeps control of the position as Tarake tries to break free.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Foley is looking for the choke from the back position but Tarake is controlling his hands well.

Foley patiently working for the choke. Which fighter will keep their nerve here?
Tarake looking very determined here, making life difficult for Foley.

Foley working for a RNC but it's not happening just yet.

Foley is working really hard to secure the rear naked choke. Tarake defends successfully for a significant amount of time. Both fighters are looking very determined.

Tarake defending nicely against the rear naked choke attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Foley looking for the choke but no joy.
You can see the frustration on Tarake's face… He knows he is in trouble unless he improves his position sooner rather than later.
Tarake is working hard here to advance position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Foley working for a choke but Tarake reverses nicely into Foley 's guard.

Foley looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Tarake scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Tarake is working Foley over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.

Foley throws his legs up looking for a submission but Tarake uses it to pass to side control.
Foley felt the need to train up his defensive grappling in the buildup to the fight. Presumably he was expecting to be in a difficult position like this, so let's see if he can get out of it.
Tarake lands a decent elbow from side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tommy Foley dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Tarake looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Foley is fending him off so far but Tarake persists. Nope, Foley circles away and we're back to standing.

Tarake drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Tarake is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Tarake seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Foley for as long as he can get away with.

Tarake has gone for a leg lock! Foley slips out almost immediately though and dives into Tarake's guard.
Foley trying to move into half guard but instead Tarake has managed to sweep!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tarake trying to control the position from guard on top but Foley is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Foley is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Tarake trying to control but Foley is working from the bottom.
Tarake forces his way into half guard.

Tarake is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Foley looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Tarake wants to lay and pray for a moment but Foley keeps working.
Tommy Foley has got the better of the ground game so far.
Ground and pound from Tarake.
Tarake winds up and cracks Foley with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Foley avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Tarake.

Tarake is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Tarake thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Foley's head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Foley is looking to improve his position.

Tarake is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Foley defends it well.
Tarake is nestled in close to Foley, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Foley wants to improve his position but Tarake is controlling well.
Foley blocking the ground and pound attempt from Tarake.
Tarake working the head and body with strikes.

Foley actively working from the bottom here.
Tarake working over Foley with some ground and pound. Foley looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Tarake scoring with strikes to the body and head.

Tarake is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Foley doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Tarake.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sami Tarake dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Foley throws the left hand but Tarake avoids the punch easily.

Tarake looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Tarake 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.
Tarake passes the guard and advances to mount!
Foley wants to hold on but Tarake pushes him away.
Tarake punishing his opponent with strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Foley taking shots to the head.
Foley taking shots to the head.
Foley tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Foley bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Foley throws an elbow that misses. Tarake uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Foley's guard. Nice move by Tarake!
Tarake scoring with some ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tarake trying to control the position from guard on top but Foley is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Foley looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Tarake postures up and lands a big shot to Foley's brow.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Foley working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Tarake doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Tarake manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Tarake throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tarake trying to control the position from guard on top but Foley is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Foley looking to control.
Tarake landing some decent shots from guard.
Tarake sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Tarake content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tarake is working Foley over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Foley keeping moving, preventing Tarake from controlling successfully.
Tarake stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Foley swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Tarake missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Tarake content to stall in guard here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

And that's the end of the fight!
Sami Tarake showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Tarake 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 Daniel Blasius scores the fight 29:28
Judge Radbod Blank scores the fight 29:28
Judge Paulsen Ambrosius scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Sami Tarake!
Sami Tarake decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.