PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Edmund Dantes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Stampe Eklund (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Eklund is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Troll - Trollberg. Edmund Dantes has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Dantes
vs
Eklund

180 cm
27
165 lbs
14 - 6 - 0

168 cm
25
167 lbs
8 - 3 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Great elbows
Good gas tank

Milwaukee's Best 160

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 14 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Edmund Dantes!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Stampe Eklund!
The judges for this bout are Ivan Kurochkin, Fedor Mirinova and Illya Tyunina.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Dantes swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Eklund dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Eklund lands a glancing blow to the side of Dantes's head.
Eklund scores with a punch to the head.
Nice uppercut lands for Dantes. That snapped Eklund's head back.
Eklund has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.
Dantes takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Dantes shoots in for a takedown but Eklund shows good takedown defense.
Dantes throws a hook but Eklund avoids it easily.
Eklund tries to score with a low kick but Dantes moves his leg out of the way.
Eklund throws a hook to the side of Dantes's head but Dantes sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Dantes throws a shot to the body.
Dantes lands a jab.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Dantes slips a straight right by Eklund.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Eklund is looking to slow Dantes down with leg kicks.
Dantes throws a big shot that misses.
Dantes lands a really nice looking cross but Eklund seems unphased.
Eklund tries to close the distance and clinch up but Dantes swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Eklund misses with a hook to the body
and Dantes cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

Dantes takes the fight into the clinch.
Dantes is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Dantes manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Eklund's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Dantes misses with a hook from the clinch.
Dantes lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Eklund digs a right hand underneath Dantes's ribcage. Dantes let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Dantes manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Eklund tries to work over Dantes's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Eklund prevents Dantes from breaking the clinch.
Eklund prevents Dantes from breaking the clinch.
Eklund comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Eklund goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Dantes tries for a takedown but Eklund manages to get underhooks.
Dantes scores with a shot to the side of Eklund's head.
Eklund lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Eklund scores with a nice hook to the head.
Dantes misses with a short punch on the inside.

Dantes breaks from the clinch.
Dantes connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dantes's jab looks to have found its range, popping Eklund under the eye.
Eklund misses with an uppercut
and Dantes counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Eklund is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Dantes throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Eklund's head.
The fighters circling - Dantes throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Dantes throws a leg kick but Eklund moved away.
Dantes avoids the head kick by Eklund.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Dantes.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Edmund Dantes. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Eklund tries to land a leg kick but Dantes saw it coming and moves away.
Dantes circles away from the clinch attempt.
Stampe Eklund is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Eklund slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Eklund thows a body shot but no joy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Eklund throws a leg kick
and Dantes counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Eklund tries to close the distance and clinch but Dantes swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Eklund looks to throw the jab but Dantes is out of range.
Eklund swings for the body but Dantes moves out of range.
Eklund ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Eklund misses with a leg kick
and Dantes counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Dantes throws a series of punches but Eklund avoids them all with ease.
Dantes misses with a wild body shot.
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!
Dantes tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Dantes misses with a left hand

and Eklund counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Eklund.
Eklund tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Dantes avoids it.
Eklund lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Eklund takes a shot to the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Stampe Eklund will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Dantes decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Dantes is keen to just control but Eklund is a slippery customer.

Eklund actively working from the bottom here.
Dantes is stalling here. Eklund is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Dantes seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Eklund has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
Dantes tries to bench press Eklund off him but Eklund keeps the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Dantes wants to control but Eklund postures up.
Eklund throwing ground and pound but whilst doing so, he forgets to control position and Dantes works his way back to half guard. Good composure under pressure.
Eklund working Dantes over with strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dantes moves into full guard.
Eklund with a flurry of punches that miss.
Eklund must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

Dantes had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Eklund defends it easily.
Eklund working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Dantes's head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Eklund is stalling in the full guard.
Eklund looking to sit in guard and control but Dantes gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Dantes looking to pass the guard.
Eklund looking to hit a scissor sweep but Dantes is one step ahead there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Eklund is still trying to improve position.
Eklund keeping moving, preventing Dantes from controlling successfully.
Dantes looking to sit in guard and control but Eklund gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Eklund is looking to work some ground and pound but Dantes has wrist control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dantes has momentary wrist control but Eklund slips an elbow through the middle.
Eklund postures up.
Eklund content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Eklund distracts Dantes with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Dantes manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Dantes will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Eklund manages to regain half guard. Good work.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Stampe Eklund will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Dantes cracks Eklund with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Nice jab there from Eklund.
Eklund lands a head shot.
Stampe Eklund seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Dantes dips to his left and cracks Eklund with an uppercut!
Eklund takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Eklund fails in his attempt to clinch.
Eklund darts in trying to clinch

and Dantes counters with a shoot takedown. Eklund fights it but they end up in guard.
Dantes controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Dantes wants to control from the top but Eklund keeps moving.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Eklund is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Eklund looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Dantes throws an elbow that misses. Eklund uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Dantes's guard. Nice move by Eklund!
Dantes working a defensive guard here.
Eklund stopping the sweep attempt from Dantes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Eklund working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Dantes looking for a sweep. Not yet Dantes, not yet.
Eklund trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Eklund tries to free his leg and advance position but Dantes is retaining full guard.
Eklund looking to sit in guard and control but Dantes gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Eklund controls Dantes momentarily but Dantes frees himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Eklund looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Eklund is trying to keep Dantes in close.
Dantes pushes down on Eklund's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Edmund Dantes has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Eklund regains full guard. Nicely done.
Eklund controls Dantes momentarily but Dantes frees himself.
Eklund wants to sweep but no luck.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dantes is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

Eklund looking for a guillotine here but Dantes defends easily.
Dantes trying to control but Eklund is working from the bottom.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Dantes is fighting to break Eklund's control of his arms but Eklund is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.

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 Edmund Dantes.
I think Eklund has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 30:27
Judge Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 29:29
Judge Illya Tyunina scores the fight 27:30

The fight is ruled a draw!