PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Micky Ward (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Matti Teitsi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Matti Teitsi has the eye of the tiger tonight.

Ward
vs
Teitsi

171 cm
25
148 lbs
12 - 4 - 0

161 cm
25
140 lbs
10 - 8 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Olympic wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Fury Nutrition Inc.
Milwaukee's Best 160

North
Milwaukee's Best 160

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the bantamweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Micky Ward!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Matti Teitsi!
The judges for this bout are Anthony Taglia, Franklyn Lucas and Bruno Lombardi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ward is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Ward misses with a hook.
Ward will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Ward misses the shot to the body.
Ward lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Teitsi at a distance.
Teitsi takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.
Ward misses with the combination.
Ward moves in looking to clinch but Teitsi pushes him off.
Teitsi defending well as Ward loads up on a big left hand.
Ward looks to throw the jab but Teitsi is out of range.
A big right from Teitsi misses.
Teitsi swings for the body but Ward moves out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Teitsi walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Ward falls off balance throwing a combination
and Teitsi counters with a stiff right hand.
Ward takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Ward misses with a body shot.
Teitsi gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Ward.
Ward looks to land a body kick but Teitsi moved away.
Ward looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Ward tries to clinch there but Teitsi circles away.
Ward walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Teitsi bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
A telegraphed right hand from Ward misses the target.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Ward swings for the body but Teitsi moves out of range.
Ward misses with a straight right.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ward getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Ward misses with a few strikes there.
Ward tries to clinch there but Teitsi circles away.
Teitsi lands with an uppercut that bounces Ward off the cage and back into range.
Ward fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Teitsi misses the shot to the body.
Ward swings for the body but Teitsi moves out of range.
Teitsi takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Teitsi scores with a crisp jab that stopped Ward in his tracks.
Good leg kick by Teitsi there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Ward jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Teitsi throws a body punch but Ward moves out of range.
Nice uppercut lands for Teitsi. That snapped Ward's head back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ward cracks Teitsi with a right hand to the side of the head.
Ward throws a body punch but Teitsi moves out of range.
Ward connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Teitsi swings for the body but Ward moves out of range.
Teitsi throws the left hand but Ward avoids the punch easily.
Teitsi throws a low kick, looking for Ward's leg but Ward calmly moves out of range.
Ward ducks under a wild hook from Teitsi.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Teitsi checks a leg kick.
A leg kick checked by Ward.
Teitsi blocks a jab.
Teitsi looks to score with a jab to the body but Ward is just out of range.
Ward checks a leg kick.
Teitsi throws a leg kick which misses Ward's front leg but catches the back leg as Ward tries to avoid it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A jab from Teitsi misses.

Teitsi lands a big head kick that sends Ward tumbling to the mat! Teitsi takes a step backwards and waves Ward back to his feet - he wants the finish!

Ward is rocked!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Ward scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Teitsi doesn't seem bothered though.
Oh Ward is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
A nice inside leg kick there by Teitsi. That's going to slow Ward down.
Ward throws a body kick that misses.
Ward on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Ward bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.

Teitsi bobbing and weaving well here. And he's unloaded with a massive right hand that drops Ward! He dives into his guard looking to finish!
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Teitsi's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Ward preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matti Teitsi dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Teitsi scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Ward seems to have got his legs back now.
Teitsi scores with a jab to the body.
Ward dips to his left and cracks Teitsi with an uppercut!
Ward misses with a looping right.
A slapping leg kick lands for Ward.
Ward throws out a loose jab but Teitsi uses good head movement to avoid it.
Matti Teitsi seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Ward thows a body shot but no joy.
No joy there for Ward, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Ward scores with a body shot.
Teitsi bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Ward just misses with a punch to the body.
The fight stays on the outside here - Ward looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Ward throws the kick towards the body but Teitsi avoids it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Teitsi slips a jab from Ward.
Teitsi slips under a jab.
Teitsi misses with a two punch combination.
Teitsi shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Teitsi crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Ward - the referee stops the clock and Teitsi gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Ward. Teitsi manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
Ward throws the kick towards the body but Teitsi avoids it.
An inside leg kick lands from Teitsi.
Teitsi lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!

Teitsi lands a left and a right that send Ward crashing to the mat, dazed. Teitsi thinks about following him to the mat but decides to wave him back up to his feet!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Some bone on bone action there as Teitsi checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Micky Ward seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Ward misses with an uppercut
and Teitsi counters with a right hand to the body.
Teitsi misses with a looping left.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ward rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Teitsi moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Teitsi checks a leg kick.
Ward checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Teitsi throws a lazy head kick
and Ward makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Teitsi fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Ward is out of range.
Ward lands a head shot.
Ward misses with a jab to the body
and Teitsi counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Ward scores with a sloppy right hand. Teitsi should have avoided that one.
Ward lands with a kick to the ribs.
Teitsi slips a jab from Ward.
Ward misses with a kick to the body.
Ward misses with a body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ward tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Teitsi is looking to slow Ward down with leg kicks.
Jab, jab by Ward - just one landing.
Ward throws a low kick, looking for Teitsi's leg but Teitsi calmly moves out of range.
Ward uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Teitsi.
Ward misses the shot to the body.

Ward rushes Teitsi and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Ward misses with a short punch on the inside.
Ward fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

Teitsi's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Teitsi pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Ward lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Teitsi misses with a leg kick
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Donk. Teitsi catches Ward right on the button with a cross.
Teitsi takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Teitsi tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Ward was well out of range. Poor timing from Teitsi.
Teitsi misses with a looping left.
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!
Ward ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Teitsi moves away.
Ward avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Ward fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Teitsi manages to avoid it.
Ward throws a hook to the side of Teitsi's head but Teitsi sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Teitsi tries to land a front kick but Ward steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Ward uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Teitsi.
Ward swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Matti Teitsi will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's time! Back to the action!

Teitsi lands a leg kick that knocks Ward off balance momentarily.
Teitsi goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Ward keeps Teitsi at a distance using the push kick.
Ward misses with a wild body shot.
Ward throws a jab when Teitsi was well out of range.
Ward connects with a crisp jab.
Ward walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
A slow jab from Ward misses its intended target.
Ward tries to clinch but Teitsi is having none of it.
Ward takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Ward scores with a jab to the body.
Teitsi steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Ward.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Ward takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Teitsi walks into a jab.
Ward misses with a two punch combination.
No joy there for Ward, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Teitsi throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Teitsi looks to score with a jab to the body but Ward is just out of range.
Ward throws a series of punches but Teitsi avoids them all with ease.
Teitsi getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Teitsi slips under a jab.
Teitsi uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Ward.
Nice defenses there by Teitsi.
Ward blocks a head kick by Teitsi.
A nice leg kick lands there from Ward.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Teitsi does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Teitsi motions for Ward to come forward. Teitsi throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Teitsi slips under a jab.
A slow jab from Ward misses its intended target.
Ward swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Ward throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Teitsi counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Teitsi does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Ward throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Teitsi keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Ward swings for the body but Teitsi moves out of range.
Ward smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ward displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Teitsi throws out the jab.
Teitsi misses with a left hand
and Ward counters with a low kick, right behind Teitsi 's knee.
Jab, jab by Ward - just one landing.
Ward throws a body punch but Teitsi moves out of range.
Teitsi scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Teitsi displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Ward throws out the jab.
Ward wants to land a leg kick but Teitsi is out of range.
Teitsi fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Ward manages to avoid it.
Ward tries to work over Teitsi's front leg with a kick but Teitsi checks it.
A right-left combo lands from Teitsi.
Ward bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Teitsi steps in with a hook that catches Ward right on the chin and knocks him to the floor! Teitsi follows him down with more strikes and that's all she wrote! Ward looks absolutely devastated.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:59 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Matti Teitsi!
Matti Teitsi is the new bantamweight champion!
After the fight, Matti Teitsi was humble in paying tribute to his opponent but made it clear he wants to go on to bigger and better things. It seemed to go down well with the crowd who cheered him loudly.