PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between James Jaffer (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tommy Ward (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Jaffer comes to the cage accompanied by DubRaider- Starry Eyes. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Jaffer
vs
Ward

179 cm
29
146 lbs
20 - 6 - 1

175 cm
23
150 lbs
15 - 4 - 1

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Decent knees
Heavy handed

Affordable Quality + Reliable Laundry

Fury Nutrition Inc.

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the featherweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 20 - 6 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, James Jaffer!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 4 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Tommy Ward!
The judges for this bout are Arvi Lind, Marco Blurström and Tarja Halkonen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ward tries to clinch but Jaffer moves out of range.
Ward misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Jaffer misses with a series of wild punches.
Jaffer fails with an attempt to clinch.
Jaffer tries to clinch up.
Nice takedown defense from Jaffer. No joy for Ward on that attempt.
Jaffer throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Ward.
Jaffer moves in looking to clinch but Ward pushes him off.

Jaffer moves into the clinch.
Jaffer working aggressively here.
Ward goes for a takedown attempt but Jaffer pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
James Jaffer has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Tommy Ward.
Ward misses with a looping left.

Ward tries to sprawl but Jaffer drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Ward keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Jaffer in particular looking to stall.
Ward tries to roll over but Jaffer keeps him under control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jaffer seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Ward does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Jaffer in particular looking to stall.
Ward 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.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Ward can do anything to dispel that myth.

The ref stands the fighters back up because James Jaffer just wasn't active enough.
Ward looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

Jaffer drives through and clinches with Ward against the cage.
Ward lands a left hand.

Jaffer lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Jaffer is pressing down on Ward's thigh, looking to free his foot. Ward is holding on for now.
Jaffer trying to control the action but Ward is working from the bottom.
Jaffer controlling the action here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ward is looking for a sweep. Jaffer is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Jaffer looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Ward keeps control of the position for the meantime.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

The ref stands the fighters back up. James Jaffer wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Jaffer tries to clinch there but Ward circles away.
Ward shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Jaffer but Jaffer pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Jaffer wants to clinch up but Ward keeps it at a distance.
Jaffer wants to clinch up but Ward keeps it at a distance.
Jaffer tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Ward paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Ward fails with an attempt to clinch.

Jaffer drives through and clinches with Ward against the cage.
Jaffer tries to work over Ward's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Jaffer lands with a short head shot on the inside.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jaffer doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Jaffer throws a punch but it's blocked by Ward.
Jaffer drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Jaffer misses with a punch on the inside.
Jaffer misses with a knee strike.
Jaffer misses with a short punch on the inside.
A hook to the body from Jaffer.

Ward breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Ward looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Jaffer is fending him off so far but Ward persists. Nope, Jaffer circles away and we're back to standing.
Ward circles away from the clinch attempt.
Ward throws a series of punches but Jaffer avoids them all with ease.
Ward fails in his attempt to clinch.
Jaffer tries to clinch but Ward is having none of it.
Ward on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Jaffer. Jaffer obviously looking to wear him down.
Jaffer lands a jab.
Ward tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ward shoots in for a takedown but Jaffer shows good takedown defense.
Jaffer lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.

The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Jaffer rushes Ward and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Ward is working for takedown but Jaffer is calmly controlling the position for now.
Jaffer is pressed up against the cage. Ward has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Jaffer down to the mat. Jaffer avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Ward misses with a takedown attempt - Jaffer sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Jaffer keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Jaffer scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Ward tries to clinch up.
Jaffer cracks a nice hook into Ward's ribs.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
A lazy left from Jaffer finds it's target.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!

Jaffer gets a clinch.
Jaffer scores with an uppercut up the middle.

Ward is rocked!
Jaffer throws a punch but it's blocked by Ward.
Ward is still on wobbly legs! Can Jaffer finish him?
Jaffer is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Ward seems to have recovered his senses.
Jaffer manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James Jaffer dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Jaffer shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Jaffer content to control rather than advance.

Jaffer is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Ward is trying to stand back up but Jaffer is controlling him
Ward tries to get to full guard but Jaffer has control of the leg.
Jaffer wants to lay and pray for a moment but Ward keeps working.
Ward blocking the ground and pound attempt from Jaffer.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jaffer is looking to take a break and control but Ward is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Ward is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Ward trying to control but Jaffer postures up.
Well, if Jaffer is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Jaffer moves into range and clinches up with Ward.
Jaffer swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Jaffer is looking to take this one to the mat.

Ward works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Jaffer wants to sweep but no luck.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ward trying to control but Jaffer is working from the bottom.
Jaffer is pulling down on Ward's head to control his posture.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Jaffer is looking to clinch but Ward is avoiding it.
James Jaffer is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
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!
Jaffer tries to close the distance and clinch but Ward swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Ward throws a series of punches but Jaffer avoids them all with ease.
Ward throws out a loose jab but Jaffer uses good head movement to avoid it.

Jaffer closes the distance and clinches.
Jaffer lands a right hand.
Jaffer lands a left hand that snaps the head of Ward backwards.
Jaffer cracks Ward with a nice body shot.
Ward is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Jaffer to keep the fight standing.
Ward lands an uppercut.
Ward blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ward drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Jaffer gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Jaffer lands a nice uppercut.
Jaffer lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Ward backwards.

Jaffer gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Jaffer slows the pace down in half guard.
Jaffer seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Ward does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Jaffer working over Ward with some ground and pound. Ward looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Ward pushes Jaffer off looking to stand but Jaffer dives back in and keeps control.
Ward on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Jaffer passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Ward!
Jaffer lands with some strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Jaffer looking to secure an arm triangle but Ward defends it well.
The referee warns Ward that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Ward is flailing around like a fish out of water, trying to land strikes.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Ward tries to hold on but Jaffer postures up.
Jaffer with a couple of short strikes.
Jaffer cracks Ward with a big head shot that has him covering up instantly! He's rolled onto his side and the referee has seen enough - this one is aaaaaaaaaaall over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:54 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). James Jaffer!
James Jaffer retains his featherweight title!
A relieved looking James Jaffer thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.