PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ben Barnes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Waclaw Panek (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Waclaw Panek told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Barnes
vs
Panek

195 cm
29
210 lbs
14 - 7 - 0

195 cm
29
220 lbs
14 - 5 - 1

Good wrestling
Dangerous knees
Granite chin

Excellent grappler
Good low kicks
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 14 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Ben Barnes!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 14 - 5 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Waclaw Panek!
The judges for this bout are Arvi Lind, Ben Zyskovitsi and Matti Vanhoillinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A low kick from Barnes misses
and Panek counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Panek avoids a lazy jab quite easily.

Barnes clinches with his opponent.
Barnes looking to throw knees to the head but Panek is blocking nicely.
Barnes throws a knee to the head but misses.
Panek is looking to control Barnes's arms but Barnes gets an underhook and turns him. Now Panek has his back to the cage.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Panek.
Barnes with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Panek looking to stall.
Barnes keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Panek's efforts to push away.
Barnes tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Panek avoids it.
Barnes misses with a knee strike.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Panek manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Still in the clinch, Barnes scores with a nice short uppercut.
Panek is trying to drag Barnes to the mat but Barnes just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Panek looking to stall.

Barnes pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Panek tries for a takedown but Barnes sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Panek has been working on his striking defense in training and it's paying off as Barnes is landing a low percentage of strikes.
Barnes throws a head kick that half lands.
Barnes throws a leg kick that is checked

and Panek counters with a takedown into side control! That could mean trouble for Barnes!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
You can see the frustration on Barnes's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Panek controlling the position from side mount.
Barnes wants to control but Panek postures up.
Panek wants to lay and pray for a moment but Barnes keeps working.
Barnes is looking to reverse the position.
Panek wants to lay and pray for a moment but Barnes keeps working.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Barnes tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Panek wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
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Panek throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Panek trying to control the position but Barnes is working away.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Panek fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Barnes has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Panek changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Barnes tries to avoid it but Panek manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Barnes to the ground. Barnes escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Ben Barnes has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Waclaw Panek.
Panek fails with a takedown attempt.
Ben Barnes is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Panek stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Barnes shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Barnes wants to clinch.
Panek takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Barnes throws a wild body kick that Panek sees coming a mile off.
Barnes takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Barnes throws a head kick that half lands.
Barnes turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Barnes misses with a leg kick
and Barnes takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Ben Barnes is winning the standup battle so far.
Panek shoots for a double leg takedown but Barnes sprawls well. He's pushed Panek's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Barnes looks for the body kick but Panek saw that one coming.
Barnes thows a leg kick but Panek checks it

and Panek counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Panek prevents Barnes from improving his position.
Barnes is trying to stand back up but Panek is controlling him
Barnes is in a tricky position but he's been working on his transitions down at Qube Striking, so we'll see if he gets out of it.
Panek trying to control the action but Barnes is working from the bottom.
Barnes controlling the position well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barnes trying to control from the bottom.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

Barnes is defending against the submission attempts here by Panek.
Barnes wants to get back to full guard.
Barnes is trying to stand up here but Panek is controlling him well.
Panek prevents Barnes from improving his position.
Panek is figuring out what he wants to do next.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Barnes is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Barnes won't allow Panek to pass to mount.
Barnes tries to roll over but Panek keeps him under control.
Barnes is staying active underneath Panek, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Barnes is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Panek scores with a couple of nice shots.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Panek passes to full mount!
Panek lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Panek with good strikes from the mount here!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Panek fails to advance to Barnes's back.
Barnes tries to hold on but Panek postures up.

Panek looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
Panek working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Waclaw Panek has got the better of the ground game so far.
Panek trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Barnes tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Barnes is working hard here to advance position.
Barnes regains half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Panek content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

Panek is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Barnes doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Panek.
Barnes is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Still in half guard, Panek seems content to control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Waclaw Panek showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Barnes misses with a low kick.
Barnes tried to score with a low kick but Panek checks it.
Panek lands with a right hand.
Barnes throws a leg kick
and Panek cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Panek connects with a body shot that sends Barnes's belly button to the back.
Panek looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Barnes misses with a low kick.

Panek darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Barnes is trying to maintain the position but Panek is very close to passing his half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Panek controlling the action here.
Panek looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Barnes is staying active underneath Panek, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Barnes is doing well to control the position and prevent Panek from advancing to side control.
Panek thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Panek passes to side control.
You can see the frustration on Barnes's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Barnes is trying to get back to half guard.
Panek slows the pace down.

Panek tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Panek trying to control the position but Barnes is working away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The strikes coming from Panek are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Panek wants to lay and pray for a moment but Barnes keeps working.
Barnes struggling a bit here.
Panek trying to control the action but Barnes is working from the bottom.
Barnes knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Panek on the ground.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Panek taking a breather here.

Panek is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Barnes has escaped the position, nice work there.
Barnes tries to improve position but can't.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Barnes is trying to escape the position but Panek is controlling the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Waclaw Panek comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Panek 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 Arvi Lind scores the fight 28:29
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 28:29
Judge Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Waclaw Panek!
An out of breath Waclaw Panek thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.