PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Firmly Grasping (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Las Mambo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Grasping
vs
Mambo

172 cm
22
195 lbs
7 - 4 - 0

185 cm
26
194 lbs
15 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Powerful takedowns
Good elbows
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Firmly Grasping!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Las Mambo!
The judges for this bout are Johanna Lukiainen, Marco Blurström and Matti Vanhoillinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Grasping misses with a body shot.
Grasping takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Mambo goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Mambo misses with a combination

and Grasping counters with a takedown into side control.
Mambo gets back to half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Mambo moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Mambo working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Grasping.
Grasping throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Mambo works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Grasping connects with a couple of short punches.
Mambo wants to stand and escape but Grasping is having none of it.
Mambo trying to keep a closed guard but Grasping is proving a slippery customer.
Grasping lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mambo striking from his own guard.

Grasping avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Grasping postures up.
Grasping tries to free his leg and advance position but Mambo is retaining full guard.
Mambo has his hands on Grasping's head, controlling the position.
Grasping trying to control but Mambo is working from the bottom.
Mambo avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Grasping keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Mambo's head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Grasping postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Grasping stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Mambo swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Grasping postures up.
Mambo wants to sweep here but Grasping controlling him for the moment.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Mambo with a jab.
A looping hook to the body misses from Grasping. Mambo does a little dance to reset his feet.
Grasping looks to land a combination but Mambo avoids it well.
Grasping circles away from the clinch attempt.
Jab, jab by Grasping - just one landing.
Grasping misses with an uppercut. Mambo saw that one coming.
Grasping circles away from the clinch attempt

so Grasping counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Mambo trying to keep a closed guard but Grasping is proving a slippery customer.
Grasping looking to pass the guard.
Mambo trying to control the position.
Grasping wants to control from the top but Mambo keeps moving.
Mambo is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Grasping tries to free his leg and advance position but Mambo is retaining full guard.
Mambo looking for a sweep. Not yet Mambo, not yet.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Grasping postures up.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Mambo keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Grasping.
Grasping takes a swing at Mambo's ribcage but misses.
Grasping tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Mambo was well out of range. Poor timing from Grasping.
Mambo tries to clinch but Grasping moves out of range.
That kick from Mambo tenderised Grasping's leg. Grasping is trying to keep his angry face on.
Mambo throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Mambo throws the left hand but Grasping avoids the punch easily.
Grasping scores with a decent looking hook.

Mambo looking to score a takedown here. Grasping is defending well but Mambo drives through and ends up in Grasping's guard.
Mambo chips away with some ground and pound.
Mambo in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Mambo postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

Grasping is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Mambo defends well.
Mambo postures up.
Grasping utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Firmly Grasping dominated that round.
That's time! Grasping's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Grasping steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Mambo.
Mambo looks to score with a jab to the body but Grasping is just out of range.
Grasping swings for the body but Mambo moves out of range.
Mambo misses the shot to the body.
Grasping looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Las Mambo is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Mambo fails in his attempt to clinch.
A combination from Mambo does no damage.
Grasping looks to throw the jab but Mambo is out of range.
Grasping ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Mambo looks to throw a body kick

and Grasping counters with a single leg into guard. Mambo didn't expect that.
Grasping throwing strikes but missing.
Mambo wants to get back to his feet but Grasping is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Grasping is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Grasping might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Mambo trying to control the position.
We've been hearing that Grasping has been drilling a lot of ground and pound in training, so let's see if he get the finish.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mambo bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Grasping's guard.

Firmly Grasping overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Grasping looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Mambo is working Grasping over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.

Grasping looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Mambo content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Mambo with a flurry of punches that miss.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Grasping has momentary wrist control but Mambo slips an elbow through the middle.
Mambo throws a big right hand that misses.
Mambo postures up and lands a big shot to Grasping's brow.

Grasping escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Mambo gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mambo tries to free his leg and advance position but Grasping is retaining full guard.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Mambo accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Mambo must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Mambo makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.

Grasping is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Mambo is aware though and is defending well.
Mambo postures up in Grasping's guard and throws a big left but Grasping blocks it.

Mambo avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Mambo throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Grasping works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Mambo wants to control from the top but Grasping keeps moving.
Mambo throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Grasping works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

Grasping looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Grasping 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.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mambo throwing strikes but missing.

Grasping is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Mambo is aware though and is defending well.
Mambo throwing strikes but missing.
Mambo is in close to Grasping's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Mambo trying to move into half guard but instead Grasping has managed to sweep!

A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Grasping accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Grasping pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Mambo is keeping the position for now.
Mambo pulls Grasping in close to his closed guard and prevents Grasping from doing any damage or advancing position.
Mambo is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Grasping wants to pass the guard but Mambo is keeping the position.

Mambo looking for a guillotine here but Grasping defends easily.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Grasping stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Mambo swivels though and keeps the full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Firmly Grasping dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Mambo keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Grasping throws a body punch but Mambo moves out of range.
Grasping punishes Mambo's body with a nice straight punch.
Grasping is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Mambo can do to turn this around?
A good leg kick by Mambo.
Grasping swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Mambo shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Grasping staying out of range there.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Mambo.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Mambo!
Mambo ducks under a wild hook from Grasping.

Mambo drives through with a takedown into guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Grasping working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Mambo doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Oh but Grasping is tightening it up a little... Mambo has to be careful here... He's got his foot tucked under now, this looks tight! Mambo reacted too slowly and this one could be over in a matter of seconds! YES! Mambo taps out! Nice BJJ there by Grasping!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:57 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle Choke). Firmly Grasping!