PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Hugues De Payens (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Werkka Easterlund (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). De Payens comes to the cage accompanied by Rage against the machine - Bombtrack. Easterlund is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Harbinger of Sorrow. Werkka Easterlund has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Hugues De Payens's chin.

De Payens
vs
Easterlund

187 cm
28
189 lbs
19 - 4 - 0

188 cm
29
196 lbs
18 - 19 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Excellent grappler
World class MT
Good gas tank

****160Q Energy for $150****

Bad Man Clothing (Nothing Over $40)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the middleweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 19 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Hugues De Payens!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 18 - 19 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Werkka Easterlund!
The judges for this bout are Matti Vanhoillinen, Marco Blurström and Arvi Lind.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Easterlund drives through and clinches with De Payens against the cage.
De Payens misses with some punches.
De Payens lands a body punch in the clinch.

De Payens breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Easterlund misses with a double jab

and De Payens counters by clinching up.
Easterlund blocks a punch to the side of the head.

Easterlund breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
De Payens throws the kick towards the body but Easterlund avoids it.
De Payens lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
De Payens cracks Easterlund with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Easterlund has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by De Payens.
Easterlund pulls out of a head kick attempt.
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!
De Payens on the wrong end of a kick to the body.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
De Payens lands a nice knee to the body.
De Payens working some nice short punches in the clinch.
I was talking to De Payens's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.

That's one minute gone in the round.
De Payens tries to land a knee to the head but Easterlund blocks with his arms.
De Payens tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Easterlund avoids it.
De Payens misses with a hook from the clinch.

Easterlund gets control of De Payens's arms and successfully pulls guard. Easterlund will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
De Payens throwing strikes but missing.
De Payens looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

De Payens got a little sloppy there for a moment and Easterlund has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, De Payens has managed to get both his arms back between Easterlund's legs - danger averted.
De Payens is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Easterlund throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Easterlund has been taking part in the yoga sessions down at Irish Collar-and-Elbow Academy. Presumably he's going to look for a slick submission... Or maybe he's looking to avoid one.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
De Payens wants to control from the top but Easterlund keeps moving.
De Payens has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Easterlund is working an open guard so De Payens takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
De Payens lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
De Payens throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
De Payens avoids the body shot from Easterlund.
De Payens throws a good cross that connects.
Easterlund takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Easterlund fails to land with a series of punches.
Easterlund shoots in looking for a takedown. De Payens tries to sprawl out of it but Easterlund keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. De Payens manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

De Payens gets in close and instigates a clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for De Payens.
De Payens misses with some punches.
De Payens tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
De Payens gets underhooks to prevent Easterlund's takedown attempt.
De Payens misses with a knee to the head.
De Payens gets underhooks to prevent Easterlund's takedown attempt.
Hugues De Payens has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Werkka Easterlund.
De Payens fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Easterlund jumps guard but De Payens turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
De Payens is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Easterlund has had enough of the clinch but De Payens keeps him there for the moment.
Easterlund wants to break free but De Payens has control.
De Payens lands a left hand that snaps the head of Easterlund backwards.
De Payens lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Easterlund fails to pull guard.

Easterlund breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Easterlund dips down and scores with a jab to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Easterlund tries to land a body kick
and De Payens counters with a slapping leg kick.
Easterlund has a takedown stuffed.
Easterlund misses with a low kick.
De Payens is looking to counter punch.
Easterlund throws a right and a left that De Payens avoids nicely.
Easterlund throws a head kick that misses.
Easterlund gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
De Payens circles away from the clinch attempt.
De Payens keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
De Payens moves out of range of the body kick.
De Payens slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
De Payens throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
De Payens cracks a nice hook into Easterlund's ribs.

De Payens gets caught napping as Easterlund dives in and scores a takedown. De Payens manages to retain guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hugues De Payens dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

De Payens misses with a double jab.
Easterlund tries to close the distance and clinch but De Payens swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Easterlund takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
De Payens connects with a body shot that sends Easterlund's belly button to the back.
Easterlund throws out a leg kick but De Payens moves out of range and Easterlund only half commits.

Easterlund has De Payens up against the cage in a clinch.
A short right from De Payens on the inside.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Easterlund is looking for a takedown up against the cage. De Payens gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Still in the clinch, De Payens scores with a nice short uppercut.

Easterlund is rocked!
De Payens lands an uppercut in the clinch that drops Easterlund to his knees! De Payens keeps firing more shots against his stricken opponent and the referee jumps in to save him!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:48 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Hugues De Payens!
Hugues De Payens retains his middleweight title!
Hugues De Payens looked relieved post fight as he said the following; 'It's no secret that my opponent had the plan to take me down and lay and pray! Well I'm here and I'm the one who is victorious! Hemmo, you are like a hemmeroid, your time is not yet arrived. I admire your spirit, but not your fighting style, you are a human slug my friend! One love! Broken Ha'.