PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Herbert Chavez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Paul Mikel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Chavez
vs
Mikel

175 cm
18
151 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

175 cm
22
155 lbs
3 - 5 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Hates pizza

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Herbert Chavez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Paul Mikel!
The judges for this bout are Roosa Järviläinen, Anni Minnemäki and Marco Blurström.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Mikel bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Chavez is trying to improve his position.
Mikel remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
Mikel wants to lay and pray for a moment but Chavez keeps working.
Chavez tries to buck Mikel off but Mikel is having none of it.
Mikel sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Chavez is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Chavez is trying to get back to half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Mikel wants to control but Chavez is keeping him busy.

Mikel decides to stand back up. Mikel steps back and let's Chavez get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Mikel fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Chavez sprawls well initially but Mikel persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Chavez is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Mikel controlling the pace.
Chavez is trying to control but Mikel manages to pass to mount!
Mikel throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Chavez is in all sorts of trouble here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Chavez regains half guard.

Chavez is defending against the submission attempts here by Mikel.

Mikel is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

Mikel seems to be looking for submissions.
Mikel stalling.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Mikel looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Chavez is trying to get back to full guard.
Chavez is refusing to be controlled, as Mikel sits in half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Mikel is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
Mikel thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Chavez misses with some strikes from the bottom.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Chavez blocking the ground and pound attempt from Mikel.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Mikel tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Chavez counters with a left to the body.

Chavez gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Mikel won't allow Chavez to sweep him here.
Mikel must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Mikel trying to control but Chavez is working from the bottom.
Mikel is pushing down on Chavez's leg trying to pass to half guard. Chavez is fighting to maintain full guard but Mikel has managed to sneak the leg through.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Paul Mikel 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.

The fight stays on the outside here - Mikel looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
It looked like Chavez wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.

Mikel moves into range and clinches up with Chavez.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.

Mikel has clasped his hands together around Chavez's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
Chavez tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Mikel wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Mikel trying to control the action but Chavez is working from the bottom.
Chavez is trying to work for a sweep but Mikel has mounted him!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Chavez regains half guard.
Chavez regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Mikel.
Chavez wants to stand up but Mikel is controlling him.

Mikel gets to his feet - Chavez follows without any prompting.
Chavez misses with a lunging right hand

and Mikel moves into the clinch.
Chavez is trying to push Mikel away but Mikel has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.

Mikel has Chavez pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Mikel pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Chavez tumbling to the mat - Mikel dives into Chavez's guard.
Chavez looking for a sweep. Not yet Chavez, not yet.
Mikel has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Chavez throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Chavez pulls Mikel in close to prevent any damage.
Mikel wants to stand but Chavez has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Chavez looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Mikel with a nice head shot there.
Chavez wants to sweep but no luck.
Chavez working a defensive guard here.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Mikel.
Chavez tries to buck Mikel off but Mikel is having none of it.

Mikel tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Mikel working away.
Chavez sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mikel trying to control from half guard but Chavez is working away.
Chavez is trying to get back to full guard.
Mikel content to control rather than advance.
Chavez is looking to improve his position.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Chavez is looking to control Mikel's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Chavez avoid being mounted?
Paul Mikel has got the better of the ground game so far.
Chavez is in a bad position, trying to hold on for dear life but he is really struggling to maintain any sort of control.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Paul Mikel showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Chavez closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Chavez sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Mikel defending well though.
Mikel regains full guard. Nicely done.
Chavez stopping the sweep attempt from Mikel.
Chavez landing with the ground and pound.
Chavez loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Mikel pulls Chavez in close to prevent any damage.
Mikel is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Chavez stands up over Mikel, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.

Mikel throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Mikel working a defensive guard here.
Chavez throws a big right hand that misses.
Mikel avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Mikel trying to control the position.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

Mikel shoots in for a takedown and gets it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Chavez is trying to maintain the position but Mikel is very close to passing his half guard.
Chavez makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Chavez.
Chavez is trying to control the position but Mikel postures up.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Chavez holds on and takes a little breather.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mikel trying to control the position from guard on top but Chavez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Mikel throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Chavez can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Mikel controls the pace.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.

Mikel darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Mikel is keen to just control but Chavez is a slippery customer.
Mikel sitting and controlling from the half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Chavez trying to control from the bottom.

Mikel is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Chavez moves into full guard.
Mikel won't allow Chavez to sweep him here.
Herbert Chavez has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Paul Mikel is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Chavez can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Mikel controls the pace.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Paul Mikel.
I've got Mikel winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 28:29
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 27:30
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Paul Mikel!