PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Florencio Lara (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Iosa Jai (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Iosa Jai has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Florencio Lara's chin.

Lara
vs
Jai

155 cm
24
140 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

170 cm
25
136 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Florencio Lara!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Iosa Jai!
The judges for this bout are Ben Zyskovitsi, Roosa Järviläinen and Tarja Halkonen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Jai has Lara up against the cage in a clinch.
Jai stops a takedown attempt from Lara.
Lara is looking to take this one to the mat.
Lara can't get the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Florencio Lara. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Jai manages to break the clinch.

Jai manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Lara on his heels. He'll look to pass Lara's guard now, I'm sure.
Lara wants to stand up but Jai is controlling him.
Lara throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Lara lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lara chips away with some ground and pound.
Jai keeping moving, preventing Lara from controlling successfully.
Jai pulls Lara in close to his closed guard and prevents Lara from doing any damage or advancing position.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Jai is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Lara is aware though and is defending well.
Jai controls Lara momentarily but Lara frees himself.
Jai pulls Lara in to control the position.
Lara trying to control the position from guard on top but Jai is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Lara stops Jai from standing up.
Jai keeping moving, preventing Lara from controlling successfully.

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

Jai bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lara is trying to control Jai's posture but Jai avoids it.
Jai is looking to take a break and control but Lara is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Jai decides to stand back up. Jai steps back and let's Lara get back to his feet.
Lara blocks a head kick by Jai.
Jai throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Lara avoids the head kick by Jai.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jai paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
The fight stays on the outside here - Lara looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Lara fails with an attempt to clinch.
Jai fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Lara manages to avoid it.
Jai circles away from the clinch attempt.
Lara shoots in looking for a takedown. Jai tries to sprawl out of it but Lara keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Jai manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

Jai closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Lara's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lara tries to strike from the bottom.
Lara is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Jai is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Lara looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Jai slips nicely into half guard.
Jai tries to pass to full mount but Lara defends it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Lara tries to sprawl but Jai drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Jai keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Lara might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Lara wants to improve his position but Jai is controlling well.
Lara missing with punches from the bottom.
Well, if Jai 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.
Jai has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lara trying to get back to full guard but Jai takes advantage of the position and moves to full mount!
Jai controlling his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lara is looking to get to half guard.
Lara wants to control but Jai is having none of it.
Jai takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Jai looking to ground and pound but Lara is blocking nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
A nice elbow there by Jai.
Jai tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Lara is in all sorts of trouble here.
Lara gets back to half guard.
Lara works his way to full guard. Good work.
Jai trying to control but Lara is working from the bottom.
Jai is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Jai postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jai postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Jai sitting in guard here, content to control.
Jai is continuing to stall.
Jai passes easily into side control. Nice work.

Jai stands up.

Jai shoots in for a takedown and gets it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lara is trying to control but Jai manages to pass to mount!
Jai manages to capitalize on a mistake by Lara to take his back!
Jai controlling from the back.
Iosa Jai has got the better of the ground game so far.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Lara is trying to get back to his feet but he's not managed it yet.

Jai is looking for the choke from the back position but Lara is controlling his hands well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Iosa Jai 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. And we move into the final round!

Jai throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Lara tries to clinch there but Jai circles away.
Florencio Lara is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Jai avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Jai tries to clinch there but Lara circles away.
Lara changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Jai tries to avoid it but Lara manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Jai to the ground. Jai escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
As Lara backs off Jai throws a huge counter combo but Lara manages to avoid it all.

Lara has Jai up against the cage in a clinch.

Jai pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lara shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Jai as he avoids it easily.
Lara avoids a kick to the body.

Jai shoots in and bounces Lara off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Lara can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Jai controls the pace.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lara 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.
Lara throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.

Jai gets to his feet - Lara follows without any prompting.
Jai fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Lara manages to avoid it.

Jai has managed to clinch.
Lara drops down looking for an ankle pick but Jai pulls his leg out and moves away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Florencio Lara. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Jai lands with a thumping leg kick.

Jai closes the distance and pushes Lara back into the cage.
Jai prevents Lara from breaking the clinch.

Jai has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Lara uses from the top position.
Lara trying to control the position from guard on top but Jai is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Lara could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Jai has Lara pulled in close to control his posture.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Jai manages to wriggle out and sneak his way back up to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched up against the cage.

Jai gets control of Lara's arms and successfully pulls guard. Jai will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Lara connects with a couple of short punches.
Jai trying to keep a closed guard but Lara is proving a slippery customer.
Lara has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Lara throws an elbow that misses. Jai uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Lara's guard. Nice move by Jai!

Lara wants to control but Jai passes easily into half guard.
Jai seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Lara does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Jai controlling the action here.

Jai postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Lara to stand up.
Jai misses with a jab, cross combination.
It looked like Lara was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Jai.
Lara blocks a head kick by Jai.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Jai drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Jai is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Lara is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Lara has escaped and now he's on top!

And that's the end of the fight!
Iosa Jai comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Jai has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 27:30
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 27:30
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Iosa Jai!