PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Gray Vick (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Arman Shaker (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gray Vick has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Vick
vs
Shaker

179 cm
26
175 lbs
15 - 7 - 0

180 cm
24
182 lbs
8 - 7 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Olympic wrestler
Decent boxing
Good gas tank

Maximum Vitality
GREEN!160

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 15 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Gray Vick!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Arman Shaker!
The judges for this bout are Arvi Lind, Tarja Halkonen and Marco Blurström.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Shaker takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Shaker throws a head kick but Vick moves out of range.
Shaker takes one on the button.
Shaker looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Gray Vick seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Vick fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Vick misses with a jab, cross combination.
Shaker feints a counter leg kick.
Vick shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Shaker sprawls well. Shaker wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Vick gets slowly back to his feet.

Vick decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Vick trying to control the action but Shaker is working from the bottom.
Shaker is pressing down on Vick's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Shaker keeping moving, preventing Vick from controlling successfully.
Shaker can't keep his opponent in guard - Vick advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shaker tries to roll over but Vick keeps him under control.
Shaker is refusing to be controlled, as Vick sits in half guard.

Vick seems to be working for a kimura but Shaker defends the submission attempt.
Shaker is looking to control Vick's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Shaker avoid being mounted?

Vick is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.

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.
Shaker flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.

Vick seems to be working for a kimura but Shaker defends the submission attempt.
Shaker is looking to improve his position.
Shaker is still trying to improve position.
Shaker gets back to full guard.
Vick trying to control but Shaker is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vick wants to pass the guard but Shaker is keeping the position.
Vick wants to control from the top but Shaker keeps moving.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Vick lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Vick lands with a good body shot.
Vick thows a body kick. Shaker tries to catch it but that hurt him.
Vick cracks a nice hook into Shaker's ribs.

Shaker shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Shaker wants to take a breather but Vick is having none of it.
Vick manages to get to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Shaker is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Shaker trying to control but Vick is working from the bottom.
Shaker missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Vick looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Shaker is in close to Vick's body, working some short punches and elbows.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gray Vick dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Vick looks for a takedown but Shaker sprawls well.
Vick misses with a kick to the body.
A big right from Vick misses.
Shaker with the counter takedown but Vick avoids it easily.
Shaker misses the shot to the body.
A telegraphed right hand from Vick misses the target.
And Shaker responds with a good body kick, but Vick manages to step out the way in time.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Vick.
Vick misses with an attempted mid kick.
Shaker takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Vick shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Shaker sprawls well. Shaker wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Vick gets slowly back to his feet.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Vick will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
And Shaker responds with a good body kick, but Vick manages to step out the way in time.
Vick lands a lovely overhand right.
Shaker looks for a takedown but Vick sprawls well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shaker takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Shaker takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.

Vick shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Shaker is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Shaker manages to get to full guard.
Vick looking to sit in guard and control but Shaker gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Vick keeping moving, preventing Shaker from controlling successfully.
Shaker not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

Vick throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Shaker escapes and throws Vick's legs to the side, diving into side control!
Vick struggling a bit here.

Shaker thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
An elbow from Shaker crashes against the mat.
Vick takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Vick is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Vick has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Shaker is working away from the top position though.
My spies in Grappling Pro Helsinki inform me that Shaker has been getting involved in the gym's BJJ sparring sessions. Let's see whether that pays dividends!
Shaker stalling.

That's four 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.
Vick trying to control here.
Vick moves into full guard.
Vick is trying to control the position but Shaker postures up.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Vick keeping full guard, as Shaker tries to pass.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Vick punishes Shaker's body with a nice straight punch.
Vick checks a leg kick nicely.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Vick wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Vick misses with a looping left.
Vick looks to land a left hand but Shaker moved out of range nicely.
Vick scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Vick tries to work over Shaker's front leg with a kick but Shaker checks it.
Vick is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Shaker can do to turn this around?
Vick throws an overhand right that lands on Shaker's shoulder, as Shaker tries to avoid the shot.
Shaker changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Vick throws a shot from downtown. Shaker moves away and avoids it.
Vick blocks a leg kick.
A low kick from Vick misses

and Shaker counters with a single leg into guard. Vick didn't expect that.
Shaker is looking to work some ground and pound but Vick has wrist control.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Vick 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.

Vick throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Shaker in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vick working a defensive guard here.

Vick is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Shaker is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Let's hope that Shaker has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.

Vick has his foot on Shaker's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Shaker works his way back into a safe position though.
Gray Vick is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two 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.

Vick has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Shaker can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Shaker accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

Vick looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Vick keeping moving, preventing Shaker from controlling successfully.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Vick throws a looping overhand right but Shaker ducks down to avoid it.
Vick gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Vick fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Shaker checks it well.
Vick misses the shot to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shaker throws a wild body kick that Vick sees coming a mile off.
Vick stuffs the takedown.
Vick throws a counter high kick but Shaker was just alert enough to avoid it.
Shaker avoids a kick to the body.
Shaker checks a leg kick nicely.
Shaker thumps Vick with a low kick.
Arman Shaker has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Vick blocks the body kick.
Vick drops down looking for a counter takedown but Shaker sprawls and moves away.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Shaker.
Vick checks a low kick from Shaker.
Shaker throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Shaker takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Vick shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Shaker defends it nicely.
Shaker takes a body punch but keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Vick dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Shaker. That did some damage!
Vick swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Shaker counters with a leg kick.
Vick misses the shot to the body.
And Shaker tries to counter it with a takedown but Vick pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Shaker throws a leg kick but Vick sees it coming and moves out of range.
Shaker does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Shaker.
An attempted straight right counter from Vick misses the target.
Vick shoots in looking for a takedown. Shaker tries to sprawl out of it but Vick keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Shaker manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Shaker replies with a solid counter kick to the body but Vick blocks it well.

Shaker shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Shaker throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

And that's the end of the fight!
Arman Shaker comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Vick has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 29:28
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 29:28
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Gray Vick!
Gray Vick got down on his knees post fight and begged the management for a title shot. 'Please, I want that title shot so bad! Give it to me!'