PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between James Normandy (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Matti Heinonen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The key to victory for James Normandy has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Normandy
vs
Heinonen

157 cm
27
135 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

176 cm
25
144 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

BJJ Brown Belt
Brawler
Very confident

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 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, James Normandy!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Matti Heinonen!
The judges for this bout are Stewart Dunkirk, Gwen Towbar and Daniel Franklin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Normandy tries a head kick but it misses.

Heinonen throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Normandy was covering up waiting for the punch and Heinonen finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Heinonen pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Normandy is keeping the position for now.
Normandy is trying to control the position but Heinonen postures up.
Heinonen controls from within his opponent's guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Normandy keeping full guard, as Heinonen tries to pass.
Normandy working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Heinonen.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Heinonen is stalling in the full guard.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Heinonen stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Normandy swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Heinonen passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Heinonen working away.

Heinonen decides to stand back up. Heinonen steps back and let's Normandy get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Normandy scores with a shot to the body.
Normandy could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
A shot to the liver by Normandy. Beautiful body shot.
Normandy tries for a takedown but Heinonen sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Heinonen has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Normandy.
Nice takedown defense from Normandy. No joy for Heinonen on that attempt.

Normandy shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Heinonen manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Heinonen wants to stand but Normandy is controlling the position.
Normandy scoring with punches to the head and body.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Heinonen holds on and takes a little breather.
Heinonen looking for a sweep. Not yet Heinonen, not yet.
Normandy knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Heinonen on the ground.

Heinonen looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Heinonen is looking to stand back up but Normandy counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Heinonen.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Heinonen gets back to full guard.
Heinonen manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Normandy manages to get himself to full guard.

Heinonen sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Normandy trying to keep a closed guard but Heinonen is proving a slippery customer.
Normandy pulls Heinonen in close to prevent any damage.
Normandy keeping full guard, as Heinonen tries to pass.
Normandy tries to strike from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Heinonen controls from within his opponent's guard.
Heinonen looking to pass the guard.

Heinonen decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Normandy, up you get!
Normandy lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Normandy throws a half hearted mid kick.
Normandy misses with a combination

and Heinonen counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Normandy trying to keep a closed guard but Heinonen is proving a slippery customer.

Heinonen gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Heinonen fails with a takedown attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matti Heinonen dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Normandy lands a front kick.
Normandy dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Normandy displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Heinonen.

Normandy gets caught flat footed, as Heinonen shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Heinonen is stalling in the full guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Heinonen content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Heinonen controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Heinonen trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Normandy not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Normandy looking to hit a scissor sweep but Heinonen is one step ahead there.

Heinonen stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Heinonen walks into a jab.
Matti Heinonen is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Heinonen is trying hard to land a takedown here. Normandy sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Both fighters circling a little - Normandy finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Jab by Normandy.
Normandy scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Normandy lands with a shot to the body.
An inside leg kick lands from Normandy.
Normandy with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Heinonen throws a body kick that misses.
Normandy tries to counter with a takedown but Heinonen is quick to defend against it.
Heinonen tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Normandy paws at him with a jab and circles away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Normandy scores with a body shot.
Normandy throws a head kick but Heinonen moves out of range.
Heinonen looks like he wanted to counter with a high kick but didn't throw it.

Heinonen drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Heinonen trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Heinonen is looking to stand up but Normandy won't let him.
Matti Heinonen has got the better of the ground game so far.

Heinonen stands and steps away. Normandy gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Heinonen tries to clinch up.
Normandy lands with a cross.
Normandy delivers a nice body kick.
Normandy throws a shot to the body.
Normandy is looking to wear down Heinonen with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Normandy lands a nice looking body shot.
Normandy scores with a head kick.

Normandy tries to keep at a distance but Heinonen has taken the fight into the clinch.

Normandy breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Normandy's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Normandy duly obliges.
Heinonen wants to clinch.
Normandy feinted with a counter takedown.

Normandy drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.

Heinonen has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Normandy off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Normandy dodges the punch combination from Heinonen.
Normandy connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Heinonen's hands.

Heinonen darts in and clinches Normandy up against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Heinonen wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
A short uppercut from Normandy.
Normandy working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Heinonen lands a nice elbow.

Heinonen pulls guard effortlessly.
Normandy trying to control the position from guard on top but Heinonen is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Heinonen is trying to control the position but Normandy postures up.
Normandy has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Heinonen has control of Normandy's left arm, preventing Normandy from doing any damage.

Normandy drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Heinonen dives on top into guard.

Normandy pulls Heinonen in close to prevent any damage.
Heinonen seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James Normandy dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Normandy blocks a head kick by Heinonen.
Normandy connects with a looping right hand.
Normandy ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Heinonen shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Nice uppercut lands for Normandy. That snapped Heinonen's head back.
Normandy throws a head kick that Heinonen semi-blocks.
Heinonen takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Normandy digs a good body shot into Heinonen's ribs.
Normandy cracks Heinonen with a good jab.
Heinonen throws a head kick that misses.
Heinonen stuffs the takedown.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
No luck for Heinonen with that takedown attempt.
Heinonen takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Normandy lunges at Heinonen with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Heinonen's hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Heinonen shoots for a double leg takedown but Normandy sprawls well. He's pushed Heinonen's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Normandy throwing a counter right hand but Heinonen manages to avoid it.
James Normandy has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Matti Heinonen.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Heinonen.
Normandy is looking for a sweep.
Normandy is trying to control Heinonen's posture but Heinonen avoids it.
Normandy is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Normandy is trying to get back to half guard.

Heinonen tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Heinonen has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Normandy can't do much from the bottom here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Heinonen moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.
Heinonen lands a few punches from side control.
Normandy struggling a bit here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Normandy tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Heinonen wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Heinonen happy to just control the position for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Heinonen working away.
Heinonen scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Normandy to see if he's OK.
You can see the frustration on Normandy's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Normandy being controlled for a moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.

Heinonen looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Normandy tries to control but end up mounted... ooooh, that's bad.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Heinonen sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Heinonen cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Heinonen raining down hammerfists from mount.
Heinonen scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Heinonen content just to control the position here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Matti Heinonen comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Heinonen has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 28:29
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 28:29
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Matti Heinonen!