PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Julio Cesar Chavez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Antero Vasara (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Cesar Chavez
vs
Vasara

183 cm
30
170 lbs
9 - 8 - 0

178 cm
26
171 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

BJJ Brown Belt
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 8 - 0, fighting out of London, Julio Cesar Chavez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Antero Vasara!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Chavez looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Chavez seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Chavez frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Vasara can't escape the position.
Chavez controlling his opponent.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Chavez landing strikes from the mount.
Vasara is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Chavez sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Chavez raining down hammerfists from mount.
Chavez controlling the pace for now.
Vasara is wriggling around trying to escape.
Vasara keeps trying to improve his position.
Vasara is still trying to improve position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Chavez looking to control and managing it successfully.
Vasara wants to hold on but Chavez pushes him away.
Vasara looking to escape from mount but he's given up his back!
You know, I was talking to some of our celebrities at ringside tonight and they were split right down the middle on who was going to win this fight.
Vasara breaks Chavez's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vasara sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Chavez's guard.
Chavez controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.
Chavez is refusing to be controlled, as Vasara sits in half guard.
Vasara has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Vasara wants to take his opponent's back but Chavez doesn't allow it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Chavez tries to reverse the position but Vasara maintains control.
Vasara wants to control the action but instead Chavez gets a body lock and reverses into Vasara's guard! Nice work!
Chavez trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Vasara is trying to control the position but Chavez postures up.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Chavez trying to control the position from guard on top but Vasara is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Chavez wants to pass the guard but Vasara is keeping the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Julio Cesar Chavez dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Vasara misses with a wild body shot.
Vasara misses with a left hand
and Chavez counters with a left to the body.
Chavez is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Vasara can do to turn this around?
A jab from Vasara misses.
Vasara lands a right hook to the body.
Chavez dives in and grabs Vasara's left leg, looking for a takedown. Vasara pushes down on Chavez's head and hops out.
Vasara swings widly with a right hand
and Chavez counters with a left to the body.
Chavez connects with a body shot.
Vasara throws a right hand that Chavez ducks under and follows up with a left that Chavez also avoids with ease.
Vasara scores with a jab to the jaw.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Vasara slaps away a takedown attempt from Chavez, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Chavez shoots and misses
and Vasara counters with a lovely straight right hand!
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Julio Cesar Chavez. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Vasara swings away with a body shot that misses
and Chavez counters with a stiff right hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vasara looks to land a right hand but Chavez moved out of range.
Antero Vasara seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Vasara jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Chavez throws a head kick but Vasara moves out of range.
Vasara scores with a body shot.
Chavez closes this distance looking for a takedown but Vasara circles away.
Chavez keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Chavez moves out of range as Vasara strikes.
A left lands for Vasara.
Vasara ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Vasara lands a jab.
Chavez lands a slapping body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Chavez throws a body kick that misses
and Vasara connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Chavez scores with a body shot.
Antero Vasara is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Vasara throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Chavez sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Chavez appeared to be looking to counter that last move with a leg kick.
Vasara throws a poor cross that misses
and Chavez counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Vasara thinking.
Vasara misses with an uppercut
and Chavez makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. Vasara really felt that one!
Vasara misses with a jab to the body
and Chavez counters with a stiff right hand.
Jab by Vasara.
Vasara connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Vasara pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
And Chavez counters with a quick kick to the body but Vasara blocks it.
Nice shot lands for Vasara.
Chavez with a poor takedown
and Vasara counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Vasara misses with a wild body shot.
A looping hook to the body misses from Vasara. Chavez does a little dance to reset his feet.
As Vasara looks to move away, Chavez throws a big counter combo but Vasara just gets out of the way.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Chavez lands a nice looking kick to the body. Vasara takes a step back to recover.
Nice defenses there by Chavez.
Chavez slips a straight right by Vasara.
Donk. Vasara catches Chavez right on the button with a cross.
Vasara misses with an uppercut
and Chavez counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Vasara connects with a body shot.
Chavez shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Vasara defends it nicely.
Vasara lands a nice shot to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Vasara misses with a left hand
and Chavez counters with a good low kick that Vasara was not able to check.
Chavez just misses with a punch to the body.
Chavez lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Nice straight punches there by Chavez. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Chavez.
Chavez thuds a left hand into Vasara's body.
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!
Vasara tests Chavez's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Vasara throws a hook but Chavez avoids it easily.
Antero Vasara seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Vasara is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Chavez.
Vasara throws a jab but it's blocked by Chavez.
Chavez tries for a takedown but Vasara circles away easily
and Vasara connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Vasara missing with a left hand there. Chavez was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Chavez thinks about countering with a body kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Antero Vasara showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Chavez 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.
Vasara looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Chavez keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Vasara.
It looked like Chavez was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Vasara.
Vasara throws a series of punches but Chavez moves out of range.
A jab from Vasara misses.
Vasara misses with a hook.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Chavez.
Vasara throws a sloppy body shot
and Chavez counters with a nice kick to the body.
A slapping body kick lands there for Chavez.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Vasara ducks right into an uppercut from Chavez.
Chavez looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Vasara is fending him off so far but Chavez persists. Nope, Vasara circles away and we're back to standing.
Donk. Vasara catches Chavez right on the button with a cross.
Chavez connects with a good right hand that stumbles Vasara. Vasara circles away out of range and recomposes himself.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Chavez fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Vasara.
Vasara looks to land a left hand but Chavez moved out of range nicely.
Chavez steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Vasara.
Vasara throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Chavez sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Chavez defending well as Vasara loads up on a big left hand.
Vasara slips a jab and a cross from Chavez.
Chavez takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Chavez walks into a stiff left hand from Vasara.
Vasara lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
A big left from Vasara misses.
Vasara throws a big shot that misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sloppy strikes from Chavez. Those never looked like landing.
Vasara moves forwards but Chavez connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Vasara throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Chavez shoots in and drives through. Vasara sprawls well.
Vasara throws out a counter right but Chavez avoids it with no problem.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Julio Cesar Chavez. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Chavez looking to score a takedown here. Vasara is defending well but Chavez drives through and ends up in Vasara's guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Vasara is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Vasara is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.

Vasara is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Chavez defends well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Chavez slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Vasara looking for a sweep. Not yet Vasara, not yet.

Chavez got a little sloppy there for a moment and Vasara has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Chavez has managed to get both his arms back between Vasara's legs - danger averted.
Chavez won't allow Vasara to sweep him here.
Chavez passes into half guard.
Chavez is trying to advance to mount but he's lost his balance and Vasara reverses the position - he's now on top in Chavez's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Vasara trying to control the position from guard on top but Chavez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Chavez managing to control the position.
Vasara trying to control the position from guard on top but Chavez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Chavez seems keen to control Vasara's posture.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Antero Vasara.
I think Vasara 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 Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 29:29
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 29:28
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Julio Cesar Chavez!