PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Joe Victoria (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Joe Maverick (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Victoria
vs
Maverick

160 cm
25
141 lbs
0 - 0 - 1

163 cm
25
135 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter fighter
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Counter fighter
Granite 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 - 0 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Joe Victoria!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Joe Maverick!
The judges for this bout are Chris Dean, Damien Edna and Bruno Hogan.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
We've got one fighter who appears to only be looking to counter and the other not looking particularly aggressive either, so we could be in for a dull fight.

Victoria looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Maverick!
Maverick is looking for a sweep.
Maverick manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Maverick wants to control but Victoria is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Victoria with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Victoria's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Victoria wants to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Victoria content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Maverick trying to hold on to Victoria's head to control him but Victoria postures up.
Maverick tries to roll over but Victoria keeps him under control.
Victoria is thwarting Maverick's attempts to control the position.
Victoria controlling the action here.
Maverick is positioning himself well to prevent Victoria advancing to mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Victoria stalling.
Victoria seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Maverick for as long as he can get away with.
Maverick wants to improve his position but Victoria is controlling well.
Victoria keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.

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

Victoria shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maverick wants to control but Victoria is keeping busy.
Maverick holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.
Victoria takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Further stalling from Victoria.
Maverick is concentrating on defense, preventing Victoria from advancing position.
Maverick is looking for a sweep. Victoria is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Victoria takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Maverick is looking to improve his position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Victoria performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Victoria has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
Maverick wants to control but Victoria is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Victoria keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Maverick tries to roll over but Victoria keeps him under control.
Victoria controlling the pace.
Victoria prevents Maverick from improving his position.
Victoria is controlling the pace.
Maverick tries to regain full guard. Instead though, Victoria has advanced to mount. Uh oh.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Maverick tries to lock up and control but Victoria gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Joe Victoria dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Victoria shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Maverick manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Maverick 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.
Maverick is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Maverick looking to control.
Victoria is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Maverick wants to sweep but no luck.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Maverick can do anything to dispel that myth.
Maverick lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Victoria pulls Maverick in close to his closed guard and prevents Maverick from doing any damage or advancing position.
Maverick looking to pass the guard.
Victoria pulls Maverick in close to prevent any damage.
Maverick wants to control from the top but Victoria keeps moving.
Victoria wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Victoria trying to keep a closed guard but Maverick is proving a slippery customer.
Victoria seems keen to control Maverick's posture.
Maverick's corner is telling him to maintain position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Victoria managing to control the position.
Victoria working a defensive guard here.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Maverick has done a lot of speed work in the buildup to this fight.

Victoria shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Maverick is trying to defend but Victoria finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Maverick trying to hold on to Victoria's head to control him but Victoria postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maverick wants to get back to full guard.
Victoria seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Maverick keeping hold of Victoria's head, controlling as best he can.
Victoria is controlling the pace.
Maverick is trying to get back to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Victoria looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Victoria is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Maverick can do to turn this around?
Maverick is trying is best to control the position here.
Maverick is trying to control but Victoria passes into side control!
Maverick is looking for a sweep.
Maverick struggling a bit here.
Maverick manages to get back to half guard.
Well, if Victoria 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.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Maverick holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.
Victoria is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Joe Victoria dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Victoria decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Maverick has his hands clasped together around Victoria's back. He's all about the action.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Maverick is looking for a sweep. Victoria is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Maverick is holding on to half guard well.
Victoria is taking a breather. Maverick says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maverick is trying to get back to full guard.
Maverick has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Victoria is working away from the top position though.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Victoria in particular looking to stall.
Maverick has his hands clasped together around Victoria's back. He's all about the action.
Maverick tries to get to full guard but Victoria has control of the leg.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Victoria in particular looking to stall.
Joe Maverick has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Joe Victoria 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 starting to boo a lack of action.
Maverick has his hands clasped together around Victoria's back. He's all about the action.

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

Victoria scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Victoria controlling the position.
Maverick tries to buck Victoria off but Victoria is having none of it.
Maverick is not content to let Victoria control the position.
Victoria controlling from side mount.
Maverick is looking to regain half guard here but Victoria keeps moving and retains side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Victoria is pausing for a moment. What's he doing? It looks like he's clearing his nose. Oh dude! He's shot a load of snot all down Maverick's shoulder. That is not cool.
Joe Victoria overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Victoria in the domination position with Maverick hanging on.
Victoria takes a little break here. Maverick wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.
Maverick wants to control but Victoria postures up.
Victoria trying to control the action but Maverick is working from the bottom.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Maverick is trying to escape the position but Victoria is controlling the position.
Maverick is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Victoria's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Maverick manages to get to full guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Joe Victoria showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Victoria has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Chris Dean scores the fight 30:27
Judge Damien Edna scores the fight 30:27
Judge Bruno Hogan scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Joe Victoria!