PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between En Esch (ranked 4253 p4p, 78 weight class) and Battle Ram (ranked 5008 p4p, 93 weight class). Esch kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Imperial March (L.O.D. Rage Mix). Well, the cameraman is lingering on a pretty young lady for a bit too long there. Keep your eyes on the prize buddy or you'll miss the fighter intros!

Esch
vs
Ram

192 cm
19
238 lbs
3 - 4 - 0

185 cm
25
220 lbs
7 - 2 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Prefers standup

IniTech Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, En Esch!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Battle Ram!
The judges for this bout are , Don Winkell and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Esch closes the distance but Ram moves to the side
and Ram counters with a three punch combo that has Esch backing up. Esch nods at Ram to acknowledge the strikes.
Ram misses with a wild body shot.
En Esch seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Ram circles away from the clinch attempt
and Ram counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Esch tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Ram paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Esch tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Ram manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Ram is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Esch darts in trying to clinch
and Ram connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Esch has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Ram finds it's way round the side to connect with Esch's head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Esch moves in looking to clinch but Ram pushes him off.
Ram avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Esch tries to close the distance and clinch up but Ram swats him away and circles back towards the center.
It seemed like Ram was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Ram throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Esch doesn't manage to clinch there - Ram circles away.

Esch darts in and clinches Ram up against the cage.
Ram leaning his opponent against the cage.
Esch lands an elbow that stopped Ram in his tracks for a moment.
Esch tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Ram avoids it.
Esch misses with a hook to the ribs.
Esch scores a nice knee to the body.
Ram takes a knee to the side of the body.
Esch lands a knee to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Esch lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Esch misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Ram.
Esch tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Ram on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Esch tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Esch lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Ram.
Ram is looking to control Esch's arms but Esch gets an underhook and turns him. Now Ram has his back to the cage.
Ram is trying to stall.
Esch presses Ram against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Ram looks winded!
Esch tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Ram avoids it.
Ram managing to block the knees to the body from Esch.
Esch pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Esch pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Esch looking to throw knees to the head but Ram is blocking nicely.
Esch throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Esch lands an elbow just above Ram 's eye.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ram takes a knee to the side of the body.
Esch comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Esch creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Ram's defenses.
Ram is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Ram avoiding damage as Esch throws knees to the body.
Esch lands with a light punch inside.
Esch trying to land knees to the body.
Esch tries to land knees in the clinch but Ram avoids the damage to the body.
Esch using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Esch misses with a knee to the head.
A short uppercut from Esch.
Ram is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Esch is keeping busy.
Esch trying to land knees to the body.
Ram displaying some good clinch control by pressing Esch up against the cage.
Stalling in the clinch from Ram.
The crowd are getting on Ram's back here. They're not happy about his lack of aggression in the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Esch with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Esch throws an elbow that misses.
Esch tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Ram avoids it.
Esch works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Esch connects with a knee to the head.
I was talking to Esch's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Ram leaning against his opponent.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Esch obliges.
Esch doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Esch tries a knee to the head but Ram blocks it.
Ram slowing the pace effectively.
Esch looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Esch lands an elbow inside.
Esch lands a knee to the body.
Esch landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

En Esch dominated that round.
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.

Esch tries to clinch up.
Esch fails in his attempt to clinch.

Esch gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
En Esch has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Esch tries to land knees in the clinch but Ram avoids the damage to the body.
Esch tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Ram avoids it.
Esch tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Ram will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Esch up against the cage.
Esch tries to land knees in the clinch but Ram avoids the damage to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Esch tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Esch pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Esch presses Ram against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Esch throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Ram blocks it with crossed arms.
Esch trying to land knees to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ram is trying to stall.
Ram blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Esch is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Ram is defending well for now.
Esch using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Ram has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Esch missing with knees to the body.
Esch misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Ram.
Ram slowing the pace effectively.
Esch connects with a nasty looking knee right to Ram's face.
Ram is stalling here.
Esch is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Ram can do to turn this around?
Esch lands a nice knee to the body.
Ram trying to control the position but instead, Esch has worked for underhooks and has pushed Ram into the cage.
Esch crunches a lovely knee into Ram's ribcage.
Ram is breathing heavily.
Esch tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Ram avoids it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Esch obliges.
Esch tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Ram's elbow.
Esch tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Ram avoids it.
Ram effectively controlling the action here.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Esch tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Esch obliges.
Esch is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Esch missing with knees to the body.
Ram takes an elbow to the temple.
Ram is trying to stall.
Esch lands an elbow inside that Ram shrugs off.
Esch trying to land knees to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A shot in the inside from Esch.
Esch tries a knee to the head but Ram blocks it.
Esch tries to work over Ram's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Ram is pushing Esch up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Esch looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Esch creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Esch comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Ram dodges an elbow strike from Esch.
Ram stalling.
Esch misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Ram blocks the elbow strike.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Ram content to slow the pace in the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ram slows down the pace here.
Ram continues to stall. The referee tells him to work or he's going to break them up.
Esch is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Ram is defending well for now.
Ram just leaning against Esch, taking a breather.
Esch is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Ram is defending well for now.
Esch misses with an elbow strike.
Esch tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Ram avoids it.
Esch swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Ram stalling.
Ram blocking some punches.
Esch has a couple of punches blocked by Ram.
Esch utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Esch tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Esch misses with a body punch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Ram swats away the attempt to clinch by Esch.
Ram throws a right hand that Esch ducks under and follows up with a left that Esch also avoids with ease.

Esch closes the distance and clinches.
Esch with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Esch pushes Ram back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Esch misses with a knee strike.
Esch tries to land knees in the clinch but Ram avoids the damage to the body.
Ram on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ram is stalling here.
Knees in the clinch landing for Esch.
Esch lands an elbow inside.
Esch lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Esch tries a knee to the head but Ram blocks it.
Ram takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
A knee to the head by Esch.
Esch letting Ram take a breather here.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Esch.
Ram managing to block the knees to the body from Esch.
Esch throws a knee to the head but misses.
The referee calls for Ram to work.
Ram takes a knee right on the jaw!
Esch misses with a body punch.
Esch scores a nice knee to the body.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Ram blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Esch gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Esch throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Ram blocks it with crossed arms.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
A knee to the head by Esch.
Ram is trying to maintain a safe position but Esch gets an underhook and turns Ram into the cage.
Esch missing with knees to the body.
Esch with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
The referee calls for Ram to work.
Esch tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Come on Ram - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Esch throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Ram blocks it with crossed arms.
Ram avoiding damage as Esch throws knees to the body.
Esch throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Esch tries to land a knee to the head but Ram blocks with his arms.
Ram's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Esch landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Esch throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Ram on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Esch misses with a punch to the body.
Esch misses with a body punch.
Still in the clinch, Esch scores with a nice short uppercut.
Esch using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Ram has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Esch is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Ram stalling in the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ram on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Ram trying to control the position but instead, Esch has worked for underhooks and has pushed Ram into the cage.
Esch misses with an elbow over the top.
Esch using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Ram has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Ram displaying some good clinch control by pressing Esch up against the cage.
En Esch is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Ram has Esch pressed against the cage.
Battle Ram has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Battle Ram.
Esch tries to clinch up but Ram circles away and keeps his distance.

And that's the end of the fight!
En Esch showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Esch, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 30:27
Judge Don Winkell scores the fight 30:27
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... En Esch!
After the fight, En Esch was humble in paying tribute to his opponent but made it clear he wants to go on to bigger and better things. It seemed to go down well with the crowd who cheered him loudly.