PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Glass Shiv (ranked 4246 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ionel Balaban (ranked 4314 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Shiv
vs
Balaban

185 cm
25
170 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

186 cm
25
182 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Solid chin

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 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Glass Shiv!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Ionel Balaban!
The judges for this bout are Tarja Halkonen, Matti Vanhoillinen and Anni Minnemäki.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Balaban looks to throw a body kick
and Shiv connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

Shiv darts in and clinches Balaban up against the cage.
Shiv lands with a light punch inside.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Balaban blocks an uppercut.
Balaban has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
A left hand lands to the body for Shiv.
Balaban misses with a knee strike.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Balaban is looking to break free of the clinch but Shiv has double underhooks.
Shiv tries to throw a body punch but Balaban avoids it by throwing Shiv back against the cage.
Balaban is trying to force a seperation but Shiv has the dominant position.
Shiv gets through Balaban's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.

Balaban jumps guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shiv won't allow Balaban to get back to his feet.
Shiv has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Balaban 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.
Shiv looking to sit in guard and control but Balaban gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Shiv wants to improve his position but instead Balaban has moved into half guard.

Balaban postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Shiv to stand up.
Shiv is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Balaban.
Shiv misses with a body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A big left from Shiv misses.
Shiv throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Balaban.
Balaban keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Shiv.
Shiv throws a hook but Balaban blocks it.
Shiv checks the leg kick nicely there.
Balaban tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Shiv is able to avoid easily.

Balaban clinches.
Come on Shiv - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Balaban is looking to break free of the clinch but Shiv has double underhooks.
Balaban blocks an uppercut.
Balaban taking a breather.
Shiv lands a body shot in the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shiv manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Balaban is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Balaban tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Balaban's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Balaban blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Shiv just leaning against Balaban, taking a breather.
Shiv manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Balaban wants a takedown but no success here.
Shiv scores with an uppercut up the middle.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Shiv gets through Balaban's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Balaban misses with a punch on the inside.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Shiv takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Shiv leaning against his opponent.
Balaban is trying to break the clinch but Shiv has him pressed against the cage.
Shiv doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Shiv effectively controlling the action here.
Shiv effectively controlling the action here.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Shiv has Balaban pushed against the cage.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Glass Shiv.
Shiv moves out of range as Balaban throws a body kick.
Shiv checks a low kick from Balaban.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Glass Shiv 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.

A nice combination there by Balaban.

It looks like Glass Shiv has been cut.
The fighters circling - Shiv throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Balaban throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Balaban lands a jab to the head.
Balaban throws a series of punches but Shiv avoids them all with ease.
Balaban with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Balaban throws a lazy head kick
and Balaban takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.

Balaban moves into the clinch.
Shiv cracks Balaban with a nice body shot.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Balaban.
Shiv leaning his opponent against the cage.
Shiv lands a left hand.
Glass Shiv has scored more points in the clinch so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shiv stalling.
Balaban is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Balaban trying to land knees to the body.
Shiv will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Balaban up against the cage.
Balaban wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Balaban tries to circle away but Shiv has him pinned against the cage.
Shiv slowing the pace effectively.
Balaban is trying to break the clinch but Shiv is controlling him.
Balaban tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Shiv just stands there and leans against the cage.
Shiv tries to work over Balaban's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Shiv pressing his opponent against the cage.
Balaban tries to break the clinch but Shiv is controlling the position.
Balaban is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Shiv gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Balaban blocks a body shot from Shiv.
Shiv leaning against his opponent.
Shiv taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Shiv works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Shiv cracks Balaban with a nice body shot.
Shiv doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Balaban can't break the clinch.
Balaban displaying some good clinch control by pressing Shiv up against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Shiv holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Shiv gets a warning from the ref for wasting time.
Balaban taking a breather.
Shiv tries to work over Balaban's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Balaban is trying to break free.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Shiv misses with a hook to the ribs.
A shot in the inside from Shiv.
Shiv manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Shiv pushes Balaban back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Balaban is trying to pull guard but Shiv turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Glass Shiv has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ionel Balaban.
Shiv just leaning against Balaban, taking a breather.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Glass Shiv.
Shiv swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
An inside leg kick from Balaban misses.
Balaban misses with the body kick
and Shiv counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Balaban lands the left hand.
Balaban misses with a shot to the body
and Shiv connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Balaban instigates a clinch.
Shiv has a couple of punches blocked by Balaban.
Shiv slowing the pace effectively.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Glass Shiv will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Glass Shiv's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Balaban tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Shiv was well out of range. Poor timing from Balaban.
Balaban throws a right and a left that both miss.
Balaban walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Shiv checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Shiv throws a body shot but no joy.
Shiv tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Balaban was well out of range. Poor timing from Shiv.
Balaban wants to counter with a clinch but Shiv pushes him away.
Shiv throws an off balance right hand
and Balaban counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Balaban takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Ionel Balaban is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Balaban misses with a series of wild punches.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Balaban misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Shiv.
Balaban throws a predictable looking body shot
and Shiv counters with a stiff right hand.
Shiv slips a jab and a cross from Balaban.
A counter left hand to the body from Shiv misses its target.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shiv misses with a looping left.
Balaban throws a right hand that Shiv ducks under and follows up with a left that Shiv also avoids with ease.
Balaban throws a body kick that misses
and Shiv counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Balaban looks to land a combination but Shiv avoids it well.
Balaban scores with a three punch combo!
Balaban tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Shiv was well out of range. Poor timing from Balaban.
Sloppy strikes from Balaban. Those never looked like landing.
Shiv has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Shiv lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Balaban throws a leg kick but Shiv checks it.
It looked like Shiv wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Balaban throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Balaban throws a combination that misses
and Shiv connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Balaban misses with a body punch
and Balaban takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Shiv misses with a body shot
and Balaban counters with a one-two to the body.
Balaban tries to land a body kick
and Shiv counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Balaban tries to score with a low kick but Shiv moves his leg out of the way.
Shiv ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Balaban moves away.

Shiv closes the distance and clinches.
Shiv is working Balaban over against the cage.
Shiv works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Stalling in the clinch from Shiv.
Balaban looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shiv has Balaban pushed against the cage.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Shiv.
Shiv pressing his opponent against the cage.
Balaban tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Shiv smiles and moves away.

Balaban rushes Shiv and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Shiv tries to work over Balaban's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.

That's four 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.
Shiv has Balaban pressed against the cage.
Shiv stalling the fight.
Shiv stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Glass Shiv.

Balaban gets in close and instigates a clinch.
A nice left hand lands by Shiv.
Balaban tries to pull guard but Shiv won't allow it.
Ionel Balaban has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Balaban lands with a short shot to the head.
The referee calls for Shiv to work.
A right hook to the body lands for Shiv.
Shiv looking to slow down the pace here.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Ionel Balaban.
I think Shiv 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 Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 29:28
Judge Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 27:29
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Glass Shiv!
In his post fight interview, Glass Shiv started talking himself up. Luckily his charisma kept the crowd on side and gave him a good reception.