PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Scot Harwath (ranked 684 p4p, 1407 weight class) and Steve Cusumano (ranked 98 p4p, 196 weight class). Cusumano is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Gamefire. I don't know about you partner, but I'm pumped for this one!

Harwath
vs
Cusumano

182 cm
23
175
8 - 1 - 0

175 cm
37
180
18 - 12 - 1

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Heavy handed

PWNAGE
The Dirty Needle Project

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the welterweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Scot Harwath!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 18 - 12 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Steve Cusumano!
The judges for this bout are Radbod Blank, Daniel Blasius and Paulsen Ambrosius.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cusumano tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Harwath manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Harwath is looking to counter punch.
Cusumano scores with a one two! Harwath had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.

Cusumano clinches up against the cage.
Harwath lands a hook that snaps the head of Cusumano backwards.
A bit of stalling here from Cusumano.
Harwath prevents the takedown attempt.
Harwath lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Cusumano backwards.

Harwath breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Cusumano tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Harwath paws at him with a jab and circles away.
An attempted straight right counter from Harwath misses the target.
Harwath misses with the combination.
Cusumano uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Harwath.
Cusumano throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Harwath.
Cusumano scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Harwath is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Cusumano.
Harwath circles away from the clinch attempt
and Harwath counters with a lovely shot to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harwath connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Cusumano's hands.

It looks like Steve Cusumano has been cut.
A looping hook to the body misses from Harwath. Cusumano does a little dance to reset his feet.
Harwath misses with a body shot.
A countering left hand to the body from Cusumano misses.
Cusumano misses with a hook.
Cusumano fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Harwath avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Harwath swung with a counter punch to the body but it didn't connect.
Cusumano throws a shot from downtown. Harwath moves away and avoids it.
Harwath is looking to counter punch.
Steve Cusumano seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
The fight stays on the outside here - Cusumano looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Harwath circles away from the clinch attempt.
A counter left hand to the body from Harwath misses its target.
Harwath just misses with a punch to the body.
Cusumano lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Cusumano moves in looking to clinch but Harwath pushes him off.
It looked like Harwath wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Cusumano tries to clinch but Harwath moves away
and Harwath cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Cusumano is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Harwath throwing a counter right hand but Cusumano manages to avoid it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nice shot lands for Harwath.
Cusumano on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Cusumano swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Harwath swung with a counter punch to the body but it didn't connect.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Harwath throws the left hand but Cusumano avoids the punch easily.
Harwath throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Nice shot by Cusumano.
Harwath swats away the attempt to clinch by Cusumano.

Cusumano closes the distance and clinches.
Cusumano has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Harwath avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Harwath lands with a light punch inside.
Cusumano wants a takedown.
Scot Harwath has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Steve Cusumano.
Cusumano can't get the takedown.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cusumano has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Harwath after a bit of a struggle.
Harwath lands a right hand that snaps the head of Cusumano backwards.

Cusumano gets a trip takedown into half guard.

Harwath makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!
Cusumano looks winded!
Cusumano looks to clinch
and Harwath counters with a lovely straight right hand!

That has opened up Steve Cusumano's cut even more.
Cusumano lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Harwath backs up against the cage.
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!
Cusumano lands a nice leg kick that just misses Harwath's sensitive parts.
A looping hook to the body misses from Harwath. Cusumano does a little dance to reset his feet.
Cusumano tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Harwath counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Cusumano thinking.

Harwath lands a big right hand that sends Cusumano crashing to the mat! Harwath stays standing though and waves Cusumano back to his feet!

Cusumano is rocked!
Harwath cracks a nice hook into Cusumano's ribs.
Cusumano is still on wobbly legs! Can Harwath finish him?
Harwath connects with a body shot that sends Cusumano's belly button to the back.
Harwath fakes the body blow, causing Cusumano to drop his hands! Left hook to the temple! Cusumano goes stiff, and falls face first into the mat. Goodnight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:49 of round 1, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Scot Harwath!
Scot Harwath retains his welterweight title!
Scot Harwath seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.