PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Aace Zajac (ranked 3897 p4p, 4962 weight class) and Anton Ilmarinen (ranked 484 p4p, 566 weight class). Aace Zajac has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Zajac
vs
Ilmarinen

157 cm
25
194
1 - 0 - 0

186 cm
25
198
0 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter fighter
KO power

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Aace Zajac!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Anton Ilmarinen!
The judges for this bout are Alec Ball, Ian Loll and Dillan Fox.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
No luck with that takedown attempt from Ilmarinen.
Zajac appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Ilmarinen tries to clinch but Zajac is having none of it.
Zajac swung with a counter punch to the body but it didn't connect.
Ilmarinen pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Ilmarinen tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Zajac is able to avoid easily.

Ilmarinen darts in and clinches Zajac up against the cage.
Ilmarinen tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Ilmarinen misses with the head strike.
Zajac tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Ilmarinen smiles and moves away.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Ilmarinen tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Zajac's elbow.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ilmarinen misses with a hook to the ribs.
Ilmarinen throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Zajac blocks it with crossed arms.
Zajac avoiding damage as Ilmarinen throws knees to the body.
Zajac tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Zajac is trying to pull guard but Ilmarinen has him pressed against the cage.
I was talking to Zajac's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Aace Zajac. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Zajac fails to pull guard.

Ilmarinen has hold of one of Zajac's legs. Zajac is fighting the takedown attempt but Ilmarinen gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Zajac trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Ilmarinen working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Zajac's head.
Ilmarinen won't allow Zajac to sweep him here.
Ilmarinen lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Ilmarinen stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Zajac swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Zajac seems keen to control Ilmarinen's posture.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ilmarinen wants to control from the top but Zajac keeps moving.
Ilmarinen with a flurry of punches that miss.
Zajac wants to sweep but no luck.
Ilmarinen working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Ilmarinen trying to control but Zajac is working from the bottom.
Zajac on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Zajac tries to get out of the position.
Ilmarinen scoring with punches to the head and body.
Zajac looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Zajac is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Ilmarinen trying to hold on to Zajac's head to control him but Zajac postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zajac throws a big elbow that misses, also allowing Ilmarinen to regain full guard.
Zajac slips nicely into half guard, despite the strikes coming from Ilmarinen.
Ilmarinen trying to hold on to Zajac's head to control him but Zajac postures up.
Zajac prevents Ilmarinen from improving his position.
Ground and pound from Zajac.
Zajac thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Ilmarinen's head.
Zajac missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Ilmarinen trying to hold on to Zajac's head to control him but Zajac postures up.
Ilmarinen is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zajac not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Ilmarinen moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Zajac postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Ilmarinen trying to control the position.
Zajac has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Ilmarinen keeping moving, preventing Zajac from controlling successfully.
Zajac working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Ilmarinen looking to hit a scissor sweep but Zajac is one step ahead there.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Ilmarinen preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Anton Ilmarinen dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare each other down, ready to get back to the action.

A big left from Ilmarinen misses.
Ilmarinen cracks Zajac with an open hand slap.
Ilmarinen jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Ilmarinen pushing out the jab but it's not landing.

Ilmarinen closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Ilmarinen winds up and cracks Zajac with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Zajac is looking for a sweep. Ilmarinen is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Zajac gets full guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ilmarinen scoring with punches to the head and body.
Ilmarinen stands up over Zajac, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Ilmarinen postures up in Zajac's guard and throws a big left but Zajac blocks it.
Ilmarinen with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Ilmarinen lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ilmarinen postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Zajac keeping moving, preventing Ilmarinen from controlling successfully.
Zajac striking from the bottom here.
Ilmarinen lands a couple of elbows.
Zajac 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.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Ilmarinen's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Zajac might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Ilmarinen is in close to Zajac's body, working some short punches and elbows.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Zajac trying to strike off his back.
Ilmarinen keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Zajac's head.
Ilmarinen is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.

Zajac is rocked!
Ilmarinen loads up on a big left hand. Zajac felt that one! He's just covering up now, not defending himself intelligently - Ilmarinen looks towards the ref and unloads with 3 more big shots and the ref has no choice but to stop the fight! Zajac can't hide his disappointment, as Ilmarinen celebrates the victory.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:59 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Anton Ilmarinen!
The defeated Aace Zajac had this to say: 'I am white belt minded, you can always get better. Once you think you’re good, you’re in for a rude awakening.'.