PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Dan Henderson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tuomas Manner (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Henderson
vs
Manner

185 cm
23
210 lbs
3 - 3 - 0

192 cm
23
205 lbs
5 - 4 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Heavy handed

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►Schwarzenegger Nutrition◄

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Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Dan Henderson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 4 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Tuomas Manner!
The judges for this bout are Aleksandr Martynov, Ivan Kurochkin and Viktor Lagutenko.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Manner clinches.
A short uppercut from Manner.

Manner gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
Henderson bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Manner's guard.
Manner is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Henderson is controlling him.
Henderson has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Henderson stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Manner swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Manner throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Manner looking for a sweep. Not yet Manner, not yet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Henderson thows a big elbow that misses.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Manner blocks the body kick.

Henderson scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Henderson with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Manner missing with punches from the bottom.
Manner wants to control but Henderson is keeping busy.

Manner makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!
Manner misses with a hook. Henderson ducked under it nicely.
Manner walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Henderson keeps the fight on the outside.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Henderson takes a swing at Manner's ribcage but misses.
Manner uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Henderson.

Manner gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Manner's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Manner is looking to clinch.
Manner tries to clinch up.
Manner fails in his attempt to clinch.

Henderson closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Manner to the mat! Manner manages to get full guard.
Henderson throws a big right hand that misses.
Manner is looking to stand up but Henderson isn't so interested in that idea.
Manner can't keep his opponent in guard - Henderson advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Henderson stalling.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Manner taking some punishment here, with Henderson in his half guard.
Manner looks like he's trying to stand up.
Henderson scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Manner wants to stand back up but Henderson manages to pass into side control.
Henderson wants to lay and pray for a moment but Manner keeps working.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Manner is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Henderson asserts his dominance and retains side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Manner looks gassed!
Henderson scoring with punches and elbows.
Manner misses with an elbow from the bottom.
Manner is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Henderson is controlling him well.
Henderson trying to control the position but Manner is working away.
Henderson lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Manner down.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dan Henderson dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Henderson catches Manner with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Manner is looking to clinch.
Dan Henderson is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Henderson shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Manner pinned against the cage. Manner gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Tuomas Manner seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Manner tries to close the distance and clinch but Henderson swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Henderson decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Manner on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Manner is trying to stand back up but Henderson is controlling him
Manner has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Henderson is working away from the top position though.
Manner is trying to stand up here but Henderson is controlling him well.
Henderson looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Manner wants to get back to his feet.
Manner is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Manner is trying to stand up here but Henderson is controlling him well.
Manner missing with punches from the bottom.
Manner is looking to escape.
Manner has hold of Henderson's hands but Henderson slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Henderson prevents Manner from standing back up.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
A left and a right from Henderson both land. Nice combination.
Henderson listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.

Henderson bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Henderson wants to control but Manner is keeping him busy.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Manner is pushing Henderson's head away, looking to escape. Henderson manages to hold on to the position though.
Henderson is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.
Manner tries to strike but it doesn't land.
Henderson prevents Manner from escaping the position.
Manner on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Manner is looking for a sweep.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
An inside leg kick from Henderson misses.
Manner misses with a looping left.
Manner is looking to clinch.

Henderson scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Henderson scores with punches from side control.
Manner is pushing Henderson's head away, looking to escape. Henderson manages to hold on to the position though.
Henderson has control of an arm but Manner manages to advance to Henderson's back!
Henderson connects with a series of strikes and the referee is calling for Manner to escape the position.
So, who will make the next big move? In this position it could be crucial.
Will Henderson go for the finish here or will he try and keep control of the position?

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Manner trying to get back to his feet but Henderson is in full control for now.
Henderson has good solid back control here.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Henderson has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Manner wants to clinch.
Manner has his takedown stuffed

and Henderson decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Manner's guard.
Henderson's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Manner keeping full guard, as Henderson tries to pass.
Manner being controlled here, momentarily.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Manner is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Henderson trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Henderson trying to control but Manner is working from the bottom.
Henderson postures up in Manner's guard and throws a big left but Manner blocks it.
Henderson trying to control the position from guard on top but Manner is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Manner tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Manner fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Henderson, pushing him back against the cage.
Henderson changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Manner fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Henderson misses the shot to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Manner drops his shoulder and cracks Henderson with a huge uppercut! Henderson goes down! Can Manner finish him?
Manner wants to stand but Henderson has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Manner scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Manner won't allow Henderson to sweep him here.
Manner wants to stand but Henderson is controlling his posture from full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Henderson is working an open guard so Manner takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Henderson takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Henderson throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Manner.
Henderson swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Manner tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Henderson paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Some wild striking there from Manner.
Henderson tests Manner's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Henderson lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Manner keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Manner steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Henderson.
Tuomas Manner has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
A punch combination from Henderson misses.
Henderson lands a jab to Manner's midsection.
Henderson shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Manner pinned against the cage. Manner gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Manner fails in his attempt to clinch.
Manner is looking to clinch.
Henderson lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Henderson.
Manner lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Manner.
Manner wants to clinch.
Henderson circles away from the clinch attempt
and Henderson counters with a series of strikes. Manner will be more careful next time no doubt.
Manner connects with a right hand. Henderson shakes it off.
Manner tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Manner scores with a punch to the head.

Henderson shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Manner manages to get to full guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tuomas Manner comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Henderson 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 Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight 28:29
Judge Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 29:28
Judge Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Dan Henderson!