PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Well Rounded (ranked 5472 p4p, 2062 weight class) and Hjalmar Raak (ranked 487 p4p, 271 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Rounded
vs
Raak

190 cm
24
200
6 - 10 - 0

191 cm
25
197
6 - 3 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Very strong

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Powerful

Un-Kaged Nutrition
Fantasy Threads

Uncle Rufus Clothing .Co

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 6 - 10 - 0, fighting out of London, Well Rounded!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Hjalmar Raak!
The judges for this bout are Fedor Mirinova, Aleksandr Martynov and Ivan Kurochkin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Raak lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!

It looks like Well Rounded has been cut.
Rounded fails in his attempt to clinch.
Raak fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Raak missing with a left hand there. Rounded was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Rounded was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
A jab from Rounded finds it's way through Raak's defenses.
Raak scores with the left hand. Rounded knows he should have avoided that one.
Rounded blocks a jab.
Well Rounded seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A cross from Rounded lands.
Rounded ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Rounded with a poor takedown
and Raak counters with a straight right hand.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Rounded connects with a nice looking jab.
Raak missing with a left hand there. Rounded was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Raak throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Raak looks to throw the jab but Rounded is out of range.
Rounded is looking to counter punch.
Rounded throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Raak is looking for the big counter here.
Raak lands with a good body shot.
Rounded connects with a crisp jab.
Rounded looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Rounded shoots in for a double leg but Raak sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Rounded tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Raak defends well and Rounded ends up having to push Raak into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Raak is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Rounded with a body shot.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Well Rounded. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Raak is stalling here.
Raak struggles to land a body shot inside as Rounded controls his hands.
Come on Raak - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Rounded is working for takedown but Raak is calmly controlling the position for now.

Raak breaks the clinch.

Rounded shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.

The fighters are working up against the cage. Raak manages to wriggle his way back to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched against the cage.
Raak is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Rounded tries to pull guard but Raak forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Raak stalls.

Raak escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Raak uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Rounded.
Rounded shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Raak counters with a nice body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Rounded pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Raak misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Raak throws a hook but Rounded blocks it.
Rounded bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Raak moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Rounded scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Raak keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

Rounded shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Raak's guard.
Raak has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Rounded with a flurry of punches that miss.
Raak has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Rounded has passed into side control.
Raak is holding Rounded down, trying to stall.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rounded tries to move to mount but Raak blocks the move with his legs.
Raak tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Rounded wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Rounded is looking to take a break and control but Raak is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Rounded slows the pace down.
Rounded working the ground and pound from side control.
Rounded looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Raak is avoiding damage well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Rounded is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Raak will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.
Raak tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Rounded wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

Rounded wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Raak, who protects the arm well.
Rounded wants to control but Raak is keeping him busy.
Rounded landing strikes.

Rounded is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Raak is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Rounded tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Hjalmar Raak dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Well Rounded's cut.
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 telegraphed takedown attempt from Rounded is defended easily by Raak.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Rounded is defended easily by Raak.
Rounded tries to clinch there but Raak circles away.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Rounded.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Well Rounded. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rounded tries to clinch up.
Raak throws a poor cross that misses
and Rounded counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Rounded ducks under a wild hook from Raak.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Rounded shoots in and bounces Raak off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Rounded tries to free his leg and advance position but Raak is retaining full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Raak is adopting a defensive guard.
Rounded postures up in Raak's guard and throws a big left but Raak blocks it.
Rounded wants to control from the top but Raak keeps moving.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rounded postures up.
Raak looking for a sweep. Not yet Raak, not yet.
Rounded seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Well Rounded overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Raak is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rounded wants to improve his position but Raak is controlling well.
Raak seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Rounded does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Rounded tries to get to full guard but Raak has control of the leg.
Raak looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Rounded gets back to full guard.
Raak wants to stand but Rounded has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Raak preventing the sweep.
Raak controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

Rounded looking for a guillotine here but Raak defends easily.
Rounded looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Raak working his ground and pound in the gym. He isn't landing a great percentage of his ground strikes so far though.
Raak must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

Rounded looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

Rounded has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Raak can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Raak wants to get up but he can't break Rounded's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

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.

Rounded looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Raak slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

Rounded had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Raak defends it easily.

Raak gets to his feet - Rounded follows without any prompting.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Rounded is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Rounded bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Rounded misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Raak.
Rounded pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Well Rounded dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Well Rounded's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Raak feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Roundeds jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Hjalmar Raak seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Raak leaves Rounded with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Raak throws a jab but it's blocked by Rounded.
Hjalmar Raak is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Rounded throws a hook to the side of Raak's head but Raak sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Raak avoids the body shot from Rounded.
Raak misses with a wild body shot.
Rounded pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Raak throws a body shot but no joy.
Rounded dives in for a single leg takedown but Raak sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Rounded's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!

Rounded has picked Raak up - he's going for a ride! Rounded dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Rounded thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Raak's head.
Raak trying to control but Rounded postures up.
Rounded thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rounded stalling away here and it's allowed Raak to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Raak keeping moving, preventing Rounded from controlling successfully.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Raak holds on and takes a little breather.
Rounded trying to control but Raak is working from the bottom.
Rounded throwing strikes from guard but Raak blocks nicely.
Rounded trying to control the position from guard on top but Raak is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Raak can't keep his opponent in guard - Rounded advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Rounded thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Raak's head.
Rounded trying to control from Raak's half guard. Raak has other ideas though and has regained full guard.
Rounded trying to control but Raak is working from the bottom.
Rounded preventing the sweep.
Rounded wants to control from the top but Raak keeps moving.
Rounded trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Raak preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rounded wants to control from the top but Raak keeps moving.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Raak misses with a wild combination.
Raak blocks a jab.
A slow jab from Raak misses its intended target.
A head kick by Rounded misses
and Raak counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Rounded thinking.
Raak throws out a powerful jab.
Raak misses with a few strikes there.
Raak fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Rounded manages to avoid it.
Rounded shoots in for a takedown but Raak shows good takedown defense.
Raak is looking for the big counter here.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Well Rounded. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Rounded closes the distance and clinches.
Rounded taking a breather.

Raak escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Rounded misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Raak fails to land with a series of punches.
A punch combination from Raak misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rounded comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Rounded shoots in and drives through. Raak sprawls well.
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!
Raak circles away from the clinch attempt.
Raak jabs at Rounded's body.
Rounded fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Raak avoids it really well and circles away.
Raak doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Rounded tries to clinch but Raak is having none of it.
Rounded dodges the punch combination from Raak.
Raak throws the left hand but Rounded avoids the punch easily.
Raak throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Raak dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Raak swats away the attempt to clinch by Rounded.

And that's the end of the fight!
Hjalmar Raak comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Raak has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 28:29
Judge Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight 28:29
Judge Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Hjalmar Raak!
After winning the bout, Hjalmar Raak thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.