PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Bjorn Asby (ranked 714 p4p, 2585 weight class) and Bjorn Haelfson (ranked 100 p4p, 311 weight class). Haelfson has chosen 80/20SKYBEEF as his entrance music. Bjorn Asby has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Asby
vs
Haelfson

185 cm
23
180
7 - 3 - 0

170 cm
23
177
5 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Good gas tank

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 7 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Bjorn Asby!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Bjorn Haelfson!
The judges for this bout are Steve Montenegro, Franklyn Lucas and Reed Andrews.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Haelfson throws a body kick, spinning off balance
and Asby counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.

Haelfson shoots in and bounces Asby off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Asby looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Asby is on top in guard.

Asby sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Haelfson's guard.
Asby is pressing down on Haelfson's thigh, looking to free his foot. Haelfson is holding on for now.
Haelfson has found himself in a tricky position here. He's been working his transitions in training so let's see if he can work his way out of it.
Asby thows a huge punch but Haelfson dodges it nicely.
Asby missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Asby not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Haelfson trying to hold on to Asby's head to control him but Asby postures up.
Asby throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Asby looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Haelfson with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Haelfson blocking the ground and pound attempt from Asby.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Haelfson is pressing down on Asby's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Asby is pushing down on Haelfson's leg trying to pass to half guard. Haelfson is fighting to maintain full guard but Asby has managed to sneak the leg through.
Haelfson tries to get to full guard but Asby has control of the leg.
Asby tries to pass to full mount but Haelfson defends it.
Haelfson is trying to get back to full guard.
Asby has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Haelfson really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Haelfson is still trying to improve position.
Haelfson wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Asby.
Asby landing strikes from the mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Asby unloads with some shots from mount but Haelfson bucks and avoids them well.
Haelfson is trying desperately to improve position.
Haelfson avoids a series of strikes thrown by Asby.
Asby in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Haelfson tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Asby lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Asby will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Asby misses with a head shot.
Haelfson takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Asby landing strikes from the mount.
Asby throwing strikes here but Haelfson is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Haelfson sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Haelfson is looking to improve his position.
Haelfson moves into full guard.
Asby pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Haelfson is keeping the position for now.
Haelfson not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Asby throwing strikes from guard but Haelfson blocks nicely.
Both fighters have adopted an aggressive gameplan on the ground!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Asby postures up in Haelfson's guard and throws a big left but Haelfson blocks it.
Haelfson working a defensive guard here.
Haelfson tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Asby stands up over Haelfson, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Haelfson can't keep his opponent in guard - Asby advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Haelfson is in trouble now - Asby has advanced to mount!
Asby throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Haelfson gets back to half guard.
Haelfson keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Asby throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Asby is pressing down on Haelfson's thigh, looking to free his foot. Haelfson is holding on for now.
Asby throws a strike but Haelfson avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Asby tries to free his leg and advance position but Haelfson is retaining full guard.
Haelfson 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.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Haelfson working for a triangle but Asby defends it easily.
Haelfson manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Asby manages to get himself to full guard.

Haelfson stopping the sweep attempt from Asby.
Asby can't keep his opponent in guard - Haelfson advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Haelfson passes to full mount!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Haelfson thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.

Haelfson looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Asby is working to get back to half guard.
Asby is working hard here to advance position.
Haelfson moves to take his opponent's back.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Bjorn Asby 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.

Haelfson scores with a jab to the jaw.

Haelfson shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Asby napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Asby prevents Haelfson from moving into mount.

Haelfson tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Haelfson has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Asby tries to bench press Haelfson off him but Haelfson keeps the position.
Asby is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Haelfson's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Haelfson is trying to control the action in half guard but Asby is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Haelfson passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Asby!
Asby on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Asby tries to get out of the position.
Asby is trying to escape the mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Asby stops Haelfson from taking his back. Still, being mounted isn't any better.
Haelfson can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Asby is looking to escape.
Asby tries to reverse the position but Haelfson maintains control.
Haelfson trying to control but Asby is having none of it.
Haelfson forces the positional change into back control.
I really don't envy Asby right now.
Asby is in a tricky position but he's been working on his transitions down at MMAH League and Warrior Nation, so we'll see if he gets out of it.
Haelfson throwing sloppy strikes.
Asby can't escape the position.

Haelfson tightening his grip on Asby, looking for the choke.
Asby wants to escape the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Asby fending off the submission attempt from Haelfson.
Asby manages to reverse the position and now he's in Haelfson's guard. Nice work there by Asby.
Asby pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Haelfson is keeping the position for now.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Haelfson is on top in guard.

We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Haelfson advances position into side control!
Asby gets back to half guard.
Haelfson trying to control the action but Asby is working from the bottom.
Haelfson passes to side control.
Asby is trying to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Asby prevents Haelfson from improving position.

Haelfson working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.

Haelfson tries for a kimura but Asby is defending well.
Asby tries to improve position but can't.
Bjorn Asby overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Haelfson is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Asby knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Asby gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.

Haelfson seems to be working for a kimura but Asby defends the submission attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Asby is looking for a sweep. Haelfson is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Haelfson works his way into side control.

Haelfson is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Asby has escaped the position, nice work there.
Haelfson advances nicely into full mount.
Asby regains half guard.
Asby is trying to get back to full guard.
Haelfson is pressing down on Asby's thigh, looking to free his foot. Asby is holding on for now.
Haelfson has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Bjorn Haelfson showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Haelfson throws a push kick but Asby slaps the foot to one side.

Haelfson darts in and clinches Asby up against the cage.
Asby swings wildly with an uppercut but Haelfson uses good head movement to avoid it.
Haelfson goes for a takedown in the clinch but Asby prevents it.
A hook to the body from Asby.
Asby tries to work over Haelfson's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Asby goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Asby scores with a hook to the body.
Asby makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Asby misses with a hook from the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Asby scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Asby is leaning against Haelfson and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Haelfson changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Asby fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Haelfson takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Haelfson with a poor takedown
and Asby counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Bjorn Asby has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bjorn Haelfson.
Haelfson shoots and misses
and Asby counters with a lovely straight right hand!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Haelfson with a poor takedown
and Asby counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Haelfson swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Asby counters with a crisp right that sends Haelfson to the canvas! Asby follows up with punches from the mount and this one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:14 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Bjorn Asby!