PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Reid Erickson (ranked 3337 p4p, 2632 weight class) and Patrick Ballin (ranked 343 p4p, 275 weight class). Ballin has chosen Wanna Be A Baller - LilTroy as his entrance music. The key to victory for Reid Erickson has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Erickson
vs
Ballin

194 cm
19
260
1 - 0 - 0

192 cm
19
275
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Brawler
Powerful

BANZAI NUTRITION

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Reid Erickson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Patrick Ballin!
The judges for this bout are Hugh Johnson, Topper Green and Steve Erwin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Erickson moves away from the strike by Ballin.

Ballin pushes Erickson up against the cage in a clinch.
Ballin misses with a body punch.
Ballin lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Erickson is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Ballin misses with a punch on the inside.
Erickson has had enough of the clinch but Ballin keeps him there for the moment.
Erickson is trying to push Ballin away but Ballin has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Ballin throws a punch but it's blocked by Erickson.
Erickson blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Ballin has a couple of punches blocked by Erickson.
A right handed body shot lands from Ballin.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Erickson breaks the clinch.
Ballin misses with a body shot.
A slow jab from Ballin misses its intended target.
Ballin lands with an uppercut that bounces Erickson off the cage and back into range.
We've been told by Erickson's head coaches at BANZAI COMBAT ACADEMY HELSINKI that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.
Ballin cracks Erickson with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ballin missing with a left hand there. Erickson was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Erickson showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Ballin.
Erickson wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Ballin throws a looping overhand right but Erickson ducks down to avoid it.

Ballin gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Ballin fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Erickson is trying to break the clinch but Ballin has him pressed against the cage.
Ballin can't find room to land a body shot as Erickson controls the action.
Ballin swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Erickson lands an uppercut.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Erickson.

Erickson's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Erickson looks to land a right hand but Ballin moved out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Erickson throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Ballin sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Erickson throws the left hand but Ballin avoids the punch easily.
Ballin swings away with a body shot that misses
and Erickson connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

It looks like Patrick Ballin has been cut.
Ballin fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Erickson manages to avoid it.
Ballin moves out of range as Erickson strikes.
Ballin tries to counter with a clinch but Erickson shakes him off and moves away.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Erickson walks into a straight right hand from Ballin.
Erickson is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Ballin.
Ballin misses the jab.
Ballin looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Ballin throws a big shot that misses.
Erickson scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Erickson moves out of range as Ballin strikes.
It looked like Erickson was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Ballin.
Erickson misses with a straight right.
Ballin misses with a wild body shot.
Ballin defending well as Erickson loads up on a big left hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Erickson moves out of range as Ballin strikes.
Erickson throws a big shot that misses.
A swing and a miss from Erickson.
Ballin scores with a shot to the body.

Ballin gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Erickson lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Erickson wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Erickson has had enough of the clinch but Ballin keeps him there for the moment.
Ballin scores with a shot to the side of Erickson's head.
Ballin tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Erickson blocks an uppercut.
Ballin swings away with an uppercut that misses.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Erickson creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Ballin lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Ballin tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Erickson's elbow.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ballin working aggressively here.
Erickson being controlled against the cage.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Erickson.

Erickson manages to break the clinch.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Ballin smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Ballin misses with an uppercut
and Erickson counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Ballin thinking.
Ballin misses with a body shot.
Ballin lands a jab to the head.
Good standup being displayed there by Erickson as he connects with a hook.
Erickson throws a jab but it's blocked by Ballin.
Erickson misses the shot to the body.
The fighters circling - Erickson throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Erickson avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Patrick Ballin dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Patrick Ballin's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Ballin on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Erickson cracks a nice hook into Ballin's ribs.
Erickson lunges at Ballin with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Ballin's hand.
A telegraphed right hand from Ballin misses the target.
Erickson fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Ballin manages to avoid it.
Ballin feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Ericksons jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Ballin misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Erickson.
Patrick Ballin seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Erickson throws a jab but it's blocked by Ballin.
A big left from Ballin misses.
A looping hook to the body misses from Ballin. Erickson does a little dance to reset his feet.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ballin throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Erickson is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Erickson slips a jab from Ballin.
Erickson fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Ballin looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Erickson thuds a left hand into Ballin's body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Erickson ducks under a wild hook from Ballin.
Ballin ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Ballin misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Ballin displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Erickson throws out the jab.
Ballin's jab looks to have found its range, popping Erickson under the eye.
Good shot there by Erickson.
Erickson scores with a shot to the body.
Ballin throws a right and a left that Erickson avoids nicely.
Ballin jabs Erickson to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Reid Erickson is winning the standup battle so far.
Ballin waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Erickson.
Erickson uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Ballin.
Erickson fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
No joy there for Ballin, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Ballin is breathing heavily.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Erickson throws a shot to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lazy left from Erickson finds it's target.

Ballin closes the distance and clinches.
Erickson blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Erickson blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Erickson blocking some punches.
Ballin working aggressively here.
Ballin misses with some punches.
Ballin keeps control of Erickson as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Erickson blocking some punches.
Ballin blocks an uppercut.
Erickson tries to break the clinch but Ballin is controlling the position.
Erickson is trying to push Ballin away but Ballin has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Erickson looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Erickson is looking to break free of the clinch but Ballin has double underhooks.
Erickson is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ballin misses with some punches.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Ballin.
Ballin doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Ballin.
Erickson can't break the clinch.
Erickson is looking to break free of the clinch but Ballin has double underhooks.
Ballin manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Ballin lands a shoulder strike.
A frustrated look appears on Erickson's face as he tries to break the clinch.
We are yet to see a takedown attempt from Ballin in the fight. On paper you would think he is the more dominant ground fighter so let's see if these unusual tactics pay off.
A frustrated look appears on Erickson's face as he tries to break the clinch.
A nice left hand lands by Ballin.
Erickson has had enough of the clinch but Ballin keeps him there for the moment.
Ballin lands a hook that snaps the head of Erickson backwards.
Ballin misses with a punch to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Erickson is trying to push Ballin away but Ballin has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Ballin swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Ballin blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Ballin fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Ballin misses with a hook from the clinch.
A right hand to the body from Ballin.
Ballin tries a body shot but Erickson blocks it.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Erickson.
Ballin misses with a punch on the inside.
Ballin prevents Erickson from breaking the clinch.
Ballin misses with some punches.
Ballin tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Erickson's elbow.
Erickson prevents a body shot from Ballin.

Erickson manages to break the clinch.
A big right from Ballin misses.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Patrick Ballin showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Patrick Ballin's cut.
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. This is the final round!

Ballin throws an off balance right hand
enabling Erickson to counter with a crisp jab.
Ballin has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Ballin moves out of range of the strikes.
Erickson steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Ballin.
Erickson throws a big shot that misses.
Ballin lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Erickson at a distance.
Ballin looks to score with a jab to the body but Erickson is just out of range.
Ballin staying out of range there.
Erickson misses with a hook.
Ballin jabs Erickson right on the nose. Erickson blinks but takes it well.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Ballin has Erickson up against the cage in a clinch.
Ballin goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Ballin dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Erickson has a couple of punches blocked by Ballin.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Erickson blocks a body shot from Ballin.
Ballin misses with a short punch on the inside.
Ballin avoiding damage.
Erickson doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Ballin swings wildly with an uppercut but Erickson uses good head movement to avoid it.
Ballin blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

Erickson breaks from the clinch.
Ballin misses with a hook
and Erickson counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Erickson staying out of range there.
Erickson doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
A telegraphed right hand from Erickson misses the target.
Erickson connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Ballin's hands.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Erickson avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Ballin uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Erickson.
Ballin throws out a loose jab but Erickson uses good head movement to avoid it.
Erickson swung with a counter punch to the body but it didn't connect.

Ballin takes the fight into the clinch.
Ballin throws a punch but it's blocked by Erickson.
Ballin misses with a short punch on the inside.
Erickson has had enough of the clinch but Ballin keeps him there for the moment.
Ballin pushes Erickson back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Ballin lands a right hand that snaps the head of Erickson backwards.
Ballin lands an uppercut.
Erickson looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Ballin swings wildly with an uppercut but Erickson uses good head movement to avoid it.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Ballin.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ballin tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Erickson's elbow.
Ballin has Erickson pressed against the cage, preventing Erickson from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Ballin struggles to land a body shot inside as Erickson controls his hands.
Erickson wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Erickson is trying to push Ballin away but Ballin has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Ballin misses with some punches.
Ballin throws a head punch that misses.
Erickson blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Ballin goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Ballin leaning his opponent against the cage.
Nice body punch from Ballin.
Reid Erickson has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Erickson takes a shot to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ballin blocks an uppercut.
Erickson blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Erickson tries to break the clinch but Ballin is controlling the position.
Ballin can't find room to land a body shot as Erickson controls the action.
Patrick Ballin is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Ballin lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Ballin prevents Erickson from breaking the clinch.
Erickson blocks a body shot from Ballin.
A nice left hand lands by Ballin.
Erickson is trying to break free.
Erickson takes a shot to the head.
Erickson misses with a hook from the clinch.
Ballin misses with a punch on the inside.
Ballin throws a head punch that misses.
Ballin prevents a body shot from Erickson.
Erickson tries to throw a body punch but Ballin avoids it by throwing Erickson back against the cage.
Erickson misses with a hook from the clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
Patrick Ballin comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Ballin winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Hugh Johnson scores the fight 27:30
Judge Topper Green scores the fight 27:30
Judge Steve Erwin scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Patrick Ballin!