PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between aa Sas (ranked 4256 p4p, 0 weight class) and Octavio Sampson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Sas
vs
Sampson

178 cm
18
160
0 - 0 - 0

175 cm
18
153
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

Good takedowns
Brawler
Granite chin

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, aa Sas!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Octavio Sampson!
The judges for this bout are Marco Blurström, Anni Minnemäki and Johanna Lukiainen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sas shoots in looking for a takedown but Sampson manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Sas's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.

Sampson shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Sampson wants to lay and pray for a moment but Sas keeps working.
Sampson is looking to advance position but Sas won't allow it.
Sas wants to control but Sampson is keeping busy and won't allow it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sas is controlling Sampson's position as best he can from this difficult position.
Sampson tries to pass the half guard into mount. Sas knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sampson thows a huge punch but Sas dodges it nicely.
Sas wants to control but Sampson is keeping busy.
Sampson tries to stand but can't do so whilst Sas controls his leg.
Sas knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Sampson on the ground.
Sas wants to get back to his feet.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
No luck for Sas with that takedown attempt.

Sas has closed the distance and engaged Sampson in a clinch.

Sas jumps guard and drags Sampson to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sampson controls from within his opponent's guard.
Sampson wants to control from the top but Sas keeps moving.
Sampson wants to stand but Sas is controlling his posture from full guard.
Sampson stays in close to Sas's body and controls the position.
Sas looking to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sampson won't allow Sas to sweep him here.

Sampson is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Sampson postures up in Sas's guard and throws a big left but Sas blocks it.
Sampson wants to stand but Sas is controlling his posture from full guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Sampson pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Sampson lands with a kick to the temple. Sas shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"

Sas moves into the clinch.
Sas throws a knee to the head but misses.
Sas tries to land knees in the clinch but Sampson avoids the damage to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Sampson manages to break the clinch.

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

Sas is scooting his butt against the cage and has managed to get back to his feet. Sampson presses him back against the cage, presumably looking to take the fight back to the mat.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Sas tries to pull guard but Sampson won't allow it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for aa Sas. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sampson tries to land knees in the clinch but Sas avoids the damage to the body.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Sas.
Sampson tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Sampson is defending well against a takedown attempt.

Sampson jumps into guard, dragging Sas to the mat.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Sas trying to control but Sampson is working from the bottom.
Sampson wants to improve his position but instead Sas has moved into half guard.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Octavio Sampson will probably get the nod.
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.

Sampson stuffs the takedown attempt from Sas. Sas gets slowly back to his feet.
Sas fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

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

Sas manages to wriggle out and sneak his way back up to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched up against the cage.
Sas is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Sampson escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Sas is looking to clinch but Sampson is avoiding it.
Sas avoids a punch combination nicely.
Sampson shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Sas counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
A right-left combo lands from Sampson.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Sas shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Sas showed some decent athleticism there.
Sas is trying to control. Sampson wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Sampson is defending against the submission attempts here by Sas.
Sampson wants to control but Sas is keeping busy.
aa Sas overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Sampson is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sampson slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

Sas avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

Sampson is working an open guard so Sas takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Nice sprawl there from Sampson as Sas shoots in.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for aa Sas. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sampson shoots for a double leg takedown but Sas sprawls well. He's pushed Sampson's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Sas shoots in for a takedown but Sampson shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
A head kick from Sampson lands but Sas takes it in his stride.
Sas is trying hard to land a takedown here. Sampson sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Sampson thows a left - swing and a miss!
Sampson defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Sas.
Sas shoots in for a takedown but Sampson shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Sampson fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

Sampson bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Sampson is staying tight to Sas's torso, preventing him from escaping.

Sampson tries for a kimura but Sas is defending well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
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!
Sampson scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Sas to see if he's OK.

Sampson thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Sas looks to move to half guard but instead Sampson has passed into mount! Damn!
Sampson throwing strikes here but Sas is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Octavio Sampson showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Sas throws a sloppy head kick and Sampson moves out of range easily.
No luck for Sas with that takedown attempt.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Sampson avoids a wild elbow strike from Sas.
Sampson content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Sampson stops a takedown attempt from Sas.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Sampson pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Sampson looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Sas!
Sampson postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Sas is trying to stand and escape here. He's got onto all fours but that's just let Sampson take his back! Uh oh - Sampson has got a rear naked choke here! Sas is forced to tap! It's all over! One monent is all it takes in this sport!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:12 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Octavio Sampson!