PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Glenn Matthews (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Heikki Holopainen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The fight MMA fans around the world have waited their entire lives for!

Matthews
vs
Holopainen

192 cm
21
233 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

180 cm
19
230 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Good knees
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

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 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Glenn Matthews!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Heikki Holopainen!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Matthews plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!

It looks like Heikki Holopainen has been cut.
Matthews is looking to clinch.

Matthews moves into the clinch.
Knees in the clinch landing for Matthews.
Holopainen avoiding damage as Matthews throws knees to the body.
Matthews tries to land knees in the clinch but Holopainen avoids the damage to the body.
Holopainen on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

Matthews breaks from the clinch.
Holopainen shoots in for a double leg but Matthews sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.

Matthews pushes Holopainen up against the cage in a clinch.
Holopainen tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Holopainen fails to pull guard.
Glenn Matthews has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Heikki Holopainen.
Matthews throws a knee to the head but misses.
Matthews lands a nice knee to the body.
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!
Matthews unloads a knee to the mid-section. Holopainen lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Holopainen looks gassed!

Matthews breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Matthews lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Holopainen backs up against the cage.
Matthews lands a high kick to the side of Holopainen's head that stuns him and send him tumbling down to the canvas! Matthews dives into guard, looking to finish.

Holopainen is rocked!
Matthews slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Holopainen is still in real trouble! Can Matthews finish him?
Matthews advances to half guard.
Holopainen seems to have recovered his senses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Matthews controlling the action here.
Holopainen should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.

That's two 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.
Holopainen won't allow Matthews to pass to mount.
Matthews passes into side control, despite Holopainen's attempt to control the position.
Holopainen can't do much from the bottom here.
Holopainen is looking to reverse the position.

Matthews stands up and beckons Holopainen to his feet.
Holopainen tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Matthews lands a high kick to the side of Holopainen's head that stuns him and send him tumbling down to the canvas! Matthews dives into guard, looking to finish.

Matthews decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.

Matthews has closed the distance and engaged Holopainen in a clinch.

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

Matthews gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Matthews with a knee to the head.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Matthews lands a nice knee to the body.
Matthews scores a nice knee to the body.
Holopainen wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Matthews lands a knee to the body.
Matthews lands a knee to the body.
A short right from Matthews on the inside.
Matthews unloads a knee to the mid-section. Holopainen lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Matthews unloads a knee to the mid-section. Holopainen lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Matthews lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Matthews tries to land a knee to the head but Holopainen blocks with his arms.
Holopainen jumps guard but Matthews stands there with Holopainen around his waist. Holopainen gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Matthews landing knees to the body.
Holopainen drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Matthews unloads a knee to the mid-section. Holopainen lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Matthews lands a knee to the body.
Holopainen jumps guard but Matthews stands there with Holopainen around his waist. Holopainen gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Holopainen takes an elbow to the temple.
Matthews tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Matthews using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Matthews connects with a nasty looking knee right to Holopainen's face.
Matthews tries to land knees in the clinch but Holopainen avoids the damage to the body.
Matthews lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Matthews tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Matthews misses with a knee strike.
Holopainen tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Matthews landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Holopainen misses with a hook from the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Glenn Matthews dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Heikki Holopainen's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

Holopainen is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Matthews.
Matthews misses with a hook.
Matthews throws a low kick but it's checked well by Holopainen.
Holopainen tries to close the distance and clinch up but Matthews swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Holopainen shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Holopainen showed some decent athleticism there.
Holopainen trying to control from half guard but Matthews is working away.
Matthews is positioning himself well to prevent Holopainen advancing to mount.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Matthews wants to control but Holopainen is keeping busy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Matthews is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Holopainen is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Matthews keeping control of the position.
Matthews is looking to escape.

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.
Holopainen is stalling here. Matthews is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Holopainen seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Matthews has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
Matthews wants to control but Holopainen is keeping him busy.
Holopainen is looking for a sweep.
Matthews is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Holopainen will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Holopainen is trying to improve his position.

Matthews decides to stand back up. Matthews steps back and let's Holopainen get back to his feet.
Matthews throws a lazy right hand but Holopainen sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Matthews stuffs the takedown.

Matthews closes the distance and pushes Holopainen back into the cage.
Matthews lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Matthews lands an elbow just above Holopainen 's eye.
Knees to the body from Matthews.
Matthews lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Matthews landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.

Matthews manages to break the clinch.
Glenn Matthews is winning the standup battle so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Matthews forces Holopainen back against the cage and clinches.
Glenn Matthews has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Matthews lands a nice knee to the body.
Matthews landing knees to the head.
Holopainen on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Holopainen is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Matthews with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.

Matthews's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Holopainen instigates a clinch.

Matthews manages to break the clinch.
Holopainen looks to clinch

and Matthews moves into the clinch.
Holopainen managing to block the knees to the body from Matthews.

Matthews breaks the clinch.
Matthews tries to clinch but Holopainen moves out of range.
Holopainen shoots in looking for a takedown. Matthews tries to sprawl out of it but Holopainen keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Matthews manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Matthews fails with an attempt to clinch.
Matthews misses with a straight left.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Glenn Matthews dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Heikki Holopainen's cut.
That's time! Matthews's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Matthews tries to clinch there but Holopainen circles away.
Holopainen moves in looking to clinch but Matthews pushes him off.
Holopainen throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Matthews's waist but Matthews gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Holopainen off to one side.
Holopainen avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Matthews is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Holopainen can do to turn this around?
Holopainen takes one on the chin but seems OK.

Matthews gets caught flat footed, as Holopainen shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Matthews wants to get back to his feet but Holopainen passes into half guard.
Matthews is holding on to half guard well.
Holopainen wants to lay and pray for a moment but Matthews keeps working.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Matthews regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Holopainen.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Matthews keeping moving, preventing Holopainen from controlling successfully.
Holopainen stopping the sweep attempt from Matthews.
Matthews knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Holopainen on the ground.
Holopainen is fighting to break Matthews's control of his arms but Matthews is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.

That's two 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.

Matthews wriggles free and stands up.
Matthews moves in looking to clinch but Holopainen pushes him off.
Holopainen blocks a head kick by Matthews.
Matthews throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Matthews is looking to clinch.
Matthews lands a head kick. Holopainen smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Matthews fails in his attempt to clinch.
Glenn Matthews is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Matthews instigates a clinch.
Matthews trying to land knees to the body.
Holopainen is looking to break free of the clinch but Matthews has double underhooks.
Matthews on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

Holopainen pulls guard successfully.

Matthews stands up from Holopainen's guard - Matthews perhaps looking for a knockout.

Holopainen closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Matthews to the mat! Matthews manages to get full guard.
Matthews can't keep his opponent in guard - Holopainen advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The fighters are battling for position here. Matthews manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Matthews wants to stand but Holopainen is controlling the position.
Matthews will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Matthews wants to sweep here but Holopainen controlling him for the moment.
Holopainen would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Glenn Matthews is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Matthews manages to escape and get back to his feet.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Glenn Matthews.
Well Matthews has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Andi Peters scores the fight 30:26
Judge Gordon Ramsey scores the fight 30:26
Judge Frank Skinner scores the fight 30:26

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Glenn Matthews!