PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Api Upontehdas (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Danny Leigh (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Upontehdas has a slight injury, which hopefully won't affect the fight too much. Api Upontehdas has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Upontehdas
vs
Leigh

190 cm
18
190 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

190 cm
21
190 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Heavy handed

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 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Api Upontehdas!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Danny Leigh!
The judges for this bout are Tarja Halkonen, Ben Zyskovitsi and Arvi Lind.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Leigh shoots in for a takedown but Upontehdas shows good takedown defense.

Leigh feints and as Upontehdas raises his hands in defense, Leigh changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Leigh sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Upontehdas's guard.
Leigh is controlling the pace.
I looks like Leigh might be adopting somewhat of a lay and pray gameplan here, which I'm sure won't go down too well with the paying fans in attendance... Or the ring announcers come to think of it.
Upontehdas is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Despite being in the dominant position, Danny Leigh just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Upontehdas misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Horrible takedown by Leigh or perhaps it was just good defense by Upontehdas which made him look bad.
Leigh dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Upontehdas. That did some damage!
Leigh shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Upontehdas sprawls well. Upontehdas wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Leigh gets slowly back to his feet.
Api Upontehdas has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Danny Leigh.

Leigh rushes Upontehdas and presses him up against the cage.

Leigh's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Upontehdas stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Upontehdas wants it to stay on the feet.
Leigh's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Leigh duly obliges.

It looks like Api Upontehdas has been cut.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Leigh misses with a double jab.
Upontehdas closes the distance but Leigh moves to the side
and Leigh counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Leigh swinging wilding here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Upontehdas looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Leigh is fending him off so far but Upontehdas persists. Nope, Leigh circles away and we're back to standing.
Leigh has a takedown stuffed.
Upontehdas tries to clinch but Leigh moves away

and Leigh counters with a takedown into side control.
Leigh remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
Let's hope that Leigh has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Upontehdas tries to slip a leg under to move to half guard but Leigh presses down on the leg and jumps into full mount!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Leigh controlling from the full mount.
Upontehdas tries to reverse the position but Leigh maintains control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Upontehdas is working hard here to advance position.

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.
Leigh sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

Despite being in the dominant position, Danny Leigh just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Upontehdas looks to land a body kick but Leigh moved away.

Leigh drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Leigh controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Upontehdas is looking to stand up but Leigh isn't so interested in that idea.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Leigh sitting in guard here, content to control.
Upontehdas has momentary wrist control but Leigh slips an elbow through the middle.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Danny Leigh dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Api Upontehdas's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Leigh shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Leigh sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Leigh stands and throws Upontehdas's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Upontehdas is letting Leigh control him for a moment.
Leigh scoring with punches from side control.
Leigh has knee on belly and moves into mount.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Leigh sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Leigh with good strikes from the mount here!
A nice elbow there by Leigh.
Leigh looking to control and managing it successfully.

Despite being in the dominant position, Danny Leigh just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Leigh shoots in but Upontehdas avoids the takedown attempt easily.

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.
Leigh tries for a takedown but Upontehdas sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Upontehdas throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Leigh misses with a double jab.
Upontehdas tries to clinch but Leigh moves out of range.
Leigh throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Leigh fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Api Upontehdas has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Danny Leigh.
Leigh swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Leigh shoots in for a double leg but Upontehdas sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Upontehdas lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Upontehdas tries to clinch

and Leigh counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Leigh stays in close to Upontehdas's body and controls the position.

Upontehdas has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Leigh can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Leigh's corner is telling him to maintain position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Upontehdas is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Leigh is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Leigh pushes down on Upontehdas's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Leigh controlling the action here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Upontehdas wants to get back to full guard but Leigh has mounted him!
Leigh with shots to the head and body - Upontehdas looks very uncomfortable down there.
Leigh sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Upontehdas throwing hammer fists to the chest of Leigh. What's that going to do exactly?
Upontehdas tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Leigh controlling from mount.
Leigh landing strikes, looking to finish!
Leigh sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Upontehdas takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Danny Leigh showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Api Upontehdas's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Upontehdas with a lazy takedown attempt

and Leigh counters by clinching up.
Leigh drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Leigh wants the takedown. Upontehdas is fighting it off but Leigh persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Upontehdas's guard against the cage.
Leigh controlling from the top position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Despite being in the dominant position, Danny Leigh just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Leigh shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Leigh showed some decent athleticism there.
Leigh is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Upontehdas!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Leigh controlling the position easily from mount.
Upontehdas wants to hold on but Leigh pushes him away.
Upontehdas is wriggling around trying to escape.
Leigh controlling from mount.
Leigh's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Leigh landing strikes, looking to finish!
Leigh sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Leigh with shots to the head and body - Upontehdas looks very uncomfortable down there.
Leigh tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Leigh landing punches.
The referee warns Upontehdas that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Leigh sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Danny Leigh has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Despite being in the dominant position, Danny Leigh just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
A clash of legs there as Leigh blocks the low kick.
Upontehdas is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Leigh.
Upontehdas misses with a low kick.
Leigh fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Leigh has a takedown stuffed.
Api Upontehdas has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Danny Leigh.

Leigh decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Leigh passes to full mount!
Upontehdas is trying desperately to improve position.
Leigh looking to control and managing it successfully.
Leigh pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Upontehdas really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Leigh content just to control the position here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Danny Leigh comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Leigh has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 26:30
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 26:30
Judge Arvi Lind scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Danny Leigh!