PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Darth Plagueis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kurt Koben (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). I don't know about you partner, but I'm pumped for this one!

Plagueis
vs
Koben

202 cm
20
250 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

202 cm
20
260 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Good knees
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
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 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Darth Plagueis!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Kurt Koben!
The judges for this bout are Johanna Lukiainen, Arvi Lind and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Plagueis looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Nice sprawl there from Koben as Plagueis shoots in.
Koben throws a head kick that misses.
Koben tries to clinch there but Plagueis circles away.
Plagueis avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Plagueis shoots in for a double leg but Koben sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Darth Plagueis. That's going to take a lot out of him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Koben tries to clinch but Plagueis is having none of it.
Koben fails with an attempt to clinch.
Plagueis tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Koben swivels and escapes.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Koben shoots in and bounces Plagueis off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Plagueis trying to keep a closed guard but Koben is proving a slippery customer.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Koben preventing the sweep.
Plagueis avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Koben is stalling in the full guard.
Plagueis is trying to keep Koben in close.
Koben working some strikes from top position.
Koben is looking to work some ground and pound but Plagueis has wrist control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Koben is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Plagueis 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.
Plagueis is trying to control the position but Koben postures up.
Koben slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Koben postures up.
Koben lands a couple of digs.
Koben is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Plagueis looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Plagueis is breathing heavily.

Koben stands up and waves to Plagueis to follow him.
Plagueis misses with a takedown attempt

and Koben counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Koben.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Koben manages to break the clinch.
Plagueis doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Koben moves into the clinch.
Plagueis takes an elbow to the temple.

It looks like Darth Plagueis has been cut.
Koben tries to land a knee to the head but misses.

Koben is trying to trip Plagueis. He has hold of a leg but Plagueis is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Koben persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Koben must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Koben keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Plagueis's head.
Koben is stalling in the full guard.
Plagueis is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Koben loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Koben is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Koben is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Koben connects with a couple of short punches.
Koben throws a big right hand that misses.
Koben postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Koben lands a couple of digs.
Koben is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.

Koben stands and steps away. Plagueis gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Koben tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Plagueis paws at him with a jab and circles away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kurt Koben dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Darth Plagueis's cut.
That's time! Plagueis's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Koben lands a high kick!
Plagueis shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Koben counters by moving into the clinch.
Koben lands an elbow inside.
Koben with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Koben stalls.

Plagueis is fighting off a takedown attempt but Koben is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Plagueis to the mat. Plagueis regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Koben scoring with some ground and pound.
Plagueis manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Koben manages to get himself to full guard.
Koben pulls Plagueis in close to prevent any damage.
Plagueis is looking to advance position but Koben has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!
Koben pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Koben avoids the attempt from Plagueis to control.
Koben content just to control the position here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Koben avoids the attempt from Plagueis to control.
Plagueis taking shots to the head.
Koben lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Koben unloading with bombs!
Koben scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Plagueis?
Koben working Plagueis over with strikes here.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Koben lands a big shot there that rocks Plagueis but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Koben lands with some strikes.
Koben lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Koben landing strikes from the mount and Plagueis is in trouble!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Koben landing strikes from the mount and Plagueis is in trouble!
Koben landing strikes, looking to finish!
Plagueis is looking to get to half guard.
Koben lands with some strikes.
Plagueis is in all sorts of trouble here.
Koben fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Koben working the ground and pound effectively.
Koben scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Plagueis?
Koben lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Koben cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Koben lands a heavy elbow.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Koben cracks Plagueis with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.

Plagueis is rocked!
Koben dominating with strikes here.
Oh Plagueis is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Koben working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Plagueis in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Koben working Plagueis over with strikes here.
Koben working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Plagueis keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Plagueis seems to have got his legs back now.
Koben landing strikes from the mount.
This has been an exciting period of action!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Plagueis is bucking up trying to escape but Koben cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Plagueis is looking to improve his position but Koben isn't that keen on the idea.
Plagueis tries to lock up and control but Koben gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kurt Koben showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Darth Plagueis's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Koben tries to clinch there but Plagueis circles away.
Koben wants to clinch up but Plagueis keeps it at a distance.
Plagueis shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Koben holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Koben connects with a nasty looking knee right to Plagueis's face.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Plagueis is working for takedown but Koben is calmly controlling the position for now.
Koben with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Koben has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Plagueis tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Darth Plagueis. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Koben with a knee to the head.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Koben landing knees to the head.
Koben gets underhooks to prevent Plagueis's takedown attempt.
Koben with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Plagueis takes an elbow to the temple.
Koben misses with a knee to the head.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Koben obliges.
Plagueis wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Koben has him pressed against the cage.
Koben with an attempt at a knee that misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Koben using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Plagueis has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Plagueis jumps guard but Koben stands there with Plagueis around his waist. Plagueis gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Koben with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Koben tries to land a knee to the head but Plagueis blocks with his arms.

Koben successfully pulls guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Plagueis missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Koben keeping full guard, as Plagueis tries to pass.
Plagueis trying to control but Koben is working from the bottom.

Koben is looking for a triangle but Plagueis pushes his legs off easily.
Plagueis being controlled here momentarily.

Koben kicks Plagueis off and gets to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Koben throws a push kick but Plagueis slaps the foot to one side.
Plagueis shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Koben counters by clinching up.
Koben landing knees to the head.

Koben's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Plagueis avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Darth Plagueis has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Kurt Koben is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Plagueis misses with a takedown attempt

and Koben counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Koben.

And that's the end of the fight!
Kurt Koben comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Koben 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 Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 25:30
Judge Arvi Lind scores the fight 25:30
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 25:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kurt Koben!