PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Karviais Marja (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Vesa Vempula (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Marja comes to the cage accompanied by Clawfinger - Biggest & The Best. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Marja
vs
Vempula

225 cm
18
212 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

195 cm
22
216 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter striker
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, Karviais Marja!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Vesa Vempula!
The judges for this bout are Richard Clark, James Glass and Donald Grub.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Marja blocks a head kick by Vempula.
Vempula throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Vempula looks to land a body kick but Marja moved away.
Vempula throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Vempula misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Marja takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Vempula misses with a kick to the body.
Marja shoots in but Vempula avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Marja really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Vempula is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Marja fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Marja avoids the head kick by Vempula.
Vempula throws the kick towards the body but Marja avoids it.

Marja shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Marja showed some decent athleticism there.
Marja content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Marja's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Marja tries to pass to full mount but Vempula defends it.
Marja seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.
Marja is breathing heavily.
Vempula is not content to let Marja control the position.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Marja in particular looking to stall.
Marja trying to control from Vempula's half guard. Vempula has other ideas though and has regained full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Marja trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Marja wants to control from the top but Vempula keeps moving.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Marja shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Karviais Marja. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Vempula throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Marja shoots for a double leg takedown but Vempula sprawls well. He's pushed Marja's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Marja keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Vempula throws a push kick but Marja slaps the foot to one side.
Vempula tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Marja paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Marja fails with a takedown attempt.
Marja fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Marja checks a low kick from Vempula.
Vempula lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.

It looks like Karviais Marja has been cut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marja changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Vempula tries to avoid it but Marja manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Vempula to the ground. Vempula escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Marja shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Vempula as he avoids it easily.
Marja shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Vempula pinned against the cage. Vempula gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Vempula keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Marja shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Vempula as he avoids it easily.

Vempula has taken the fight to the clinch.
Vempula with a knee to the head.
Marja wants a takedown but no success here.
The referee calls for Vempula to work.
Marja drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Marja misses with an elbow over the top.
Vempula tries to stall but Marja uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Vempula lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Vempula lands a damaging elbow.
Vempula using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Marja has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Vempula misses with a knee strike.
Vempula tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Vempula.
Marja has Vempula pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Vempula manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Vempula misses with a knee strike.
Vempula gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Vempula misses with a knee to the head.
Vempula tries to stall but Marja uses the opportunity to gain a better position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Vempula connects with a nasty looking knee right to Marja's face.
Vempula tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Vempula lands an elbow inside.
Vempula scores a nice knee to the body.
Vempula gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Marja.
Marja tries for a takedown. No joy.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Marja.
Vempula comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Knees in the clinch landing for Vempula.
Vempula landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Vempula is pressed up against the cage. Marja has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Vempula down to the mat. Vempula avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Marja moves out of range as Vempula throws a body kick.

Marja drives through and clinches with Vempula against the cage.

Marja pulls guard effortlessly.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Marja pulls Vempula in to control the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vesa Vempula dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Karviais Marja's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Marja fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Vempula tries to clinch up

and Marja counters by clinching up.
Marja tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Vempula just stands there and leans against the cage.
Vempula is pressed up against the cage. Marja has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Vempula down to the mat. Vempula avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Karviais Marja. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Vempula scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Marja shoots in but Vempula avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Marja blocks the body kick.
Vempula tries to clinch but Marja moves away

and Marja decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Vempula's guard.
Vempula wants to stand but Marja is controlling the position.
Marja controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Marja is looking to work some ground and pound but Vempula has wrist control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Marja controlling from the top position.
Marja looking to pass the guard.
Marja content to stall in guard here.

That's two 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.
Marja seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Vempula for as long as he can get away with.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Karviais Marja just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.

Marja looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Vempula!
Marja pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Marja controlling the position easily from mount.
Marja wants to control the pace but Vempula is squirming around nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vempula really wants to buck Marja off and get back to his feet.
Marja trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Marja controlling the pace for now.
Marja trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Marja will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Vempula is desperately trying to improve his position but Marja has a good base and remains in mount.

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.
Vempula wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
Marja tries to control but Vempula wriggling away.
Vempula wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Marja.
Marja controlling his opponent.
Marja trying to control but Vempula is having none of it.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Karviais Marja just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Vempula tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Marja paws at him with a jab and circles away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Karviais Marja dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Karviais Marja's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Vempula has managed to clinch.
Marja takes an elbow to the temple.
Vempula prevents a takedown attempt there.
Vempula blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Vempula using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Marja has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Vempula landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Vempula scores a nice knee to the body.
Vempula lands a damaging elbow.
Marja tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Vempula smiles and moves away.
Marja shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Vempula pinned against the cage. Vempula gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Karviais Marja. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Vempula throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Vempula lands with a kick to the ribs.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Marja avoids the head kick by Vempula.
Marja shoots in for a double leg but Vempula sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Karviais Marja is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Vempula misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Vempula takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Marja looks frusrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Vempula throws a head kick that misses.
Vempula throws a head kick but Marja moves out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Horrible takedown by Marja or perhaps it was just good defense by Vempula which made him look bad.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Vempula.
Vempula using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Vesa Vempula seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Knees to the body from Vempula.
Vempula scores with a knee to the head.

Karviais Marja's cut is getting worse.
Vempula lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Marja avoiding damage as Vempula throws knees to the body.
Vempula using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Marja has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

Marja manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Marja has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Marja tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Marja is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Vempula wants to get back to full guard but Marja has passed into side control.
Vempula can't escape the position.
Marja sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Marja trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Vempula wants to try and get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marja controlling the pace for now.

Marja is working for a guillotine from mount but Vempula frees his head quite easily.
Marja looking to control and managing it successfully.
Marja trying to control but Vempula is having none of it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Karviais Marja just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Vempula tries to close the distance and clinch but Marja swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Vempula misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

Marja drives through with a takedown into guard.
Marja is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Karviais Marja overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Vempula is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Marja sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Vempula wants to get back to his feet but Marja is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Marja is pushing down on Vempula's leg trying to pass to half guard. Vempula is fighting to maintain full guard but Marja has managed to sneak the leg through.

And that's the end of the fight!
Vesa Vempula comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Vempula has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Richard Clark scores the fight 28:29
Judge James Glass scores the fight 28:29
Judge Donald Grub scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Vesa Vempula!