PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Asheesh Patel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Izrael Cero (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Asheesh Patel has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Patel
vs
Cero

175 cm
19
179 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

177 cm
21
168 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

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, Asheesh Patel!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Izrael Cero!
The judges for this bout are Matti Vanhoillinen, Marco Blurström and Tarja Halkonen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cero avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Cero tries for a takedown but Patel sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Nice sprawl there from Patel as Cero shoots in.
Asheesh Patel seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Patel fails with an attempt to clinch.
Cero fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Asheesh Patel has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Izrael Cero.
Patel tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Patel tries to clinch up.
Patel tries to clinch but Cero is having none of it.

Patel clinches with his opponent.
Patel can't break the clinch.
Patel stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Patel scores with a hook to the body.
Cero has Patel pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Patel manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Cero drops down looking for an ankle pick but Patel pulls his leg out and moves away.
Patel wants to clinch.

Patel fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Cero, pushing him back against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cero blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Cero drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Cero is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Patel lands a nice uppercut.
Patel lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Cero or not.
Cero drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Cero looks gassed!
Patel throws a punch but it's blocked by Cero.
A head punch on the inside from Patel fails to land.
Patel lands a left hand that snaps the head of Cero backwards.
Cero is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Patel gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Patel doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Patel lands with a left to the head.
Patel throws a punch but it's blocked by Cero.
Cero blocks an uppercut.
Patel is pressed up against the cage. Cero has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Patel down to the mat. Patel avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Patel doesn't manage to clinch there - Cero circles away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Patel wants to clinch up but Cero keeps it at a distance.
Patel moves in looking to clinch but Cero pushes him off.
The fight stays on the outside here - Patel looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Patel tries to close the distance and clinch up but Cero swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Patel tries to clinch but Cero is having none of it.
Patel tries to clinch but Cero is having none of it.
Patel tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Cero paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Patel wants to clinch up but Cero keeps it at a distance.
Patel tries to clinch up.

Patel pushes Cero up against the cage in a clinch.
Patel misses with a short punch on the inside.
Cero is working for takedown but Patel is calmly controlling the position for now.
Patel working aggressively here.
Cero drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Patel gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Patel lands a body shot in the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Patel softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Patel taking a breather.
Patel misses with a short punch on the inside.
Patel misses with a short punch on the inside.
Patel is trying to break the clinch but Cero is controlling him.
A hook to the body from Patel.
Patel effectively controlling the action here.
Patel pushes Cero back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Cero blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Patel throws a head punch that misses.
Patel lands a shoulder strike.
Patel doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Patel lands a body punch.
Patel working aggressively here.
Patel lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Patel.
A shot in the inside from Patel.
A right hook to the body lands for Patel.
Good body shot from Patel.
Cero's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Still in the clinch, Patel scores with a nice short uppercut.
Patel is looking to break free of the clinch but Cero has double underhooks.
Patel lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Patel lands with a short shot to the head.
Patel tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Patel scores with a shot to the side of Cero's head.
Patel digs a right hand underneath Cero's ribcage. Cero let out a lung full of air as it connected.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Patel works on Cero's body with a couple of short punches.
Cero blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Patel misses with a hook from the clinch.
Patel fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Patel lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Patel misses with a short punch on the inside.
Patel lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Cero backwards.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Patel.
Cero goes for a takedown attempt but Patel pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Patel tries to clinch up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Asheesh Patel dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Patel is looking to clinch but Cero is avoiding it.
Cero fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Patel tries to close the distance and clinch but Cero swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Patel fails with an attempt to clinch.
Patel tries to clinch but Cero moves out of range.
Cero circles away from the clinch attempt.
Patel tries to clinch up.
Patel tries to close the distance and clinch but Cero swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Cero gets a takedown into half guard.
Patel looks like he's trying to stand up.
Cero is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Patel works his way to full guard. Good work.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Patel 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.
Patel managing to control the position.
Cero wants to control from the top but Patel keeps moving.

Cero has gone for a leg lock! Patel slips out almost immediately though and dives into Cero's guard.
Patel has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

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.
Patel stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Cero swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Patel is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Patel chips away with some ground and pound.
Patel distracts Cero with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Patel pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Cero is keeping the position for now.
Patel showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Patel throwing strikes from guard but Cero blocks nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cero is trying to keep Patel in close.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Patel accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Patel looking to pass the guard.
Patel with a flurry of punches that miss.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Patel tries to clinch but Cero is having none of it.
Patel tries to clinch up.
Patel keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Patel tries to clinch but Cero is having none of it.
Asheesh Patel is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's four 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.
Cero keeps the fight on the outside.
Cero closes this distance looking for a takedown but Patel circles away.
Asheesh Patel has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Izrael Cero.
Patel moves in looking to clinch but Cero pushes him off.
Cero tries for a takedown but Patel sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Cero keeps the fight on the outside.
The fight stays on the outside here - Patel looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Cero on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Patel lands a jab-cross combination.
Cero avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Patel tries to clinch but Cero is having none of it.
Cero swats away the attempt to clinch by Patel.
Cero avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Asheesh Patel dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Patel moves in looking to clinch but Cero pushes him off.
Patel fails with an attempt to clinch.
Patel doesn't manage to clinch there - Cero circles away.
Patel tries to clinch up but Cero circles away and keeps his distance.
Cero shoots in for a double leg but Patel sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Cero clinches but Patel breaks the clinch

and Patel counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Cero utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Patel wants to pass the guard but Cero is keeping the position.
Cero keeping moving, preventing Patel from controlling successfully.

Cero looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Cero being controlled here, momentarily.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Patel tries to free his leg and advance position but Cero is retaining full guard.
Cero working a defensive guard here.
Cero wants to hit a switch here but Patel passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for Cero there!
Patel fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Patel content just to control the position here.
A nice elbow there by Patel.
Asheesh Patel is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Patel tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Patel is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Cero can do to turn this around?
Patel thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Patel controlling his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

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

Patel darts in and clinches Cero up against the cage.
Patel throws a head punch that misses.
Cero is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Patel pulls him back up using the underhooks.

That's four 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.
Patel gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Cero.
Asheesh Patel has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Izrael Cero.
Patel presses Cero against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Patel throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Ceros head.
Patel lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Cero changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Patel fights it off and pushes away nicely.

Patel rushes Cero and presses him up against the cage.
Patel lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Cero backwards.
Cero can't get the takedown.
Izrael Cero has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Patel dodges an elbow strike from Cero.
Patel trying to control the position but instead, Cero has worked for underhooks and has pushed Patel into the cage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Asheesh Patel showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Patel 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 Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 30:26
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 30:26
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 30:26

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Asheesh Patel!