PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Max Dup (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Foti Vasa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Dup kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Burning Heart by Survivor. The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Dup
vs
Vasa

183 cm
26
195 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

183 cm
20
199 lbs
5 - 10 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Very quick

Decent wrestler
Decent boxing
Powerful

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 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Max Dup!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 10 - 0, fighting out of London, Foti Vasa!
The judges for this bout are Colin Fotheringham, James Ackerman and Paul Tew.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Vasa misses with a takedown attempt - Dup sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Vasa shoots for a double leg takedown but Dup sprawls well. He's pushed Vasa's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Vasa tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Vasa moves out of range of the strikes.
Dup with a lazy takedown attempt
and Vasa counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Dup closes the distance and clinches up with Vasa, looking for a takedown. Dup pushes Vasa against the cage but Vasa circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Vasa connects with a solid leg kick.
Vasa showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Dup.
Dup shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Vasa pinned against the cage. Vasa gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Max Dup. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Vasa rushes Dup and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Dup wants to break free but Vasa has control.
Dup wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Dup wants to break the clinch but can't.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dup tries to break free but Vasa pushes him back against the cage.

Dup ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Dup no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Vasa keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Dup's head.
Vasa with a nice head shot there.
Dup keeping moving, preventing Vasa from controlling successfully.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Dup wants to sweep here but Vasa controlling him for the moment.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Dup bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Vasa's guard.
Dup sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Dup trying to control but Vasa is working from the bottom.
Vasa throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dup slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Vasa wants to sweep here but Dup controlling him for the moment.
Vasa wants to stand up but Dup is controlling him.
Dup controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

Vasa throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Vasa looks gassed!

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Dup feints and as Vasa raises his hands in defense, Dup changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Dup is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dup passes Vasa's left leg - he's now in half guard.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Vasa is trying to stand.
Dup controlling the pace.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Max Dup.
Vasa misses with a takedown attempt

and Dup counters with a left and a right that hurts Vasa! He wobbles and falls to the floor - he's in big trouble! Dup jumps into full mount!

Vasa is rocked!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Dup controlling the pace for now.
Vasa is still in real trouble! Can Dup finish him?

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dup has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
Vasa seems to have recovered his senses.
Vasa tries to reverse the position but Dup maintains control.
Dup controlling from mount.
Vasa tries to lock up and control but Dup gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Dup controlling the position easily from mount.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Dup seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Vasa for as long as he can get away with.
Dup'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.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Max Dup dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Dup swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Vasa throws a right and a left that Dup avoids nicely.
Vasa fails with the takedown

and Dup counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Max Dup.
Vasa takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.

It looks like Foti Vasa has been cut.
Dup throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Vasa counters with a head kick.
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!
Vasa shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Dup counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Dup fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Vasa avoids it really well and circles away.
Vasa is breathing heavily.
Dup misses with a double jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dup with a poor takedown

and Vasa moves into the clinch.
Vasa has Dup pressed against the cage, preventing Dup from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Dup tries for a takedown but Vasa manages to get underhooks.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Max Dup. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Vasa prevents the takedown attempt.
Vasa throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Dup blocks it with crossed arms.
Dup is trying to break the clinch but Vasa has him pressed against the cage.
Vasa is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Dup pulls him back up using the underhooks.

Vasa breaks from the clinch.
Vasa with a poor takedown

and Dup counters with a nice double leg into side control. Vasa won't be happy with that.
You can see the frustration on Vasa's face as Dup controls the position.
Dup moves into full mount!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Vasa is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Dup controlling the position easily from mount.
Max Dup overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vasa tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Dup controlling his opponent.
Vasa tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Dup looking to control and managing it successfully.

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.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Max Dup just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
A left and a right from Dup both land. Nice combination.
Dup lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Vasa circles away quickly and effectively.
Dup fails to land the takedown.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Vasa.

Dup shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Vasa manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Dup is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Max Dup dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Foti Vasa'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!

Dup falls off balance throwing a combination

and Vasa counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Vasa won't allow Dup to get back to his feet.
Dup keeping busy, throwing shots from the bottom.
Vasa works over Dup with some ground and pound from guard.
Vasa prevents Dup from getting back to his feet.
Dup strikes from his own guard.
Vasa throws a big right hand that misses.
Vasa scoring with some ground and pound.
Vasa in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Vasa working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Dup's head.
Dup throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Dup is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Dup perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dup tries to pass to full mount but Vasa defends it.
Dup looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Vasa is trying to stand back up but Dup is controlling him
Dup controlling the action here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Max Dup.
Dup falls off balance throwing a combination

and Vasa moves into the clinch.
Dup has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Vasa avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.

Vasa breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Dup tries for a takedown but Vasa sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Dup lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Vasa clinches but Dup breaks the clinch

and Dup counters with a takedown into side control.
Vasa is trying to control Dup's posture but Dup avoids it.
Vasa is trying to get back to half guard.
Vasa wants to control but Dup postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dup 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.
Vasa wants to get back to his feet but Dup drags him back down.
You can see the frustration on Vasa's face as Dup controls the position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Max Dup.
Dup shoots for a takedown but Vasa saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Max Dup. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's four 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.
A left and a right from Dup both land. Nice combination.
Vasa is looking to clinch but Dup is avoiding it.
Vasa misses with a takedown attempt
and Dup counters with a three punch combo that has Vasa backing up. Vasa nods at Dup to acknowledge the strikes.
A jab lands there for Dup.
Vasa gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Dup counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Vasa!
Vasa is trying desperately to improve position.
Dup controlling the pace for now.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Vasa throwing hammer fists to the chest of Dup. What's that going to do exactly?

And that's the end of the fight!
Max Dup showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Dup, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 30:27
Judge James Ackerman scores the fight 30:27
Judge Paul Tew scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Max Dup!