PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Antti Hirvi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jose Sanchez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Sanchez has chosen PELIMUSA as his entrance music. Both fighter's entrance songs getting the crowd jumping here.

Hirvi
vs
Sanchez

174 cm
24
156 lbs
9 - 4 - 1

178 cm
21
153 lbs
5 - 1 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Great elbows
Insanely flexible

BJJ Brown Belt
Dangerous knees
Granite chin

Perkele!
Perkele!

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 4 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Antti Hirvi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Jose Sanchez!
The judges for this bout are Johanna Lukiainen, Arvi Lind and Marco Blurström.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hirvi throws a body kick the misses
and Sanchez counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Hirvi pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Both fighters are looking to counter, which isn't making for the most exciting fight in the world.
Hirvi pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Hirvi swings widly with a right hand
and Sanchez cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Hirvi clinches up with Sanchez and pushes him back against the cage.
Hirvi on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Sanchez is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Hirvi is defending well for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hirvi throws an elbow but it misses.
Sanchez tries to land a knee to the head but Hirvi blocks with his arms.
Sanchez fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Sanchez is trying to break free.
Hirvi swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Sanchez avoids the elbow strike from Hirvi, against the cage.
Sanchez takes a knee right on the jaw!
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Sanchez.
Hirvi pushes off an throws an elbow but Sanchez leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Sanchez trying to control the position but instead, Hirvi has worked for underhooks and has pushed Sanchez into the cage.
Sanchez seems frustrated at his inability to get double underhooks.
Sanchez dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Sanchez stalling in the clinch but Hirvi improves position.
Sanchez's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Hirvi throws an elbow but it misses.
Hirvi lands an elbow inside that Sanchez shrugs off.
Sanchez avoiding damage as Hirvi throws knees to the body.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Sanchez is trying to slow the pace down but that's a couple of times in a row that he's tried to get underhooks and Hirvi has denied him.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Jose Sanchez.
Hirvi moves out of range as Sanchez throws a body kick.

That's two 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.
Sanchez throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Hirvi.
Jose Sanchez is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Sanchez jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Sanchez throws a sloppy head kick
and Hirvi counters with a good, hard body kick but Sanchez shrugs it off.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Hirvi throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Hirvi throws a nice inside leg kick.
Sanchez tries to clinch but Hirvi is having none of it.

Hirvi shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!

Hirvi is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Hirvi keeping moving, preventing Sanchez from controlling successfully.
Hirvi not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Hirvi looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Antti Hirvi will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

A low kick from Hirvi misses
and Sanchez counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Hirvi is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Sanchez misses with an uppercut. Hirvi saw that one coming.
Hirvi throws a sloppy body shot
enabling Sanchez to counter with a crisp jab.
Sanchez throws a head kick but Hirvi moves out of range.
Hirvi ducks right into an uppercut from Sanchez.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hirvi tries to land a front kick but Sanchez steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Sanchez tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Hirvi throws a head kick that Sanchez semi-blocks.
Hirvi throws a push kick but Sanchez slaps the foot to one side.
Hirvi keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Sanchez.

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.
Hirvi shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Sanchez as he avoids it easily.
Sanchez throws an overhand right that lands on Hirvi's shoulder, as Hirvi tries to avoid the shot.
Hirvi connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Sanchez tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Hirvi fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Sanchez.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Hirvi clinches.
Sanchez lands a hook that snaps the head of Hirvi backwards.
Hirvi tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Sanchez scores a nice knee to the body.
Sanchez avoids a wild elbow strike from Hirvi.
Sanchez is looking to control Hirvi's arms but Hirvi gets an underhook and turns him. Now Sanchez has his back to the cage.
Sanchez is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Hirvi is defending well for now.
Sanchez stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Hirvi as Sanchez tries to tie him up.
Sanchez throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Hirvis head.
Sanchez has a couple of punches blocked by Hirvi.
Sanchez with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Hirvi trying to land knees to the body.
Hirvi pushes off an throws an elbow but Sanchez leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
A right hand to the body from Sanchez.
Hirvi lands a nice elbow.
Sanchez is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Sanchez trying to control the position but instead, Hirvi has worked for underhooks and has pushed Sanchez into the cage.
Sanchez lands a good knee to the midsection. Hirvi won't want to take too many of those.
Hirvi gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.

It looks like Jose Sanchez has been cut.
Sanchez tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Hirvi comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Hirvi misses with an elbow strike.
Hirvi misses with a knee strike.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Hirvi lands an elbow inside that Sanchez shrugs off.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Hirvi.
Sanchez can't find room to land a body shot as Hirvi controls the action.
Sanchez misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Hirvi.
Sanchez is trying to stall.
Hirvi throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Sanchez misses with a body punch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jose Sanchez showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Jose Sanchez's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

A head kick misses from Hirvi.
Sanchez throws a head kick that misses.

Hirvi moves into range and clinches up with Sanchez.
Hirvi looks to throw an elbow but misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hirvi throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Sanchez lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Sanchez blocks the elbow strike.
Hirvi blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Sanchez is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Sanchez looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Sanchez misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Hirvi.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hirvi pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Hirvi blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Sanchez using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Hirvi blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Hirvi pushes off an throws an elbow but Sanchez leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Sanchez misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Hirvi misses with a knee strike.
Hirvi throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Hirvi throws a knee to the head but misses.
Sanchez trying to land knees to the body.
With the fighters up against the cage, Hirvi throws an elbow but misses.
A knee to the head by Sanchez.
Hirvi managing to block the knees to the body from Sanchez.
Hirvi blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Sanchez tries to land a knee to the head but Hirvi blocks with his arms.
Sanchez tries to land a knee to the head but Hirvi blocks with his arms.
Sanchez using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Hirvi tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Sanchez avoids it.
Hirvi lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Sanchez dodges an elbow strike from Hirvi.
Hirvi misses with an elbow strike.
Sanchez has Hirvi pushed against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez scores a nice knee to the body.
Still in the clinch, Sanchez scores with a nice short uppercut.
Sanchez lands a good knee to the midsection. Hirvi won't want to take too many of those.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Sanchez lands a knee to the body.
Hirvi misses with an elbow strike.
Sanchez tries to stall but Hirvi uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Sanchez lands a body shot in the clinch.
Sanchez throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Hirvi tries to pull guard but Sanchez holds him up against the cage and eventually Hirvi drops back down to his feet.
Hirvi blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Hirvi takes a knee to the side of the body.
Sanchez avoids a wild elbow strike from Hirvi.
Sanchez stalling.
Sanchez looking to stall.
Sanchez throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Hirvi blocks it with crossed arms.
Sanchez is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Hirvi is defending well for now.
Hirvi misses with an elbow over the top.
Sanchez looking to stall.
Hirvi lands a nice elbow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez taking a breather.
A short right from Sanchez on the inside.
Hirvi avoiding damage as Sanchez throws knees to the body.
Hirvi tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Sanchez just leaning against Hirvi, taking a breather.
Hirvi throws an elbow that misses.
Sanchez doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Sanchez tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Hirvi lands an elbow that stopped Sanchez in his tracks for a moment.

Sanchez breaks from the clinch.
Hirvi will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Sanchez throws out a token jab with nothing on it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Hirvi slips under a jab from Sanchez.
Antti Hirvi seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Sanchez cracks Hirvi with a right hand to the side of the head.
Sanchez throws a sloppy head kick and Hirvi moves out of range easily.
Hirvi misses with a left hand
and Sanchez counters with a nice uppercut.
Hirvi is looking to score with low kicks.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jose Sanchez comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Sanchez 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 Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 28:29
Judge Arvi Lind scores the fight 28:29
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jose Sanchez!