PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Aldin Arifi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Victor Stevens (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Arifi
vs
Stevens

175 cm
19
155 lbs
1 - 4 - 0

175 cm
19
135 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Aldin Arifi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Victor Stevens!
The judges for this bout are Marco Blurström, Johanna Lukiainen and Anni Minnemäki.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Arifi throws a head kick that misses.

Stevens has Arifi up against the cage in a clinch.
Stevens is trying to break free.
Stevens is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Arifi pulls him back up using the underhooks.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.

Arifi ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Arifi no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Stevens tries to stand but Arifi is controlling from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Arifi is adopting a defensive guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Arifi has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.

Aldin Arifi has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Arifi avoids the head kick by Stevens.
Arifi takes a kick to the side of the head.

Stevens closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Arifi just misses with a elbow thrown towards Stevens's brow.
Arifi is pushing Stevens up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Arifi tries to pull guard but Stevens won't allow it.
Arifi has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Stevens avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Arifi avoids a wild elbow strike from Stevens.
Arifi lands with a light punch inside.
Stevens using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Arifi has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Arifi gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Stevens.
Stevens pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Stevens utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Stevens misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Arifi.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Stevens lands a shoulder strike.
Arifi wants to get back to striking at distance but Stevens won't allow it.
Stevens is trying to break the clinch but Arifi is controlling him.
Stevens jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Arifi walks away with a smile on his face. Stevens gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Aldin Arifi has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Victor Stevens.
Stevens throws a series of punches but Arifi moves out of range.
Victor Stevens seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Stevens has taken the fight to the clinch.
Stevens is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

Stevens manages to break the clinch.
Stevens throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Arifi tries a head kick but it misses.

Arifi moves into the clinch successfully.
Stevens takes an elbow to the temple.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Arifi stalling against the cage.
Arifi keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Stevens's efforts to push away.
Arifi misses with an elbow over the top.
Stevens is trying to break free.
Arifi creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Stevens's defenses.
Stevens missing with knees to the body.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Arifi drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Stevens gets the underhooks and prevents it.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Stevens.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Victor Stevens dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Stevens tries for a takedown but Arifi sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

Stevens forces Arifi back against the cage and clinches.
Stevens wants a takedown.
Arifi with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Arifi is stalling here.
A short uppercut from Arifi.
Arifi fails to pull guard.

Arifi jumps into guard, dragging Stevens to the mat.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Arifi being controlled here, momentarily.
Arifi 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.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Stevens tries to free his leg and advance position but Arifi is retaining full guard.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Stevens won't allow Arifi to get back to his feet.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Victor Stevens was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Stevens throws a sloppy head kick and Arifi moves out of range easily.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Stevens lands an elbow just above Arifi 's eye.
Stevens has had enough of the clinch but Arifi keeps him there for the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Arifi as Stevens tries to tie him up.
Stevens tries to throw a body punch but Arifi avoids it by throwing Stevens back against the cage.
Stevens tries to break the clinch but Arifi is controlling the position.
Stevens using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Arifi has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Stevens missing with knees to the body.
Stevens lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Stevens is looking to control Arifi's arms but Arifi gets an underhook and turns him. Now Stevens has his back to the cage.
Stevens tries a knee to the head but Arifi blocks it.
Come on Arifi - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Stevens gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Arifi.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Arifi jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Stevens walks away with a smile on his face. Arifi gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Aldin Arifi. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Arifi takes the fight into the clinch.
Stevens trying to land knees to the body.
Arifi looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Stevens lands an elbow inside.
Arifi throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Stevens blocks it with crossed arms.
Arifi tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Stevens avoids it.
Arifi keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Stevens's efforts to push away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Stevens tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Stevens is stalling here.
Arifi managing to block the knees to the body from Stevens.
Stevens working hard to break the clinch.
Stevens misses with a knee to the head.
Stevens wants to stall.
Stevens lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Stevens trying to stall but Arifi improves his position.
Arifi lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Victor Stevens showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Stevens clinches up against the cage.
A frustrated look appears on Stevens's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Stevens tries for a takedown but Arifi manages to get underhooks.
Arifi lands with a short head shot on the inside.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Stevens is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Arifi is defending well for now.
Stevens with an attempt at a knee that misses.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Arifi throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Stevens can't break the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Arifi lands a shoulder strike.
Stevens fails to pull guard.

Arifi jumps guard and drags Stevens to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Stevens wanted to stand there but Arifi had control of the position.
Arifi has his hands on Stevens's head, controlling the position.
Stevens won't allow Arifi to sweep him here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Stevens trying to control but Arifi is working from the bottom.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Aldin Arifi wasn't doing enough on the ground.

Arifi tries to keep at a distance but Stevens has taken the fight into the clinch.
Victor Stevens seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Stevens creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Stevens blocks an elbow strike from Arifi.

Arifi drags the fight down to the ground.

Stevens gets to his feet. Arifi looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Aldin Arifi is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Stevens gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Arifi throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Arifi tries a knee to the head but Stevens blocks it.
Stevens misses with a knee strike.
Stevens is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
With the fighters up against the cage, Arifi throws an elbow but misses.
Arifi throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Stevens blocks it with crossed arms.
Arifi trying to stall but Stevens improves his position.
Arifi tries a knee to the head but Stevens blocks it.
Arifi fails to pull guard.
Stevens with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Arifi lands a damaging elbow.

Arifi pulls guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Stevens wants to get up but he can't break Arifi's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Stevens wants to pass the guard but Arifi is keeping the position.
Arifi keeping moving, preventing Stevens from controlling successfully.
Stevens won't allow Arifi to get back to his feet.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Victor Stevens hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Arifi avoids the head kick by Stevens.

Stevens closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Victor Stevens comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Stevens winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Marco Blurström scores the fight for Victor Stevens!
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight for Victor Stevens!
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight for Victor Stevens!

Victor Stevens wins by unanimous decision!