PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Victor Stevens (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Vajas Tomas (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both these guys have solid standup skills and neither is particularly fantastic on the ground, so let's hope for a nice standup war!

Stevens
vs
Tomas

175 cm
22
135 lbs
4 - 5 - 0

188 cm
21
190 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent elbows
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Solid chin

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 4 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Victor Stevens!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Vajas Tomas!
The judges for this bout are Marco Blurström, Tarja Halkonen and Roosa Järviläinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Stevens fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Tomas manages to avoid it.
Ooooh, nice body kick lands from Tomas. Stevens shrugs it off though.
Tomas takes a kick to the side of the head.
Stevens changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Tomas tries to avoid it but Stevens manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Tomas to the ground. Tomas escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Stevens feints a jab promting Tomas to slip. Stevens then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Tomas slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.
Stevens falls off balance throwing a combination
and Tomas counters with a right hand to the body.
Tomas connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Tomas tries to move into range but Stevens moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Stevens moves out of range as Tomas throws a body kick.
A combination from Stevens does no damage.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Stevens takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Tomas scores with a hook to the body. Stevens takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Stevens steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Tomas.
Stevens tries to close the distance and clinch up but Tomas swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Tomas cracks Stevens with a right hand to the side of the head.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
Stevens is trying to pull guard but Tomas has him pressed against the cage.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Tomas misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Stevens.
Stevens wants to get back to striking at distance but Tomas won't allow it.
Stevens is trying to break free.
Stevens tries to break the clinch but Tomas is controlling the position.
Stevens wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Tomas avoids the elbow strike from Stevens, against the cage.
Tomas landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Stevens is looking to control Tomas's arms but Tomas gets an underhook and turns him. Now Stevens has his back to the cage.
Stevens is trying to push Tomas away but Tomas has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Tomas takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Tomas misses with a knee strike.
Tomas misses with a punch to the body.
Tomas is trying to break the clinch but Stevens has him pressed against the cage.

Stevens breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Stevens darts in and clinches Tomas up against the cage.
Tomas tries to land knees in the clinch but Stevens avoids the damage to the body.
Stevens blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Tomas with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Stevens is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Tomas is keeping busy.
Stevens really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Stevens letting Tomas take a breather here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Stevens tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Tomas avoids it.
Tomas pressing his opponent against the cage.
Stevens is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Tomas to keep the fight standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Victor Stevens. That's going to take a lot out of him.
The referee is keeping an eye on Tomas - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Tomas is trying to break the clinch but Stevens is controlling him.
Stevens wants to break free but Tomas has control.
Stevens wants to break the clinch but can't.
Stevens misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Tomas.
Stevens scores with a knee to the head.

Tomas breaks from the clinch.
Stevens goes for a high kick. It partially lands.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Stevens takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Stevens misses with a wild combination.
Stevens moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Tomas swats away the attempt to clinch by Stevens.
Stevens misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Vajas Tomas is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Tomas tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Stevens tries to close the distance and clinch but Tomas swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Tomas lands a head kick. Stevens smiles back at him and beckons him forward.

It looks like Victor Stevens has been cut.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Tomas.
Stevens throws a sloppy head kick and Tomas moves out of range easily.

Stevens moves into the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Vajas Tomas will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Victor Stevens's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Tomas looks to score with a jab to the body but Stevens is just out of range.
Vajas Tomas seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Tomas thows a body kick. Stevens tries to catch it but that hurt him.
Stevens throws a half hearted mid kick.
Stevens throws a head kick but Tomas moves out of range.
Stevens walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Stevens looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Stevens throws a nice looking combination but Tomas bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Stevens throws a body kick that misses.
Stevens tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Stevens shoots in but no luck this time.
Stevens takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Stevens avoids a kick to the body.
Stevens fails in his attempt to clinch.
Tomas scores with a crisp jab that stopped Stevens in his tracks.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Stevens tries to clinch but Tomas is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The fight stays on the outside here - Stevens looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Stevens looks to land a combination but Tomas avoids it well.

Stevens clinches.
Stevens tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Stevens missing with knees to the body.
Stevens managing to block the knees to the body from Tomas.
Tomas lands a nice elbow.
Stevens tries to break free but Tomas pushes him back against the cage.
The referee calls for Stevens to work.
Stevens is trying to maintain a safe position but Tomas gets an underhook and turns Stevens into the cage.

Stevens breaks the clinch.
Stevens fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Stevens tries to clinch up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Tomas clinches with his opponent.
Tomas prevents Stevens from breaking the clinch.
Tomas stalling in the clinch.
Stevens is trying to push Tomas away but Tomas has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Stevens trying to land knees to the body.
Tomas is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.

Stevens breaks the clinch.
Stevens misses with a combination
letting Tomas counter with a right hand.
Victor Stevens seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Tomas blocks the body kick.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Stevens.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Victor Stevens. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Stevens tries to land a front kick but Tomas steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tomas keeps the fight on the outside.
Stevens tries to clinch
and Tomas makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Stevens misses with a kick to the body

and Tomas counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Tomas.
Tomas keeps control of Stevens as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
A short uppercut from Tomas.
Stevens tries to land knees in the clinch but Tomas avoids the damage to the body.
A short right from Tomas.

Stevens breaks from the clinch.
A combination from Stevens does no damage.
Tomas lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Tomas has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
A cross from Tomas lands.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Tomas.
Stevens throws a series of punches but Tomas moves out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
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!
Stevens wants to clinch.
Tomas goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Stevens swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Tomas takes a swing at Stevens's ribcage but misses.
Tomas misses with a kick to the body.
Stevens closes the distance and clinches up with Tomas, looking for a takedown. Stevens pushes Tomas against the cage but Tomas circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
A kick lands to the mid section there for Tomas.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Good shot there by Stevens.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Tomas avoids a wild elbow strike from Stevens.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vajas Tomas showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Victor Stevens's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Sloppy strikes from Stevens. Those never looked like landing.
A head kick misses from Stevens.
Stevens throws a big shot that misses.
The crowd cheers as Stevens lands an impressive looking overhand right. Tomas doesn't seem phased though.
Stevens shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Tomas as he avoids it easily.
Stevens will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Stevens misses with a double jab
and Tomas counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
A good leg kick by Tomas.
Stevens avoids a kick to the body.
Tomas is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Stevens tries to clinch up but Tomas circles away and keeps his distance.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Tomas clinches up against the cage.
Stevens takes a knee to the side of the body.
A knee to the head by Tomas.

Stevens's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Victor Stevens is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Stevens misses with a combination
and Tomas makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. Stevens really felt that one!
Stevens ducks right into an uppercut from Tomas.
Tomas fails in his attempt to clinch.
Tomas tries to land a front kick but Stevens steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Tomas throws a head kick that misses.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Stevens.
Stevens swats away the attempt to clinch by Tomas.
Tomas connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Stevens momentarily.
Stevens closes the distance looking to clinch
and Tomas counters with a nice body kick.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Nice body punch from Stevens.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Stevens takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Stevens throws a body kick despite being completely out of range
and Tomas counters with a good low kick that Stevens was not able to check.
Tomas swats away the attempt to clinch by Stevens.
Stevens tries to close the distance and clinch up but Tomas swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Stevens throws a series of punches but Tomas moves out of range.
Stevens avoids a kick to the body.
Tomas connects with a solid leg kick.
Stevens on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Tomas. Tomas obviously looking to wear him down.
Tomas uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Good exchange - Tomas coming out on top.

Stevens is rocked!
Tomas thows a body kick. Stevens tries to catch it but that hurt him.
Victor Stevens has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Oh Stevens is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!

Tomas moves into the clinch.

Tomas breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Tomas with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Stevens will be looking to protect his midsection after taking some solid kicks to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Today's fight clock is brought to you by... OOOH that's a huge shot by Tomas! Stevens is in big trouble here - the ref steps in to save him and this one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:07 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Vajas Tomas!
Our winner, Vajas Tomas, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.