PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Daren Metaxa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Lex Luther (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Metaxa
vs
Luther

200 cm
24
285 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

198 cm
29
270 lbs
20 - 17 - 0

BJJ White Belt
World class MT
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
World class MT
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Daren Metaxa !
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 20 - 17 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Lex Luther!
The judges for this bout are Roosa Järviläinen, Marco Blurström and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Metaxa takes a jab right on the kisser.

It looks like Daren Metaxa has been cut.
Metaxa tries to close the distance and clinch up but Luther swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Luther drives through and clinches with Metaxa against the cage.
Metaxa on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Metaxa tries to break free but Luther pushes him back against the cage.
Metaxa working aggressively here.
Metaxa pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Metaxa wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Luther managing to block the knees to the body from Metaxa .
Metaxa is trying to pull guard but Luther has him pressed against the cage.
Luther dodges an elbow strike from Metaxa .
Luther missing with knees to the body.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Luther creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Metaxa 's defenses.
Metaxa is trying to break the clinch but Luther has him pressed against the cage.
Metaxa has had enough of the clinch but Luther keeps him there for the moment.
Luther with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Metaxa blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Metaxa on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Luther using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Metaxa has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

Luther breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Metaxa lands a right hook to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Luther tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Metaxa misses with a wild combination.
Metaxa tries to close the distance and clinch up but Luther swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Metaxa 's jab looks to have found its range, popping Luther under the eye.
Metaxa digs a good body shot into Luther's ribs.
Nice jab there from Luther.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Metaxa lands with an uppercut that bounces Luther off the cage and back into range.
Metaxa slips a straight right by Luther.
Luther walks into a stiff left hand from Metaxa .

Metaxa gets a clinch.
Luther misses with an elbow strike.
Metaxa swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Metaxa wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Luther misses with a knee strike.

Luther breaks the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Metaxa tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Luther manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Metaxa throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Luther throws a sloppy head kick and Metaxa moves out of range easily.
Luther pulls out of a head kick attempt.
A low kick from Luther is predictable there

and Metaxa holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Metaxa is trying to force a seperation but Luther has the dominant position.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Metaxa has had enough of the clinch but Luther keeps him there for the moment.
Metaxa goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Luther blocking some punches.
Metaxa scores with a nice hook to the head.
Luther misses with an elbow over the top.
Luther dodges an elbow strike from Metaxa .
Metaxa blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Luther is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Metaxa is defending well for now.
Metaxa tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Metaxa looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A head punch on the inside from Metaxa fails to land.
Luther has Metaxa pressed against the cage, preventing Metaxa from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Luther has Metaxa pressed against the cage, preventing Metaxa from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Metaxa just misses with a elbow thrown towards Luther's brow.

Luther escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Metaxa uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Luther.
Luther misses with a body kick.

Luther forces Metaxa back against the cage and clinches.
Luther looking to throw knees to the head but Metaxa is blocking nicely.
Luther throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Luther is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Metaxa is defending well for now.

Metaxa breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Metaxa throws a right and a left that Luther avoids nicely.
Metaxa tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Luther counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Luther keeps the fight on the outside.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Metaxa avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Metaxa misses with a two punch combination.
Metaxa lands with a right hand.
Metaxa bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Metaxa tries to clinch up.
Metaxa swings for the body but Luther moves out of range.

Luther gets a clinch.
Luther prevents a body shot from Metaxa .
Metaxa on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

Metaxa pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Metaxa connects with a body shot.
Metaxa throws a right and a left that both miss.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Luther connects with a leg kick. Metaxa looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Metaxa stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Luther.
Metaxa is breathing heavily.
Luther throws a head kick that misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Lex Luther dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Daren Metaxa 's cut.
That's time! Metaxa 's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Metaxa misses with a double jab.
Luther throws out a powerful jab.
Luther swats away the attempt to clinch by Metaxa .

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

Metaxa breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Daren Metaxa is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Luther throws a hook but Metaxa avoids it easily.

Metaxa darts in and clinches Luther up against the cage.
Luther is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Metaxa is keeping busy.
Luther missing with knees to the body.
We are yet to see a takedown attempt from Luther in the fight. On paper you would think he is the more dominant ground fighter so let's see if these unusual tactics pay off.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Luther is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Luther lands a nice elbow from the clinch.

Daren Metaxa 's cut is getting worse.
Luther misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Metaxa .
Luther misses with a knee to the head.
Metaxa tries to circle away but Luther has him pinned against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Metaxa is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Luther controlling the action here for a moment.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Metaxa managing to block the knees to the body from Luther.
Metaxa avoids the elbow strike from Luther, against the cage.
Metaxa can't break the clinch.
Metaxa blocks an elbow strike.
Metaxa has had enough of the clinch but Luther keeps him there for the moment.
Luther keeps control of Metaxa as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Metaxa on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Luther is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Metaxa is defending well for now.
Luther misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Metaxa .
Metaxa is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Metaxa .
Metaxa blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Metaxa being controlled against the cage.

Metaxa pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Metaxa lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
A head kick misses from Luther.
Luther moves in looking to clinch but Metaxa pushes him off.
Metaxa is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Metaxa wants to clinch up but Luther keeps it at a distance.
Metaxa throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Metaxa tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Luther manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Metaxa throws a body punch but Luther moves out of range.
A combination from Metaxa does no damage.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Metaxa fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Luther on the side of the head.
The fight stays on the outside here - Metaxa looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Metaxa doesn't manage to clinch there - Luther circles away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Luther takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Metaxa is looking to clinch but Luther is avoiding it.

Luther has Metaxa up against the cage in a clinch.
Luther gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Metaxa managing to block the knees to the body from Luther.
Metaxa wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Luther prevents Metaxa from breaking the clinch.
Luther throws an elbow but it misses.
Metaxa throws an elbow that misses.
Metaxa avoiding damage as Luther throws knees to the body.
Metaxa has had enough of the clinch but Luther keeps him there for the moment.
Metaxa can't break the clinch.
Luther blocks an elbow strike from Metaxa .
Metaxa avoiding damage as Luther throws knees to the body.
Luther lands an elbow just above Metaxa 's eye.

Daren Metaxa 's cut is bleeding quite badly. He's got to try and protect it.
Metaxa managing to block the knees to the body from Luther.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Luther takes an elbow to the forehead.
This has been an exciting period of action!
A frustrated look appears on Metaxa 's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Metaxa throws a punch but it's blocked by Luther.
Metaxa misses with a short punch on the inside.
Metaxa lands with a short shot to the head.
Luther comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.

Jeez, Daren Metaxa 's cut is really nasty now. The referee must be thinking about getting that checked.

Metaxa pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Metaxa throws out a leg kick but Luther moves out of range and Metaxa only half commits.
Metaxa uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Luther.

Luther moves into the clinch successfully.

Metaxa manages to break the clinch.
Luther tries to clinch but Metaxa moves out of range.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Luther keeps the fight on the outside.
Luther tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Metaxa paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Metaxa tries to clinch up but Luther circles away and keeps his distance.
Metaxa misses the shot to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Lex Luther will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Daren Metaxa 's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Metaxa pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Luther misses with a body shot.
Luther tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Metaxa paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Luther tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Metaxa manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Metaxa .
Luther misses with a head kick.
Metaxa takes a kick to the side of the head.
Lex Luther seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Luther misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Metaxa .
Luther throws a low kick but Metaxa moves out of range easily.
Metaxa circles away from the clinch attempt.
Metaxa lands with a thumping leg kick.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Luther circles away from the clinch attempt.
Metaxa tries to clinch but Luther is having none of it.
Metaxa bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Luther fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Metaxa circles away from the clinch attempt.
Metaxa tries to clinch up.
Metaxa dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Metaxa tries to close the distance and clinch but Luther swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Luther takes a jab right on the kisser.
Luther throws a big shot that misses.
Metaxa throws a head kick that misses.
Luther dips to his left and cracks Metaxa with an uppercut!
Luther throws a hook but Metaxa avoids it easily.
Metaxa tries to close the distance and clinch but Luther swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Luther is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Luther takes one to the side of the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Metaxa jabs Luther to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Luther is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Luther moves in looking to clinch but Metaxa pushes him off.
Metaxa avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Luther avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Metaxa tries to move into range but Luther moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Metaxa fails in his attempt to clinch.
Metaxa throws a right hand that Luther ducks under and follows up with a left that Luther also avoids with ease.
Metaxa lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Luther backs up against the cage.
A slow jab from Luther misses its intended target.
Nice straight punches there by Luther. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Luther.
Luther takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Luther throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Metaxa stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Metaxa tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.

Luther has Metaxa up against the cage in a clinch.
Metaxa is trying to break the clinch but Luther has him pressed against the cage.
Lex Luther seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Luther blocking some punches.
Metaxa is trying to break the clinch but Luther is controlling him.
Luther avoids a wild elbow strike from Metaxa .
Metaxa is looking to break free of the clinch but Luther has double underhooks.
Luther looking to throw knees to the head but Metaxa is blocking nicely.
Metaxa blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Luther is struggling to control the position.
Luther keeps control of Metaxa as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Luther trying to control the position but instead, Metaxa has worked for underhooks and has pushed Luther into the cage.
Luther with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Metaxa managing to block the knees to the body from Luther.
Luther throws an elbow but it misses.

Luther breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Metaxa tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Luther counters with a low kick, right behind Metaxa 's knee.
Metaxa is looking to wear down Luther with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.

Luther clinches with his opponent.
Metaxa misses with a punch on the inside.
Metaxa throws a head punch that misses.
Metaxa is looking to break free of the clinch but Luther has double underhooks.
Luther keeps control of Metaxa as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Metaxa can't break the clinch.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Metaxa is trying to force a seperation but Luther has the dominant position.
Metaxa wants to break free but Luther has control.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Luther just misses with a elbow thrown towards Metaxa 's brow.
Luther tries a knee to the head but Metaxa blocks it.
Luther is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Metaxa is defending well for now.
Daren Metaxa has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Lex Luther is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Luther avoids the elbow strike from Metaxa , against the cage.

Luther's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

And that's the end of the fight!
Lex Luther comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Luther has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 28:30
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 27:30
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Lex Luther!
A relieved looking Lex Luther thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.