PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Ron Phelps (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sami Saarela (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). I don't know about you partner, but I'm pumped for this one!

Phelps
vs
Saarela

181 cm
25
147 lbs
1 - 1 - 1

171 cm
19
152 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Very quick

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Solid chin

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 1 - 1 - 1, fighting out of London, Ron Phelps!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Sami Saarela!
The judges for this bout are James Glass, Daniel Bishop and Sam Margolis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Phelps shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Saarela as he avoids it easily.
A punch combination from Saarela misses.
Phelps slips a jab and a cross from Saarela.
Saarela avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Phelps throws a leg kick but Saarela moved away.
Phelps drops his hands momentarily and Saarela takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Saarela connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Phelps keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Saarela throws a jab but it's blocked by Phelps.
Phelps looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Saarela is fending him off so far but Phelps persists. Nope, Saarela circles away and we're back to standing.
A combination from Saarela does no damage.
Saarela checks the leg kick.

Phelps shoots in and bounces Saarela off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Phelps working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Saarela throws his legs up looking for a submission but Phelps uses it to pass to side control.
Saarela is looking to regain half guard here but Phelps keeps moving and retains side control.
Phelps tries to move to mount but Saarela blocks the move with his legs.
Saarela tries to slip a leg under to move to half guard but Phelps presses down on the leg and jumps into full mount!
A nice elbow there by Phelps.
Phelps can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Saarela is looking to escape.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Phelps raining down hammerfists from mount.
Phelps raining down shots from the mount!
Phelps lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Saarela is working to get back to half guard.
Phelps with shots to the head and body - Saarela looks very uncomfortable down there.
Phelps prevents Saarela from getting the reversal.
Saarela taking shots to the head.
Saarela tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Phelps controlling his opponent.
Saarela really trying hard to get back to half guard here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Phelps working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Phelps controlling the position easily from mount.
Phelps with the ground and pound from mount.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Phelps cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Phelps lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Saarela taking shots to the head.
Saarela tries to lock up and control but Phelps gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Phelps blocks Saarela's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Saarela is wriggling around trying to escape.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Phelps lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Saarela hang on?
Phelps sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Phelps lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Phelps avoids the attempt from Saarela to control.
Phelps trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Phelps landing punches.
Phelps lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Saarela hang on?
Phelps breaks from Saarela's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Phelps scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Saarela?
The referee warns Saarela that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Saarela working to try and regain half guard.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Phelps working Saarela over with strikes here.
Saarela working to try and regain half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ron Phelps dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Saarela misses with a looping left.
Saarela misses with an uppercut.

Phelps shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Phelps stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Saarela swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Phelps with a flurry of punches that miss.
Phelps trying to control the position from guard on top but Saarela is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Phelps is working Saarela over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Phelps really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Phelps stopping the sweep attempt from Saarela.
Saarela is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Saarela throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Phelps trying to control but Saarela is working from the bottom.
Phelps cracks Saarela with a solid left hand.
Phelps has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Saarela is on top in guard.
Saarela being controlled here momentarily.
Saarela throwing strikes from guard but Phelps blocks nicely.
Phelps is pulling down on Saarela's head. It's preventing any offense from Saarela, at least for the moment.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Saarela throws a big right hand that misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Saarela wants to pass the guard but Phelps is keeping the position.
Saarela must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Saarela is fighting to break Phelps's control of his arms but Phelps is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.

Ron Phelps has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Phelps tries to move into range but Saarela moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Phelps attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Sami Saarela is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Phelps on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Saarela throws a jab when Phelps was well out of range.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Saarela looks to land a combination. Phelps sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.

It looks like Ron Phelps has been cut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Phelps swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Ron Phelps seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Saarela missing with a left hand there. Phelps was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Phelps showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Saarela.
Phelps slips under a jab.
Saarela listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.

Phelps is rocked!
Saarela drops Phelps with a straight right hand, right on the button! Saarela follows him down to the mat and pounds him out with hammerfists until the referee jumps in to end the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:43 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Sami Saarela!