PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Alman Maleh (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Eetu Matsubich (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Alman Maleh has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Maleh
vs
Matsubich

185 cm
18
211 lbs
4 - 3 - 0

225 cm
22
205 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

recos laboratory

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Alman Maleh!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Eetu Matsubich!
The judges for this bout are Tarja Halkonen, Ben Zyskovitsi and Marco Blurström.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Maleh throws a head kick that misses.
Maleh tries a head kick but it misses.
Maleh swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Matsubich has a takedown stuffed.

Matsubich looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Maleh!
Matsubich controlling his opponent.
Maleh is trying to get back to his feet but can't.
Maleh is squirming around, avoiding Matsubich's attempts to control the action.
Maleh might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Matsubich unloads with some shots from mount but Maleh bucks and avoids them well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Matsubich controlling the position easily from mount.
Maleh working to try and regain half guard.

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.
Matsubich content just to control the position here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Matsubich wants to control the pace but Maleh is squirming around nicely.
Maleh is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maleh tries to lock up and control but Matsubich gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.

Matsubich is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Maleh can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Matsubich wants to control the pace but Maleh is squirming around nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Maleh is in all sorts of trouble here.
Maleh is breathing heavily.
Maleh is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Matsubich trying to control but he's not successful this time.

Matsubich has hold of Maleh's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Maleh manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Matsubich sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eetu Matsubich dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Matsubich throws a nice head kick!
Matsubich punishes Maleh's body with a nice straight punch.
Maleh throws a head kick that misses

and Matsubich counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Maleh!
Matsubich has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Maleh's face.
Matsubich looking to control and managing it successfully.
Matsubich throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Matsubich controlling the position easily from mount.

Despite being in the dominant position, Eetu Matsubich just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Maleh throws a sloppy head kick

and Matsubich counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Matsubich trying to control the action but Maleh is working from the bottom.
Maleh is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Maleh looks like he's trying to stand up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Matsubich lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.

Maleh manages to escape and get back to his feet!
Matsubich throws the kick towards the body but Maleh avoids it.
Maleh misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Matsubich avoids the head kick by Maleh.

Matsubich closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Maleh is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Matsubich pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Matsubich slows down the pace here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Matsubich breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Maleh throws a sloppy head kick
and Matsubich counters with a big head kick but Maleh shrugs it off.

Matsubich scores a takedown into full mount!
Maleh working to try and regain half guard.
Maleh wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Matsubich.
Maleh is trying to escape but when you're mounted that's not too easy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Matsubich can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Maleh is looking to escape.
Maleh wants to control but Matsubich is having none of it.
Matsubich moves to his opponent's back but Maleh bucks him off and ends up in guard. A bit of a disaster there for Matsubich.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eetu Matsubich showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Maleh drops his hands momentarily and Matsubich takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Maleh throws a lazy head kick

and Matsubich moves into the clinch.
Maleh has had enough of the clinch but Matsubich keeps him there for the moment.

Matsubich breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
A head kick by Maleh misses

and Matsubich counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Matsubich.
Matsubich throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Maleh works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Matsubich slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Maleh working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Matsubich.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maleh wants to stand and escape but Matsubich is having none of it.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Matsubich passes Maleh's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Matsubich wants to take a breather but Maleh is having none of it.
Matsubich throwing shots but Maleh is blocking nicely.
Maleh wants to get back to his feet.
Matsubich throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

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.
Matsubich content to control rather than advance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maleh trying to control from the bottom.

Matsubich gets to his feet - back to striking we go!
Matsubich throws a head kick that misses.
Eetu Matsubich is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Maleh misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Maleh tries to bum rush Matsubich with a series of wild strikes but Matsubich uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Matsubich shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Maleh as he jumps to the side.
Maleh throws a head kick but Matsubich moves out of range.
Matsubich blocks a head kick by Maleh.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.

Matsubich moves into the clinch successfully.

Maleh breaks from the clinch.
Maleh throws a lazy head kick
and Matsubich counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Matsubich tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Maleh swivels and escapes.
Maleh throws a head kick that misses

and Matsubich counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Maleh's guard now.
Maleh not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Eetu Matsubich has got the better of the ground game so far.

Matsubich stands and steps away. Maleh gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Matsubich throws a one two combo.
Maleh tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Maleh moves out of range of the body kick from Matsubich.
Matsubich is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Matsubich is looking to slow Maleh down with leg kicks.
Matsubich scores with a hook to the body. Maleh takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Maleh closes the distance but Matsubich moves to the side

and Matsubich decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Maleh's guard.
Alman Maleh has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Maleh keeping full guard, as Matsubich tries to pass.

And that's the end of the fight!
Eetu Matsubich comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Matsubich 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 Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 26:30
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 26:30
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Eetu Matsubich!