PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Ben Askren (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Daniel Berzins (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). There are an array of beautiful celebrities at ringside tonight! I wonder if any of them paid for their tickets.

Askren
vs
Berzins

180 cm
26
180 lbs
7 - 1 - 0

185 cm
26
185 lbs
5 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Very strong

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Powerful

Atlantis

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 1 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Ben Askren!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Daniel Berzins!
The judges for this bout are Winston Alpacca, Peter Branson and Bart Greer.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Berzins scores with a nice body kick.

Askren drives through with a takedown into Berzins's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Askren's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Askren is looking to work some ground and pound but Berzins has wrist control.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Askren's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Askren sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Askren postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Berzins can do anything to dispel that myth.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Askren slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Sloppy strikes there by Askren.
Berzins really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Askren. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Askren cracks Berzins with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Sloppy strikes there by Askren.
Askren cracks Berzins with a big elbow.
Askren happy to just control the position for now.
Askren working the ground and pound from side control.
The strikes coming from Askren are missing the target in this wave of attacks.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Askren controlling from side mount.
Askren landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Askren scores with punches from side control.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Askren just content to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Askren cracks Berzins with an elbow. That is naaassty.
The referee asks Askren politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Askren prefers to stall for the moment though.
Askren in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Askren content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
Berzins dodges the ground and pound from Askren.
Askren 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.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Askren throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Askren looks up at the clock and then as Berzins takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Askren smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Askren looks to be in better condition than last time we saw him fight. Obviously he's been working hard on his cardio.
Berzins is looking to reverse the position.
Berzins takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Askren wants to control but Berzins is keeping him busy.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Askren lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Berzins down.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ben Askren 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.

Berzins stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Berzins wants it to stay on the feet.
Berzins tries a head kick but it misses.
Berzins has tried to improve his agility in the runup to this fight.
Berzins lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Askren shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Berzins defends it nicely.
Askren fails with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ben Askren. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A slapping body kick lands there for Berzins.
A slapping leg kick lands for Berzins.
Askren chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Berzins can pounce on him.
Berzins lands with a thumping leg kick.

Berzins gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Askren chips away with some ground and pound.
Askren trying to control the position from guard on top but Berzins is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Berzins wants to get back to his feet but Askren is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Askren with a flurry of punches that miss.
Askren trying to control but Berzins is working from the bottom.
Askren postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Askren is in close to Berzins's body, working some short punches and elbows.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Askren lands a couple of digs.
Berzins can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Askren controls the pace.
Askren throwing strikes from guard but Berzins blocks nicely.
Askren stands and throws Berzins's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Askren throws an elbow but Berzins slips to the side and avoids it well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Askren postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Askren is chipping away with strikes.
Askren scores with a couple of short elbows.
Berzins being controlled for a moment.
Askren working the ground and pound from side control.
Askren is working Berzins over with some ground and pound from side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Askren throws a strike aimed at the side of Berzins's head but Berzins avoids it well.
Askren lands a few punches from side control.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
A lull in the action here.
Berzins is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Berzins managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Askren.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Askren throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Askren scores with punches from side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ben Askren dominated that second round.
That's time! Askren's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Horrible takedown by Askren or perhaps it was just good defense by Berzins which made him look bad.
Berzins fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Askren.
Askren tries for a takedown but Berzins circles away easily
and Berzins counters with a head kick. That will keep Askren thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
Askren fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ben Askren. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Berzins lands a nice leg kick that just misses Askren's sensitive parts.
Berzins throws a sloppy head kick and Askren moves out of range easily.
Askren takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Berzins lands a head kick. Askren smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
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!
Berzins dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Askren. That did some damage!
Askren gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Askren takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Berzins stuffs the takedown attempt from Askren. Askren gets slowly back to his feet.
Berzins lands a nice leg kick that just misses Askren's sensitive parts.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Askren shoots for a takedown but Berzins saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
An inside leg kick lands from Berzins.
Askren misses with a takedown attempt
and Berzins counters with a head kick.

Berzins lands a big head kick that sends Askren tumbling to the mat! Berzins takes a step backwards and waves Askren back to his feet - he wants the finish!

Askren is rocked!

It looks like Ben Askren has been cut.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Askren goes for a double leg but Berzins avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Berzins continues to drive forward.
Oh Askren is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Berzins leaning his opponent against the cage.
Berzins lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Berzins creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Askren's defenses.
Askren is working for takedown but Berzins is calmly controlling the position for now.
A bit of stalling here from Berzins.
Askren is looking for a takedown.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Berzins.
Berzins lands an elbow inside.
Berzins lands an elbow just above Askren 's eye.
Askren wants to take the fight to the mat but Berzins manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Berzins lands an elbow that stopped Askren in his tracks for a moment.
Berzins lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Berzins lands a damaging elbow.
Berzins lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Askren is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Berzins is defending well.
Berzins lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Berzins creates some distance and fires off a vicious elbow that drops Askren! He pounces and finishes the fight with more strikes! Nice KO for Berzins.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:53 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Daniel Berzins!
A victorious Daniel Berzins thanked his army of followers in his post fight interview, telling people to make sure they follow him on Twitter.