PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Salim Al Muri (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jack Poldi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Al Muri
vs
Poldi

188 cm
29
219 lbs
15 - 6 - 0

188 cm
32
220 lbs
16 - 8 - 0

Great wrestler
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Great elbows
Good gas tank

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 15 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Salim Al Muri!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 16 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Jack Poldi!
The judges for this bout are Roosa Järviläinen, Arvi Lind and Johanna Lukiainen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Al Muri misses with a wild body shot.
Jack Poldi seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Poldi leaves Al Muri with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Poldi flicks out a counter leg kick but Al Muri steps away.
Nice sprawl there from Al Muri as Poldi shoots in.
Poldi throws a wild body kick that Al Muri sees coming a mile off.
Poldi moves out of range as Al Muri throws a body kick.
Poldi misses with a leg kick
and Al Muri counters with a low kick, right behind Poldi 's knee.

Poldi has Al Muri up against the cage in a clinch.
Poldi content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Poldi throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Al Muris head.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A bit of stalling here from Poldi.
Poldi wants to stall.
Al Muri dodges an elbow strike from Poldi.

Poldi breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Poldi tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Al Muri changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Al Muri avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Al Muri slips under a jab from Poldi.
Poldi fails in his attempt to clinch.
Poldi wants to clinch.
Poldi tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Al Muri counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Poldi lands a nice looking body shot.
Poldi tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Poldi throws a low kick but it's checked well by Al Muri.
Al Muri pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
And Poldi tries to counter it with a takedown but Al Muri pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Al Muri scores with a leg kick.
Poldi misses with a kick to the body.
Poldi tries to clinch there but Al Muri circles away.
An attempted straight right counter from Al Muri misses the target.
Al Muri throws a head kick but Poldi moves out of range.
Poldi counters with a body kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Al Muri circles away from the clinch attempt.
Poldi wants to clinch.
Nice body punch from Al Muri.
Poldi tries to clinch but Al Muri moves away

and Al Muri counters with a takedown into side control.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
You can see the frustration on Poldi's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Al Muri lands an elbow.
Al Muri is looking to take a break and control but Poldi is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Al Muri goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Poldi rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Al Muri's guard! Nice work there by Poldi!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Al Muri wants to sweep but no luck.
Poldi throws a big right hand that misses.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Poldi postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Poldi must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Poldi wants to control from the top but Al Muri keeps moving.
Poldi content to stall in guard here.
Al Muri pulls Poldi in to control the position.

Al Muri looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

That's four 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.
Poldi wants to control from the top but Al Muri keeps moving.
Poldi is fighting to break Al Muri's control of his arms but Al Muri is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Poldi trying to control the position from guard on top but Al Muri is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Poldi won't allow Al Muri to sweep him here.
Poldi throws a big elbow that misses.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Poldi postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Al Muri keeping moving, preventing Poldi from controlling successfully.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Poldi tries to clinch but Al Muri is having none of it.
Al Muri tries to counter with a takedown but Poldi is quick to defend against it.

Al Muri changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Poldi looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Salim Al Muri dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

A nice inside leg kick there by Al Muri. That's going to slow Poldi down.
Poldi tries to close the distance and clinch up but Al Muri swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Poldi lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Al Muri looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Poldi takes a swing at Al Muri's ribcage but misses.

Al Muri decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Poldi wants to get back to full guard.
Poldi is trying to maintain the position but Al Muri is very close to passing his half guard.
Al Muri is pressing down on Poldi's thigh, looking to free his foot. Poldi is holding on for now.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Al Muri thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Poldi's head.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Al Muri throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

Al Muri is working for a kimura but Poldi is defending it quite comfortably.
Al Muri is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Al Muri is nestled in close to Poldi, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Al Muri lands strikes from half guard.
Still in half guard, Al Muri seems content to control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Poldi is trying to get back to full guard.
Al Muri trying to control from half guard but Poldi is working away.
Al Muri missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

Al Muri is working for a kimura but Poldi is defending it quite comfortably.
Al Muri 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.
Ground and pound from Al Muri.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Poldi is controlling Al Muri's position as best he can from this difficult position.
Al Muri thows a huge punch but Poldi dodges it nicely.
Poldi has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Al Muri is working away from the top position though.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Poldi takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Poldi tries to clinch but Al Muri is having none of it.
A thudding body kick lands there by Al Muri!

Al Muri drives through with a takedown into guard.
Poldi controls Al Muri momentarily but Al Muri frees himself.
Poldi might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Al Muri haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Poldi controlling the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Al Muri is looking to pass into half guard but Poldi pushes him away with his feet and jumps on top - now Poldi is in guard.

Poldi trying to control the position from guard on top but Al Muri is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Poldi throws a big right hand that misses.
Poldi stopping the sweep attempt from Al Muri.
Al Muri is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Poldi can do to turn this around?
Poldi trying to control but Al Muri is working from the bottom.
Al Muri seems keen to control Poldi's posture.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Poldi trying to control but Al Muri is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Salim Al Muri dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Poldi tries to clinch there but Al Muri circles away.
Poldi tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Al Muri paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Al Muri swats away the attempt to clinch by Poldi.
Poldi wants to clinch up but Al Muri keeps it at a distance.
Poldi darts in trying to clinch
and Al Muri counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Poldi tries to clinch but Al Muri is having none of it.
Al Muri throws a sloppy head kick and Poldi moves out of range easily.
Poldi tries to close the distance and clinch but Al Muri swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Poldi fails with an attempt to clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Poldi is looking to clinch.
Poldi tries to clinch but Al Muri moves out of range.
Al Muri shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Poldi pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.

Poldi has Al Muri up against the cage in a clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Al Muri prevents a body shot from Poldi.
Al Muri lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Poldi avoids the elbow strike from Al Muri, against the cage.
Al Muri blocks an elbow strike from Poldi.
Al Muri misses with a knee to the head.
Al Muri has Poldi pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Poldi manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Poldi is trying to maintain a safe position but Al Muri gets an underhook and turns Poldi into the cage.
Al Muri misses with a knee strike.
Al Muri wants to stall.
Al Muri tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Poldi being controlled against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Poldi lands an elbow that stopped Al Muri in his tracks for a moment.

It looks like Salim Al Muri has been cut.
Al Muri lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Poldi takes a knee to the side of the body.
Poldi content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Al Muri is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Poldi is keeping busy.
Al Muri is pushing Poldi up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Poldi is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Jack Poldi has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Al Muri lands with a light punch inside.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Al Muri throws a punch but it's blocked by Poldi.
Salim Al Muri is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Al Muri misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Salim Al Muri has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Poldi working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.

Al Muri is rocked!
Poldi lands a big right hand that drops Al Muri! The killer instinct kicks in and Poldi finishes his opponent with a series of strikes from mount. A dominating finish by Poldi!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:26 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Jack Poldi!
An out of breath Jack Poldi thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.