PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Daniel Laven (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Smee Again (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The fight MMA fans around the world have waited their entire lives for!

Laven
vs
Again

187 cm
23
195 lbs
4 - 3 - 0

182 cm
28
184 lbs
6 - 3 - 0

Good wrestling
Dangerous knees
Experienced

Good wrestler
Good elbows
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Daniel Laven!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Smee Again!
The judges for this bout are Anni Minnemäki, Marco Blurström and Roosa Järviläinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A combination from Laven does no damage.
Laven pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Laven rushes Again and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Laven with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.

Again successfully pulls guard.
Laven stopping the sweep attempt from Again.
Laven would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
We've been hearing that Laven has been drilling a lot of ground and pound in training, so let's see if he get the finish.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Laven got a little sloppy there for a moment and Again has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Laven has managed to get both his arms back between Again's legs - danger averted.
Again is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Laven trying to stand up but can't free himself from Again's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Again is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Laven knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Again on the ground.

Again escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Laven gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Again throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Laven stands and throws Again's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Laven wants to stand but Again has his arm trapped.

Laven thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Laven wants to stand but Again has his arm trapped.
Again manages to get back to half guard.
Again wants to get back to his feet.
Again manages to get to full guard.
Laven wants to get up but he can't break Again's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

Again working for a triangle but Laven defends it easily.

Laven stands up from guard. Let's bang!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Laven tries to bum rush Again with a series of wild strikes but Again uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Again with the counter takedown but Laven avoids it easily.
Laven throws a series of punches but Again avoids them all with ease.
Again tries to counter with a clinch but Laven shakes him off and moves away.
Again has tried to improve his agility in the runup to this fight.

Laven clinches up against the cage.
Laven looking to throw knees to the head but Again is blocking nicely.
Knees in the clinch landing for Laven.
Again looking to throw knees to the head but Laven is blocking nicely.
Again jumps guard but Laven turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Again is trying to pull guard but Laven turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
A knee to the head by Laven.
Again takes a shot to the head.
Laven landing knees to the head.
Laven misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Again.
Laven is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Laven tries to land a knee to the head but misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Laven lands a knee to the head.
Laven is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Again is defending well for now.
Again tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Laven just stands there and leans against the cage.
Daniel Laven has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Smee Again.
Laven tries to land a knee to the head but Again blocks with his arms.
Again jumps guard but Laven stands there with Again around his waist. Again gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Laven misses with a knee to the head.
Laven throws a knee to the head but misses.
Laven tries to land a knee to the head but Again blocks with his arms.
Laven gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Again.
Laven throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Again blocks it with crossed arms.
Laven connects with a nasty looking knee right to Again's face.
Again wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Knees in the clinch landing for Laven.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Again shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
The fighters circle momentarily. Again darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Laven scores with a nice right hand.
Again avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Laven darts in and clinches Again up against the cage.

Again drags the fight down to the ground.
Laven is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Again can do to turn this around?
Laven won't allow Again to sweep him here.

Again is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Laven tries to free his leg and advance position but Again is retaining full guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Again looking for a guillotine here but Laven defends easily.
Laven would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Laven avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Laven pushes down on Again's leg and manages to get into half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Laven wants to get back to his feet.
Laven trying to pass the guard but Again defending well.
Again is trying to control but can't.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Again looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Again trying to hold on to Laven's head to control him but Laven postures up.
Laven wants to stand but his hand is trapped. Again uses the opportunity to regain full guard.

Again pushes Laven off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Laven wants to clinch up but Again keeps it at a distance.

Laven drives through and clinches with Again against the cage.
Laven working Again over with knees to the body.
Again is breathing heavily.
Laven misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Again.
Laven is leaning against Again and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Stalling in the clinch from Laven.
Again tries to stall but Laven uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Laven lands a nice uppercut.
Again wants a takedown.
The referee calls for Laven to work.
Laven throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Again blocks it with crossed arms.
Laven with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Again managing to block the knees to the body from Laven.
A nice left hand lands by Laven.
Laven has Again pressed against the cage, preventing Again from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Laven tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Again wants to break the clinch but can't.
Again takes a knee right on the jaw!
Again wants to break free but Laven has control.
Laven throws a knee to the head but misses.
Daniel Laven has scored more points in the clinch so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Again pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Again can't get the takedown.
Again is working for takedown but Laven is calmly controlling the position for now.
Daniel Laven has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Smee Again.
Laven landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Laven lands a knee to the body.
Laven landing knees to the head.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Laven connects with a knee to the head.
Again takes a knee right on the jaw!
Again takes a shot to the head.
Laven lands a nice knee to the body.
Laven lands a left hand that snaps the head of Again backwards.
Laven with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Laven with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Again drops down looking for an ankle pick but Laven pulls his leg out and moves away.
Again shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Daniel Laven dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Laven lands a glancing blow to the side of Again's head.

Laven gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Laven throws a knee to the head but misses.
Laven lands a shoulder strike.
Again jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Laven walks away with a smile on his face. Again gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
A jab from Laven finds it's way through Again's defenses.

Laven has Again up against the cage in a clinch.
Again takes a knee right on the jaw!
Laven with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Laven looking to throw knees to the head but Again is blocking nicely.
Laven tries a knee to the head but Again blocks it.
Laven tries to land a knee to the head but Again blocks with his arms.
Laven swings wildly with an uppercut but Again uses good head movement to avoid it.

Again manages to break the clinch.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Again avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Again wants to counter with a clinch but Laven pushes him away.
Again misses with a head kick.
Laven wants to clinch.

Again has closed the distance and engaged Laven in a clinch.
Laven stops a takedown attempt from Again.
Again tries to stall but Laven uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Laven looking to stall.
Laven just leaning against Again, taking a breather.
Again is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Laven to keep the fight standing.
Daniel Laven has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Smee Again.
Laven lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Laven has Again pressed against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Laven.
Again controlling the action here for a moment.
Laven with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Again on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Again taking a breather.
Laven landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Laven looking to throw knees to the head but Again is blocking nicely.
Laven landing knees to the head.
Laven landing knees to the head.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Laven with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Laven prevents Again from breaking the clinch.
Again is trying to pull guard but Laven turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Laven can't find room to land a body shot as Again controls the action.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Laven slows down the pace here.
Laven using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Again has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Laven tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Again's elbow.
Daniel Laven is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Laven crunches a lovely knee into Again's ribcage.
Again is trying to pull guard but Laven has him pressed against the cage.
Laven lands a knee to the body.
Laven using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Again has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Laven lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Laven prevents Again from breaking the clinch.
Nice body punch from Laven - that landed with a thud.
Laven putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Again in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Laven throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Laven using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Again has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Laven missing with knees to the body.
Again takes a knee right on the jaw!
Laven just leaning against Again, taking a breather.
Again is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Laven is keeping busy.
Laven connects with a knee to the head.

Again breaks the clinch.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Laven throws a big shot that misses.
Laven connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Laven misses with a wild body shot.
Again changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.

Laven rushes Again and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Smee Again has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Laven lands a good knee to the midsection. Again won't want to take too many of those.

And that's the end of the fight!
Daniel Laven showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Laven, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 30:27
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 30:27
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Daniel Laven!