PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Anna Margret (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and James Joystick (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Margret
vs
Joystick

170 cm
22
155 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

186 cm
22
160 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

Good takedowns
Counter striker
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Dangerous knees
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Anna Margret!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, James Joystick!
The judges for this bout are Matti Vanhoillinen, Tarja Halkonen and Anni Minnemäki.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Margret shoots in but Joystick avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Joystick fails in his attempt to clinch.
Margret shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Joystick has closed the distance and engaged Margret in a clinch.

Joystick breaks the clinch.
Joystick tries to clinch but Margret is having none of it.
James Joystick seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A head kick misses from Joystick.
Joystick tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Margret paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Joystick fails with the takedown

and Margret counters with a shoot takedown. Joystick fights it but they end up in guard.
Margret tries to free his leg and advance position but Joystick is retaining full guard.

Margret is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Joystick keeping full guard, as Margret tries to pass.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Margret advances to half guard.

Margret is looking for a kimura but Joystick is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Margret to get the leverage.
Joystick won't allow Margret to pass to mount.
Joystick wants to get back to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Joystick won't allow Margret to pass to mount.
Margret prevents Joystick from standing back up.

Margret seems to be looking for submissions.
Joystick is trying to stand back up but Margret is controlling him
Joystick is trying to escape back to his feet but Margret uses the scramble to pass into side control.

Margret is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Joystick is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Margret working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Joystick wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Margret goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Joystick rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Margret's guard! Nice work there by Joystick!
Margret lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Joystick!
Joystick blocking the ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Margret moves to the back.

Margret is working for the rear naked choke. He has one arm under the chin but Joystick has hold of the other arm. A bit of a stalemate here.
Joystick wants to get back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Joystick tries to clinch there but Margret circles away.
Margret circles away from the clinch attempt.
Joystick tries to clinch up.
Joystick throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Margret's head.
Joystick tries to clinch but Margret moves out of range.
Joystick tries to close the distance and clinch but Margret swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Joystick instigates a clinch.
Joystick is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Joystick can't break the clinch.
Joystick is trying to break the clinch but Margret has him pressed against the cage.
Joystick lands a nice knee to the body.
Joystick wants to get back to striking at distance but Margret won't allow it.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
Margret tries for a takedown but Joystick circles away easily
and Joystick counters with a solid body kick.
Margret takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Margret shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Joystick but Joystick pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Anna Margret is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Joystick throws a series of strikes that have Margret backpedaling.
Margret fails with the takedown
and Joystick counters with a nice body shot.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Anna Margret. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Joystick is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Joystick pulls out of a head kick attempt.

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.
Joystick is looking to clinch but Margret is avoiding it.
Joystick tries to close the distance and clinch up but Margret swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Margret tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Joystick swivels and escapes.
The fight stays on the outside here - Joystick looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Joystick throws a head kick but Margret moves out of range.
Joystick tries to clinch but Margret is having none of it.

Joystick looking for a takedown here - he's got it.

Joystick avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Margret is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Joystick is breathing heavily.

Margret is trying to work for a kimura but Joystick is defending well.

Margret looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Margret looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Joystick with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Margret looking for a submission but Joystick manages to get full guard, putting an end to that submission attempt.
Margret pushes down on Joystick's leg and manages to get into half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Anna Margret will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Joystick lands with a slapping head kick.
Joystick throws a head kick that misses.
Joystick throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Margret.
Joystick tries to clinch there but Margret circles away.
Joystick throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Margret.
Joystick tries for a takedown but Margret circles away easily

and Margret counters with a nice double leg into side control. Joystick won't be happy with that.
Joystick gives up the full mount - oops, sloppy defensive grappling there!
Joystick takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Margret wants to finish this one by submission but Joystick is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Margret.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Margret throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.

Margret moves into side control, trying to work for a kimura. That looks painful! Will he finish!!?? No, Joystick has worked his arm free - good work by Joystick!

Margret tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Margret has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Joystick is pushing Margret's head away, looking to escape. Margret manages to hold on to the position though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Margret tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Margret has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

Margret is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Joystick has escaped the position, nice work there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Joystick is trying to stand and escape here. He's got onto all fours but that's just let Margret take his back! Uh oh - Margret has got a rear naked choke here! Joystick is forced to tap! It's all over! One monent is all it takes in this sport!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:06 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Anna Margret!