PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Aksel Stenger (ranked 1417 p4p, 173 weight class) and James Darren (ranked 1746 p4p, 212 weight class). Stenger's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Hit2face - Ain't it nice to get hit to the face?. Darren has chosen Here's to the losers as his entrance music. There are an array of beautiful celebrities at ringside tonight! I wonder if any of them paid for their tickets.

Stenger
vs
Darren

186 cm
32
196 lbs
27 - 19 - 3

185 cm
30
185 lbs
14 - 13 - 1

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Granite chin

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 27 - 19 - 3, fighting out of Helsinki, Aksel Stenger!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 14 - 13 - 1, fighting out of New York, James Darren!
The judges for this bout are Paul Tew, Steven Brown and James Ackerman.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Darren slips a jab from Stenger.
Stenger uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Darren.
Stenger scoring well with a low kick there.
Stenger throws a lazy uppercut
and Darren cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Stenger seems to be moving with more speed, compared to his last bout. He must have been working on that in the gym.
Stenger connects with a good right hand that stumbles Darren. Darren circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Stenger lands with a kick to the temple. Darren shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
The fighters circling - Stenger throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Stenger misses with the body kick
and Darren counters with a nice leg kick.
Stenger throws a hook but Darren blocks it.
Darren feints a counter leg kick.
Stenger pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Stenger misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
A combination from Darren does no damage.
Darren misses with a combination
and Stenger counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Stenger is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Darren on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Stenger throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Stenger scores with a shot to the body.
Darren takes a kick to the side of the head.
Stenger throws a body punch but Darren moves out of range.
Stenger throws a shot to the body.
Stenger scores with a jab to the jaw.
Darren misses with a head kick.
Darren takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Stenger lands with an uppercut that bounces Darren off the cage and back into range.
Stenger ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Darren tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Stenger paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Stenger moves out of range as Darren throws a body kick.
Darren throws a leg kick but Stenger sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Stenger scores with a one two! Darren had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Darren lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Stenger scores with a leg kick.
Stenger throws a shot from downtown. Darren moves away and avoids it.
Stenger connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Darren momentarily.
Darren avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Darren blocks a head kick by Stenger.
Stenger swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Stenger throws a head kick but Darren moves out of range.
Darren avoids the head kick by Stenger.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Stenger throws a hook to the side of Darren's head but Darren sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Darren throws out a counter right but Stenger avoids it with no problem.

Darren pushes Stenger up against the cage in a clinch.
Stenger pushes Darren back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Stenger lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Stenger with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Darren goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Stenger trying to land knees to the body.
Stenger tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Darren's elbow.
Darren throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Stenger tries to land a knee to the head but Darren blocks with his arms.
Darren lands a shot to the body.
Darren pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Darren throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Nice body punch from Darren.
Stenger lands a hook that snaps the head of Darren backwards.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A right hand to the body from Darren.
Stenger lands with a left to the head.
Stenger has a couple of punches blocked by Darren.
Darren lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Stenger backwards.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Darren.
Stenger misses with some punches.
A short body shot lands from Stenger as the two fighters clinch.
Darren stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Darren lands an elbow just above Stenger 's eye.
Darren struggles to land a body shot inside as Stenger controls his hands.
Stenger is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Darren is defending well for now.
Stenger swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Stenger pushes Darren back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Stenger landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Stenger throws a head punch that misses.
Stenger with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Darren lands a nice uppercut.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Aksel Stenger dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Stenger misses with a right hand
and Darren counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Stenger throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Stenger tries a head kick but it misses.
Darren avoids the body shot from Stenger.
Darren pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Stenger moves out of range as Darren throws a body kick.
Darren turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Stenger connects with a high kick.
Stenger misses with a jab to the body
and Darren counters with a thumping low kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Stenger scores with a jab.
We are yet to see a takedown attempt from Darren in the fight. On paper you would think he is the more dominant ground fighter so let's see if these unusual tactics pay off.
Stenger scores with a decent looking hook.
Aksel Stenger seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Stenger wants to clinch up but Darren keeps it at a distance.
Stenger lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Stenger connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Stenger turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Stenger misses with an uppercut
and Darren counters with a straight right hand.
Darren uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Stenger.
Darren pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Stenger misses the shot to the body.
Darren misses with an uppercut.
Darren on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Stenger misses with an uppercut. Darren saw that one coming.
Darren unleashes a big counter combination but Stenger bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.
Stenger throws a nice outside leg kick.
Darren scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
A chopping leg kick lands by Stenger.
Darren keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
A lazy left from Stenger finds it's target.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Darren gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Stenger blocks a head kick by Darren.
Stenger fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Darren's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Darren throws a wild body kick that Stenger sees coming a mile off.
Stenger throws a front kick aimed at Darren's knee but Darren avoids it well.
A nice leg kick lands there from Stenger.
Stenger throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Stenger tries to close the distance and clinch up but Darren swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Darren motions for Stenger to come forward. Darren throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Stenger misses the shot to the body.
As Stenger backs off Darren throws a huge counter combo but Stenger manages to avoid it all.
A low kick from Stenger is predictable there
and Darren counters with a straight right hand.
Stenger is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Darren can do to turn this around?
Stenger throws a leg kick
and Darren counters with a left to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A head kick from Stenger lands but Darren takes it in his stride.
Stenger lands a body shot.
Darren moves out of range of the leg kick from Stenger.
Darren is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.
Stenger misses with a body punch
and Darren counters with a nice low kick that buckles Stenger's knee momentarily.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Stenger avoids a kick to the body.
Darren is looking to score with low kicks.
It looked like Stenger was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Darren.

Darren has taken the fight to the clinch.
A shot in the inside from Darren.
Stenger swings wildly with an uppercut but Darren uses good head movement to avoid it.
James Darren seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Stenger fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Stenger misses with a hook from the clinch.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Darren throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Darren works on Stenger's body with a couple of short punches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Darren lands a damaging elbow.
Stenger lands with a left to the head.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
A short uppercut from Stenger.
Stenger swings wildly with an uppercut but Darren uses good head movement to avoid it.
Darren blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Stenger throws a knee to the head but misses.
Stenger struggles to land a body shot inside as Darren controls his hands.
Stenger tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Darren is leaning against Stenger and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Darren goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Stenger blocks an elbow strike from Darren.
A nice right hand lands inside from Stenger.
Stenger stalling in the clinch but Darren improves position.
Stenger dodges an elbow strike from Darren.
Stenger tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
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 Aksel Stenger will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. And we move into the final round!

A head kick by Stenger misses
and Darren counters with a low kick, right behind Stenger 's knee.
Stenger looks for the body kick but Darren saw that one coming.

Darren moves into range and clinches up with Stenger.
Darren avoiding damage as Stenger throws knees to the body.
Darren gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Stenger working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Stenger misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Darren lands a nice shot to the body.
A left hand lands to the body for Darren.
Darren lands a body punch in the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Darren lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Darren misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
A body shot lands from Darren.
Stenger misses with a short punch on the inside.
Darren has been looking to improve his clinch game in recent weeks. Stenger seems to have the measure of him in the clinch so far, so let's see if Darren can turn it around.
Darren lands a body punch.
Stenger swings wildly with an uppercut but Darren uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A head punch on the inside from Stenger fails to land.
Darren lands a body punch in the clinch.
A nice left hand lands by Stenger.
Darren misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Stenger misses with a punch to the body.
Darren struggles to land a body shot inside as Stenger controls his hands.
Darren prevents a body shot from Stenger.
Stenger scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Stenger tries to land knees in the clinch but Darren avoids the damage to the body.
Stenger blocks a body shot from Darren.
Stenger lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Stenger goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Darren lands an elbow just above Stenger 's eye.
Darren blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
James Darren has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Stenger misses with a punch to the body.
Stenger tries a knee to the head but Darren blocks it.
Stenger looking to stall.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Darren just misses with a elbow thrown towards Stenger's brow.
Stenger has a couple of punches blocked by Darren.
Stenger misses with a short punch on the inside.
Darren tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Stenger's elbow.
Darren comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Darren scores with an uppercut up the middle.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Stenger swings wildly with an uppercut but Darren uses good head movement to avoid it.
Stenger tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
A head punch on the inside from Stenger fails to land.
Stenger misses with a hook from the clinch.
Stenger misses with some punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Stenger misses with a knee to the head.
Stenger throws a head punch that misses.
Darren misses with a punch to the body.
Darren scores with a hook to the body.
Stenger dodges an elbow strike from Darren.
Darren blocks an uppercut.
Aksel Stenger is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Stenger misses with a punch on the inside.
Stenger softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
A short uppercut from Stenger.
A left hand lands to the body for Stenger.
Stenger misses with a body punch.
Stenger swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Darren throws an elbow that misses.
Darren works on Stenger's body with a couple of short punches.
Darren lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Stenger doesn't land with the attempted body shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Darren tries to throw a body punch but Stenger avoids it by throwing Darren back against the cage.
Stenger throws a knee to the head but misses.
Darren misses with a punch to the body.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Darren.
Darren blocks a body shot from Stenger.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
A head punch on the inside from Stenger fails to land.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Darren tries to throw a body punch but Stenger avoids it by throwing Darren back against the cage.
Stenger presses Darren against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Stenger is working Darren over against the cage.
Darren misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Stenger takes an elbow to the temple.
Stenger blocks a body shot from Darren.
Stenger tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Darren's elbow.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Stenger.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to James Darren.
Well Stenger has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Paul Tew scores the fight 29:28
Judge Steven Brown scores the fight 29:28
Judge James Ackerman scores the fight 30:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Aksel Stenger!
Aksel Stenger thanked the fans post fight for their support.
James Darren spoke after the fight, saying 'I'm a loser!'.