PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Zalt Gaanja (ranked 633 p4p, 794 weight class) and Osiris Maharajah (ranked 95 p4p, 124 weight class). Gaanja kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Nathan Evans - Wellerman. I'm sure you'll be fascinated to know that I was talking to some pointless Z list celebrity before the fight and he thought that Osiris Maharajah was going to win. Let's see if he was right.

Gaanja
vs
Maharajah

195 cm
26
190
7 - 1 - 0

186 cm
24
190
7 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
World class MT
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

Urban Fighter
Barry Bonds Performance Enhancers -160Q

Paddy's Enhancing Drugs (160Q)
HELLBENT

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 7 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Zalt Gaanja!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Osiris Maharajah!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Shimada, Tatsuya Matsuyama and Shigeki Sano.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Maharajah pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Gaanja misses with a lunging right hand
and Maharajah counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Maharajah bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Maharajah looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Gaanja connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Maharajah's hands.
Gaanja swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Maharajah.

Maharajah looking to score a takedown here. Gaanja is defending well but Maharajah drives through and ends up in Gaanja's guard.
Gaanja keeping moving, preventing Maharajah from controlling successfully.
Maharajah engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Maharajah preventing the sweep.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gaanja keeping moving, preventing Maharajah from controlling successfully.
Gaanja is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Gaanja throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Gaanja prevents Maharajah from improving his position.
Maharajah blocking the ground and pound attempt from Gaanja.

Maharajah is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Gaanja pulls his head out easily.
Maharajah gets full guard.
Gaanja has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Maharajah looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Maharajah looking to control.
Maharajah keeping moving, preventing Gaanja from controlling successfully.
Gaanja landing with the ground and pound.
Gaanja working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Maharajah's head.
Gaanja passes into half guard.
Gaanja scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Maharajah is doing well to control the position and prevent Gaanja from advancing to side control.
Gaanja is nestled in close to Maharajah, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maharajah trying to control from the bottom.
Gaanja working the head and body with strikes.
Maharajah has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Gaanja is working away from the top position though.
Gaanja slips a nice elbow through Maharajah's hands, connecting with Maharajah's forehead.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Maharajah looking for submissions off his back.
Gaanja slips a nice elbow through Maharajah's hands, connecting with Maharajah's forehead.
Maharajah tries to get to full guard but Gaanja has control of the leg.
Gaanja missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Maharajah is staying active underneath Gaanja, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Maharajah taking some punishment here, with Gaanja in his half guard.

Maharajah looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Maharajah moves into full guard.
Gaanja postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Gaanja is pushing down on Maharajah's leg trying to pass to half guard. Maharajah is fighting to maintain full guard but Gaanja has managed to sneak the leg through.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Gaanja lands a nice short elbow.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Gaanja lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Gaanja lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Gaanja missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

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

Maharajah moves out of range as Gaanja strikes.
Maharajah throws the left hand but Gaanja avoids the punch easily.
Gaanja was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Gaanja looks to throw the jab but Maharajah is out of range.
Maharajah looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Maharajah slips under a jab.
Maharajah jabs at Gaanja's body.
Gaanja with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Maharajah to score with a decent uppercut.
Maharajah avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gaanja changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Gaanja looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Maharajah looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Maharajah works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gaanja takes a swing at Maharajah's ribcage but misses.
Maharajah scores with a body shot.
Gaanja throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Nice defenses there by Maharajah.
Maharajah is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Gaanja is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Gaanja throws a hook to the side of Maharajah's head but Maharajah sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Maharajah appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
Maharajah uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Gaanja.
Gaanja takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Maharajah throws out a loose jab but Gaanja uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maharajah cracks Gaanja with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.

Gaanja is rocked!
Gaanja misses with a body shot.
Oh Gaanja is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Maharajah finds Gaanja's off switch, with a big overhand right that connects perfectly to the side of the head! Gaanja flops back against the cage, eyes gazing into the distance. Maharajah lands an unnecessary shot before the referee has time to step in and end the fight. Brutal stuff but I'm sure Gaanja will be OK.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:16 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Osiris Maharajah!