PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Mario Linic (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and optimus Prime (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Linic
vs
Prime

191 cm
24
262 lbs
6 - 2 - 0

200 cm
23
260 lbs
6 - 1 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Solid boxing
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Mario Linic!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, optimus Prime!
The judges for this bout are Anni Minnemäki, Ben Zyskovitsi and Marco Blurström.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Linic scores with a three punch combo!

It looks like optimus Prime has been cut.
Prime misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Linic.
Prime fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Linic avoids it really well and circles away.
Prime throws a shot from downtown. Linic moves away and avoids it.
Prime connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.

It looks like Mario Linic has been cut.
optimus Prime seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Linic drops his shoulder and cracks Prime with a huge uppercut! Prime goes down! Can Linic finish him?

Prime is rocked!

Linic thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Prime is still in real trouble! Can Linic finish him?
Prime is trying to control the position but Linic postures up.
Prime seems to have recovered his senses.
Linic trying to control but Prime is working from the bottom.
Linic thows a big elbow that misses.
Prime not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Linic with a flurry of punches that miss.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Linic makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.

Linic avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Linic trying to control but Prime is working from the bottom.
Prime is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Prime wants to stand up but Linic is controlling him.
Linic 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.
Linic wants to control from the top but Prime keeps moving.
Linic stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Prime swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Linic chips away with some ground and pound.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Prime can do anything to dispel that myth.
Linic is stalling in the full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Linic prevents Prime from getting back to his feet.
Prime has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Linic has passed into side control.
Prime is trying to control Linic's posture but Linic avoids it.
Linic landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Prime tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Linic lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Linic wants to control but Prime is keeping him busy.

Linic is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Prime knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Linic is putting a hurting on Prime here, landing some big shots from side control.
Prime tries to buck Linic off but Linic is having none of it.
Prime is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Prime gets back to half guard.
Linic is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Prime blocking the ground and pound attempt from Linic.
Prime blocking the ground and pound attempt from Linic.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Prime on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Prime wants to get back to full guard.
Linic misses with a head shot. Prime uses the momentum to regain guard.
Prime manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!

Prime swings around for an armbar but it's a sloppy attempt and Linic is now in Prime's guard. A big mistake from Prime there, giving up the dominant position!
Prime avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Linic in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Prime looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mario Linic dominated that round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Prime lands a nice looking body shot.
Linic is looking to clinch.

Prime shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Prime was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Linic working to try and regain half guard.
Prime trying to control but Linic is having none of it.
Linic looks out of his depth in this position - he's holding on tight.
Prime misses with a head shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Poor strikes thrown by Prime there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!
Linic is trying desperately to improve position.
Prime wants to control the pace but Linic is squirming around nicely.
Linic is desperately trying to improve his position but Prime has a good base and remains in mount.

Prime get's back to his feet.
Prime throws a right and a left that Linic avoids nicely.
Prime shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Linic as he jumps to the side.
Linic uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Prime.
Linic takes one to the side of the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Prime throws a jab but it's blocked by Linic.
A jab from Linic does it's job there.
Linic is looking to clinch.
Prime throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Linic's waist but Linic gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Prime off to one side.
Prime is breathing heavily.
Prime shoots in and drives through. Linic sprawls well.
Mario Linic has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of optimus Prime.
The fight stays on the outside here - Linic looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Linic lands with a shot to the body.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Linic fails in his attempt to clinch.
Linic cracks Prime with a right hand to the side of the head.
Linic lands a really nice looking cross but Prime seems unphased.
The fight stays on the outside here - Linic looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Linic rushes Prime and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Prime.
Linic stalls.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Linic misses with some punches.
Linic throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Linic drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Prime gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Prime tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Prime stops a takedown attempt from Linic.

Prime breaks the clinch.
Prime throws a hook to the side of Linic's head but Linic sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Linic wants to clinch up but Prime keeps it at a distance.
Prime uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Linic.

Linic forces Prime back against the cage and clinches.
Linic is looking to control Prime's arms but Prime gets an underhook and turns him. Now Linic has his back to the cage.
Linic can't find room to land a body shot as Prime controls the action.
A body shot lands from Linic.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Linic is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Prime tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Linic scores with a nice hook to the head.
Linic tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Linic misses with a punch to the body.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Prime drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Linic is trying to stall.
Linic stops a takedown attempt from Prime.
A nice left hand lands by Linic.
Linic has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Prime avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Linic throws a head punch that misses.
Linic tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Prime tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Linic smiles and moves away.

Prime feints and as Linic raises his hands in defense, Prime changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mario Linic dominated that second round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Linic is looking to clinch.
Prime misses with a double jab

and Linic counters by moving into the clinch.
Nice body punch from Prime.

Prime pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Linic is looking to clinch.
Prime misses with a takedown attempt

and Linic counters with a shoot takedown. Prime fights it but they end up in guard.
Linic is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Linic postures up in Prime's guard and throws a big left but Prime blocks it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Linic postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

Prime escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Linic gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Prime takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Linic throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Linic stands and throws Prime's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Prime taking a bit of punishment here - Linic scoring with strikes.
Prime is trying to control Linic's posture but Linic avoids it.
Prime tries to buck Linic off but Linic is having none of it.
Prime gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.

Prime looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Linic lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Prime trying to control from the bottom.

Linic is working for a kimura but Prime is defending it quite comfortably.
Linic is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Linic wants to take a breather but Prime is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Prime wants to get back to full guard.
Prime is staying active underneath Linic, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Linic passes the guard and advances to mount!
Linic is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Prime is looking to get to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Linic looking to finish Prime with some ground and pound. This is bad for Prime!
Linic is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Prime can do to turn this around?
Linic looking to finish Prime with some ground and pound. This is bad for Prime!

Linic working from mount. He moves in close and looks like he might be going for an arm triangle... He's hopped off to the side and he's transitioned into an Anaconda choke. Prime turning a nasty shade of purple. He's refusing to tap but he's gone! He's out! The ref rips Linic off and cradles Prime's limp body as Linic celebrates with his corner.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:34 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Anaconda Choke). Mario Linic!