PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Daniel Maia (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Vlad Sten (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Maia
vs
Sten

182 cm
21
188 lbs
8 - 5 - 0

187 cm
25
201 lbs
5 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter striker
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Powerful

Conviction

Conviction
Rusty Cage Fightwear

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 8 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Daniel Maia!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Vlad Sten!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Maia keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
A slow jab from Sten misses its intended target.
Maia fails with the takedown.
Maia looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Maia looks for a takedown but Sten sprawls well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Daniel Maia. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Maia decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Maia wants to pass to mount but Sten is defending the position.
Sten is doing well to control the position and prevent Maia from advancing to side control.
Sten trying to control but Maia postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sten is trying to get back to full guard.
Maia trying to pass the guard but Sten defending well.
Maia with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Maia thows a huge punch but Sten dodges it nicely.
Sten is pressing down on Maia's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Maia trying to control but Sten is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

Maia drops back, looking for a kneebar! Sten looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Sten looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Sten!
Maia stops Sten from passing to mount.
Maia tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Sten wants to lay and pray for a moment but Maia keeps working.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.
Maia tries to improve position but can't.
Maia sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Sten is trying to get back to his feet now but his leg is trapped.
Maia is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Sten's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Sten's back!

Maia has his hand under the chin of his opponent looking for the choke. He's nearly got it! This one could be all over! But no, Sten has freed his hand and lives to survive another… well, another couple of seconds at least!
Maia biding his time, looking for the opening.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Maia thows a strike but Sten uses the opportunity to reverse the position! Great move by Sten as he ends up in Maia 's guard!

Maia has his foot on Sten's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Sten works his way back into a safe position though.
Maia wants to sweep here but Sten controlling him for the moment.
Sten not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Sten wants to control from the top but Maia keeps moving.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Maia trying to keep a closed guard but Sten is proving a slippery customer.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Daniel Maia 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.

Sten fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Maia looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Maia circles away from the clinch attempt.
Sten scores with a spinning back kick!
A leg kick checked by Maia.
Sten misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Sten tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Sten closes the distance and pushes Maia back into the cage.
Sten throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Sten gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Sten trying to land knees to the body.
Sten lands a damaging elbow.
Sten tries a knee to the head but Maia blocks it.
Sten misses with an elbow over the top.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maia blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Sten tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Maia fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Sten throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Sten is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Maia is defending well for now.
Sten lands a nice elbow.
Maia tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Maia takes a knee right on the jaw!
Maia tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Daniel Maia. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Sten obliges.
Maia tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Sten just stands there and leans against the cage.
Sten is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Maia is defending well for now.
A knee to the head by Sten.
Sten is breathing heavily.
Sten trying to land knees to the body.
Maia fails to pull guard.
Sten misses with a knee to the head.
Maia avoiding damage as Sten throws knees to the body.
Sten misses with a knee to the head.
Maia tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Sten smiles and moves away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sten throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Sten tries to close the distance and clinch up but Maia swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Sten tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Maia was well out of range. Poor timing from Sten.
Sten swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Sten just misses with a punch to the body.
Sten fails with an attempt to clinch.

Maia looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Sten!
Maia moves to the back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
What can Sten do to escape this position? He's going to have to figure it out pretty quick if he wants to stay in the fight!
Sten is in a world of trouble here. He's outmatched on the ground here and he'd better get Maia off his back sharpish unless he wants to be submitted.
Even with his hooks in, Maia manages to miss with strikes from the back.
Maia trying to control.
Maia lands with a couple of good shots - one to the side of the head and one questionable shot that could be viewed as to the back of the head but the referee lets it go.
Maia is looking cool and calm here, just waiting for a good opportunity to attack and finish the fight from this dominant position.
Maia seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Sten for as long as he can get away with.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Maia is looking to control Sten but Sten is wriggling around and keeping busy.
Oooh a big shot gets through from Maia. Many more shots like that and the referee will have to think about stepping in!
Maia trying to control momentarily.
Sten tries to roll but Maia sticks to his back.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Vlad Sten will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Maia drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Maia tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.

Maia tries for a kimura but Sten is defending well.
Maia taking a break here but Sten is having none of it and regains half guard.

Maia is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Sten defends it well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sten is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Maia's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Maia's back!
Sten wants to control but Maia manages to buck him off and is now in Sten's guard! Nice work there by Maia!
Sten keeping moving, preventing Maia from controlling successfully.
Sten looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

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

Sten is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Maia postures up.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Maia accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Sten pulls Maia in close to his closed guard and prevents Maia from doing any damage or advancing position.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Maia shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Maia showed some decent athleticism there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sten is refusing to be controlled, as Maia sits in half guard.
Maia slows the pace down in half guard.
Sten is looking to get back to full guard here but Maia has managed to pass to side control instead.

That's four 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.
Sten is squirming around, avoiding Maia's attempts to control the action.
Maia sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

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

And that's the end of the fight!
Daniel Maia showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Maia has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Timothy Bukovac scores the fight for Daniel Maia!
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight for Daniel Maia!
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight for Daniel Maia!

Daniel Maia wins by unanimous decision!