PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Brendan Stahl (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Hakeem Berzevaco (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Stahl
vs
Berzevaco

185 cm
19
185 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

178 cm
18
182 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Brendan Stahl!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Hakeem Berzevaco!
The judges for this bout are Anni Minnemäki, Ben Zyskovitsi and Arvi Lind.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Stahl throws a series of punches but Berzevaco avoids them all with ease.
Stahl stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Stahl wants it to stay on the feet.
Berzevaco defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Stahl.
Berzevaco tries for a takedown but Stahl circles away easily

and Stahl counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Berzevaco is refusing to be controlled, as Stahl sits in half guard.
Berzevaco is trying to control but can't.

Berzevaco is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Stahl pulls his head out easily.

Stahl is looking for a kimura here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Stahl is trying to control the action in half guard but Berzevaco is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

Berzevaco looking for submissions off his back.

Berzevaco is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Stahl pulls his head out easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Berzevaco wants to get back to his feet.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Stahl has taken the fight to the clinch.
Stahl blocking some punches.

Stahl escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Berzevaco fails with the takedown

and Stahl counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Berzevaco's guard now.
Brendan Stahl has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Hakeem Berzevaco.
Berzevaco looks gassed!
Stahl not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

Berzevaco is looking for a triangle here but Stahl uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
Berzevaco tries to get back to half guard but can't.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Stahl wants to control but Berzevaco is keeping him busy.

Stahl wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Berzevaco, who protects the arm well.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Berzevaco tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Stahl wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Stahl wants to control but Berzevaco is keeping him busy.
Berzevaco tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Stahl wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Stahl advances to mount.
Berzevaco is desperately trying to improve his position but Stahl has a good base and remains in mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Stahl scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Stahl trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Stahl fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Stahl pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Berzevaco working to try and regain half guard.
Stahl lands a nice shot to the head.

Stahl looking to secure an arm triangle but Berzevaco defends it well.
Stahl 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.
Berzevaco is looking to improve his position but Stahl isn't that keen on the idea.
Stahl avoids the attempt from Berzevaco to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Berzevaco is trying to escape the mount.
Stahl avoids the attempt from Berzevaco to control.

Stahl looking to secure an arm triangle but Berzevaco defends it well.
Berzevaco is really trying hard to get back to his feet.
Berzevaco can't escape the position.

Stahl is working for a guillotine from mount but Berzevaco frees his head quite easily.
Stahl wants to get back to his feet but Berzevaco is holding on tight.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Brendan Stahl dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Berzevaco fails with an attempt to clinch.
Stahl misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Stahl wants to clinch up but Berzevaco keeps it at a distance.

Berzevaco pushes Stahl up against the cage in a clinch.
Berzevaco will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Stahl up against the cage.

Berzevaco has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Stahl uses from the top position.

Berzevaco working for a triangle but Stahl defends it easily.
Berzevaco lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Stahl!
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Stahl is trying desperately to improve position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Berzevaco looking to control and managing it successfully.
Berzevaco looking to control but Stahl is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Stahl gets back to half guard.
Berzevaco wants to lay and pray for a moment but Stahl keeps working.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Berzevaco in particular looking to stall.

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.
Berzevaco is keen to just control but Stahl is a slippery customer.
Stahl moves into full guard.
Berzevaco trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Stahl manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!

Berzevaco is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Berzevaco not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

Berzevaco has his foot on Stahl's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Stahl works his way back into a safe position though.
Stahl trying to control the position from guard on top but Berzevaco is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Berzevaco is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

Berzevaco throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Stahl escapes and throws Berzevaco's legs to the side, diving into side control!
Stahl works to advance to full mount. Berzevaco defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
Stahl lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Stahl tries to control but Berzevaco wriggling away.
Stahl prevents Berzevaco from getting the reversal.
Stahl lands with some strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Berzevaco gets back to half guard.

Berzevaco looking for a kimura from the bottom but Stahl passes into side control!
Berzevaco is not content to let Stahl control the position.
Berzevaco is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Stahl trying to pass the guard but Berzevaco defending well.
Berzevaco wants to get back to his feet.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Berzevaco regains full guard. Nicely done.
Stahl trying to control but Berzevaco is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Hakeem Berzevaco will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's time! Stahl's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Berzevaco throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Stahl was covering up waiting for the punch and Berzevaco finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Berzevaco advances to half guard.
Berzevaco content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

Stahl looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

Berzevaco is trying to work for a kimura but Stahl is defending well.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Berzevaco is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Berzevaco is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Stahl defends it well.
Stahl is refusing to be controlled, as Berzevaco sits in half guard.

Stahl looking for submissions off his back.
Stahl wants to get back to his feet.

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

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Berzevaco shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Stahl counters with a takedown into side control.
Stahl working the body and head with strikes.

Stahl tries for a kimura but Berzevaco is defending well.
Stahl working the ground and pound but Berzevaco is defending the strikes.
Berzevaco is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Stahl off and has taken his back!
Berzevaco controlling well, preventing Stahl from escaping the position.

Berzevaco is looking to finish the fight by rear naked choke. Stahl knows exactly what he's got planned though, so he's defending well. Maybe a few strikes would soften Stahl for a finish.

Berzevaco looking for the choke but no joy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Berzevaco has his opponent's back and is working for the choke.

Berzevaco 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, Stahl has freed his hand and lives to survive another… well, another couple of seconds at least!

Stahl is having to fend off submission attempts from Berzevaco, who is looking to sink in the choke. Berzevaco doesn't have the hooks in though and Stahl manages to reverse position! He's now on top, in his opponent's guard.
Berzevaco keeping full guard, as Stahl tries to pass.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Stahl avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Brendan Stahl overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Berzevaco looking for a guillotine here but Stahl defends easily.

Berzevaco is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

Stahl 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.

And that's the end of the fight!
Hakeem Berzevaco comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Berzevaco has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 28:29
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 28:29
Judge Arvi Lind scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Hakeem Berzevaco!