PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Travis Casada (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Patryk Kowalski (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Casada
vs
Kowalski

175 cm
19
140 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

170 cm
18
130 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Inexperienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Travis Casada!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Patryk Kowalski!
The judges for this bout are Johanna Lukiainen, Anni Minnemäki and Matti Vanhoillinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Casada avoids the body shot from Kowalski.
Kowalski tries to clinch but Casada moves out of range.

Kowalski drives through with a takedown into guard.
Kowalski pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Casada is keeping the position for now.
Kowalski preventing the sweep.
Kowalski wants to control from the top but Casada keeps moving.
Kowalski is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Casada avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Kowalski sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Casada manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Kowalski manages to get himself to full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kowalski has a closed guard, preventing Casada from standing up.
Casada trying to control but Kowalski is working from the bottom.
Casada is really struggling to control Kowalski but he's trying to hold on to the position.

That's two 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.
Kowalski pulls Casada in close to his closed guard and prevents Casada from doing any damage or advancing position.
Kowalski's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Kowalski preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Casada is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Kowalski keeping moving, preventing Casada from controlling successfully.
Kowalski manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Casada manages to get himself to full guard.
Kowalski is stalling in the full guard.
Kowalski pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Casada is keeping the position for now.
Kowalski controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

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.
Kowalski tries to free his leg and advance position but Casada is retaining full guard.
Casada manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Kowalski is squirming around, avoiding Casada's attempts to control the action.
Casada throwing strikes here but Kowalski is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Kowalski is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Kowalski is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Patryk Kowalski dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Casada shoots and misses

and Kowalski counters with a takedown into side control.
Casada tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Kowalski wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Kowalski is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Casada will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.

Kowalski thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Casada wants to control but Kowalski postures up.
Casada prevents Kowalski from improving position.

Kowalski decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Casada misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Casada wants to clinch

and Kowalski counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.

Kowalski breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Kowalski clinches.
A nice right hand lands inside from Kowalski.
Kowalski lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Casada is working for takedown but Kowalski is calmly controlling the position for now.
Kowalski on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

Casada decides to pull guard.
Kowalski's corner is telling him to maintain position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kowalski looking to pass the guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Casada has a closed guard, preventing Kowalski from standing up.
Kowalski looking to pass the guard.
Kowalski trying to control but Casada is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Casada working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Kowalski.
Casada bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Kowalski's guard.
Kowalski looking to control.
Casada wants to control from the top but Kowalski keeps moving.
Kowalski looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Casada postures up.
Kowalski looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.

Kowalski has his foot on Casada's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Casada works his way back into a safe position though.

That's four 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.
Kowalski keeping moving, preventing Casada from controlling successfully.

Kowalski manages to escape and get back to his feet.
Casada fails to land the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Travis Casada. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Kowalski looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Casada pushes Kowalski off looking to stand but Kowalski dives back in and keeps control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Patryk Kowalski showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Casada throws a series of strikes that have Kowalski backpedaling.
Kowalski shoots in for a takedown but Casada shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Casada lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Kowalski at a distance.
Casada is looking to clinch.

Kowalski instigates a clinch.

Kowalski is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. Casada can't fight it off and eventually Kowalski manages to take the fight to the floor. Casada looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Casada wants to improve his position but instead Kowalski has moved into half guard.
Casada gets full guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Casada will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kowalski advances to half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Casada tries to kick Kowalski off but Kowalski keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Kowalski in particular looking to stall.

Kowalski is working for a kimura but Casada is defending it quite comfortably.
Casada is looking for a sweep. Kowalski is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Casada tries to regain full guard. Instead though, Kowalski has advanced to mount. Uh oh.
Kowalski controlling the pace for now.
Kowalski is looking to work his way around to Casada's back. He needs to be careful though, as he's in danger of losing this dominant position.
Casada is squirming around, avoiding Kowalski's attempts to control the action.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A nice elbow there by Kowalski.
Casada really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
A nice elbow there by Kowalski.
Kowalski controlling from mount.
Casada is trying to escape the mount.
Kowalski scoring with strikes but Casada is staying in there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Casada taking shots to the head.
Casada is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

Kowalski is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Casada to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Casada shrugs it off.
Kowalski controlling from mount.

Kowalski is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Casada has managed to escape the submission attempt.

And that's the end of the fight!
Patryk Kowalski comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Kowalski winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 27:30
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 27:30
Judge Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Patryk Kowalski!