PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Paul Harris (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Abu Al Zarqawi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look pumped up here. Let's hope this is a good fight!

Harris
vs
Al Zarqawi

184 cm
26
192 lbs
3 - 4 - 0

180 cm
24
195 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

Good takedowns
Brawler
Experienced

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

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 3 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Paul Harris!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Abu Al Zarqawi!
The judges for this bout are Ben Zyskovitsi, Marco Blurström and Johanna Lukiainen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Harris goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.

It looks like Abu Al Zarqawi has been cut.
Harris tries to bum rush Al Zarqawi with a series of wild strikes but Al Zarqawi uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Harris swinging wildly here.
Al Zarqawi blocks a jab.
Al Zarqawi throws out a loose jab but Harris uses good head movement to avoid it.
Harris misses with a two punch combination.
Al Zarqawi slips a jab and a cross from Harris.
The fighters circling - Harris throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Harris throws out a loose jab but Al Zarqawi uses good head movement to avoid it.
Horrible takedown by Harris or perhaps it was just good defense by Al Zarqawi which made him look bad.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Harris misses with a two punch combination.
Some wild striking there from Harris.
Paul Harris seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Al Zarqawi moves out of range of the strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harris finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Harris throws a right hand that Al Zarqawi ducks under and follows up with a left that Al Zarqawi also avoids with ease.
Harris lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Al Zarqawi circles away quickly and effectively.
Al Zarqawi looks to score with a jab to the body but Harris is just out of range.
Harris tries to bum rush Al Zarqawi with a series of wild strikes but Al Zarqawi uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Al Zarqawi thows a body shot but no joy.

Al Zarqawi decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Al Zarqawi missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Harris trying to hold on to Al Zarqawi's head to control him but Al Zarqawi postures up.
Al Zarqawi works his way into full mount!
Al Zarqawi throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Al Zarqawi lands a heavy elbow.
Al Zarqawi tries to control but Harris wriggling away.
Al Zarqawi with the ground and pound from mount.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Al Zarqawi looking to control but Harris is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Al Zarqawi looking to ground and pound but Harris is blocking nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harris is wriggling around trying to escape.
Al Zarqawi landing strikes from the mount.
Harris really trying hard to get back to half guard here.

Al Zarqawi is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Harris has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Harris!
Al Zarqawi tries to land a sweep but no joy.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Harris wants to pass the guard but Al Zarqawi is keeping the position.
Al Zarqawi looking to hit a scissor sweep but Harris is one step ahead there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Harris wants to pass the guard but Al Zarqawi is keeping the position.
Harris trying to control the position from guard on top but Al Zarqawi is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Al Zarqawi keeping full guard, as Harris tries to pass.
Al Zarqawi keeping moving, preventing Harris from controlling successfully.

Paul Harris has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
The fight stays on the outside here - Harris looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Al Zarqawi slips a jab and a cross from Harris.
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 Paul Harris will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Abu Al Zarqawi's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Harris shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Harris showed some decent athleticism there.
Harris missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Al Zarqawi controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.

Harris is working for a submission of some sort.
Harris seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Al Zarqawi does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Harris wants to stand up but Al Zarqawi has a hold of him and won't allow it.
Al Zarqawi trying to hold on to Harris's head to control him but Harris postures up.
Al Zarqawi manages to get to full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harris advances position into side control!
Al Zarqawi is looking for a sweep.
Harris tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
Harris has knee on belly and moves into mount.
Harris tries to control but Al Zarqawi wriggling away.

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.

Al Zarqawi defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Harris.
Al Zarqawi is squirming around, avoiding Harris's attempts to control the action.

Harris looking to secure an arm triangle but Al Zarqawi defends it well.

Harris looking to secure an arm triangle but Al Zarqawi defends it well.
Harris trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Harris punching from mount but Al Zarqawi doing a good job of avoiding damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Al Zarqawi is looking to improve his position but Harris isn't that keen on the idea.
Al Zarqawi wants to control but Harris is having none of it.
Al Zarqawi throwing hammer fists to the chest of Harris. What's that going to do exactly?

Harris moves into side control, trying to work for a kimura. That looks painful! Will he finish!!?? No, Al Zarqawi has worked his arm free - good work by Al Zarqawi!
Harris moves into full mount!
Harris avoids the attempt from Al Zarqawi to control.
Harris wants to take his opponent's back but Al Zarqawi doesn't allow it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Al Zarqawi is desperately trying to improve his position but Harris has a good base and remains in mount.
Harris unloads with some shots from mount but Al Zarqawi bucks and avoids them well.
Al Zarqawi is squirming around, avoiding Harris's attempts to control the action.
Al Zarqawi is in all sorts of trouble here.

Harris jumps to the side looking to secure the arm triangle…. Ooooh, that looks tight… Al Zarqawi is gargling but he's managed to escape! Nice work there by Al Zarqawi and Harris has given up the dominant position trying to land that submission.

Harris is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Al Zarqawi is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Al Zarqawi sneaks back into half guard.
Al Zarqawi tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Paul Harris dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Abu Al Zarqawi's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Al Zarqawi dodges the punch combination from Harris.
Harris throws a nice looking combination but Al Zarqawi bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Harris throws a right hand that Al Zarqawi ducks under and follows up with a left that Al Zarqawi also avoids with ease.
Harris misses with a wild combination.
Harris takes a swing at Al Zarqawi's ribcage but misses.
Harris misses with a takedown

and Al Zarqawi counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Al Zarqawi scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Harris gets back to full guard.
Al Zarqawi in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Al Zarqawi working some strikes from top position.
Al Zarqawi trying to control but Harris is working from the bottom.

Harris has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Al Zarqawi off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Harris misses with a takedown attempt

and Al Zarqawi counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Harris won't allow Al Zarqawi to pass to mount.
Harris is looking to improve his position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Al Zarqawi wants to work for an arm triangle but Harris is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Harris regains full guard. Nicely done.
Al Zarqawi passes into half guard.
Harris gets full guard.
Al Zarqawi takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Al Zarqawi loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Harris working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Al Zarqawi.
Al Zarqawi must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harris keeping full guard, as Al Zarqawi tries to pass.
Paul Harris is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Harris looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Al Zarqawi preventing the sweep.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Al Zarqawi stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Harris swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Al Zarqawi looking to sit in guard and control but Harris gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Al Zarqawi keeping full guard, as Harris tries to pass.
Al Zarqawi wants to sweep but no luck.
Al Zarqawi keeping moving, preventing Harris from controlling successfully.
Abu Al Zarqawi has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Harris showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Abu Al Zarqawi comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Harris 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 Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 29:28
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 29:28
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Paul Harris!