PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Daniel Ekenbladh (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Romain Martel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Daniel Ekenbladh looks tired to me. Hopefully he has got enough gas left in the tank to put in a good performance.

Ekenbladh
vs
Martel

184 cm
18
175 lbs
0 - 3 - 0

175 cm
20
184 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Basic striking
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Very confident

Attliction

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 - 3 - 0, fighting out of London, Daniel Ekenbladh!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, Romain Martel!
The judges for this bout are William Gold, Sam Margolis and Donald Grub.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Martel throws a right and a left that both miss.
The fight stays on the outside here - Ekenbladh looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Martel decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Martel looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Ekenbladh is trying to stand back up but Martel is controlling him
Ekenbladh is pressing down on Martel's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Ekenbladh is looking to stand back up... there's a bit of a scramble and Martel dives into side control.
Ekenbladh is breathing heavily.

Martel decides to stand back up. Martel steps back and let's Ekenbladh get back to his feet.
Ekenbladh rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Martel moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

Martel decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Martel drops an elbow to the side of Ekenbladh's head.
Ekenbladh is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Martel blocks the strikes from Ekenbladh.

Martel is trying to work for a kimura. He's got his hands clasped together - this could be trouble! No, Ekenbladh has managed to free his arm - good work.
Ekenbladh makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Ekenbladh.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Martel thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

Ekenbladh has his feet on Martel's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.
Martel shoots in looking for a takedown. Ekenbladh tries to sprawl out of it but Martel keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Ekenbladh manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Ekenbladh tries to close the distance and clinch but Martel swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Martel swats away the attempt to clinch by Ekenbladh.
Martel tries to close the distance and clinch but Ekenbladh swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Ekenbladh lands a head kick. Martel smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Ekenbladh moves in looking to clinch but Martel pushes him off.
Martel throws a right and a left that Ekenbladh avoids nicely.
Martel fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
The fight stays on the outside here - Ekenbladh looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Ekenbladh will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Martel throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Ekenbladh.
Ekenbladh throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Martel.

Ekenbladh has managed to clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nice elbow from Ekenbladh.
Ekenbladh working some nice short punches in the clinch.
A shot in the inside from Ekenbladh.
Ekenbladh makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Ekenbladh is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Ekenbladh content to slow the pace in the clinch.

Martel is fighting off a takedown attempt but Ekenbladh is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Martel to the mat. Martel regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
Ekenbladh stands and throws Martel's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Martel takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Ekenbladh tries to get to his feet but he's trapped momentarily.

Ekenbladh stands up and we're back to a striking position.
Ekenbladh feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Martel's calf.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Ekenbladh closes this distance looking for a takedown but Martel circles away.
Martel throws a left and a right that both miss

and Ekenbladh moves into the clinch.

Martel breaks from the clinch.
Martel tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Martel misses with a double jab.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Martel fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Romain Martel seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Martel shoots for a double leg takedown but Ekenbladh sprawls well. He's pushed Martel's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Daniel Ekenbladh has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Romain Martel.
Ekenbladh throws a sloppy head kick and Martel moves out of range easily.
Martel avoids the head kick by Ekenbladh.

Ekenbladh clinches up against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.

Martel breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Ekenbladh pushes Martel away with a front kick.
Ekenbladh tries to clinch but Martel moves out of range.
Martel tries to clinch but Ekenbladh is having none of it.
Martel looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Ekenbladh lands a high kick!
Ekenbladh lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Martel looks for a takedown but Ekenbladh sprawls well.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Martel shoots for a takedown but Ekenbladh saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Martel has a takedown stuffed.
Martel lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Nice sprawl there from Ekenbladh as Martel shoots in.
Ekenbladh throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Martel shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Ekenbladh as he avoids it easily.
Ekenbladh misses with the combination.

Martel closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Ekenbladh tries to bench press Martel off him but Martel keeps the position.
Ekenbladh takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Ekenbladh can't do much from the bottom here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Martel working the ground and pound from side control.
Ekenbladh can't do much from the bottom here.

Martel wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Ekenbladh, who protects the arm well.
Ekenbladh sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Martel connects with a nice short shot to Ekenbladh's temple.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Ground and pound from Martel.

Ekenbladh is rocked!
Ekenbladh on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Oh Ekenbladh is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Martel is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Ekenbladh tries to get to full guard but Martel has control of the leg.
Ekenbladh throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Martel is working for a kimura but Ekenbladh is defending it quite comfortably.

Martel seems to be working for a kimura but Ekenbladh defends the submission attempt.
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 Ekenbladh will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Martel has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Ekenbladh seems to have got his legs back now.
Martel shoots in but Ekenbladh avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Martel keeps the fight on the outside.
Ekenbladh takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Ekenbladh tries to clinch there but Martel circles away.

Martel shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Martel was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!

Ekenbladh defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Martel.
Ekenbladh takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Martel working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Ekenbladh tries to buck Martel off but he can't manage it.
Martel landing strikes from the mount.
Martel trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Ekenbladh really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Martel tries to control but Ekenbladh wriggling away.
Martel is breathing heavily.
Ekenbladh tries to reverse the position but Martel maintains control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Martel punishing his opponent with strikes.
Martel landing shots from mount.
The referee warns Ekenbladh that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.

Martel working for a submission but Ekenbladh is keeping him at bay.
Ekenbladh is in all sorts of trouble here.
Martel with the ground and pound from mount.
Ekenbladh is desperately trying to improve his position but Martel has a good base and remains in mount.
Martel landing strikes from the mount.
Martel lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Martel looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Ekenbladh is trying to get back to his feet but can't.
The referee warns Ekenbladh that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.

Martel jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Ekenbladh manages to avoid the submission attempt.

Ekenbladh throws Martel to one side and escapes!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A head kick by Martel misses

and Ekenbladh counters by moving into the clinch.

Ekenbladh breaks from the clinch.
Some wild striking there from Martel.
Ekenbladh rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Martel moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Martel lands with a big right hook that stumbles Ekenbladh - he's out on his feet here! Martel follows up with another monster hook that separates Ekenbladh from consciousness! Ekenbladh falls, almost in slow motion to the canvas! Martel stands and admires his work as the crowd go wild.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:20 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Punches). Romain Martel!