PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Hans Gruber (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bill Held (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Held has chosen pantera - walk as his entrance music. Fingers crossed for an exciting fight - I'm sure both fighters are looking for a nice under the table bonus!

Gruber
vs
Held

181 cm
23
173 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

175 cm
24
175 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Hans Gruber!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Bill Held!
The judges for this bout are Marco Blurström, Roosa Järviläinen and Johanna Lukiainen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gruber tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Held manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Gruber is looking to clinch but Held is avoiding it.
Gruber moves out of range as Held throws a body kick.
Gruber misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Gruber is looking to clinch but Held is avoiding it.
The fight stays on the outside here - Gruber looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Held drives through with a takedown into guard.
Held postures up and lands a big shot to Gruber's brow.

Held gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Gruber tries to clinch there but Held circles away.
Gruber stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Gruber wants it to stay on the feet.
Gruber tries to close the distance and clinch up but Held swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Held misses with a low kick.
The fight stays on the outside here - Gruber looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Held closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Held lands in his opponent's guard.

Held gets to his feet. Gruber looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
A solid body kick from Gruber.
Gruber moves out of range as Held throws a body kick.
Gruber tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Gruber wants to clinch up but Held keeps it at a distance.
Gruber tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Held manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Gruber wants to clinch up but Held keeps it at a distance.
Gruber lands with a nice body kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gruber tries to clinch up.
Gruber tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Held manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Gruber throws a body kick the misses

and Held counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Held lands a left hand.

Held manages to pull guard.
Gruber trying to control but Held is working from the bottom.

Held pushes Gruber off and scrambles back to his feet.
Gruber closes the distance but Held moves to the side

so Held counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Held content to stall in guard here.
Gruber knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Held on the ground.
Held stops Gruber from standing up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Held sitting in guard here, content to control.

Held stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Gruber closes the distance but Held moves to the side

and Held counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Gruber throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Gruber stalling in the clinch but Held improves position.

Held turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!

Held stands up.
Held stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gruber looks to clinch

and Held holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

Held has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Gruber uses from the top position.
Gruber would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Held controlling the position.
Gruber wants to stand and escape but instead Held has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Gruber keeping full guard, as Held tries to pass.

Gruber is working an open guard so Held takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Held misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Gruber dodges the punch combination from Held.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bill Held dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Gruber lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Gruber feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Held's calf.
Gruber looks to clinch

and Held counters with a nice double leg into guard.

Held stands up from Gruber's guard - Held perhaps looking for a knockout.
Hans Gruber is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Held circles away from the clinch attempt
and Held counters with a big head kick but Gruber shrugs it off.
Gruber moves to clinch but Held breaks away

and Held holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Gruber pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Gruber creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Gruber pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Gruber looking to stall.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Held decides to pull guard.
Gruber trying to stand up but can't free himself from Held's guard.

Held pushes Gruber off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Held.
Gruber avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Held.
Held throwing strikes but missing, from side control.

Held stands up and beckons Gruber to his feet.

Held scores a takedown into full mount!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Held working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Gruber wants to get back to his feet.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Held scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Held working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Gruber is trying to escape but when you're mounted that's not too easy.
Held trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Held punishing his opponent with strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Held controlling the position easily from mount.
Held is landing with some decent strikes but Gruber is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Held lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Gruber hang on?
Held sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Held lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Held lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Gruber taking shots to the head.
Held scores with a couple of good head shots there.

Held looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Held working the ground and pound effectively.
A nice elbow there by Held.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Held scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Gruber?
Held tries to control but Gruber wriggling away.
Held landing punches.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bill Held 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!

Held circles away from the clinch attempt

and Held holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Held.
Stalling in the clinch from Held.
Gruber pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Gruber is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Gruber blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Held avoids a wild elbow strike from Gruber.
Gruber tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Held tries to score a body lock takedown but Gruber shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
With the fighters up against the cage, Gruber throws an elbow but misses.

Held breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Gruber instigates a clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Held avoiding damage.
Gruber creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.

Held breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Gruber wants to clinch

and Held counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Gruber!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Held scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Gruber is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Held looking for a guillotine from mount but Gruber is having none of it.
Held scoring with strikes but Gruber is staying in there.
Held sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Held won't let Gruber get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.
A nice elbow there by Held.
Held won't let Gruber get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.
Held has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Held scoring with strikes but Gruber is staying in there.
Held lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Gruber hang on?
Held looking to control but Gruber is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Held is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Held controlling the pace for now.
Held landing strikes, looking to finish!
Held fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Held looking to control and managing it successfully.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Held with good strikes from the mount here!
Held has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Held scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Gruber?
Held lands a big shot there that rocks Gruber but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Held raining down shots from the mount!
Held landing shots from mount.
Hans Gruber has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
BOOM! Held connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Gruber is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Held scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Gruber?
Held with good strikes from the mount here!
Held scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Gruber?

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gruber in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Held landing punches.
Held scoring with strikes but Gruber is staying in there.
Held controlling his opponent.
Held scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Gruber?
Bill Held has got the better of the ground game so far.
Held punishing his opponent with strikes.
Gruber tries to buck Held off but he can't manage it.
Held postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Gruber looks a forlorn figure.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Held with shots to the head and body - Gruber looks very uncomfortable down there.
Held landing shots from mount.

And that's the end of the fight!
Bill Held comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Held 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 Marco Blurström scores the fight 26:30
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 26:30
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Bill Held!