PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Ryan Martinsson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ghazala Hussein (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Martinsson's entrance music is Queen - Another One Bites The Dust. A fine choice. Hussein is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Enae Volare Mezzo. Ryan Martinsson has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Martinsson
vs
Hussein

203 cm
24
135 lbs
12 - 8 - 0

179 cm
29
158 lbs
17 - 7 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Counter striker
Very strong

BJJ Brown Belt
Excellent boxer
Powerful

Conviction

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 8 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Ryan Martinsson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 17 - 7 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Ghazala Hussein!
The judges for this bout are Aleksandr Martynov, Sergei Dronov and Vladimir Khabensky.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hussein misses with a looping left.
Hussein buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Martinsson blocks a jab.
Hussein avoids the head kick by Martinsson.
Hussein misses with a looping right.
Hussein misses the jab.
Martinsson rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Hussein moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Martinsson has his takedown stuffed
and Hussein counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hussein throws a lazy right hand but Martinsson sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Martinsson with a poor takedown
and Hussein counters with a left to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Martinsson tries for a takedown but Hussein circles away easily
and Hussein counters with a two punch combo.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ryan Martinsson. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Hussein connects with a solid leg kick.
A solid leg kick lands there for Hussein.
Ghazala Hussein seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Hussein throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Hussein fails with an attempt to clinch.
Hussein is looking to clinch but Martinsson is avoiding it.
Ghazala Hussein is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Hussein scores with a decent looking hook.
Martinsson attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Martinsson shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Hussein's guard.
Hussein controlling the position.
Martinsson landing with the ground and pound.
Martinsson tries to free his leg and advance position but Hussein is retaining full guard.
Hussein keeping moving, preventing Martinsson from controlling successfully.
Martinsson throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Hussein works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Hussein is trying to control the position but Martinsson postures up.

Martinsson drops back, looking for a kneebar! Hussein looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Hussein looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Hussein!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Martinsson is looking for a sweep.

Hussein decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Hussein scores with a crisp jab that stopped Martinsson in his tracks.
Martinsson misses with a takedown
and Hussein counters with a thumping low kick.
Hussein throws a hook but Martinsson avoids it easily.
Hussein throws a hook to the side of Martinsson's head but Martinsson sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Hussein works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hussein is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Hussein missing with a left hand there. Martinsson was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Martinsson fails with the takedown
and Hussein counters with a straight right hand.
Martinsson throws a low kick but Hussein avoids it.
Martinsson moves away from the strike by Hussein.
Martinsson needs to keep his hands up - Hussein had a free shot at his head there.
Hussein scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ghazala Hussein dominated that round.
That's time! Martinsson's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Martinsson takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Martinsson slips a straight right by Hussein.
Ryan Martinsson is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Martinsson takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Hussein tries to close the distance and clinch up but Martinsson swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Hussein scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Hussein, as that shot connected.
Hussein looks to land a left hand but Martinsson moved out of range nicely.
Martinsson uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Hussein.
Hussein with a jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Martinsson with a poor takedown
and Hussein counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

Hussein drives through and clinches with Martinsson against the cage.
Martinsson tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Martinsson jumps guard but Hussein stands there with Martinsson around his waist. Martinsson gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ryan Martinsson. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A right hook to the body lands for Hussein.
Martinsson tries to pull guard but Hussein holds him up against the cage and eventually Martinsson drops back down to his feet.
Hussein lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Hussein lands an uppercut.
Hussein lands a body punch.

Hussein's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Hussein misses with a wild body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hussein getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Martinsson really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Hussein throws out a loose jab but Martinsson uses good head movement to avoid it.
Martinsson misses with a left hand
and Hussein counters with a thumping low kick.
Martinsson ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Hussein moves away.
Martinsson defending well as Hussein loads up on a big left hand.
Hussein lands with a shot to the body.
Martinsson misses with a takedown attempt
and Hussein counters with a nice body shot.
Hussein with a hook.
Hussein misses with a looping left.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fight stays on the outside here - Hussein looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Hussein is looking to slow Martinsson down with leg kicks.

Hussein gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Hussein breaks from the clinch.
Hussein scores with a crisp jab that stopped Martinsson in his tracks.
Martinsson throws a leg kick that misses.
Hussein scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Martinsson shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
letting Hussein counter with a right hand.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nice defenses there by Martinsson.
Martinsson is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Martinsson falls off balance throwing a combination
and Hussein counters with a left to the body.
Martinsson throws a lazy uppercut
and Hussein cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Hussein looks to land a left hand but Martinsson moved out of range nicely.

Martinsson feints and as Hussein raises his hands in defense, Martinsson changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Martinsson wants to control from the top but Hussein keeps moving.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ghazala Hussein showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Hussein thows a left - swing and a miss!
Hussein tries to clinch but Martinsson is having none of it.
Hussein digs a good hook to Martinsson's body.
Martinsson gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Martinsson takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hussein misses with a straight right.
Martinsson swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Hussein missing with a left hand there. Martinsson was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Martinsson slips a straight right by Hussein.
Martinsson keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Hussein.
Hussein lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Hussein misses with a straight left.
Hussein connects with a good right hand that stumbles Martinsson. Martinsson circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Hussein lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Martinsson has his takedown stuffed
enabling Hussein to counter with a crisp jab.
Hussein wants to clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A big left from Hussein misses.
Martinsson misses with a right hand
and Hussein counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Martinsson moves out of range of the strikes.
Martinsson shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Hussein counters with a nice low kick that buckles Martinsson's knee momentarily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ryan Martinsson. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A jab from Hussein misses.
Martinsson uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Hussein.
Ghazala Hussein seems to be getting the better of the standup.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Hussein gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Martinsson to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Martinsson keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Hussein's head.
Martinsson throwing strikes but missing.
Hussein working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Martinsson.
Hussein utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Hussein wants to sweep here but Martinsson controlling him for the moment.
Hussein utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Martinsson throws and elbow that misses. Hussein uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Martinsson's guard. Nice move by Hussein!

Hussein decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
The crowd cheers as Hussein lands an impressive looking overhand right. Martinsson doesn't seem phased though.
Good leg kick by Hussein there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Hussein misses with a wild body shot.
Martinsson takes a swing at Hussein's ribcage but misses.
Ryan Martinsson has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Hussein stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ghazala Hussein comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Hussein 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 Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight 27:30
Judge Sergei Dronov scores the fight 27:30
Judge Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ghazala Hussein!