PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Mike Benz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sami Kolari (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). There are an array of beautiful celebrities at ringside tonight! I wonder if any of them paid for their tickets.

Benz
vs
Kolari

171 cm
25
156 lbs
14 - 5 - 0

173 cm
27
155 lbs
12 - 8 - 1

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Powerful takedowns
Good kicks
Powerful

Firebird Designs

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 14 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Mike Benz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 8 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Sami Kolari!
The judges for this bout are Johanna Lukiainen, Arvi Lind and Marco Blurström.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Benz tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Benz misses with a body punch
and Kolari counters with a big head kick but Benz shrugs it off.
Kolari doesn't succeed with the takedown
letting Benz counter with a right hand.
Benz swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Benz scores with a hook to the body. Kolari takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Mike Benz seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Kolari keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Benz fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Kolari.
A big right from Benz misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Benz fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Kolari is out of range.
Benz misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Kolari.
Kolari swings away with a body shot that misses
and Benz makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Benz is looking to slow Kolari down with leg kicks.
Benz works over Kolari's head and body with a nice combination.
Benz swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Benz lands a nice looking body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Benz misses with a hook to the body
and Kolari counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Kolari avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Kolari throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Kolari fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Kolari connects with an inside leg kick.
Benz lands with a shot to the body.
Benz takes a swing at Kolari's ribcage but misses.
Benz is looking to wear down Kolari with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Benz throws a nice looking combination but Kolari bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
A low kick from Kolari is predictable there
and Benz counters with a right hand to the body.
Benz checks a low kick from Kolari.
Benz getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Benz finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Both fighters are looking to counter, which isn't making for the most exciting fight in the world.
Kolari moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.

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.
Benz misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Kolari.
Benz checks a low kick from Kolari.
Benz tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Kolari paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Mike Benz is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Kolari throws a leg kick that is checked
and Benz counters with a thumping low kick.
A leg kick checked by Kolari.
Benz thumps Kolari with a low kick.
Kolari stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Benz.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Kolari throws a front kick aimed at Benz's knee but Benz avoids it well.
Kolari throws a nice outside leg kick.
Kolari doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Benz counters with a nice body shot.
Benz missing with a left hand there. Kolari was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kolari misses with a wild body shot.
Kolari keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Benz.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nice body kick from Kolari.
Kolari looks to land a body kick but Benz moved away.
Benz lands a jab to Kolari's midsection.
Kolari lands a nice shot that snaps Benz's head back.
Benz throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
A looping hook to the body misses from Benz. Kolari does a little dance to reset his feet.
Benz misses with a leg kick
and Benz takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Benz lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Kolari misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Benz throws a leg kick that misses.
A nice leg kick lands there from Benz.
Benz misses with a body punch

so Kolari counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.

Kolari has gone for a leg lock! Benz slips out almost immediately though and dives into Kolari's guard.
Benz is working Kolari over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kolari is trying to keep Benz in close.
Benz trying to control but Kolari is working from the bottom.

Kolari throws his legs up looking for a submission but Benz uses it to pass to side control.
Kolari manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Benz blocks the strikes from Kolari.
Benz is looking to take a break and control but Kolari is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Kolari is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Benz's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Benz's back!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Benz tries to escape the position.

Kolari is looking for the choke from the back position but Benz is controlling his hands well.
Kolari is throwing shots to the body but Benz manages to wriggle free. Kolari pounces on him again and ends up in Benz's guard.

Benz pushes Kolari off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
A head kick by Benz misses
and Kolari counters with a low kick, right behind Benz 's knee.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Sami Kolari will probably get the nod - 10:9.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Benz throws a low kick but Kolari moves out of range easily.
Benz finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.

Kolari shoots in and gets a takedown into Benz's guard.
Kolari pushes down on Benz's leg and manages to get into half guard.

Kolari is looking for a kimura but Benz is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Kolari to get the leverage.

Kolari is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Benz sees it coming and defends easily.

Benz manages to escape and get back to his feet!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kolari misses with a right hand
and Benz counters with a stiff right hand.
Kolari throws a head kick that misses
and Benz makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Benz swings and misses with a shot to the body
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Benz!
Benz lands a nice shot to the body.
Benz swings away with a body shot that misses
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kolari throws a lazy body kick
and Benz counters with a right hand to the body.
Benz misses with a body shot
and Kolari counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Benz is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Benz tries to clinch but Kolari moves out of range.
Benz is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Kolari scores with a leg kick.
Benz tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Kolari was well out of range. Poor timing from Benz.

Benz clinches with his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Benz throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
A shot in the inside from Benz.

It looks like Sami Kolari has been cut.
Kolari wants to get back to striking at distance but Benz won't allow it.
Benz works on Kolari's body with a couple of short punches.
Kolari takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Benz presses Kolari against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Kolari pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Benz prevents the takedown attempt.
Benz works on Kolari's body with a couple of short punches.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Benz.
Good body shot from Benz.
A short body shot lands from Benz as the two fighters clinch.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Benz.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Benz.
Benz lands with a short punch from the clinch.
A hook to the body from Benz.
A right handed body shot lands from Benz.
Kolari throws an elbow that misses.
A short right from Benz.
Benz lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Kolari.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Benz creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Benz lands a nice shot to the body.
Benz digs a right hand into Kolari's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Kolari's gas tank.
Benz lands with a short shot to the head.
Benz stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Benz lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Benz presses Kolari against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Benz scores with a shoulder strike.
Benz lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Benz softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Benz lands a left hand that snaps the head of Kolari backwards.
Benz lands an uppercut.
Benz softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
A hook to the body from Benz.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Benz.
Nice body punch from Benz - that landed with a thud.
A left hand lands to the body for Benz.
Benz pushes Kolari back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Benz pushes Kolari back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Benz throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Benz lands a left hand that snaps the head of Kolari backwards.
Benz lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Kolari or not.
A short left from Benz.
Benz lands with a right to the head.
A right hook to the body lands for Benz.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Nice body punch from Benz - that landed with a thud.
A left hand lands to the body for Benz.
Benz stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Benz lands a nice shot to the body.
Benz lands a left hand.
Kolari gets through Benz's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mike Benz showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Benz 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 Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 29:28
Judge Arvi Lind scores the fight 29:28
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mike Benz!