PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Chris Baker (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dimitros Iakovakis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Baker's entrance music is Led Zeppelin - Achilles Last Stand. A fine choice. Iakovakis comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Auschwitz - Francesco Guccini. kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Baker
vs
Iakovakis

177 cm
21
167 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

184 cm
20
163 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Very quick

BJJ Brown Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Chris Baker!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Dimitros Iakovakis!
The judges for this bout are Damien Edna, Winston Howard and Steve Erwin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Baker takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Iakovakis throws a shot from downtown. Baker moves away and avoids it.

Baker shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Iakovakis's guard.
Iakovakis lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Baker!
Baker is in all sorts of trouble here.
Iakovakis controlling the pace for now.
Iakovakis trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Iakovakis controlling the pace for now.
Iakovakis wants to control the pace but Baker is squirming around nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Baker tries to reverse the position but Iakovakis maintains control.
Iakovakis trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Baker tries to reverse the position but Iakovakis maintains control.
Iakovakis tries to control but Baker wriggling away.
Iakovakis controlling from the full mount.
Iakovakis tries to control but Baker wriggling away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Baker can't escape the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Iakovakis controlling the pace for now.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Dimitros Iakovakis hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Baker has his takedown stuffed
and Iakovakis counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Iakovakis moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.

Iakovakis dives in and scores a takedown into Baker's guard.
Iakovakis postures up.
Iakovakis pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Baker is keeping the position for now.
Baker looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Iakovakis tries to free his leg and advance position but Baker is retaining full guard.
Iakovakis won't allow Baker to sweep him here.

Baker looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Iakovakis passes into side control.
Iakovakis works to advance to full mount. Baker defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
Iakovakis controlling from the full mount.
Iakovakis looking to control but Baker is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

Iakovakis goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Baker is on top in guard.
Baker has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Baker stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Iakovakis swivels though and keeps the full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Iakovakis escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Baker gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Baker tries to free his leg and advance position but Iakovakis is retaining full guard.
Iakovakis wants to sweep here but Baker controlling him for the moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dimitros Iakovakis dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Iakovakis moves into range and connects with a jab.
Dimitros Iakovakis seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Iakovakis throws a lazy right hand but Baker sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Baker showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Iakovakis.
Iakovakis dips to his left and cracks Baker with an uppercut!
Iakovakis lands a nice looking body shot.
Baker shoots and misses
and Iakovakis counters with a right hand to the body.
Baker fails with the takedown
and Iakovakis counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Iakovakis connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Baker's hands.
Sloppy strikes from Iakovakis. Those never looked like landing.

Iakovakis scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Iakovakis seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Baker does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Iakovakis is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Iakovakis is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Baker!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Baker has worked his way to half guard, taking advantage of Iakovakis's lack of action.
Iakovakis trying to control from half guard but Baker is working away.
Iakovakis tries to pass the half guard into mount. Baker knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Baker is not content to let Iakovakis control the position.
Baker trying to hold on to Iakovakis's head to control him but Iakovakis postures up.
Iakovakis trying to control from half guard but Baker is working away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Iakovakis wants to pass the guard but Baker is defending well.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Baker manages to get to full guard.
Iakovakis's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Iakovakis looking to sit in guard and control but Baker gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Baker working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Iakovakis's head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Iakovakis wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Baker is now in half guard.
Iakovakis regains full guard. Nicely done.
Baker passes into half guard.
Baker tries to pass the half guard into mount. Iakovakis knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Iakovakis manages to get to full guard.
Iakovakis manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Baker is wriggling around trying to escape.

Iakovakis is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Baker to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Baker shrugs it off.
Baker tries to hold on but Iakovakis pushes him away.
Iakovakis wants to control the pace but Baker is squirming around nicely.

Iakovakis is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Baker is surviving well by controlling Iakovakis's body position as best he can.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dimitros Iakovakis showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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. This is the final round!

Baker has his takedown stuffed
and Iakovakis counters with a right hand to the body.
Iakovakis misses with a combination

and Baker counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Iakovakis's guard now.
Baker postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Iakovakis controls Baker momentarily but Baker frees himself.
Iakovakis manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Iakovakis wants to control the pace but Baker is squirming around nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Iakovakis controlling from mount.
Iakovakis trying to control but he's not successful this time.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Dimitros Iakovakis wasn't active enough on the ground.

Baker feints and as Iakovakis raises his hands in defense, Baker changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Baker trying to control but Iakovakis is working from the bottom.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Iakovakis manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Baker manages to get himself to full guard.
Iakovakis passes Baker's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Baker trying to control here.
Iakovakis content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

Baker is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Iakovakis pulls his head out easily.
Iakovakis trying to control the action but Baker is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Iakovakis passes to side control.
Iakovakis advances to full mount.
Baker is squirming around, avoiding Iakovakis's attempts to control the action.
Baker can't escape the position.
Dimitros Iakovakis has got the better of the ground game so far.
Iakovakis tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Iakovakis can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Baker is looking to escape.
Chris Baker has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Baker is looking to get to half guard.

Iakovakis gets to his feet and calls his opponent to stand. Here come the fireworks!
Baker takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Iakovakis misses the shot to the body.
Iakovakis connects with a jab.
Baker has his takedown stuffed
and Iakovakis counters with a nice uppercut.
Nice cross by Iakovakis.
Baker on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Dimitros Iakovakis is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Iakovakis jabs at Baker's body.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Dimitros Iakovakis.
Well Iakovakis has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Damien Edna scores the fight 27:30
Judge Winston Howard scores the fight 27:30
Judge Steve Erwin scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Dimitros Iakovakis!