PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Calogero Anello (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jean Sibelius (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Anello
vs
Sibelius

178 cm
32
168 lbs
23 - 13 - 2

175 cm
34
165 lbs
34 - 12 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Olympic wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Heisenberg
Hellbent

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 23 - 13 - 2, fighting out of Las Vegas, Calogero Anello!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 34 - 12 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Jean Sibelius!
The judges for this bout are , Jack Bonds and Timothy Bukovac.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sibelius lands a nice shot that snaps Anello's head back.
Sibelius misses with a hook to the body
and Anello counters with a nice leg kick.
Sibelius on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Anello. Anello obviously looking to wear him down.
Sibelius misses with a body punch
enabling Anello to counter with a crisp jab.
Anello throws a shot from downtown. Sibelius moves away and avoids it.
Anello lands with an uppercut that bounces Sibelius off the cage and back into range.
A big right from Sibelius misses.
Anello throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Anello fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Sibelius has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Sibelius misses with a hook
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Sibelius looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Anello is looking to slow Sibelius down with leg kicks.
Sibelius's coach down at All Around Training was telling us pre-fight that they have been working on Sibelius's balance. Obviously they view that as a key factor in the outcome of this fight.
Some bone on bone action there as Sibelius checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sibelius fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Anello manages to avoid it.
Anello misses with a looping right.

Sibelius closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Anello avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Sibelius.
Anello managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Sibelius.
Sibelius throwing strikes but missing, from side control.

Sibelius thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Sibelius throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Anello regains half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Anello wants to get back to full guard.
Sibelius looks to land a strike but Anello avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
Sibelius stopping the sweep attempt from Anello.
Anello is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Sibelius is looking for a sweep. Anello is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Sibelius missing with punches from the bottom.
Anello prevents Sibelius from improving his position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sibelius misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Anello seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.

Sibelius looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Sibelius wants to get back to full guard.
Anello content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Sibelius is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Anello sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Sibelius is looking for a sweep. Anello is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Sibelius is refusing to be controlled, as Anello sits in half guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Calogero Anello.
Sibelius on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Anello. Anello obviously looking to wear him down.

Anello tries to sprawl but Sibelius drives through with a takedown into half guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Anello desperately trying to maintain half guard.
Sibelius is looking to advance position but Anello won't allow it.
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 Calogero Anello will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Sibelius fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Anello manages to avoid it.
Sibelius scores with the left hand. Anello knows he should have avoided that one.
A slow jab from Sibelius misses its intended target.
Anello thows a body kick. Sibelius tries to catch it but that hurt him.
The fighters circling - Sibelius throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Sibelius takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Sibelius takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Sibelius misses with a straight right.
Sibelius shoots in looking for a takedown. Anello tries to sprawl out of it but Sibelius keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Anello manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Anello lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sibelius misses with a left hand
and Anello makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Anello motions for Sibelius to come forward. Anello throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Anello fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Sibelius.
Anello lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Sibelius steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Anello.

Sibelius shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Anello's guard.
Anello tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Sibelius works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Anello is not content to let Sibelius control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sibelius missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Sibelius trying to mount his opponent but Anello defends it.
Anello looks to be in better condition than last time we saw him fight. Obviously he's been working hard on his cardio.
Sibelius thows a huge punch but Anello dodges it nicely.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Anello is doing well to control the position and prevent Sibelius from advancing to side control.
Sibelius is pressing down on Anello's thigh, looking to free his foot. Anello is holding on for now.
Sibelius is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Sibelius has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Sibelius throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Sibelius is thwarting Anello's attempts to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Anello tries to get to full guard but Sibelius has control of the leg.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Sibelius is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Sibelius thows a huge punch but Anello dodges it nicely.
Sibelius missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Anello trying to hold on to Sibelius's head to control him but Sibelius postures up.
Sibelius scores with a couple of good hammerfists.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sibelius tries to pass to full mount but Anello defends it.

Sibelius is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Sibelius thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Anello gets back to full guard.
Sibelius wants to control from the top but Anello keeps moving.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Anello looking to control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jean Sibelius showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Sibelius checks the leg kick.
Anello throws a low kick, looking for Sibelius's leg but Sibelius calmly moves out of range.
Sibelius shoots in for a takedown but Anello shows good takedown defense.
Anello shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Sibelius eats them both and turns towards Anello to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Sibelius takes a swing at Anello's ribcage but misses.
Anello with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Anello with a nice cross.
Anello ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Anello uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Sibelius.
Anello lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Anello slaps away a takedown attempt from Sibelius, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Sibelius swings for the body but Anello moves out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Anello stuffs the takedown.
Calogero Anello has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jean Sibelius.
Anello lands a really nice looking cross but Sibelius seems unphased.
Anello lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Sibelius just misses with a punch to the body.
Sibelius misses with a few strikes there.
Sibelius throws a jab when Anello was well out of range.
Sibelius sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Anello lands a body shot.
Calogero Anello seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Sibelius keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Anello connects with a right hand. Sibelius shakes it off.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd cheers as Anello lands an impressive looking overhand right. Sibelius doesn't seem phased though.
Anello throws a sloppy body shot
and Sibelius counters with a one-two to the body.
Anello misses with a body shot.

Sibelius shoots in and gets a takedown into Anello's guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Anello lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Sibelius!
Anello controlling his opponent.
Anello looking to control but Sibelius is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Anello controlling the position easily from mount.
Sibelius regains half guard.
Sibelius tries to get to full guard but Anello has control of the leg.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Calogero Anello wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Anello misses with a hook.
Sibelius pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Calogero Anello is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Anello fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Sibelius swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Anello counters with a nice body kick.
Anello throws a body punch but Sibelius moves out of range.
Sibelius stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Anello.
Sibelius misses with a combination
letting Anello counter with a right hand.
Sibelius jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Sibelius throws a looping overhand right but Anello ducks down to avoid it.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Sibelius swings for the body but Anello moves out of range.
Anello throws a lazy right hand but Sibelius sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Anello throws a wild body kick that Sibelius sees coming a mile off.

And that's the end of the fight!
Calogero Anello showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Anello 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 Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 28:29
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 29:28
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Jean Sibelius!
A victorious Jean Sibelius thanked his army of followers in his post fight interview, telling people to make sure they follow him on Twitter.