PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Ari Finkelstein (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Flex McGee (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Flex McGee told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Finkelstein
vs
McGee

175 cm
21
185 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

180 cm
18
190 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

Good takedowns
Brawler
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Ari Finkelstein!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Flex McGee!
The judges for this bout are Leandro Rodrigues, Matheus Silva and Daniel Cesar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Finkelstein gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Finkelstein landing some nice looking knees to the body.

Finkelstein breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Finkelstein gets caught flat footed, as McGee shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
McGee tries to free his leg and advance position but Finkelstein is retaining full guard.
McGee postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Finkelstein is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
McGee stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Finkelstein swivels though and keeps the full guard.
McGee works over Finkelstein with some ground and pound from guard.
Finkelstein is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
McGee wants to control from the top but Finkelstein keeps moving.

Finkelstein manages to escape and get back to his feet.
Finkelstein tries to clinch up but McGee circles away and keeps his distance.

Finkelstein darts in and clinches McGee up against the cage.
Finkelstein unloads a knee to the mid-section. McGee lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
McGee looks gassed!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for leaving it all in the cage!
Finkelstein unloads a knee to the mid-section. McGee lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Finkelstein breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Finkelstein moves into the clinch.
Finkelstein lands a nice shot to the body.
Finkelstein will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning McGee up against the cage.
A knee to the head by Finkelstein.
Finkelstein softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Finkelstein landing knees to the body.
Finkelstein crunches a lovely knee into McGee's ribcage.

Finkelstein manages to break the clinch.

Finkelstein closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming McGee to the mat! McGee manages to get full guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for leaving it all in the cage!
Finkelstein wants to stand but McGee is controlling his posture from full guard.
McGee tries to strike from the bottom.
McGee wants to stand up but Finkelstein is controlling him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Finkelstein is looking to stand up but McGee won't let him.
Finkelstein has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Finkelstein decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on McGee, up you get!

McGee shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Finkelstein wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
McGee blocks Finkelstein's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
McGee postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Finkelstein looks a forlorn figure.
McGee is landing with some decent strikes but Finkelstein is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Finkelstein on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Finkelstein tries to get out of the position.
McGee scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Finkelstein is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
McGee dominating with strikes here.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Finkelstein is trying to escape the mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
McGee lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Finkelstein taking shots to the head.

McGee goes for an armbar but Finkelstein turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from Finkelstein.

Finkelstein gets to his feet - McGee follows without any prompting.
McGee shoots in looking for a takedown. Finkelstein tries to sprawl out of it but McGee keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Finkelstein manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
McGee shoots in but Finkelstein avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Finkelstein's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Finkelstein duly obliges.
McGee avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Finkelstein closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming McGee to the mat! McGee manages to get full guard.
McGee has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Finkelstein preventing the sweep.
Finkelstein tries to stand but McGee is controlling from the bottom.
McGee bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Finkelstein's guard.
Finkelstein is looking to stand up but McGee isn't so interested in that idea.

McGee stands up from guard. Let's bang!
McGee has a takedown stuffed.
Ari Finkelstein has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Flex McGee.
Finkelstein misses with a takedown

and McGee counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
McGee looking to pass the guard.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Finkelstein lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for McGee!
McGee is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ari Finkelstein dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Finkelstein tries to clinch but McGee is having none of it.
McGee fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Finkelstein shoots for a takedown but McGee saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Finkelstein misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
McGee fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

McGee darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
McGee takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Finkelstein looks like he's trying to stand up.
McGee seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Finkelstein does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
McGee passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Finkelstein!
McGee lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
McGee looking to control but Finkelstein is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Finkelstein knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for McGee on the ground.

McGee looking to secure an arm triangle but Finkelstein defends it well.
Finkelstein tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Finkelstein wants to hold on but McGee pushes him away.
McGee with shots to the head and body - Finkelstein looks very uncomfortable down there.
Finkelstein throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
Finkelstein squirming around on the bottom, looking to escape.
McGee can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Finkelstein is looking to escape.
McGee landing punches.

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.
Finkelstein is trying to stand up.
McGee dominating with strikes here.
Finkelstein takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
A nice elbow there by McGee.
The referee warns Finkelstein that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
McGee cracks Finkelstein with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Finkelstein really wants to buck McGee off and get back to his feet.
McGee with a couple of short strikes.
McGee breaks from Finkelstein's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Flex McGee has got the better of the ground game so far.
McGee unloading with bombs!
McGee cracks Finkelstein with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Finkelstein taking shots to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Finkelstein tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Finkelstein in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
McGee fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
McGee working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Finkelstein is trying to escape the mount.

McGee working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Finkelstein is trying to get back to his feet but can't.
McGee looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Finkelstein is working to get back to half guard.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, McGee cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
The referee warns Finkelstein that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
A nice elbow there by McGee.
Finkelstein can't escape the position.
McGee won't let Finkelstein get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.
McGee lands a heavy elbow.
McGee with a couple of short strikes.
McGee working away from the top, dropping strikes.
McGee avoids the attempt from Finkelstein to control.
Finkelstein takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Finkelstein wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, McGee cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
McGee looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Flex McGee showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Finkelstein tries to clinch but McGee is having none of it.
Finkelstein shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Finkelstein throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.

McGee shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than McGee was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!

McGee looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
McGee lands a big shot there that rocks Finkelstein but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
McGee prevents Finkelstein from getting the reversal.
McGee landing shots from mount.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, McGee cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
McGee trying to control but he's not successful this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
McGee lands a big shot there that rocks Finkelstein but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
McGee scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Finkelstein?
Finkelstein tries to reverse the position but McGee maintains control.
McGee unloading with bombs!
McGee landing shots from mount.
McGee avoids the attempt from Finkelstein to control.
Finkelstein wants to try and get back to his feet.
McGee landing punches.
Finkelstein taking shots to the head.
McGee lands a big elbow.
Finkelstein is working to get back to half guard.
McGee with a couple of short strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Finkelstein's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.
McGee breaks from Finkelstein's wrist control and lands an elbow.
McGee in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
McGee with good strikes from the mount here!
McGee lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
McGee won't let Finkelstein get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.
BOOM! McGee connects with a massive shot to the dome!
McGee is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Finkelstein can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
McGee trying to control but Finkelstein is having none of it.
McGee lands a nice shot to the head.
McGee landing strikes from the mount.
Finkelstein wants to try and get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
McGee working away from the top, dropping strikes.
McGee tries to control but Finkelstein wriggling away.

McGee looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
McGee punching from mount but Finkelstein doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Finkelstein wants to control but McGee is having none of it.
McGee landing strikes, looking to finish!
Finkelstein is in all sorts of trouble here.
Finkelstein is squirming around, avoiding McGee's attempts to control the action.
McGee avoids the attempt from Finkelstein to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
McGee connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
McGee lands a nice shot to the head.
McGee raining down shots from the mount!

McGee is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Finkelstein is surviving well by controlling McGee's body position as best he can.
Finkelstein wants to try and get back to his feet.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
McGee landing strikes, looking to finish!
McGee punishing his opponent with strikes.

And that's the end of the fight!
Flex McGee comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think McGee has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 28:29
Judge Matheus Silva scores the fight 28:29
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Flex McGee!