PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between William Wallace (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Topias Raja (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Raja is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Sail by Armin Van Buuren. Topias Raja will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Wallace
vs
Raja

165 cm
18
135 lbs
0 - 3 - 0

182 cm
22
137 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, William Wallace!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Topias Raja!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Raja punishes Wallace's body with a nice straight punch.

Raja has Wallace up against the cage in a clinch.
Raja lands a hook that snaps the head of Wallace backwards.
Wallace is breathing heavily.

Raja escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Raja has Wallace up against the cage in a clinch.
Raja working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Raja lands an uppercut.

Raja breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Raja with a body punch. A glancing blow.

Raja darts in and clinches Wallace up against the cage.
Wallace's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!

Raja breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Raja gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Raja has Wallace pushed against the cage.

Raja has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Wallace is trying to keep an underhook but Raja manages to get the takedown into half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Well, if Raja is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.

Raja postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Wallace to stand up.
Raja pivots, looking for a leg kick but Wallace is out of range and Raja settles back down.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Raja lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Wallace avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Raja fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Wallace, pushing him back against the cage.

Raja escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Raja tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Wallace paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Raja takes the fight into the clinch.
Raja has had enough of the clinch but Wallace keeps him there for the moment.

Raja is trying to trip Wallace. He has hold of a leg but Wallace is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Raja persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Raja wants to pass the guard but Wallace is keeping the position.

Wallace is working an open guard so Raja takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Wallace swings for the body but Raja moves out of range.
Raja tries to clinch up but Wallace circles away and keeps his distance.
Raja wants to clinch up but Wallace keeps it at a distance.
Raja tries to clinch but Wallace is having none of it.
Raja wants to clinch.
Raja is looking to clinch but Wallace is avoiding it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Raja tries to close the distance and clinch up but Wallace swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Raja works the jab nicely.
Raja tries to clinch there but Wallace circles away.
Raja tries to clinch up but Wallace circles away and keeps his distance.

Raja darts in and clinches Wallace up against the cage.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Raja.
A nice right hand lands inside from Raja.
Raja lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Wallace is trying to break the clinch but Raja has him pressed against the cage.
Raja lands a left hand.
Wallace's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Raja lands with a light punch inside.

Raja breaks the clinch.

Raja gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Raja is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Raja lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Raja pushes Wallace back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Raja lands with a short head shot on the inside.

Raja breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Raja closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Raja lands an uppercut.
Wallace keeps control of Raja as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Raja lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.

Raja escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Raja tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Raja doesn't manage to clinch there - Wallace circles away.
Wallace tries for a takedown but Raja sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Raja scores with a three punch combo!
Raja tries to clinch but Wallace moves out of range.
Raja wants to clinch.
Wallace tries to clinch but Raja is having none of it.
Raja closes the distance but Wallace moves to the side
and Wallace counters with a big head kick but Raja shrugs it off.
Raja is looking to clinch but Wallace is avoiding it.
Raja scores with a jab.
Wallace circles away from the clinch attempt.
Raja tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Wallace paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Wallace avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Raja tries to close the distance and clinch but Wallace swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Raja blocks the body kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Raja throws a series of punches but Wallace moves out of range.
Raja darts in trying to clinch

and Wallace counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Raja's guard now.
Wallace is looking to stand up but Raja won't let him.
Wallace looking to pass the guard.
Wallace working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Wallace is pushing down on Raja's leg trying to pass to half guard. Raja is fighting to maintain full guard but Wallace has managed to sneak the leg through.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Wallace throwing shots but Raja is blocking nicely.
Wallace tries to stand but his arm is trapped.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Raja tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Wallace swivels and escapes.

Raja instigates a clinch.
Raja lands a left hand that snaps the head of Wallace backwards.
Raja prevents Wallace from breaking the clinch.
Raja scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Raja is trying to break free.
Raja lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.

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

Wallace scores a takedown into full mount!
Wallace punching from mount but Raja doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Raja is squirming around, avoiding Wallace's attempts to control the action.
Wallace throws a strike there. Raja manages to avoid it well and slips a leg under to get to half guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Wallace wants to get back to his feet.
Wallace tries to stand and escape but Raja actually recovers to full guard.
Wallace might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Raja is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Raja is thwarting Wallace's attempts to control the position.
Wallace flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Wallace trying to get back to full guard but Raja takes advantage of the position and moves to full mount!
Wallace is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.
Raja controlling the position easily from mount.
Wallace is wriggling around trying to escape.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Wallace is really trying hard to get back to his feet.
Raja controlling from mount.
Wallace tries to hold on but Raja pushes him away.

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.
Wallace is desperately trying to improve his position but Raja has a good base and remains in mount.
Raja sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Topias Raja 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! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Raja tries to close the distance and clinch but Wallace swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
A head kick misses from Wallace.
Raja is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Raja stuffs the takedown.
Raja thuds his right hand into Wallace's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Raja looks to clinch
and Wallace counters with an inside leg kick.
Left hook, right uppercut from Raja.
Topias Raja seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Raja fails with an attempt to clinch.
Raja throws a combination. Wallace tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Raja doesn't manage to clinch there - Wallace circles away.
Raja fails in his attempt to clinch.
William Wallace is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Raja clinches up against the cage.
Raja scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Raja breaks from the clinch.
Raja tries to clinch but Wallace moves out of range.
Wallace has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Raja doesn't manage to clinch there - Wallace circles away.
Raja fails with an attempt to clinch.
Raja fails in his attempt to clinch.

Raja rushes Wallace and presses him up against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A shot in the inside from Raja.
Raja prevents Wallace from breaking the clinch.

Wallace breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Wallace swats away the attempt to clinch by Raja.
Raja tries to clinch there but Wallace circles away.
Raja tries to clinch up.
The fight stays on the outside here - Raja looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Wallace looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Raja is fending him off so far but Wallace persists. Nope, Raja circles away and we're back to standing.
Wallace shoots in and drives through. Raja sprawls well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for William Wallace. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Raja fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Wallace, pushing him back against the cage.
Wallace can't break the clinch.
Raja lands with a short shot to the head.
Raja can't break the clinch.
Raja lands an uppercut.
Still in the clinch, Raja scores with a nice short uppercut.
Raja keeps control of Wallace as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Raja is trying to break the clinch but Wallace has him pressed against the cage.
Wallace has had enough of the clinch but Raja keeps him there for the moment.

Wallace has clasped his hands together around Raja's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wallace with the ground and pound but Raja regains half guard under the barage of strikes.
Wallace tries to stand but his arm is trapped.
Wallace working over Raja with some ground and pound. Raja looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Raja holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.
Wallace thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Wallace missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Wallace is trying to get back to his feet now but his leg is trapped.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Wallace thows a big elbow that misses, also allowing Raja to regain full guard.
Wallace wants to stand and escape but instead Raja has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Raja prevents Wallace from getting back to his feet.
Topias Raja has got the better of the ground game so far.
Wallace trying to control the position.
Raja is standing up over Wallace. Wallace looks to escape but Raja dives into side control.
Wallace tries to bench press Raja off him but Raja keeps the position.

That's four 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.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Raja working away.
Wallace looks to move to half guard but instead Raja has passed into mount! Damn!
Wallace working to try and regain half guard.
William Wallace has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Raja won't let Wallace get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.

And that's the end of the fight!
Topias Raja comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Raja 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 Andi Peters scores the fight 27:30
Judge Gordon Ramsey scores the fight 27:30
Judge Frank Skinner scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Topias Raja!