PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Aapo Ik (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dan Maverick (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Ik
vs
Maverick

184 cm
24
178 lbs
13 - 4 - 0

184 cm
24
171 lbs
10 - 5 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Lethal high kicks
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Lethal high kicks
Granite chin

{R.W} Four Aces Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 13 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Aapo Ik!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Dan Maverick!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Blasius, Radbod Blank and Albert Achterberg.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Maverick lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Ik pivots, looking for a leg kick but Maverick is out of range and Ik settles back down.
Maverick looks for the body kick but Ik saw that one coming.
We've been informed that Maverick has been sparring a lot of Muay Thai in the buildup to this fight so let's see if that has an impact on the result.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Maverick checks a leg kick.
Ik moves out of range of the leg kick from Maverick.

Maverick scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Maverick prevents Ik from improving his position.
Maverick controlling the action here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ik misses with some strikes from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Ik won't allow Maverick to pass to mount.
Ik throws a strike from the bottom that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maverick prevents Ik from improving his position.
Maverick performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Ik has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Maverick trying to control from half guard but Ik is working away.
Ik regains full guard. Nicely done.
Ik looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Ik had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Maverick defends it easily.
Maverick forces his way into half guard.
Maverick drops an elbow to the side of Ik's head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maverick looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Ik manages to get to full guard.
Maverick engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Ik has momentary wrist control but Maverick slips an elbow through the middle.
Ik striking off his back but it's not causing Maverick any problems.
Maverick looking to pass the guard.
Ik is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Ik throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ik lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Ik not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Ik is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.

Ik is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Maverick has managed to free his arm - good work.
Ik performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Ik thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
The fighters are battling for position here. Maverick manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Ik accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Maverick preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Maverick working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Ik.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ik wants to control from the top but Maverick keeps moving.
Maverick striking off his back but it's not causing Ik any problems.
Maverick has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Ik is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Maverick wants to sweep here but Ik controlling him for the moment.
Ik postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Maverick working a defensive guard here.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Ik is looking to slow Maverick down with leg kicks.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Dan Maverick will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Ik moves out of range of the body kick from Maverick.
Maverick misses with a looping left.
Ik shoots in but Maverick avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Ik takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Ik steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Maverick. That one must have hurt.
Ik shoots in looking for a takedown. Maverick tries to sprawl out of it but Ik keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Maverick manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Ik moves out of range as Maverick throws a body kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A big right from Ik misses.
Dan Maverick seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Maverick connects with a leg kick. Ik looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Ik shoots in but no luck this time.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Aapo Ik. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ik misses with a straight right.
Maverick throws a low kick but Ik avoids it.
Ik throws a leg kick which misses Maverick's front leg but catches the back leg as Maverick tries to avoid it.
Maverick jabs Ik right on the nose. Ik blinks but takes it well.

It looks like Aapo Ik has been cut.
Maverick looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Maverick, right into the meat.
A thudding body kick lands there by Maverick!
Ik takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Maverick thows a body kick. Ik tries to catch it but that hurt him.
Ik closes this distance looking for a takedown but Maverick circles away.
Maverick has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Ik scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Maverick fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Ik manages to avoid it.
Maverick lands a body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Maverick uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Ik.
Maverick scores with a kick to the midsection.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
A nice inside leg kick there by Maverick. That's going to slow Ik down.
Maverick lands a jab to Ik's midsection.
Ik fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Maverick avoids it really well and circles away.
Maverick throws a quick inside leg kick.
Maverick thows a left - swing and a miss!
Maverick is looking to slow Ik down with leg kicks.
Maverick gets off balance looking for a body kick
letting Ik counter with a right hand.
Maverick tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Ik was well out of range. Poor timing from Maverick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Ik shoots in and bounces Maverick off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Maverick looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Ik trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Ik trying to control but Maverick is working from the bottom.
Aapo Ik overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Ik cracks Maverick with a solid left hand.
Maverick bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Ik's guard.

Maverick trying to control but Ik is working from the bottom.
Maverick must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Maverick chips away with some ground and pound.
Maverick trying to control the position from guard on top but Ik is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Maverick is in close to Ik's body, working some short punches and elbows.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Maverick showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Ik tries to strike from the bottom.
Maverick showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Maverick wants to control from the top but Ik keeps moving.
Maverick slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Ik is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Ik is working hard here to advance position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dan Maverick showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Aapo Ik's cut.
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. And we move into the final round!

Maverick closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
A slow jab from Ik misses its intended target.
Ik moves out of range of the leg kick from Maverick.
Maverick swinging wildly here.
Ik ducks under a wild hook from Maverick.
A jab from Ik misses.
Ik throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Dan Maverick seems to be getting the better of the standup.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ik throws a leg kick
and Maverick cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Maverick stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Ik shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Maverick with a jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A leg kick checked by Ik.
Maverick checks a low kick from Ik.
Maverick avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Maverick fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Maverick throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Maverick finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Maverick walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Ik checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Maverick cracks Ik with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Ik looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
A clash of legs there as Ik blocks the low kick.
Maverick misses with a leg kick.
Maverick slips under a jab.
Ik throws a looping overhand right but Maverick ducks down to avoid it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Horrible takedown attempt by Ik or perhaps it was just good defense by Maverick, which made it look bad.
Maverick pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Maverick is looking to land body kicks.
Ik ducks under a wild hook from Maverick.
Ik steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Maverick. That one must have hurt.
Maverick fakes the leg kick and cracks Ik in the body.
Ik checks a low kick from Maverick.
Maverick keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Aapo Ik. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Maverick lands a leg kick that knocks Ik off balance momentarily.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Ik.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maverick motions for Ik to come forward. Maverick throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Maverick throws a leg kick but Ik sees it coming and moves out of range.
A slapping body kick lands there for Maverick.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Ik takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Ik throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Maverick.
Maverick throws a low kick but Ik moves out of range easily.

Ik closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Maverick did well to prevent Ik getting side control.
Maverick flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Maverick trying to hold on to Ik's head to control him but Ik postures up.
Maverick is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Dan Maverick is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ik thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Maverick's head.
Ik trying to control the action but Maverick is working from the bottom.
Ik is looking to advance position but Maverick won't allow it.
Ik seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Maverick does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Maverick is looking for a sweep. Ik is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Ik missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Maverick keeping hold of Ik's head, controlling as best he can.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Maverick wants to improve his position but Ik is controlling well.

And that's the end of the fight!
Dan Maverick comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Maverick winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Daniel Blasius scores the fight 27:30
Judge Radbod Blank scores the fight 28:29
Judge Albert Achterberg scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Dan Maverick!
Our winner, Dan Maverick, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.