PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Alio Bah (ranked 5761 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ivan Hero (ranked 5814 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Bah
vs
Hero

180 cm
18
150 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

190 cm
18
180 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Alio Bah!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Ivan Hero!
The judges for this bout are Ben Zyskovitsi, Anni Minnemäki and Matti Vanhoillinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hero lands an overhand right.
Bah looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Bah closes this distance looking for a takedown but Hero circles away.
Bah shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Hero counters by clinching up.
Hero on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Bah looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Hero is trying to force a seperation but Bah has the dominant position.
Bah is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Hero to keep the fight standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Alio Bah. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Hero is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Bah is defending well.

Bah's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hero 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.
Hero slaps away a takedown attempt from Bah, before circling back to the center of the mat.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Hero is defended easily by Bah.
Bah is looking to counter punch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bah looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Hero is fending him off so far but Bah persists. Nope, Hero circles away and we're back to standing.
Bah closes the distance and clinches up with Hero, looking for a takedown. Bah pushes Hero against the cage but Hero circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Hero tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Bah defends well and Hero ends up having to push Bah into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Hero throws a head kick that misses

and Bah counters with a nice double leg into side control. Hero won't be happy with that.
You can see the frustration on Hero's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Bah trying to control the position but Hero is working away.
Hero tries to improve position but can't.
Hero wants to control but Bah postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bah throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Hero struggling a bit here.
Bah wants to lay and pray for a moment but Hero keeps working.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Hero tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Bah wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Bah cracks Hero with a big elbow.

Bah decides to stand up, so the ref orders Hero to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bah tries to clinch but Hero moves away
and Hero counters with a series of strikes. Bah will be more careful next time no doubt.
Hero finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Hero tries to score a power double leg takedown but Bah sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Hero somewhat.

Hero closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Bah breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Bah swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Hero doesn't manage to clinch there - Bah circles away.
Hero dives in and grabs Bah's left leg, looking for a takedown. Bah pushes down on Hero's head and hops out.
Bah throws a quick counter kick to the body but Hero avoids it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bah has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Hero finds it's way round the side to connect with Bah's head.
Hero shoots in for a takedown but Bah shows good takedown defense.
Hero looks winded!
Bah fails with a takedown attempt.
The fight stays on the outside here - Bah looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Hero steps in looking to clinch after the strikes miss from Bah.
Hero tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Bah paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Hero fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Bah throws a lazy right hand but Hero sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Hero wants to counter with a clinch but Bah pushes him away.

Bah darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Ivan Hero will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Bah fails with an attempt to clinch.

Hero has managed to clinch.
Bah tries to work over Hero's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Bah is trying to force a seperation but Hero has the dominant position.
Hero controlling the action here for a moment.
Bah tries to pull guard but Hero forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Bah is trying to break free.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hero tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Hero working hard to break the clinch.

Bah breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Good leg kick by Bah there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bah tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

Hero pushes Bah up against the cage in a clinch.
Bah unloads a knee to the mid-section. Hero lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Hero wants to break the clinch but can't.

Hero manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Bah controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Bah working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Hero's head.
Hero wants to sweep here but Bah controlling him for the moment.
Bah pushes down on Hero's leg and manages to get into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hero is controlling Bah's trapped leg to prevent Bah from advancing to side control.
Bah is thwarting Hero's attempts to control the position.
Hero is staying active underneath Bah, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Alio Bah overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Hero is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hero is trying to get back to full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Bah trying to mount his opponent but Hero defends it.

Bah is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Hero stuffs the takedown attempt from Bah. Bah gets slowly back to his feet.

Bah clinches up against the cage.

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.

Hero decides to pull guard.
Hero lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Hero controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Hero 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!
Hero is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ivan Hero showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Hero shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Bah but Bah pushes him off and we're back to square one.

Hero moves into range and clinches up with Bah.
Bah has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Hero after a bit of a struggle.
Knees to the body from Bah.
Hero wants a takedown.
Hero wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Bah is trying to pull guard but Hero has him pressed against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hero has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Bah after a bit of a struggle.
Alio Bah has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ivan Hero.
Bah displaying some good clinch control by pressing Hero up against the cage.
Bah letting Hero take a breather here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hero tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Bah smiles and moves away.

Hero clinches.
Bah wants a takedown but no success here.
Hero is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Bah to keep the fight standing.

Bah drags the fight down to the ground.
Hero must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Bah looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Hero tries to free his leg and advance position but Bah is retaining full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hero sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Hero takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Hero pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Bah is keeping the position for now.
Hero slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Hero postures up in Bah's guard and throws a big left but Bah blocks it.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bah circles away from the clinch attempt.
Ivan Hero seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Bah scores with a push kick.
Hero fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Hero shoots for a double leg takedown but Bah sprawls well. He's pushed Hero's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Bah.
Hero looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Bah is fending him off so far but Hero persists. Nope, Bah circles away and we're back to standing.
Bah seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Bah shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Hero but Hero pushes him off and we're back to square one.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Bah drives through with a takedown into Hero's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Bah working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

Bah avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Bah trying to control but Hero is working from the bottom.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Bah is really struggling to control Hero but he's trying to hold on to the position.
Hero 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.

And that's the end of the fight!
Alio Bah showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Hero 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 Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight for Ivan Hero!
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight for Alio Bah!
Judge Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight for Alio Bah!

Alio Bah wins by split decision!