PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Pekka Pera (ranked 226 p4p, 29 weight class) and Marco Ajax (ranked 194 p4p, 25 weight class). Ajax has chosen For Heavy Metal we will die! as his entrance music. Marco Ajax is staring across the cage at his opponent, tweaking his nipples.

Pera
vs
Ajax

150 cm
29
163 lbs
23 - 11 - 0

160 cm
40
158 lbs
42 - 23 - 1

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Olympic wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

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 - 11 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Pekka Pera!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 42 - 23 - 1, fighting out of Los Angeles, Marco Ajax!
The judges for this bout are , Don Winkell and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ajax takes one on the button.
Pera scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Ajax ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Ajax throws a counter combo.
Pera defending well as Ajax loads up on a big left hand.

Pera fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Ajax, pushing him back against the cage.
Pera fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Ajax looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Pera misses with a hook to the ribs.
Pera effectively controlling the action here.
Ajax misses with a hook from the clinch.
A short uppercut from Ajax.
Ajax softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Ajax misses with a short punch on the inside.

Ajax breaks the clinch.
Ajax looks to land a combination but Pera avoids it well.
Pera moves out of range of the body kick.

Pera scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Ajax is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pera throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Pera wants to free his trapped foot but Ajax is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Ajax is in trouble now - Pera has advanced to mount!
Pera landing strikes, looking to finish!
Ajax tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Ajax keeps trying to improve his position.
Ajax bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Ajax wants to control from the top but Pera keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ajax is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Pera pulls Ajax in to control the position.
Ajax trying to control the position from guard on top but Pera is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pera has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Ajax has passed into side control.
Ajax grinds an elbow into Pera's temple.
Pera is looking to slip a leg under and get half guard but Ajax is one step ahead and moves to full mount!
Pera is squirming around, avoiding Ajax's attempts to control the action.
Pera really is built like a bowling ball. I wonder if he'd roll if you pushed him down a hill...
BOOM! Ajax connects with a massive shot to the dome!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Poor strikes thrown by Ajax there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!
Ajax with a couple of short strikes.

It looks like Pekka Pera has been cut.
Pera is bucking up trying to escape but Ajax cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Ajax throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
Pera is in a horrible position here. Ajax smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.

Pekka Pera's cut is getting worse.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Ajax throws some wild stikes that Pera manages to avoid easily.
Pera wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Ajax.
Pera wants to hold on but Ajax pushes him away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Marco Ajax dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Pekka Pera's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Pera thows a leg kick but Ajax checks it
and Ajax counters with a low kick, right behind Pera 's knee.
Pera throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Pera walks into a stiff left hand from Ajax.
Pera throws a front kick aimed at Ajax's knee but Ajax avoids it well.
Ajax moves out of range of the strikes.
Ajax was about to counter that last move with a leg kick but changes his mind.
Ajax throws a big shot that misses.
No luck for Pera with that takedown attempt.
Pera tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Ajax manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Ajax lands a nice leg kick that just misses Pera's sensitive parts.
Pera throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ajax lands a leg kick that knocks Pera off balance momentarily.
Ajax leaves Pera with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Ajax throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Pera counters with an outside leg kick.
Ajax walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Pera checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Ajax throws a jab when Pera was well out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pera lands a nice shot that snaps Ajax's head back.
Pera cracks the inside of Ajax's front leg.
Pera throws a nice inside leg kick.
Pera fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Ajax manages to avoid it.
Pera moves away from the strike by Ajax.

Pera shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Ajax manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.

Ajax looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Pera passes into side control.
Ajax tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Pera trying to control the action but Ajax is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ajax manages to get back to half guard.
Pera working the head and body with strikes.
Ajax is trying to control but can't.
Pera is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Ajax has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Pera is working away from the top position though.
Pera is looking to stall here but Ajax recovers full guard.
Ajax being controlled here, momentarily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ajax not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Pera is looking to work some ground and pound but Ajax has wrist control.

Ajax is looking for a triangle but Pera pushes his legs off easily.
Pera with a flurry of punches that miss.
Pera won't allow Ajax to sweep him here.
Pera lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Pera with a flurry of punches that miss.

Pera avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Pera is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Ajax has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Pera is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Ajax.
Ajax manages to get back to half guard.
Marco Ajax has got the better of the ground game so far.
Ground and pound from Pera.
Ajax tries to roll over but Pera keeps him under control.
Pera tries to pass the half guard into mount. Ajax knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Ajax wants to improve his position but Pera is controlling well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pekka Pera dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Pekka Pera's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Ajax tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Marco Ajax seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Pera tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Ajax was well out of range. Poor timing from Pera.
Ajax swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Ajax scores with a spinning back kick!
Pera misses with a hook to the body
and Ajax counters with a good low kick that Pera was not able to check.
Pera takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Ajax connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Pera lands with a shot to the body.
Pera misses with a low kick.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Ajax! But no joy.
Ajax lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Ajax tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Pera was well out of range. Poor timing from Ajax.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ajax fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Pera is out of range.
Pera is looking to wear down Ajax with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Pera just misses with a punch to the body.
Pera takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Ajax connects with a right hand. Pera shakes it off.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Pera is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Ajax.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Pera throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Ajax was covering up waiting for the punch and Pera finishes the takedown easily into guard.

Ajax is looking for a triangle but Pera pushes his legs off easily.
Ajax lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Ajax loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Ajax trying to control but Pera is working from the bottom.
Pera has Ajax pulled in close to control his posture.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ajax postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Pera has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Ajax working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Ajax missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Pera keeping moving, preventing Ajax from controlling successfully.
Ajax loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ajax looking to sit in guard and control but Pera gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Ajax working a defensive guard here.

Ajax has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Pera is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Ajax.
Pera working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Ajax is trying to control Pera's posture but Pera avoids it.
Ajax sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ajax is pressing down on Pera's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Pera throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Ajax works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Pera working some strikes from top position.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Pera accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Ajax wants to hit a switch here but Pera passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for Ajax there!
Ajax tries to reverse the position but Pera maintains control.
Pera scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Ajax tries to lock up and control but Pera gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Ajax working to try and regain half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Pekka Pera.
I think Pera 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 29:29
Judge Don Winkell scores the fight 29:28
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Pekka Pera!
During a confident post fight interview, Pekka Pera thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.