PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Mapple Syrup (ranked 3928 p4p, 5280 weight class) and Kunle Soyan (ranked 524 p4p, 631 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Syrup
vs
Soyan

198 cm
25
190
2 - 1 - 0

193 cm
18
189
0 - 0 - 0

Decent wrestler
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Powerful

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 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Mapple Syrup!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Kunle Soyan!
The judges for this bout are Dirk Anderson, Michael Johnstone and Bart Greer.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Soyan misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Soyan looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Syrup throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Syrup really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Soyan scoring well with a low kick there.
Syrup misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Soyan with the inside leg kick.

Syrup has taken the fight to the clinch.
Soyan wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Syrup has him pressed against the cage.

Syrup breaks from the clinch.
Soyan throws a head kick that misses

and Syrup moves into the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Syrup jumps guard and drags Soyan to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Syrup controlling the position.
Soyan wants to control from the top but Syrup keeps moving.
Soyan looking to sit in guard and control but Syrup gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Syrup thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Syrup pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Soyan is keeping the position for now.
Syrup showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Syrup seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Soyan for as long as he can get away with.

That's two 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.
Syrup looking to pass the guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Soyan trying to keep a closed guard but Syrup is proving a slippery customer.
Soyan working a defensive guard but Syrup passes into half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Soyan is looking to control Syrup's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Soyan avoid being mounted?
Syrup perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Soyan trying to hold on to Syrup's head to control him but Syrup postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Syrup passes to full mount!
Soyan tries to hold on but Syrup postures up.

Syrup is standing up, even though he is in mount.
Syrup tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Soyan throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Syrup's head.
Syrup moves out of range as Soyan throws a body kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Soyan connects with a solid leg kick.

Syrup gets the takedown into side control.
Soyan can't do much from the bottom here.
The referee asks Syrup politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Syrup prefers to stall for the moment though.
Soyan tries to improve position but can't.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Syrup tries for a kimura but Soyan is defending well.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Syrup decides to stand back up.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Mapple Syrup dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Syrup closes the distance and pushes Soyan back into the cage.
Syrup tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Soyan avoids it.
Syrup is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Soyan can do to turn this around?

Syrup manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Soyan trying to control the position from guard on top but Syrup is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Syrup pulls Soyan in to control the position.
Syrup looking for a sweep. Not yet Syrup, not yet.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Syrup holds on and takes a little breather.
Soyan trying to control but Syrup is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Soyan showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

Syrup has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Soyan 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 Syrup.
Syrup holding on.
Soyan working away.

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.
Soyan is looking to take a break and control but Syrup is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Soyan goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Syrup has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Soyan but great work by Syrup.
Soyan tries to control the position but he's not in luck - Syrup easily slips into full mount!
Mapple Syrup overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Soyan tries to hold on but Syrup postures up.
Syrup controlling from the full mount.
Soyan is desperately trying to improve his position but Syrup has a good base and remains in mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Syrup controlling the pace for now.
Soyan wants to hold on but Syrup pushes him away.
Soyan might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Syrup haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Syrup controlling from mount.
Syrup lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Syrup sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Soyan tries to lock up and control but Syrup gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Syrup connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Soyan is desperately trying to improve his position but Syrup has a good base and remains in mount.

Syrup moves into side control, trying to work for a kimura. That looks painful! Will he finish!!?? No, Soyan has worked his arm free - good work by Soyan!
Syrup lands an elbow.
Soyan struggling a bit here.

Syrup tries for a kimura but Soyan is defending well.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Syrup controls the position.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Mapple Syrup dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Soyan with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Soyan lands with a thumping leg kick.
Soyan fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Syrup.
Soyan tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Soyan connects with an inside leg kick.
Syrup is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
A solid leg kick lands there for Soyan.

Soyan gets tackled into the cage by Syrup. Syrup maintains the clinch.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Syrup.
Syrup tries to pull guard but Soyan forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Syrup drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Soyan is defending well against a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mapple Syrup. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Syrup's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Soyan.
Syrup takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Mapple Syrup is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
A nice leg kick lands there from Soyan.
Soyan leaves Syrup with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Soyan thows a body kick. Syrup tries to catch it but that hurt him.
Nice body kick there by Soyan.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Syrup throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Soyan tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Syrup is in Soyan's guard.
Syrup postures up.
Syrup throwing strikes but missing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Soyan is trying to control the position from the bottom.

Soyan looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Syrup throws a big elbow that misses.
Soyan preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

Soyan escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Syrup gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Soyan not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Syrup's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Syrup continues to stall.
Soyan working a defensive guard here.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.
Soyan lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
A lazy body kick from Soyan

and Syrup counters with a nice double leg into side control. Soyan won't be happy with that.
Syrup working away.

Syrup tries for a kimura but Soyan is defending well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Soyan is trying to control Syrup's posture but Syrup avoids it.
Soyan takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Soyan struggling a bit here.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Soyan on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Kunle Soyan has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Mapple Syrup is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Syrup is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Soyan knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Kunle Soyan.
I think Syrup 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 Dirk Anderson scores the fight 29:28
Judge Michael Johnstone scores the fight 30:28
Judge Bart Greer scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mapple Syrup!