PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Niklas Aho (ranked 1897 p4p, 1401 weight class) and Eric Brooks (ranked 257 p4p, 201 weight class). Eric Brooks has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Aho
vs
Brooks

184 cm
22
177
5 - 4 - 0

180 cm
22
175
5 - 1 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Lethal high kicks
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

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 5 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Niklas Aho!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Eric Brooks!
The judges for this bout are Paul Tew, Steven Brown and James Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Brooks lands with a good body shot.
Brooks jabs Aho right on the nose. Aho blinks but takes it well.
Brooks fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Brooks scores with a shot to the body.
A nice inside leg kick there by Brooks. That's going to slow Aho down.
Nice shot by Brooks.
Brooks tries to clinch up.
Aho has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Brooks finds it's way round the side to connect with Aho's head.
Good work by Aho as he checks the leg kick.
Aho has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Brooks.
Aho shoots in but no luck this time.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Aho takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jab, jab by Brooks - just one landing.

Aho is rocked!
Brooks pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Brooks throws an overhand right that lands on Aho's shoulder, as Aho tries to avoid the shot.
Brooks scores with a nice strike.
Eric Brooks seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Brooks jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Aho drops down looking for a counter takedown but Brooks sprawls and moves away.
Brooks connects with a leg kick.
Aho throws a sloppy head kick and Brooks moves out of range easily.
Good leg kick by Brooks.
Brooks keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Brooks misses with a low kick.
Aho half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Aho is looking to land body kicks.
A jab from Brooks misses.
Brooks connects with a jab.
Aho throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Brooks looks to land a combination but Aho avoids it well.
Aho tries to counter with a takedown but Brooks is quick to defend against it.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Aho moves into range and clinches up with Brooks.

Aho pulls guard.

Aho throws his legs up looking for a submission but Brooks uses it to pass to side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Aho is trying to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Brooks is staying tight to Aho's torso, preventing him from escaping.
Aho tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Brooks taking a breather here.
Aho is looking to regain half guard here but Brooks keeps moving and retains side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Aho looks to move to half guard but instead Brooks has passed into mount! Damn!
Brooks tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Aho tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Aho is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Brooks can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Aho is looking to escape.
Brooks prevents Aho from getting the reversal.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Eric Brooks dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Aho moves into range and clinches up with Brooks.
Aho blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Brooks misses with a punch to the body.
Brooks working aggressively here.
Brooks misses with a hook from the clinch.
Brooks scores with an uppercut up the middle.

Aho has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Brooks uses from the top position.

Aho working for submissions but it's allowed Brooks to get to half guard.

Aho looking for a kimura from the bottom but Brooks passes into side control!
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Aho is trying to get back to half guard.
Brooks has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Aho looks to move to half guard but instead Brooks has passed into mount! Damn!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Brooks trying to control but Aho is having none of it.
Aho is trying to escape the mount.
Aho regains half guard.
Aho gets back to full guard.

Brooks got a little sloppy there for a moment and Aho has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Brooks has managed to get both his arms back between Aho's legs - danger averted.

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.
Brooks pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Aho is keeping the position for now.

Aho escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Brooks gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

Aho isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Brooks stacks Aho on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Brooks!
Aho is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Aho manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Aho is controlling the pace.

Aho looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Brooks felt the need to train up his defensive grappling in the buildup to the fight. Presumably he was expecting to be in a difficult position like this, so let's see if he can get out of it.
Aho works his foot free and advances to mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Aho goes for an armbar but he's not got it… Brooks turns into him and now he's in Aho's guard.

Aho throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Aho is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Niklas Aho will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Brooks tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Aho was well out of range. Poor timing from Brooks.
Brooks comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Brooks tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Aho paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Aho has closed the distance and engaged Brooks in a clinch.
Brooks swings wildly with an uppercut but Aho uses good head movement to avoid it.
Aho has Brooks pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Brooks manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
A short uppercut from Brooks.
Aho tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Brooks avoids it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Aho is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Brooks is keeping busy.
Brooks misses with a punch on the inside.
Aho prevents a body shot from Brooks.
Aho is trying to drag Brooks to the mat but Brooks just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Brooks throws a head punch that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A hook to the body from Brooks.
Brooks is defending well against a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Niklas Aho. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Aho is working for takedown but Brooks is calmly controlling the position for now.
Brooks misses with the head strike.
Aho tries for a takedown but Brooks manages to get underhooks.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Brooks pushes Aho back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Brooks lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Brooks lands a nice uppercut.
Aho jumps guard but Brooks stands there with Aho around his waist. Aho gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Aho blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Aho tries to pull guard but Brooks forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Aho looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Brooks as Aho tries to tie him up.
Brooks tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Aho can't get the takedown.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Brooks misses with a hook from the clinch.
Aho blocks a body shot from Brooks.
Brooks working aggressively here.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Aho just misses with a elbow thrown towards Brooks's brow.
Aho blocks an uppercut.
Brooks lands a shoulder strike.
Brooks lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Brooks throws a head punch that misses.
Still in the clinch, Brooks scores with a nice short uppercut.
A short right from Brooks on the inside.
Aho blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Brooks struggles to land a body shot inside as Aho controls his hands.
Aho is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Brooks gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Brooks lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Brooks pushes Aho back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Aho is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Brooks lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Brooks has a couple of punches blocked by Aho.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Brooks gets through Aho's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Oh Aho is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Brooks throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Aho jumps guard but Brooks stands there with Aho around his waist. Aho gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Brooks pushes Aho back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.

Aho is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. Brooks can't fight it off and eventually Aho manages to take the fight to the floor. Brooks looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Aho seems to have got his legs back now.
Brooks looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Brooks looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Aho trying to control the position from guard on top but Brooks is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Aho is looking to advance position but Brooks has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!

Brooks controlling the position easily from mount.
Let's hope that Brooks has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Aho is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Brooks controlling from mount.

And that's the end of the fight!
Eric Brooks comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Brooks 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 Paul Tew scores the fight 28:29
Judge Steven Brown scores the fight 28:29
Judge James Glass scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Eric Brooks!
Our winner, Eric Brooks, 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.