PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between John Harper (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Don Maija (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Harper comes to the cage accompanied by Das Böse. Rumors backstage are that the fighters have been paid to keep it standing but we know that would never happen in MMA!

Harper
vs
Maija

169 cm
18
270 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

185 cm
20
260 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

Good takedowns
Basic striking
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Intelligent

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, John Harper!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Don Maija!
The judges for this bout are Mauricio Rocha, Seu Braga and Emerson Jorge.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nice sprawl there from Maija as Harper shoots in.
Maija tries to close the distance and clinch up but Harper swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Maija fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Maija tries to close the distance and clinch but Harper swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Harper misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Maija.
Maija looks for a takedown but Harper sprawls well.
Maija slips a jab from Harper.
Harper shoots in but Maija avoids the takedown attempt easily.
A solid leg kick lands there for Maija.
Maija shoots in but no luck this time.
John Harper has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Don Maija.
Harper throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

Harper feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Maija is on top in guard.
Maija stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Harper swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Maija trying to control but Harper is working from the bottom.

Harper is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Harper is breathing heavily.

Harper has his foot on Maija's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Maija works his way back into a safe position though.
Maija controls from within his opponent's guard.
Maija is looking to work some ground and pound but Harper has wrist control.
Harper might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harper wants to sweep here but Maija controlling him for the moment.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Maija accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Harper avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Maija lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Maija keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Harper's head.
Maija with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Maija trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Harper looking to hit a scissor sweep but Maija is one step ahead there.
Maija is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Maija stopping the sweep attempt from Harper.
Harper utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

Harper isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Maija stacks Harper 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 Maija!
You can see the frustration on Harper's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Maija tries to score with some ground and pound. Harper controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Harper sneaks back into half guard.

Harper is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Maija pulls his head out easily.
Harper is looking to improve his position.
Maija sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Harper defending well though.
Harper blocking the ground and pound attempt from Maija.
Harper is looking to improve his position.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Maija wants to clinch up but Harper keeps it at a distance.

Maija moves into range and clinches up with Harper.
Maija lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Maija tries for a takedown. No joy.
Harper has had enough of the clinch but Maija keeps him there for the moment.
Harper tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Maija smiles and moves away.
Maija shoots in but Harper avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Harper could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Harper ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Maija moves away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harper swats away the attempt to clinch by Maija.
Maija uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Harper.
Maija is looking to clinch.
Maija tries to clinch up but Harper circles away and keeps his distance.
Maija avoids the body shot from Harper.

Harper looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Maija moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Maija looking to hit a scissor sweep but Harper is one step ahead there.
Maija is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Harper is controlling him.
Maija trying to control the position.

Maija has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Harper off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Harper takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.

Maija has taken the fight to the clinch.
A right hook to the body lands for Maija.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Maija takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Harper looking for a takedown.
Harper tries for a takedown but Maija manages to get underhooks.

Maija breaks the clinch.
Harper shoots in but Maija avoids the takedown attempt easily.

Maija moves into the clinch.

Maija breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Maija closes the distance and clinches.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Maija breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Maija keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Maija throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Harper.

Maija closes the distance and clinches.
Maija scores a nice knee to the body.

Maija breaks from the clinch.

Maija drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Harper manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Maija thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Harper's head.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Harper 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.
Maija throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Harper slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Harper keeping moving, preventing Maija from controlling successfully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Don Maija dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Maija stuffs the takedown.
Maija is looking to clinch.
Maija fails in his attempt to clinch.
Harper avoids the body shot from Maija.
Harper throws a body punch but Maija moves out of range.

Maija moves into the clinch.

Harper manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.

Harper has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Maija can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Harper working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Maija.

Maija avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Maija throwing strikes from guard but Harper blocks nicely.
Maija with a flurry of punches that miss.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Harper has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Maija 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 Harper.

Maija thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Harper is looking for a sweep.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harper taking a bit of punishment here - Maija scoring with strikes.
Harper struggling a bit here.
Harper manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Maija connects with a nice short shot to Harper's temple.
Maija throws a strike but Harper avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Don Maija has got the better of the ground game so far.
Harper tries to strike from the bottom.
Maija with a nice head shot there.
Maija won't allow Harper to sweep him here.

Harper looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

Harper looking for a guillotine here but Maija defends easily.
Harper 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.
Harper manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Harper goes for an armbar but he's not got it… Maija turns into him and now he's in Harper's guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Maija wants to control from the top but Harper keeps moving.
Maija chips away with some ground and pound.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Maija accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Maija throwing strikes from guard but Harper blocks nicely.
Harper looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Maija thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Maija stopping the sweep attempt from Harper.
Harper keeping moving, preventing Maija from controlling successfully.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Maija fails with an attempt to clinch.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maija tries to close the distance and clinch up but Harper swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Maija tries to clinch but Harper is having none of it.
Maija fails in his attempt to clinch.

Maija moves into the clinch.

Maija escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Maija gets a clinch.

Maija breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
An inside leg kick lands from Maija.
Don Maija is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Maija gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Harper tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Maija just stands there and leans against the cage.
The referee calls for Maija to work.

Maija breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Harper takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Harper takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Maija tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Harper paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Maija rushes Harper and presses him up against the cage.
Maija is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Maija scores with a knee to the head.

Harper escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Maija is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Harper misses with the combination.
Harper just misses with a punch to the body.
Harper throws a low kick but it's checked well by Maija.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Maija instigates a clinch.
Maija lands a nice knee to the body.

Maija breaks from the clinch.
Harper shoots in but Maija avoids the takedown attempt easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for John Harper. That's going to take a lot out of him.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Harper swats away the attempt to clinch by Maija.
Maija lands a head kick. Harper smiles back at him and beckons him forward.

It looks like John Harper has been cut.
A slapping body kick lands there for Maija.

Maija pushes Harper up against the cage in a clinch.
Maija using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Maija landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Maija leaning his opponent against the cage.
A knee to the head by Maija.
Maija with a knee to the head.
Maija landing knees to the head.
Harper is trying to break free.
Harper wants to break the clinch but can't.
Harper wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Harper can't break the clinch.

Maija breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Harper shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Harper lands a nice shot to the head.
Maija is wriggling around trying to escape.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Don Maija showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on John Harper's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Maija ducks under a wild hook from Harper.
Maija tries to clinch up.
Harper swings for the body but Maija moves out of range.
Harper misses the shot to the body.
A big left from Maija misses.
Maija fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Harper manages to avoid it.

Maija fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Harper, pushing him back against the cage.

Maija breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Harper stuffs the takedown.

Harper scores with a takedown into Maija's guard.
Maija tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Maija is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Harper throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Maija works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Harper trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

Harper drops back looking for a leg! Maija is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Maija manages to kick Harper off! Harper jumps back into Maija's guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Harper trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's one minute gone in the round.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.

Maija moves into the clinch successfully.
Harper tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Maija smiles and moves away.
Maija tries to close the distance and clinch up but Harper swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Maija tries to clinch up but Harper circles away and keeps his distance.
Harper swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Maija.
Maija fails in his attempt to clinch.
Maija slips under a jab.
Harper throws an overhand right that lands on Maija's shoulder, as Maija tries to avoid the shot.
Harper misses with a looping right.
Harper takes a swing at Maija's ribcage but misses.
Maija will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Harper misses with a body shot.
Harper avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Harper is looking to wear down Maija with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Harper swats away the attempt to clinch by Maija.
Maija fails in his attempt to clinch.
Harper walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Maija checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Harper throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Maija fails with an attempt to clinch.

Maija gets caught flat footed, as Harper shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Harper has gone for a leg lock! Maija slips out almost immediately though and dives into Harper's guard.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!

Harper looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Maija trying to control the position from guard on top but Harper is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Harper escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Maija gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Maija wants to control from the top but Harper keeps moving.
Harper manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Maija manages to get himself to full guard.
Harper sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Maija's guard.
Harper works his foot free and advances to mount.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Harper looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
Maija really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Harper. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Harper throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maija is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Maija sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.

Harper is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Maija defends it well.
Harper lands strikes from half guard.
Harper prevents Maija from improving his position.
Harper looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Maija is looking to improve his position.
Maija wants to control but Harper is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Maija is looking to improve his position.
Maija moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Maija doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.

Maija has his feet on Harper's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.
Maija tries to clinch but Harper moves out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Maija slow jab from Harper misses its intended target.
Harper dodges the punch combination from Maija.

Harper shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Harper was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Harper punching from mount but Maija doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Harper wants to control the pace but Maija is squirming around nicely.
Harper putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!

Harper has isolated one of Maija's arms. Maija looking to fight him off but Harper twists into an armbar. It's tight... Will he tap?? YES, he's tapped! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:44 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). John Harper!