PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Mamed Becker (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Joe Masseria (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Becker comes to the cage accompanied by Blue Foundation - Eyes On Fire. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Becker
vs
Masseria

190 cm
19
205 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

185 cm
19
218 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Solid chin

Fire Sportswear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Mamed Becker!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Joe Masseria!
The judges for this bout are Anni Minnemäki, Roosa Järviläinen and Marco Blurström.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Masseria avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Becker is looking to clinch but Masseria is avoiding it.
Becker throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Becker tries to clinch up but Masseria circles away and keeps his distance.
A combination from Becker does no damage.

Masseria has taken the fight to the clinch.
A right hook to the body lands for Masseria.
Masseria has a couple of punches blocked by Becker.
Masseria presses Becker against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Becker is breathing heavily.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Becker blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Masseria using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Becker has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Masseria unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Masseria misses with a punch to the body.
Masseria goes for a body shot but it's blocked.

Masseria is trying to trip Becker. He has hold of a leg but Becker is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Masseria persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Masseria looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Becker is looking for a triangle but Masseria pushes his legs off easily.
Becker utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Masseria loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Masseria postures up and lands a big shot to Becker's brow.
Masseria throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Becker works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Masseria postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Masseria lands a couple of elbows.
Becker working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Masseria.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Masseria looking to sit in guard and control but Becker gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Becker is fighting to break Masseria's control of his arms but Masseria is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Masseria's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Masseria bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Becker's guard.
Masseria is in close to Becker's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Becker utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Masseria cracks Becker with a solid left hand.
Masseria is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Masseria postures up and lands a big shot to Becker's brow.
Masseria cracks Becker with a solid left hand.
Masseria scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Masseria distracts Becker with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Becker keeping moving, preventing Masseria from controlling successfully.
Masseria thows a big elbow that misses.
Masseria lands a couple of elbows.
Masseria is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Becker can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Masseria controls the pace.
Masseria working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Masseria throws a big right hand that misses.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Masseria's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Masseria cracks Becker with a solid left hand.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Masseria accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Masseria stands up over Becker, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Masseria is in close to Becker's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Masseria content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Masseria missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Joe Masseria dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Masseria moves into the clinch.
Masseria missing with knees to the body.
Masseria will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Becker up against the cage.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Becker just misses with a elbow thrown towards Masseria's brow.
A right hook to the body lands for Masseria.
Masseria works on Becker's body with a couple of short punches.
A hook to the body from Masseria.

Masseria gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Becker regains guard.
Becker working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Masseria.
Masseria scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Masseria sitting in guard here, content to control.
Masseria throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Masseria missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Masseria in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Masseria postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Becker has momentary wrist control but Masseria slips an elbow through the middle.
Masseria must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Masseria postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Masseria throwing strikes but missing.
Masseria lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Becker avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Masseria throws and elbow that misses. Becker uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Masseria's guard. Nice move by Becker!
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Masseria can do anything to dispel that myth.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Becker missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Masseria tries to land a sweep but no joy.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Becker throwing strikes from guard but Masseria blocks nicely.
Masseria manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Masseria scoring with strikes but Becker is staying in there.
Masseria lands a big shot there that rocks Becker but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Masseria lands a big elbow.
Becker taking shots to the head.
Masseria with a couple of short strikes.
Masseria putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Becker swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.
Masseria lands a big shot there that rocks Becker but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Masseria working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Masseria is landing with some decent strikes but Becker is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Becker really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
BOOM! Masseria connects with a massive shot to the dome!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Masseria lands a heavy elbow.
Masseria lands with some strikes.
Masseria in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Masseria raining down shots from the mount!
Masseria working the ground and pound effectively.
Masseria with the ground and pound from mount.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Masseria lands a big shot there that rocks Becker but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Becker is wriggling around trying to escape.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Joe Masseria showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Becker tries to keep at a distance but Masseria has taken the fight into the clinch.
Becker is pushing Masseria up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Masseria tries to throw a body punch but Becker avoids it by throwing Masseria back against the cage.
Masseria dodges an elbow strike from Becker.
Masseria pushes off an throws an elbow but Becker leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Masseria taking a breather.
Becker is pressed up against the cage. Masseria has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Becker down to the mat. Becker avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Becker moves out of range as Masseria throws a body kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Becker darts in trying to clinch

and Masseria counters by clinching up.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Masseria gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Masseria missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Masseria takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Masseria lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Becker is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Masseria scores with a couple of nice shots.
Becker has hold of Masseria's hands but Masseria slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Becker makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Becker.
Masseria chips away with some ground and pound.
Masseria stands up over Becker, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Joe Masseria is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Masseria throwing strikes from guard but Becker blocks nicely.
Masseria loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Masseria content to stall in guard here.
Masseria stands up over Becker, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.

Becker escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Masseria gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Masseria wants to control from the top but Becker keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Masseria lands a couple of digs.
Joe Masseria has got the better of the ground game so far.
Masseria chips away with some ground and pound.
Masseria looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Becker keeping moving, preventing Masseria from controlling successfully.
Masseria has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Masseria connects with a couple of short punches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Masseria in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Masseria lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Masseria is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

Becker had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Masseria defends it easily.
Mamed Becker has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Masseria trying to control the position from guard on top but Becker is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Masseria is in close to Becker's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Masseria sitting in guard, not really doing much.

And that's the end of the fight!
Joe Masseria comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Masseria 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 Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 25:30
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 25:30
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 25:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Joe Masseria!