PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Chael Sonnen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Samuel Street (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Sonnen kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Iron Maiden Fear of the Dark . We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Sonnen
vs
Street

188 cm
20
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

170 cm
21
190 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

Decent wrestler
Counter striker
Tends to cut

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Chael Sonnen !
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Samuel Street!
The judges for this bout are Anni Minnemäki, Matti Vanhoillinen and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sonnen tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Street counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Sonnen thinking.
Sonnen moves to clinch but Street breaks away

and Street counters with a single leg into guard. Sonnen didn't expect that.
Sonnen wants to stand up but Street is controlling him.
Street wants to pass the guard but Sonnen is keeping the position.
Sonnen keeping moving, preventing Street from controlling successfully.
Sonnen is looking to stand back up but Street counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Sonnen .
Street wants to lay and pray for a moment but Sonnen keeps working.
Sonnen keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Sonnen tries to kick Street off but Street keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Street decides to stand up.

Street shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Sonnen manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Street stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Sonnen swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Sonnen has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Street off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.

Street looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Sonnen wants to stand back up but Street manages to pass into side control.
Sonnen taking a bit of punishment here - Street scoring with strikes.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Sonnen wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Sonnen is looking to get back to his feet here but Street is keeping cool and he's managed to take Sonnen 's back.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Street scores with punches and elbows.
Street lands with a nice looking elbow that stuns Sonnen .
Street is throwing punches to the body, looking to soften Sonnen up.
Street trying desperately to keep hold of the dominant position.
Street connects with a big shot to the side of Sonnen 's head.
Sonnen is trying to stand back up.
Street lands with a hammerfist to the side of Sonnen 's head.
Street is throwing strikes from the back here. Oh that last one was to the back of the head. Street gets a warning from the referee. He throws another strike to the back of the head straight away though and the referee has seen enough. He breaks up the two fighters and stands them back up. Street gets a real talking to here and is lucky not to get a point deducted. Street apologises and we restart here on the feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sonnen wants to clinch but Street slips to the side

and Street counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Street stops Sonnen from getting back to his feet.
Sonnen is breathing heavily.
Street is looking to take a break and control but Sonnen is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Street lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Sonnen wants to stand back up but Street manages to pass into side control.
Sonnen is not content to let Street control the position.

Street thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Street tries to move to mount but Sonnen blocks the move with his legs.
Street lands some shots froms side control.
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!
Sonnen is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Street is controlling him well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Street wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Sonnen , who protects the arm well.
Street is putting a hurting on Sonnen here, landing some big shots from side control.
Street scoring with punches from side control.
Sonnen takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Sonnen wants to get back to his feet but Street drags him back down.

Street working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!

Street wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Sonnen , who protects the arm well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Sonnen forces Street back against the cage and clinches.
A right hand to the body from Sonnen .
Sonnen pushes Street back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Sonnen fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Street tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Sonnen tries to work over Street's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Sonnen makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.

Street has hold of one of Sonnen 's legs. Sonnen is fighting the takedown attempt but Street gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.

Sonnen pushes Street off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Sonnen wants to clinch

and Street counters with a nice double leg into side control. Sonnen won't be happy with that.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Street connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Sonnen some visible discomfort.
Street is breathing heavily.
Sonnen wants to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Street trying to control the action but Sonnen is working from the bottom.
Sonnen is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Sonnen takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Sonnen wants to get back to his feet.
Street is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.
Street wants to lay and pray for a moment but Sonnen keeps working.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Sonnen bucks up and manages to escape back to his feet!
Sonnen tries to clinch but Street moves away

and Street counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Sonnen wants to stand and escape but Street is having none of it.
Street lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Sonnen wants to stand but Street is controlling the position.
Street is working Sonnen over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Street lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Street scoring with some ground and pound.
Sonnen has momentary wrist control but Street slips an elbow through the middle.
Sonnen wants to stand and escape but Street is having none of it.
Street wants to control from the top but Sonnen keeps moving.
Street passes easily into side control. Nice work.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Street working the head with strikes.
Street advances to mount.
Sonnen is trying to get back to his feet but can't.
Street postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Sonnen looks a forlorn figure.
Sonnen wants to try and get back to his feet.
Street dominating with strikes here.
Sonnen is trying to get back to his feet but can't.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sonnen trying desperately to get back to his feet here but he's not having any joy at all. He's going to tire himself out if he's not careful.
Street punishing his opponent with strikes.
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!
Street working the ground and pound effectively.
Street is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Street scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Sonnen ?
Sonnen tries to buck Street off but he can't manage it.
A nice elbow there by Street.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Street lands with some strikes.
The referee warns Sonnen that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Street with the ground and pound from mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Samuel Street showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Street misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Street has a takedown stuffed.
Sonnen swats away the attempt to clinch by Street.
Sonnen wants to clinch but Street slips to the side

and Street counters with a nice double leg into guard.

Sonnen pushes Street off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Sonnen tries to clinch up

and Street counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Sonnen 's guard now.
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!
Street trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Sonnen is looking to stand up but Street isn't so interested in that idea.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Street trying to control the position from guard on top but Sonnen is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Street has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Street stops Sonnen from standing up.

Street decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Sonnen darts in trying to clinch

and Street counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Street sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Sonnen can't keep his opponent in guard - Street advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Sonnen looks like he's trying to stand up.
Street seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Sonnen does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Street works his way into full mount!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Sonnen is trying to stand.
Street landing shots from mount.
Sonnen really wants to buck Street off and get back to his feet.
Sonnen is bucking up trying to escape but Street cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
A nice elbow there by Street.
Street lands a nice shot to the head.
Sonnen 's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.
BOOM! Street connects with a massive shot to the dome!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Street working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Street lands a big elbow.
Street won't let Sonnen get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.

Street with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sonnen wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
Street putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Sonnen wants to try and get back to his feet.
Street trying to control but Sonnen is having none of it.
Sonnen wants to try and get back to his feet.
Street dominating with strikes here.
Street won't let Sonnen get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.
Street lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Street tries to control but Sonnen wriggling away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sonnen wants to try and get back to his feet.
Sonnen in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Sonnen wants to get back to his feet.
Street punishing his opponent with strikes.
Street putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Street landing strikes from the mount.
Sonnen is trying to stand up.
Street lands with some strikes.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Street takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Sonnen is in a horrible position here. Street smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Samuel Street comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Street winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 27:30
Judge Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 27:30
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Samuel Street!