PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Demon Maia (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mieszko Szczygiel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Maia comes to the cage accompanied by Numb/Encore. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Maia
vs
Szczygiel

183 cm
27
188 lbs
12 - 7 - 0

175 cm
29
192 lbs
12 - 9 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Cardio machine

Powerful takedowns
Dangerous knees
Granite chin

Valhalla Fight Wear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 2 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Demon Maia!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Mieszko Szczygiel!
The judges for this bout are Tatsuya Matsuyama, Yukihiro Yamamoto and Ren Mimura.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A looping hook to the body misses from Szczygiel. Maia does a little dance to reset his feet.
Szczygiel lands with a kick to the ribs.
Szczygiel doesn't manage to clinch there - Maia circles away.
Szczygiel closes the distance but Maia moves to the side

and Maia decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Szczygiel's guard.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Maia forces his way into half guard.
Maia looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Maia thows a huge punch but Szczygiel dodges it nicely.
Szczygiel is looking to improve his position.

Maia 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.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Szczygiel is looking to improve his position.
Maia is thwarting Szczygiel's attempts to control the position.
Maia is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Szczygiel regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Maia.
Maia trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Szczygiel lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Maia!
Maia is in all sorts of trouble here.
Maia is working hard here to advance position.
Maia is trying to reverse the position but instead Szczygiel has taken his back - oops!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Szczygiel avoiding Maia 's attempts to control his hands.
Maia looking very determined here, making life difficult for Szczygiel.
Maia tries to break free.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Szczygiel controls the position.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
I really don't envy Maia right now.
Maia manages to reverse the position and now he's in Szczygiel's guard. Nice work there by Maia.
Szczygiel controlling the position.
Maia looking to sit in guard and control but Szczygiel gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Szczygiel trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Maia working a defensive guard here.
Szczygiel slips nicely into half guard.
Szczygiel is pressing down on Maia's thigh, looking to free his foot. Maia is holding on for now.
Maia tries to regain full guard. Instead though, Szczygiel has advanced to mount. Uh oh.
Maia is wriggling around trying to escape.

That's five minutes gone in the round.
Szczygiel controlling the position easily from mount.
Szczygiel prevents Maia from getting the reversal.
Maia regains half guard.
Maia is trying to get back to full guard.

Maia looking for submissions off his back.
Maia is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's six minutes gone in the round.
Maia regains full guard. Nicely done.
Szczygiel wants to control from the top but Maia keeps moving.
Maia is trying to control the position but Szczygiel postures up.
Szczygiel trying to control the position from guard on top but Maia is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Mieszko Szczygiel.
Szczygiel looks to clinch

so Maia counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Maia tries to free his leg and advance position but Szczygiel is retaining full guard.
Maia advances position into side control!
Szczygiel is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.
Szczygiel regains half guard.
Szczygiel keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Maia wants to take a breather but Szczygiel is having none of it.
Maia trying to advance position but Szczygiel counters by regaining guard.
Maia throws a big elbow that misses.
Szczygiel keeping full guard, as Maia tries to pass.
Maia trying to control but Szczygiel is working from the bottom.
Szczygiel pulls Maia in close to prevent any damage.

That's eight minutes gone in the round.
Maia pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Szczygiel is keeping the position for now.

Szczygiel pushes Maia off and gets back to his feet.
Szczygiel is looking to clinch.
Szczygiel darts in trying to clinch
and Szczygiel takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.

That's nine minutes gone in the round.
The fight stays on the outside here - Szczygiel looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Szczygiel tries to clinch there but Maia circles away.

Szczygiel has closed the distance and engaged Maia in a clinch.
Szczygiel lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!

It looks like Demon Maia has been cut.
Szczygiel with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Maia wants a takedown.
Szczygiel tries a knee to the head but Maia blocks it.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Maia takes a knee to the side of the body.
Szczygiel managing to block the knees to the body from Maia.
Maia is looking for a takedown.
Szczygiel putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Maia in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Demon Maia will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Demon Maia's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Szczygiel tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Maia keeps the fight on the outside.
Mieszko Szczygiel seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Szczygiel misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Szczygiel wants to clinch

and Maia counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Maia.
Maia stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Szczygiel swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Maia stopping the sweep attempt from Szczygiel.
Szczygiel is trying to keep Maia in close.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Szczygiel manages to escape and get back to his feet.

Szczygiel clinches up against the cage.
Szczygiel misses with a knee strike.
Maia jumps guard but Szczygiel turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Szczygiel is trying to maintain a safe position but Maia gets an underhook and turns Szczygiel into the cage.
Szczygiel is struggling to control the position.
Maia wants a takedown.
Szczygiel lands a knee to the head.
Szczygiel putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Maia in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Maia tries for a takedown. No joy.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Demon Maia. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Szczygiel will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Maia up against the cage.
Szczygiel looking to throw knees to the head but Maia is blocking nicely.
Maia tries to pull guard but Szczygiel forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Maia jumps guard but Szczygiel stands there with Maia around his waist. Maia gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Knees to the body from Szczygiel.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Szczygiel lands a knee to the head.
Szczygiel has Maia pressed against the cage.
Szczygiel connects with a nasty looking knee right to Maia's face.
Mieszko Szczygiel seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Knees in the clinch landing for Szczygiel.
Szczygiel is defending well against a takedown attempt.
A knee to the head by Szczygiel.
Maia drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Szczygiel with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Come on Szczygiel - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Szczygiel with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Szczygiel tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Szczygiel gets underhooks to prevent Maia's takedown attempt.
Maia takes a knee right on the jaw!
A knee to the head by Szczygiel.
Szczygiel tries to land a knee to the head but Maia blocks with his arms.

Maia gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Szczygiel won't allow Maia to pass to mount.
Szczygiel has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Maia is working away from the top position though.
Szczygiel is in trouble now - Maia has advanced to mount!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Maia working the ground and pound effectively.
Maia working the ground and pound effectively.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Maia throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Szczygiel because Maia loaded up on that one.
Szczygiel blocking the ground and pound.
Szczygiel is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Maia looking to ground and pound but Szczygiel is blocking nicely.
Maia wants to control the pace but Szczygiel is squirming around nicely.
Szczygiel gets back to half guard.

That's five minutes gone in the round.
Maia trying to mount his opponent but Szczygiel defends it.
Szczygiel wants to control but Maia is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Szczygiel is trying to avoid being dragged into an even worse position than he's already in but Maia is staying active.
Szczygiel wants to get back to full guard.

Maia is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Maia wants to take a breather but Szczygiel is having none of it.
Maia works his foot free and advances to mount.

That's six minutes gone in the round.
Maia misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Szczygiel regains half guard.

Maia is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Szczygiel doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Maia.
Szczygiel tries to get to full guard but Maia has control of the leg.
Maia tries to pass the half guard into mount. Szczygiel knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.
Szczygiel is looking to escape.
Szczygiel works his way to full guard. Good work.
Maia trying to control but Szczygiel is working from the bottom.
Maia looking to pass the guard.
Szczygiel controlling the position.
Maia passes into half guard.

That's eight minutes gone in the round.

Maia seems to be working for a kimura but Szczygiel defends the submission attempt.
Demon Maia overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Maia is looking to advance position but Szczygiel won't allow it.
Maia wants to control but Szczygiel is keeping him busy.
Szczygiel gets back to full guard.
Maia throws an elbow that misses. Szczygiel uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Maia's guard. Nice move by Szczygiel!

That's nine minutes gone in the round.
Maia 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.
Szczygiel engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Maia has a closed guard, preventing Szczygiel from standing up.
Maia trying to strike off his back.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Maia tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Szczygiel wants to control from the top but Maia keeps moving.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Mieszko Szczygiel.
I have no idea who won that fight. Let's wait and see whether the judges are as confused as me! Time for a split decision perhaps?!. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.

Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight for Mieszko Szczygiel!
Judge Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight for Mieszko Szczygiel!
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight as a draw!

Mieszko Szczygiel wins by majority decision!