PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Columbus Clay (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Abdullah Darzi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rumors backstage are that the fighters have been paid to keep it standing but we know that would never happen in MMA!

Clay
vs
Darzi

218 cm
21
193 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

187 cm
20
192 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Hates pizza

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

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 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Columbus Clay!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Abdullah Darzi!
The judges for this bout are Roosa Järviläinen, Arvi Lind and Matti Vanhoillinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Clay closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Darzi to the mat! Darzi manages to get full guard.
Darzi wants to control the position but Clay says "no thanks buddy" and passes to half guard.
Clay will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Darzi is looking to control Clay's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Darzi avoid being mounted?
Darzi might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Clay haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Clay content to control rather than advance.
Darzi flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Darzi wants to improve his position but Clay is controlling well.
Clay performing his best blanket impression for a moment.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Clay lands a lovely overhand right.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Clay shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Clay showed some decent athleticism there.
Darzi wants to get back to full guard.
Clay wants to pass to mount but Darzi is defending the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Darzi flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Darzi is trying to get back to full guard.
Darzi is trying to control but Clay passes into side control!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here.
Clay tries to stand but Darzi is controlling his head.
Darzi is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

Clay stands up and beckons Darzi to his feet.
Clay is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Clay moves into range and clinches up with Darzi.

Clay jumps into guard, dragging Darzi to the mat.
Darzi tries to free his leg and advance position but Clay is retaining full guard.
Darzi preventing the sweep.
Clay really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Darzi looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

Clay working for a triangle but Darzi defends it easily.
Clay manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Darzi manages to get himself to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Darzi wants to control but Clay passes easily into half guard.
Darzi is trying to stand up here but Clay is controlling him well.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Darzi is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Clay trying to control the pace.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Columbus Clay dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Clay dodges the punch combination from Darzi.
Clay wants to clinch up but Darzi keeps it at a distance.
Clay throws a sloppy head kick and Darzi moves out of range easily.
Darzi scores with a hook to the body. Clay takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Darzi misses with an uppercut.
Darzi swinging wildly here.
Nice shot lands for Darzi.
Darzi lands a right hook to the body.
Darzi misses with a wild combination.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Clay shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Darzi defends it nicely.
Darzi throws a series of punches but Clay moves out of range.

Clay closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Darzi quickly recovers to half guard.
Clay prevents Darzi from improving his position.
Darzi wants to get back to his feet.
Darzi is breathing heavily.
Clay uses his free foot to push down on Darzi's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Darzi.
Darzi tries to hold on but Clay postures up.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Clay controlling the position easily from mount.
Clay landing strikes, looking to finish!
Clay takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Clay landing strikes from the mount.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Darzi tries to hold on but Clay postures up.
Clay lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Darzi is looking to get to half guard.
Clay working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Darzi throwing hammer fists to the chest of Clay. What's that going to do exactly?
Clay sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Darzi is trying to reverse the position but instead Clay has taken his back - oops!
Can Darzi hold on?! Clay is landing more strikes to his hapless foe.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A bit of a pause in the action here. Clay controlling the positon.
Darzi rolls, trying to escape but Clay keeps control of the position.

Darzi fending off the submission attempt from Clay.
Darzi is trapped and Clay is scoring with shots to the head and body.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Darzi is being controlled on the ground here - he must escape this position otherwise surely the end is near.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Clay is looking to finish with some ground and pound!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Columbus Clay dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Clay is looking to clinch.
Darzi with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Darzi throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Darzi misses with a two punch combination.
Darzi fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
A combination from Darzi does no damage.
Danga de danga de dang - Darzi scores with a four punch combination!
Clay shoots in but Darzi avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Clay throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

Clay closes the distance and clinches.
Clay keeps control of Darzi as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Clay wants a takedown but no success here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Clay slows down the pace here.
Darzi is trying to push Clay away but Clay has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Darzi wants to get back to striking at distance but Clay won't allow it.
Darzi wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

Clay jumps guard.
Clay keeping full guard, as Darzi tries to pass.
Clay trying to control the position.

Darzi gets to his feet. Clay looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Darzi takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Clay shoots in looking for a takedown. Darzi tries to sprawl out of it but Clay keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Darzi manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Columbus Clay. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Clay fails with a takedown attempt.
Darzi throws a series of punches but Clay moves out of range.
Darzi lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Darzi misses with a two punch combination.
Darzi swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
A punch combination from Darzi misses.

Darzi gets tackled into the cage by Clay. Clay maintains the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Darzi tries to break free but Clay pushes him back against the cage.
Clay has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Darzi after a bit of a struggle.
Clay pressing his opponent against the cage.

Clay has picked Darzi up - he's going for a ride! Clay dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Darzi wants to control but Clay is keeping busy.
Clay working the head and body with strikes.
Clay is pressing down on Darzi's thigh, looking to free his foot. Darzi is holding on for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Darzi is trying to control but can't.
Clay controlling the action here.
Darzi wants to control but Clay is keeping busy.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Clay scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Clay trying to control the action but Darzi is working from the bottom.
Clay wants to pass the guard but Darzi is defending well.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Columbus Clay.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Clay, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 30:27
Judge Arvi Lind scores the fight 30:27
Judge Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Columbus Clay!