PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Durnhammer Ballista (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Alvaro Sanchez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Ballista
vs
Sanchez

193 cm
23
265 lbs
2 - 4 - 0

200 cm
20
272 lbs
2 - 4 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

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 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Durnhammer Ballista!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Alvaro Sanchez!
The judges for this bout are Matti Vanhoillinen, Tarja Halkonen and Arvi Lind.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sanchez lands a head kick!

It looks like Durnhammer Ballista has been cut.
Ballista misses with a double jab.
Ballista moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.

It looks like Alvaro Sanchez has been cut.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Ballista swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Sanchez throws a head kick that misses.
Sanchez lands with a slapping head kick.
Nice takedown defense from Sanchez. No joy for Ballista on that attempt.
Ballista fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Ballista looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Durnhammer Ballista. That's going to take a lot out of him.
The fight stays on the outside here - Sanchez looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Sanchez gets caught flat footed, as Ballista shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Ballista in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Sanchez wants to get back to his feet but Ballista is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Ballista wants to pass the guard but Sanchez is keeping the position.
Ballista not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Ballista seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Sanchez for as long as he can get away with.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Sanchez had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Ballista is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Sanchez Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Ballista's back instead.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Ballista breaks Sanchez's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
Ballista won't allow Sanchez to sweep him here.
Ballista wants to control from the top but Sanchez keeps moving.
Ballista won't allow Sanchez to sweep him here.

Sanchez pushes Ballista off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Ballista fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Sanchez throws a nice inside leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ballista misses with a two punch combination.
Ballista is breathing heavily.
Sanchez throws a nice outside leg kick.
Sanchez scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Sanchez chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Sanchez scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.

Sanchez stands up and we're back to a striking position.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Ballista.
Sanchez throws a sloppy head kick and Ballista moves out of range easily.
Ballista fails with a takedown attempt.
Sanchez motions for Ballista to come forward. Sanchez throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Ballista moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Ballista throws a right and a left that both miss.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ballista swats away the attempt to clinch by Sanchez.
Ballista shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Sanchez counters with a big head kick but Ballista shrugs it off.
Ballista rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Sanchez moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Ballista jabs at Sanchez's body.
A slapping leg kick lands for Sanchez.
Ballista's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Ballista duly obliges.
No luck for Ballista with that takedown attempt.

Sanchez shoots in and bounces Ballista off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.

Sanchez avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Ballista looking to hit a scissor sweep but Sanchez is one step ahead there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez wants to get up but he can't break Ballista's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Sanchez postures up.
Sanchez wants to stand and escape but instead Ballista has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Ballista passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Sanchez is not content to let Ballista control the position.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alvaro Sanchez dominated that round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Ballista avoids the head kick by Sanchez.
Sanchez dodges the punch combination from Ballista.
Sanchez tries a head kick but it misses.
Durnhammer Ballista is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Ballista fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Sanchez throws a sloppy head kick and Ballista moves out of range easily.
Nice sprawl there from Ballista as Sanchez shoots in.
Ballista lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Ballista will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Ballista misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Ballista throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Ballista lands a two punch combo.

Ballista shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Ballista showed some decent athleticism there.
Sanchez wants to stand back up but Ballista manages to pass into side control.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Sanchez gives up the full mount - oops, sloppy defensive grappling there!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sanchez is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.
Sanchez is squirming around, avoiding Ballista's attempts to control the action.
Ballista is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Sanchez is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Ballista unloading with bombs!
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Sanchez can do anything to dispel that myth.
Sanchez is in all sorts of trouble here.
Ballista looking to finish Sanchez with some ground and pound. This is bad for Sanchez!
Sanchez really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Ballista controlling the position easily from mount.
Ballista wants to control the pace but Sanchez is squirming around nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Ballista tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Sanchez squirming around on the bottom, looking to escape.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Ballista scoring with strikes but Sanchez is staying in there.
Ballista can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Sanchez is looking to escape.
Ballista content just to control the position here.
Ballista is landing with some decent strikes but Sanchez is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ballista can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Sanchez is looking to escape.
Sanchez is wriggling around trying to escape.
Ballista controlling from the full mount.
Ballista trying to control but he's not successful this time.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Durnhammer Ballista just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
A slow jab from Sanchez misses its intended target.
Ballista throws a one two combo.
Ballista will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Ballista throws a series of strikes that have Sanchez backpedaling.

Ballista scores a takedown into full mount!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
Ballista trying to control but Sanchez is having none of it.
Sanchez is in all sorts of trouble here.

Ballista has hold of Sanchez's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Sanchez manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Sanchez keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Durnhammer Ballista dominated that second round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Ballista has a takedown stuffed.
Alvaro Sanchez seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Ballista avoids the head kick by Sanchez.
Sanchez throws a head kick that misses.
A left and a right from Ballista both land. Nice combination.
Sanchez takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Ballista!
Ballista throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Horrible takedown by Ballista or perhaps it was just good defense by Sanchez which made him look bad.
Ballista looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Durnhammer Ballista. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sanchez throws a head kick but Ballista moves out of range.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Sanchez pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Ballista closes this distance looking for a takedown but Sanchez circles away.
Ballista digs a good hook to Sanchez's body.
Ballista scores to the head and body with a nice combination!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sanchez throws a nice inside leg kick.
Ballista shoots in but no luck this time.
Ballista will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Sanchez stuffs the takedown.
Sanchez throws a head kick that misses.

Ballista looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Ballista won't allow Sanchez to get back to his feet.
Sanchez keeping full guard, as Ballista tries to pass.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Sanchez is on top in guard.

Sanchez decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Ballista, up you get!
Sanchez plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Ballista misses with a few strikes there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
No joy there for Ballista, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Ballista throws a right and a left that Sanchez avoids nicely.
Sanchez pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Ballista blocks a head kick by Sanchez.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Ballista works over Sanchez's head and body with a nice combination.
Sanchez is looking to clinch but Ballista is avoiding it.
A thudding body kick lands there by Sanchez!
A head kick misses from Sanchez.
Ballista tries for a takedown but Sanchez circles away easily

so Sanchez 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.
Ballista is trying to keep Sanchez in close.
Ballista bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Sanchez's guard.
Sanchez tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Sanchez keeping moving, preventing Ballista from controlling successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ballista preventing the sweep.
Sanchez wants to hit a switch here but Ballista passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for Sanchez there!
Durnhammer Ballista overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Sanchez wants to get back to his feet.
Ballista controlling his opponent.
Sanchez is squirming around, avoiding Ballista's attempts to control the action.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Sanchez is trying to get back to his feet but can't.
Ballista controlling the position easily from mount.
Ballista looking to control but Sanchez is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
You get the feeling that Sanchez really doesn't like being in this position too much.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Sanchez is wriggling around trying to escape.
Ballista lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Ballista can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Sanchez is looking to escape.

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 Durnhammer Ballista.
I think Ballista has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 28:29
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 29:27
Judge Arvi Lind scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Durnhammer Ballista!