The horn sounded.
Round 3 began.
Tolkov rose from his stool with a tighter guard than before, his feet more active beneath him. Across the cage, Edlen didn't sit between rounds. He bounced in place as if nothing had changed.
"Here we go—round three underway," said the one of the commentators. "If you're just joining us, it's the American Joren Edlen versus Russia's Anatyr Tolkov in the World MMA Tournament Final, live from Singapore."
"And we've seen two very different rounds so far," another one added. "Edlen's controlled almost every grappling exchange, but Tolkov made adjustments late in Round 2. He started making Joren work harder."
"They've both settled in now," the third partner chimed in. "This round is gonna be about who takes over—pace, timing, pressure. This is where it gets real."
They met near the center.
