PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Eerikki Salmi (ranked 1993 p4p, 1307 weight class) and Rayful Edmond (ranked 263 p4p, 183 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Salmi
vs
Edmond

190 cm
27
220
11 - 8 - 0

190 cm
27
215
10 - 5 - 0

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Granite chin

Core Combat
Ma Balls Is Hot Clothing

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 11 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Eerikki Salmi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Rayful Edmond!
The judges for this bout are Steven Brown, James Ackerman and Chris Edwards.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Edmond ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Edmond misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Salmi has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.
Edmond lands a nice hook to Salmi's body. Salmi takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Salmi misses with a hook.
Edmond tries to clinch but Salmi is having none of it.
Edmond tries a head kick but it misses.
Edmond looks to land a left hand but Salmi moved out of range nicely.
Edmond swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Edmond slips under a jab from Salmi.

Salmi rushes Edmond and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Salmi misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Edmond looking to stall.
Edmond tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Salmi working aggressively here.
Edmond has a couple of punches blocked by Salmi.
Edmond softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Edmond misses with a short punch on the inside.
Salmi misses with some punches.
Edmond is trying to break the clinch but Salmi has him pressed against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Edmond trying to stall but Salmi improves his position.

Edmond breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Edmond tries to clinch but Salmi is having none of it.
Edmond swings and misses with a hook to the body.
An attempted straight right counter from Salmi misses the target.
Edmond connects with a body shot.
Edmond lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Edmond avoids the head kick by Salmi.
Edmond tests Salmi's chin there with a solid looking shot.

Edmond clinches.

Edmond pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Edmond tries to bum rush Salmi with a series of wild strikes but Salmi uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Edmond misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Salmi.
A head kick misses from Edmond.
A quick step to the side and Salmi tries to counter with a shot to the body but it doesn't connect.

Edmond closes the distance and pushes Salmi back into the cage.

Edmond breaks the clinch.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Edmond displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Salmi throws out the jab.
A left lands for Salmi.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Salmi moves into range and clinches up with Edmond.
Salmi digs a right hand underneath Edmond's ribcage. Edmond let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Edmond lands with a light punch inside.
Edmond misses with a hook from the clinch.
Edmond lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
A short right from Salmi.
Salmi misses with a punch on the inside.
A right hook to the body lands for Edmond.
Edmond lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Edmond throws a punch but it's blocked by Salmi.
Edmond tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Salmi's elbow.
Edmond scores with a nice hook to the head.
Edmond throws a punch but it's blocked by Salmi.
Salmi lands a body punch in the clinch.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Salmi.
Salmi blocking some punches.
Edmond is trying to push Salmi away but Salmi has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Edmond misses with the head strike.
Salmi tries a body shot but Edmond blocks it.
Edmond lands a right hand.
Edmond wants to break free but Salmi has control.
Edmond's coach down at Far-Q Fight Club was telling us pre-fight that they have been working on Edmond's balance. Obviously they view that as a key factor in the outcome of this fight.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Salmi can't get the takedown.

Edmond manages to break the clinch.
Edmond looks to land a body kick but Salmi moved away.
Edmond lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Salmi circles away quickly and effectively.
Salmi throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Edmond on the side of the head.
Salmi avoids the head kick by Edmond.
A slapping leg kick lands for Salmi.
Salmi fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Edmond has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Salmi misses with a body shot.
Edmond looks for the body kick but Salmi saw that one coming.
Edmond throws a series of punches but Salmi avoids them all with ease.
Edmond slips a jab from Salmi.
Edmond appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Edmond lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Salmi has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Salmi and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.
A little feinted left hand from Salmi on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
A telegraphed right hand from Salmi misses the target.
Edmond on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Salmi circles away from the clinch attempt.
Salmi cracks Edmond with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
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!
Salmi throws out a loose jab but Edmond uses good head movement to avoid it.
Salmi throws a shot from downtown. Edmond moves away and avoids it.
Edmond ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Edmond lands a hook that stumbles Salmi back into the cage. Edmond follows up with a straight and another hook that land right on the button, dropping Salmi to the canvas! Edmond pounces and lands several unanswered shots - Salmi has had enough and taps out! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:20 of round 1, we have a winner by way of Submission (Strikes). Rayful Edmond!
A relieved looking Rayful Edmond thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.