PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Reima Poika (ranked 1524 p4p, 1068 weight class) and Grant Dukes (ranked 180 p4p, 129 weight class). Reima Poika has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Poika
vs
Dukes

168 cm
23
165
7 - 5 - 1

168 cm
23
157
4 - 1 - 1

Good wrestling
Lethal high kicks
Cardio machine

Excellent grappler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Urban Fighter

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 5 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Reima Poika!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 1, fighting out of Los Angeles, Grant Dukes!
The judges for this bout are Colin Fotheringham, William Gold and Donald Grub.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Dukes shoots in looking for a takedown. Poika tries to sprawl out of it but Dukes keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Poika manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Poika is looking for a counter combo.
Poika on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
A jab from Dukes does it's job there.
Dukes throws a hook but Poika avoids it easily.
Poika is looking to counter with a body kick.
Nice defenses there by Dukes.
Dukes keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A clash of legs there as Dukes blocks the low kick.
Dukes with the counter takedown but Poika avoids it easily.
Dukes jabs Poika to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Poika uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Dukes.
Poika uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Dukes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Poika takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
A looping hook to the body misses from Dukes. Poika does a little dance to reset his feet.
Poika throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Poika has been working on his boxing with his coaches at Zenarals' House in the buildup to the fight.
Dukes fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Poika manages to avoid it.
Dukes smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Poika swings widly with a right hand
and Dukes counters with a stiff right hand.
Dukes misses with a body shot.
Dukes scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Poika blocks a jab.
Dukes lands a nice shot that snaps Poika's head back.
Poika lands a head kick. Dukes smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Grant Dukes seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
No joy there for Dukes, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Poika looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Dukes connects with a body shot.
Poika gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Poika walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Dukes works the jab nicely.
Dukes throws a hook but Poika avoids it easily.
Dukes throws a good cross that connects.
Dukes tests Poika's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Dukes thows a left - swing and a miss!
Poika is looking to counter with head kicks.
Dukes misses with a lunging right hand
and Poika counters with a nice low kick that buckles Dukes's knee momentarily.
Nice uppercut lands for Dukes. That snapped Poika's head back.
Dukes loads up on a big right hand but Poika slips the punch.
Dukes is landing a lot of head punches in this opening round! Poika had better start moving his head a bit unless he wants his face to turn into pâté.
Poika uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Dukes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A slow jab from Dukes misses its intended target.
Dukes throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Dukes cracks Poika with an open hand slap.
Dukes thows a left - swing and a miss!
Poika moves out of range as Dukes strikes.
Dukes lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Poika at a distance.
Poika slips under a jab from Dukes.
Poika went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
A head kick misses from Poika.
Poika walks into a jab.
Dukes moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Dukes looks to land a left hand but Poika moved out of range nicely.
Dukes misses with a straight right.
Dukes avoids the body shot from Poika.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dukes comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Poika shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Poika takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Poika swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Dukes throws a body shot but no joy.

Dukes is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Poika's half guard.

Dukes is looking for a kimura but Poika is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Dukes to get the leverage.
Poika has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Dukes is working away from the top position though.
Poika wants to get back to full guard.
Poika is working hard here to advance position.
Dukes working to pass to mount. He's got his hand pressing down on Poika's thigh. Poika counters though and makes it back to full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Grant Dukes dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Dukes dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Dukes lands the left hand.
Dukes throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Dukes misses with a straight left.
Dukes connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.

Poika takes the fight into the clinch.
Dukes scores with a shot to the side of Poika's head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dukes tries to work over Poika's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
A right hand to the body from Dukes.
Dukes is working Poika over against the cage.

Poika breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Poika throws a body kick despite being completely out of range
and Dukes counters with a nice uppercut.
Grant Dukes seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Poika avoids the body shot from Dukes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dukes fails to land the takedown.
Dukes lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Dukes wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Dukes has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Poika displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Dukes.
Dukes misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Poika.
Reima Poika is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Poika bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Poika throws a front kick aimed at Dukes's knee but Dukes avoids it well.
Dukes bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Dukes avoids the body shot from Poika.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dukes tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Poika was well out of range. Poor timing from Dukes.
Poika throws a hook but Dukes avoids it easily.
Poika gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Dukes.
Dukes pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Dukes fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Poika manages to avoid it.
Poika looked to counter that last move with a leg kick but didn't pull the trigger.
A telegraphed right hand from Dukes misses the target.
Poika looked to counter that last move with a leg kick but didn't pull the trigger.

Dukes shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Dukes showed some decent athleticism there.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Poika looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Dukes moves into full mount! Poika won't be happy about that!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Poika tries to reverse the position but Dukes maintains control.

Dukes is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Poika has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Poika!
Dukes is trying to keep Poika in close.
Poika lands a couple of elbows.
Poika landing some decent shots from guard.
Poika pushes down on Dukes's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Poika not doing much here.
Dukes slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dukes keeping moving, preventing Poika from controlling successfully.
Dukes bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Poika's guard.

Dukes passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Poika is not content to let Dukes control the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Grant Dukes showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Dukes throws a jab when Poika was well out of range.
Poika appears to be looking for a big counter.
Dukes lands with a shot to the body.
Dukes takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
Dukes misses with a hook. Poika ducked under it nicely.
Dukes throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Dukes circles away from the clinch attempt.
Dukes lands a nice looking body shot.
Dukes goes for a double leg but Poika avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Poika continues to drive forward.
Dukes cracks a nice hook into Poika's ribs.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dukes fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Poika manages to avoid it.
Poika looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Dukes jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Poika misses with a looping right.
A countering left hand to the body from Dukes misses.
Poika displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Dukes throws out the jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Poika slaps away a takedown attempt from Dukes, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Poika throws a head kick that misses.
Poika misses with a leg kick.
Nice shot by Dukes.
Poika takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Dukes scores with a hook to the body. Poika takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Dukes will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Reima Poika has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Grant Dukes.
Poika misses with a head kick.
Decent striking displayed by Dukes there.
Dukes lands with a right hand.
A low kick from Poika is predictable there

and Dukes counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Poika works his way to full guard. Good work.
Poika keeping full guard, as Dukes tries to pass.

Poika is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Grant Dukes has got the better of the ground game so far.
Poika can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Dukes controls the pace.

Poika is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Dukes trying to control the position from guard on top but Poika is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dukes looking to pass the guard.
Dukes trying to control the position from guard on top but Poika is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Dukes dips to his left and cracks Poika with an uppercut!

Poika gets caught flat footed, as Dukes shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Poika working for a triangle but Dukes defends it easily.
Reima Poika has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Dukes passes Poika's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Poika tries to roll over but Dukes keeps him under control.
Poika regains full guard. Nicely done.

Dukes thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Dukes is pushing down on Poika's leg trying to pass to half guard. Poika is fighting to maintain full guard but Dukes has managed to sneak the leg through.

And that's the end of the fight!
Grant Dukes comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Dukes has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 27:30
Judge William Gold scores the fight 27:30
Judge Donald Grub scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Grant Dukes!