PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Aaron Smith (ranked 1081 p4p, 1744 weight class) and Sepi Pulkkinen (ranked 43 p4p, 68 weight class). Smith comes to the cage accompanied by Lonely Train by Black Stone Cherry. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Smith
vs
Pulkkinen

195 cm
33
280
18 - 20 - 0

225 cm
25
333
9 - 5 - 0

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Core Combat
Altitude Clothing

Conviction

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 18 - 20 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Aaron Smith!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Sepi Pulkkinen!
The judges for this bout are Yuuki Gou, Shirou Masuda and Yasuomi Hirokawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Smith swats away the attempt to clinch by Pulkkinen.
Pulkkinen ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Smith looks to land a left hand but Pulkkinen moved out of range nicely.
Pulkkinen tries to clinch but Smith is having none of it.
Pulkkinen slips under a jab from Smith.
Pulkkinen walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
A telegraphed right hand from Smith misses the target.
Smith looks to land a right hand but Pulkkinen moved out of range.
Smith changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Pulkkinen tries to avoid it but Smith manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Pulkkinen to the ground. Pulkkinen escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Pulkkinen gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Smith.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Smith tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Smith throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Pulkkinen makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Pulkkinen misses with a hook
and Smith counters with a left to the body.
A jab from Smith misses.
Pulkkinen defending well as Smith loads up on a big left hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pulkkinen showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Smith.
Smith misses with a double jab.
Smith 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.
Pulkkinen stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Smith.
A swing and a miss from Smith.
Pulkkinen throws a fast counter high kick but Smith manages to duck under it in time.
Smith looks to land a right hand but Pulkkinen moved out of range.
Pulkkinen lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Smith throws a jab but it's blocked by Pulkkinen.
Pulkkinen is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Smith pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Pulkkinen tries to clinch but Smith is having none of it.
Smith throws a hook but Pulkkinen avoids it easily.
Pulkkinen lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Donk. Smith catches Pulkkinen right on the button with a cross.
Pulkkinen misses with a body shot.
Smith is really struggling to find his range with his punches. Pulkkinen's reach advantage is clearly causing him problems.
Pulkkinen misses with a hook. Smith ducked under it nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smith throws a poor cross that misses
and Pulkkinen counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Smith misses with an uppercut.
Smith uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Pulkkinen.
It looked like Smith wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Pulkkinen checks the leg kick nicely there.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Pulkkinen enables Smith to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Pulkkinen manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Smith controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Smith throws a big right hand that misses.
Pulkkinen tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Pulkkinen is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Smith trying to control but Pulkkinen is working from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Smith working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Pulkkinen's head.
Pulkkinen working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Smith.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Smith postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Pulkkinen wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Smith tries to free his leg and advance position but Pulkkinen is retaining full guard.
Smith trying to control but Pulkkinen is working from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Pulkkinen has Smith pulled in close to control his posture.
Pulkkinen keeping full guard, as Smith tries to pass.
Smith might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Pulkkinen is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Pulkkinen told us pre-fight that he has been working on his escapes in training. Let's see if he can call on some of his new skills to get back to his feet.
Pulkkinen manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Smith manages to get himself to full guard.

Pulkkinen not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Smith looking for a sweep. Not yet Smith, not yet.
Pulkkinen content to stall in guard here.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Smith tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Smith has his hands on Pulkkinen's head, controlling the position.
Smith bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Pulkkinen's guard.

Pulkkinen wants to sweep but no luck.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Smith jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Pulkkinen looks to land a left hand but Smith moved out of range nicely.
Smith misses with a hook
and Pulkkinen counters with a lovely straight right hand!

It looks like Aaron Smith has been cut.
Smith misses with a hook

and Pulkkinen counters with a crisp right hand that drops Smith! Pulkkinen lets Smith back up to his feet, looking for a finish!
Smith scores with a crisp jab that stopped Pulkkinen in his tracks.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Pulkkinen with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Good leg kick by Smith.
Pulkkinen avoids the body shot from Smith.
Smith lunges at Pulkkinen with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Pulkkinen's hand.
A jab from Smith misses.
Smith tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Pulkkinen scores with a kick to the midsection.
It really doesn't seem like the step up in weight is hurting Smith here at all. He's more than holding his own against the bigger man.
Pulkkinen ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Pulkkinen throws out a counter right but Smith avoids it with no problem.
Pulkkinen swinging wildly here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith walks into a straight right hand from Pulkkinen.
Pulkkinen steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Smith.
Pulkkinen throws out a counter right but Smith avoids it with no problem.
Smith fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.

Pulkkinen gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Smith preventing the sweep.
Pulkkinen is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Smith trying to control but Pulkkinen is working from the bottom.
Pulkkinen wants to sweep here but Smith controlling him for the moment.
Smith is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Pulkkinen can do to turn this around?
Pulkkinen is pulling down on Smith's head. It's preventing any offense from Smith, at least for the moment.
Pulkkinen bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Smith's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Smith is trying to keep Pulkkinen in close.
Pulkkinen tries to free his leg and advance position but Smith is retaining full guard.
Pulkkinen not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Pulkkinen preventing the sweep.
Aaron Smith overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Pulkkinen engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Smith keeping full guard, as Pulkkinen tries to pass.
Pulkkinen controls from within his opponent's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Smith looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Pulkkinen controlling from the top position.
Smith is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Smith trying to control the position.
Pulkkinen preventing the sweep.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Pulkkinen lands a right hook to the body.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Pulkkinen tries to clinch there but Smith circles away.
Pulkkinen scores with a body shot.
Smith ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Sepi Pulkkinen is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Smith showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Pulkkinen.
Smith was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Aaron Smith is winning the standup battle so far.
Smith is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Smith avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
A jab lands there for Smith.
Smith swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Smith avoids the body shot from Pulkkinen.
Smith wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
A decent looking cross lands there for Pulkkinen.
Smith uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Pulkkinen.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sepi Pulkkinen showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Aaron Smith's cut.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Pulkkinen throws a right and a left that Smith avoids nicely.
Aaron Smith seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Smith fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Pulkkinen manages to avoid it.
Pulkkinen staying out of range there.
The fighters circling - Smith throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Pulkkinen throws an overhand right that lands on Smith's shoulder, as Smith tries to avoid the shot.
Smith throws a big counter combination but Pulkkinen scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.
Pulkkinen tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Smith throws a left and a right that both miss
and Pulkkinen connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Pulkkinen takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Smith misses with a straight left.
Smith lands with a hook. Pulkkinen tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Pulkkinen tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Smith was well out of range. Poor timing from Pulkkinen.
Smith misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Pulkkinen avoids a lazy jab quite easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Smith misses with a hook. Pulkkinen ducked under it nicely.
Smith throws out a loose jab but Pulkkinen uses good head movement to avoid it.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Pulkkinen.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Pulkkinen tries to clinch up.
Smith keeps the fight on the outside.

Pulkkinen pushes Smith up against the cage in a clinch.
With the fighters up against the cage, Smith throws an elbow but misses.
The referee calls for Smith to work.
Pulkkinen scores with a shot to the side of Smith's head.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Pulkkinen.
Smith tries to throw a body punch but Pulkkinen avoids it by throwing Smith back against the cage.
Pulkkinen lands a shot to the body.
Smith blocks a body shot from Pulkkinen.
Pulkkinen throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Pulkkinen pushes Smith back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.

Aaron Smith's cut is getting worse.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pulkkinen lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Smith.
Pulkkinen tries to work over Smith's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Smith lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Pulkkinen backwards.
A nice right hand lands inside from Pulkkinen.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Pulkkinen is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Nice body punch from Pulkkinen.
A nice left hand lands by Pulkkinen.

Pulkkinen drops Smith onto one knee with a big uppercut from the clinch! Smith is propped up by the cage and works his way back to his feet!

Smith is rocked!
Nice body punch from Pulkkinen - that landed with a thud.
Oh Smith is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Sepi Pulkkinen seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Pulkkinen lands an uppercut in the clinch that drops Smith to his knees! Pulkkinen keeps firing more shots against his stricken opponent and the referee jumps in to save him!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:41 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Sepi Pulkkinen!
Sepi Pulkkinen decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.
Aaron Smith spoke after the fight, saying 'No one likes seeing their opponent's hand raised, but that just means that they were the better man today. My team at 3Band MMA and I will break down this match and make the proper changes for my next camp.'.