PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Baltasar Halko (ranked 4787 p4p, 6342 weight class) and Gunnar Hamundarson (ranked 168 p4p, 185 weight class). Halko comes to the cage accompanied by The Lumberjack by Jackyl. 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?

Halko
vs
Hamundarson

150 cm
50
300
28 - 29 - 0

193 cm
23
300
4 - 7 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Granite chin

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 28 - 29 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Baltasar Halko!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Gunnar Hamundarson!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Shimada, Ren Mimura and Hirohito Nitta.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Halko shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Hamundarson as he avoids it easily.

Halko shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Hamundarson trying to control here.

Halko is looking for a kimura but Hamundarson is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Halko to get the leverage.
Hamundarson keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.
Hamundarson's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hamundarson is trying to get back to full guard.
Halko passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Hamundarson!

That's one minute gone in the round.

Halko moves into side control, trying to work for a kimura. That looks painful! Will he finish!!?? No, Hamundarson has worked his arm free - good work by Hamundarson!
Halko wants to lay and pray for a moment but Hamundarson keeps working.
Hamundarson is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Hamundarson tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Halko wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

Halko goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Hamundarson rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Halko's guard! Nice work there by Hamundarson!
Hamundarson wants to pass the guard but Halko is keeping the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Halko has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Hamundarson trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Hamundarson really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Halko. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Hamundarson trying to control but Halko is working from the bottom.

Hamundarson avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Hamundarson controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

Halko working for submissions but it's allowed Hamundarson to get to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hamundarson not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Hamundarson throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Hamundarson is controlling the pace.
Hamundarson is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Halko!
Halko wants to control but Hamundarson is having none of it.
Hamundarson seems to be looking to move to his opponent's back but Halko is holding on tight.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hamundarson lands with some strikes.
Halko might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Hamundarson landing strikes from the mount.
Hamundarson looking to ground and pound but Halko is blocking nicely.
Halko can't escape the position.
Halko is squirming around, avoiding Hamundarson's attempts to control the action.

Hamundarson looking for a guillotine from mount but Halko is having none of it.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Hamundarson tries to control but Halko wriggling away.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Gunnar Hamundarson dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Halko looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Halko sets himself, and Hamundarson steps forward looking for the clinch! Halko avoids it this time.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Halko enables Hamundarson to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Halko manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Halko tries to strike from the bottom.
Hamundarson is looking to work some ground and pound but Halko has wrist control.

Halko looking for a guillotine here but Hamundarson defends easily.
Halko bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Hamundarson's guard.

We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hamundarson 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.
Hamundarson is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Halko drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Hamundarson dives on top into guard.

Halko bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Hamundarson's guard.

Hamundarson working a defensive guard here.
Halko is in close to Hamundarson's body, working some short punches and elbows.

Hamundarson is looking for a triangle but Halko pushes his legs off easily.
Hamundarson not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Hamundarson is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.

Hamundarson pushes Halko off and scrambles back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Halko tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Hamundarson swivels and escapes.

Hamundarson changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Halko looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Hamundarson wants to lay and pray for a moment but Halko keeps working.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Halko is trying to get back to half guard.
Hamundarson cracks Halko with a big right hand but Halko just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Hamundarson is looking to take a break and control but Halko is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Halko tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Hamundarson wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
You can see the frustration on Halko's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

Hamundarson looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Hamundarson wants to take a breather but Halko manages to regain guard - a lesson learnt for Hamundarson.
Halko has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.

That's four 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.
Gunnar Hamundarson has got the better of the ground game so far.

Halko is looking for a triangle but Hamundarson pushes his legs off easily.
Hamundarson tries to free his leg and advance position but Halko is retaining full guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Hamundarson wants to get up but he can't break Halko's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Hamundarson stopping the sweep attempt from Halko.
Hamundarson trying to control the position from guard on top but Halko is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Gunnar Hamundarson showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Hamundarson closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Halko did well to prevent Hamundarson getting side control.
Hamundarson throwing shots but Halko is blocking nicely.
Hamundarson wants to control but Halko is keeping him busy.
Hamundarson thows a huge punch but Halko dodges it nicely.

Halko is defending against the submission attempts here by Hamundarson.
Halko really is a fat lump.
Hamundarson is figuring out what he wants to do next.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Halko is trying to get back to full guard.
Hamundarson not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
The fighters are battling for position here. Halko manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Halko preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Halko preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Hamundarson passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Halko trying to control but Hamundarson flips him over like a cheap hooker and has his back!

Hamundarson looking for the choke but no joy.
Baltasar Halko has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Halko trying to control the position but Hamundarson manages to sink in the hooks.
Halko is being controlled on the ground here - he must escape this position otherwise surely the end is near.
Hamundarson punches the canvas rather than the man.
Hamundarson gets his hands free as Halko looks to control.
Hamundarson struggling to keep hold of the position.
Halko tries to escape but Hamundarson has the hooks in and won't let him break free.
Halko is working hard here to advance position.
Halko avoids the strikes from Hamundarson.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Halko looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.
Hamundarson cracks Halko with a big shot to body and one to the head - really punishing Halko from the back mount here, looking to soften him up.
Halko is really stuck here.

Halko defending nicely against the rear naked choke attempt.
Halko manages to reverse the position and now he's in Hamundarson's guard. Nice work there by Halko.
Hamundarson avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Halko throwing strikes from guard but Hamundarson blocks nicely.
Halko trying to control the position from guard on top but Hamundarson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Halko postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Halko trying to control the position from guard on top but Hamundarson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Hamundarson looking to control.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Hamundarson looking for a guillotine here but Halko defends easily.
Gunnar Hamundarson is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

Hamundarson looking for a guillotine here but Halko defends easily.

And that's the end of the fight!
Gunnar Hamundarson comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Hamundarson 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 Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 27:30
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight 27:30
Judge Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Gunnar Hamundarson!
A victorious Gunnar Hamundarson thanked his army of followers in his post fight interview, telling people to make sure they follow him on Twitter.