PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Yka Sonni (ranked 1077 p4p, 1071 weight class) and Joe Derrick (ranked 161 p4p, 160 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Sonni
vs
Derrick

175 cm
27
212
9 - 4 - 0

180 cm
27
215
16 - 9 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Decent wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

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 9 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Yka Sonni!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 16 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Joe Derrick!
The judges for this bout are Paulo Santos, Matheus Silva and Thiago Cunha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sonni swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Sonni lands a nice leg kick that just misses Derrick's sensitive parts.

Sonni changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Derrick looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Sonni controlling from side mount.
Sonni's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Derrick tries to improve position but can't.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Derrick can't do much from the bottom here.
Sonni slows the pace down.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Derrick is in a bad spot here and he knows it... just holding on for now.

Sonni is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Derrick is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Sonni lands a few punches from side control.
Derrick prevents Sonni from moving into mount.

Sonni tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Sonni has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Derrick is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sonni takes a little break here. Derrick wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.
Derrick tries to get back to half guard but can't.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sonni has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for Derrick!
Derrick keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Derrick sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Sonni trying to pass the guard but Derrick defending well.
Derrick is doing well to control the position and prevent Sonni from advancing to side control.
Derrick wants to improve his position but Sonni is controlling well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sonni is controlling the pace.
Derrick is looking for a sweep. Sonni is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Derrick has a hand on Sonni's thigh, trying to get back to full guard. Sonni takes advantage of the position though and mounts him!
Derrick has given up his back here.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Sonni keeps control of the position easily here as Derrick tries to buck him off.

Sonni is working for the rear naked choke. He has one arm under the chin but Derrick has hold of the other arm. A bit of a stalemate here.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Yka Sonni dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

A head kick misses from Derrick.
A low kick lands for Sonni.
Derrick keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Sonni scores with the left hand. Derrick knows he should have avoided that one.
Sonni looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Sonni lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Joe Derrick seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Derrick lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Derrick moves out of range of the strikes.
A nice leg kick from Sonni, right into the meat of the thigh.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A cross from Derrick lands.
Sonni takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Sonni fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Derrick.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Derrick ducks down and throws a hook to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sonni throws a leg kick which misses Derrick's front leg but catches the back leg as Derrick tries to avoid it.

Derrick moves into range and clinches up with Sonni.
Sonni lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Derrick.
A short left from Sonni.
Sonni lands a hook that snaps the head of Derrick backwards.
Derrick misses with a short punch on the inside.
Sonni makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Sonni stalling.
Derrick tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Sonni avoids it.
Sonni has a couple of punches blocked by Derrick.
Sonni swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Knees in the clinch landing for Derrick.
Sonni fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Sonni lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Sonni.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Sonni takes an elbow to the forehead.

It looks like Yka Sonni has been cut.
Sonni has a couple of punches blocked by Derrick.
Sonni lands a left hand that snaps the head of Derrick backwards.
Sonni misses with a punch on the inside.
A short right from Sonni.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Derrick landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Sonni lands a right hand.
Derrick blocking some punches.
Derrick swings wildly with an uppercut but Sonni uses good head movement to avoid it.
Nice body punch from Derrick - that landed with a thud.
Derrick pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Sonni is leaning against Derrick and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Sonni working aggressively here.
Derrick lands a right hand that snaps the head of Sonni backwards.
Derrick tries a body shot but Sonni blocks it.
Sonni avoiding damage as Derrick throws knees to the body.
Derrick trying to land knees to the body.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Derrick obliges.
A head punch on the inside from Sonni fails to land.
Yka Sonni has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Sonni lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Derrick backwards.
A short right from Sonni on the inside.
Sonni lands a shot to the body.
Derrick missing with knees to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Derrick presses Sonni against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Sonni misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Derrick misses with a hook to the ribs.
Derrick doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Sonni blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Derrick trying to land knees to the body.
Sonni content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Sonni scores with a shoulder strike.
Derrick lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Sonni.
Sonni misses with a punch on the inside.
Sonni makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Sonni gets through Derrick's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Sonni avoiding damage as Derrick throws knees to the body.
Sonni tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Derrick works on Sonni's body with a couple of short punches.
Derrick pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Sonni throws a punch but it's blocked by Derrick.
Derrick takes a shot to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sonni throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Derricks head.
Sonni misses with a hook from the clinch.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Derrick blocking some punches.
Sonni lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Derrick pushes off an throws an elbow but Sonni leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Sonni lands with a left to the head.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Derrick creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Derrick being controlled against the cage.
Sonni misses with the head strike.
Derrick is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Sonni is defending well for now.
Sonni lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Derrick backwards.
Sonni lands with a short shot to the head.
Derrick has a couple of punches blocked by Sonni.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Derrick scores with a nice hook to the head.
Sonni working aggressively here.
Derrick tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Sonni avoids it.
Sonni is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Derrick can do to turn this around?
Sonni blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Derrick misses with an elbow strike.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Yka Sonni dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Yka Sonni's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back 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.

Derrick tries to clinch up but Sonni circles away and keeps his distance.
Derrick throws a body shot but no joy.
Derrick throws a body shot but no joy.
Derrick misses the shot to the body.
Derrick goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Sonni avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Derrick pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Derrick tries to close the distance and clinch but Sonni swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
A jab from Sonni finds it's way through Derrick's defenses.
Nice body kick from Sonni.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Derrick fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Sonni manages to avoid it.
Derrick misses with an uppercut
and Sonni counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Sonni lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Sonni misses with a looping left.
Sonni throws the left hand but Derrick avoids the punch easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sonni moves away from the strike by Derrick.
Sonni tried to counter with a leg kick but Derrick avoided it.
Derrick fails with an attempt to clinch.
Sonni lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Derrick tries to clinch but Sonni is having none of it.
Derrick with a body punch. A glancing blow.

Derrick forces Sonni back against the cage and clinches.
Derrick's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Sonni misses with a hook from the clinch.
Derrick tries to land knees in the clinch but Sonni avoids the damage to the body.
Sonni lands a shoulder strike.
With the fighters up against the cage, Derrick throws an elbow but misses.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Derrick.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Sonni creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Sonni lands a hook that snaps the head of Derrick backwards.
Derrick scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Derrick landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Derrick blocking some punches.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Derrick tries to land knees in the clinch but Sonni avoids the damage to the body.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Sonni takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Sonni misses with a hook to the ribs.
A right hook to the body lands for Derrick.
Derrick missing with knees to the body.
Sonni throws a head punch that misses.
Derrick misses with an elbow over the top.
Derrick scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Derrick working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Derrick comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Derrick blocking some punches.
Sonni presses Derrick against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Sonni throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Derricks head.
Derrick lands a damaging elbow.
Sonni tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Derrick tries to land knees in the clinch but Sonni avoids the damage to the body.
Sonni misses with a punch on the inside.
Derrick tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Sonni's elbow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sonni swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Derrick with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Derrick connects with a nasty looking knee right to Sonni's face.
Derrick takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Derrick throws an elbow that misses.
Sonni lands with a light punch inside.
Derrick prevents a body shot from Sonni.
Sonni digs a right hand underneath Derrick's ribcage. Derrick let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Sonni scores with a hook to the body.
Sonni lands with a light punch inside.
A right handed body shot lands from Sonni.
Sonni makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Sonni.
Sonni lands a left hand.
Sonni presses Derrick against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Sonni tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Derrick blocking some punches.
Sonni makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
A right handed body shot lands from Sonni.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sonni lands a nice uppercut.
Sonni tries to throw a body punch but Derrick avoids it by throwing Sonni back against the cage.
Sonni lands a left hand that snaps the head of Derrick backwards.
Sonni lands with a light punch inside.

Derrick is rocked!
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Derrick.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Sonni.
Derrick is still on wobbly legs! Can Sonni finish him?
Nice body punch from Sonni.
Sonni lands with a light punch inside.
Sonni scores with a nice hook to the head.
Sonni presses Derrick against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Derrick's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Joe Derrick has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Sonni unloads with a big right hand that wobbles Derrick! He's leaning against the cage trying to keep his feet but Sonni is unloading with more strikes now! Derrick drops to his knees and the referee stops the fight for a TKO!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:41 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Yka Sonni!
An out of breath Yka Sonni thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.