PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Rivo Kuik (ranked 4649 p4p, 5139 weight class) and Bok Cer (ranked 538 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Kuik
vs
Cer

175 cm
25
169
0 - 0 - 0

191 cm
20
177
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Good in bed

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Intelligent

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Rivo Kuik!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Bok Cer!
The judges for this bout are Arvi Lind, Tarja Halkonen and Johanna Lukiainen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A head kick misses from Cer.
Cer stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Cer wants it to stay on the feet.
Cer just misses with a punch to the body.
Kuik feinted there with a counter leg kick.
Cer fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Kuik will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Kuik tries to close the distance and clinch up but Cer swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Kuik shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Cer wants to counter the offense by Kuik and move into the clinch position.
Kuik will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rivo Kuik. That's going to take a lot out of him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cer fails with a takedown attempt.
Cer shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Kuik defends it nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cer fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Kuik avoids it really well and circles away.
Cer with a lazy takedown attempt

and Kuik counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Kuik.

Kuik escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Kuik looking to score a takedown here. Cer is defending well but Kuik drives through and ends up in Cer's guard.
Cer manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Kuik manages to get himself to full guard.

Kuik looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Kuik pulls Cer in close to his closed guard and prevents Cer from doing any damage or advancing position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kuik has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.

Cer is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Kuik is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Kuik has escaped and now he's on top!

Kuik stopping the sweep attempt from Cer.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cer is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Kuik preventing the sweep.

Kuik gets to his feet - Cer follows without any prompting.
Cer shoots in but Kuik avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Cer takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Kuik throws a series of punches but Cer avoids them all with ease.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cer misses with a combination
and Kuik counters with a slapping leg kick.
Cer looks winded!

Cer gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Kuik manages to break the clinch.
Cer punishes Kuik's body with a nice straight punch.
Cer fails to land the takedown.
Cer fails with the takedown.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Kuik clinches up with Cer and pushes him back against the cage.
Kuik is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Cer pulls him back up using the underhooks.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

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

A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Kuik.
Cer tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Kuik paws at him with a jab and circles away.
It looked like Kuik wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Kuik will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Cer is looking to clinch but Kuik is avoiding it.
Cer shoots and misses

and Kuik counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Kuik tries to score a body lock takedown but Cer shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rivo Kuik. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Cer is looking to take this one to the mat.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Kuik pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Donk. Kuik catches Cer right on the button with a cross.
Cer is looking to clinch.
Kuik keeps the fight on the outside.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kuik misses the shot to the body.
An inside leg kick lands from Kuik.
Cer misses with a body punch
and Cer takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Cer tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Kuik swivels and escapes.
No luck for Kuik with that takedown attempt.
Cer misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Kuik.
Kuik went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
Kuik changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Cer tries to avoid it but Kuik manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Cer to the ground. Cer escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Cer instigates a clinch.
Kuik swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Cer is trying to pull guard but Kuik turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Kuik escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Cer shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Kuik but Kuik pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Cer gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Kuik counters with a straight right hand.
Kuik keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Cer shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Kuik as he jumps to the side.
Kuik is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Cer can do to turn this around?
No luck for Kuik with that takedown attempt.
Bok Cer seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Cer tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Kuik counters with a lovely straight right hand!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kuik chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Cer defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Kuik.
Cer has his takedown stuffed
and Kuik counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Kuik fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Cer avoids it really well and circles away.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Kuik is defended easily by Cer.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cer misses with a takedown
and Kuik counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Cer avoids a punch combination nicely.
Cer misses with a looping left.
Kuik fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Cer avoids it really well and circles away.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Rivo Kuik dominated that second round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. 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.

Cer swinging wildly here.
Kuik quickly followed up with a counter body kick but doesn't connect.
Cer tries to close the distance and clinch up but Kuik swats him away and circles back towards the center.
No luck for Kuik with that takedown attempt.
Cer moves in looking to clinch but Kuik pushes him off.
Cer shoots for a double leg takedown but Kuik sprawls well. He's pushed Cer's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Cer wants to clinch
and Kuik counters with a slapping leg kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
No luck for Cer with that takedown attempt.
Cer takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Horrible takedown attempt by Cer or perhaps it was just good defense by Kuik, which made it look bad.
Rivo Kuik has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bok Cer.
Kuik lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Kuik avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Kuik takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Kuik closes this distance looking for a takedown but Cer circles away.
A head kick by Kuik misses

and Cer counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Kuik tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Cer smiles and moves away.
Kuik closes the distance and clinches up with Cer, looking for a takedown. Kuik pushes Cer against the cage but Cer circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Cer tries to clinch up but Kuik circles away and keeps his distance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cer's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Cer duly obliges.
Cer tries to close the distance and clinch but Kuik swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Kuik shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Cer sprawls well. Cer wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Kuik gets slowly back to his feet.
Kuik is looking to chop away at Cer's legs.
Cer steps in looking to counter with the mid kick but it doesn't connect.
Kuik fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Cer has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
The fight stays on the outside here - Cer looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Cer misses with a double jab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kuik digs a good hook to Cer's body.
Cer misses with a takedown attempt - Kuik sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Kuik tries for a takedown but Cer circles away easily

and Cer counters by moving into the clinch.

Cer escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Cer is trying hard to land a takedown here. Kuik sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Cer moves in looking to clinch but Kuik pushes him off.
Rivo Kuik is winning the standup battle so far.
Kuik goes for a double leg but Cer avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Cer continues to drive forward.
Cer looking for a takedown.

Kuik pulls Cer into guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kuik seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Cer showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Cer throwing strikes but missing.
Kuik 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.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Cer trying to control but Kuik is working from the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Rivo Kuik.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Kuik, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Arvi Lind scores the fight 30:28
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 29:28
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rivo Kuik!
Rivo Kuik bigged himself up after the win. The crowd seemed to love it.