PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Kiki Kolehmainen (ranked 1003 p4p, 1704 weight class) and Junior Barbosa (ranked 151 p4p, 255 weight class). Both fighters really staring each other down here, as Junior Barbosa enters the ring!

Kolehmainen
vs
Barbosa

174 cm
21
197
4 - 0 - 0

181 cm
21
185
4 - 0 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Excellent MT
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Lethal high kicks
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 2 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Kiki Kolehmainen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Junior Barbosa!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Yamamoto, Sosuke Kotani and Shigeki Fujiwara.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kolehmainen lands a leg kick that knocks Barbosa off balance momentarily.
Both fighters circling a little - Kolehmainen finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Kolehmainen misses with an attempted mid kick.
The fighters circling - Kolehmainen throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Kiki Kolehmainen seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Kolehmainen shoots in but Barbosa avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Barbosa lands a jab to the nose.
Kolehmainen fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Barbosa has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kolehmainen with a jab.
Jab by Kolehmainen.
Kolehmainen blocks a low kick nicely.
Kolehmainen fails with a takedown attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barbosa throws a left and a right that both miss
enabling Kolehmainen to counter with a crisp jab.
A decent looking cross lands there for Kolehmainen.
Barbosa looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Barbosa misses with a hook. Kolehmainen ducked under it nicely.
Kolehmainen lands a nice shot to the body.
Barbosa looks to score with a jab to the body but Kolehmainen is just out of range.
A big right from Barbosa misses.
Kolehmainen tests Barbosa's chin there with a solid looking shot.

Kolehmainen drives through and clinches with Barbosa against the ropes.
A head punch on the inside from Barbosa fails to land.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Barbosa throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Kolehmainens head.
A shot in the inside from Barbosa.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Kolehmainen is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the ropes.
Kolehmainen looking to stall.
Kolehmainen stalling in the clinch but Barbosa improves position.
Kolehmainen is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Maybe Kolehmainen would be better served going for some more strikes rather than trying to control so much.
Barbosa throws a head punch that misses.
Barbosa blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
A battle for position here, against the ropes.
Kolehmainen misses with the head strike.
A nice left hand lands by Barbosa.
Barbosa digs a right hand into Kolehmainen's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Kolehmainen's gas tank.
Barbosa lands a left hand that snaps the head of Kolehmainen backwards.
Barbosa swings wildly with an uppercut but Kolehmainen uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A short left from Barbosa.
Barbosa lands with a light punch inside.
Kolehmainen tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Kolehmainen blocks a punch to the side of the head.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Barbosa.
Kolehmainen working aggressively here.
Barbosa is trying to maintain a safe position but Kolehmainen gets an underhook and turns Barbosa into the ropes.
A head punch on the inside from Barbosa fails to land.
Barbosa cracks Kolehmainen with a nice body shot.
Barbosa softening up his opponent with strikes, against the ropes.
A head punch on the inside from Barbosa fails to land.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Barbosa.
Barbosa makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Barbosa blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Kolehmainen lands a right hand that snaps the head of Barbosa backwards.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Barbosa blocks an uppercut.
Kolehmainen stalling the fight.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Good body shot from Kolehmainen.
Barbosa tries a body shot but Kolehmainen blocks it.
Kolehmainen digs a right hand underneath Barbosa's ribcage. Barbosa let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Kolehmainen misses with a hook to the ribs.

Barbosa breaks the clinch.
Kolehmainen takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Barbosa lands with an overhand left.
Kolehmainen is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Barbosa.
Barbosa misses with a hook to the body
and Kolehmainen counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Barbosa looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Kolehmainen throws a jab but it's blocked by Barbosa.
Kolehmainen looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Barbosa blocks a leg kick.
Barbosa on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.

That's five minutes gone in the round.
Kolehmainen's jab looks to have found its range, popping Barbosa under the eye.
Barbosa slips a jab from Kolehmainen.
Kolehmainen does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Barbosa lands the left hand.
Barbosa connects with a body shot that sends Kolehmainen's belly button to the back.
Kolehmainen uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Barbosa.
Kolehmainen throws a leg kick which misses Barbosa's front leg but catches the back leg as Barbosa tries to avoid it.
Kolehmainen misses the jab.
Barbosa now looks to counter with a shot at the body.
Kolehmainen throws a right hand that misses
and Barbosa makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Kolehmainen avoids the head kick by Barbosa.

That's six minutes gone in the round.
Barbosa uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Kolehmainen.
A nice leg kick from Kolehmainen, right into the meat of the thigh.
Barbosa on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Kolehmainen. Kolehmainen obviously looking to wear him down.
Kolehmainen ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Barbosa moves away.
Kolehmainen swings for the body but Barbosa moves out of range.
Barbosa has done a lot of speed work in the buildup to this fight.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Kolehmainen scores with a nice head shot.
A swing and a miss from Barbosa.
Kolehmainen lands a nice hook to Barbosa's body. Barbosa takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
A looping hook to the body misses from Barbosa. Kolehmainen does a little dance to reset his feet.
Kolehmainen bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Kolehmainen slips a straight right by Barbosa.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.
Nice straight punches there by Kolehmainen. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Kolehmainen.
Barbosa lands a jab to Kolehmainen's midsection.
Barbosa throws a low kick but it's checked well by Kolehmainen.
Kolehmainen was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Kolehmainen connects with an inside leg kick.
Nice uppercut lands for Kolehmainen. That snapped Barbosa's head back.
Kolehmainen thuds his right hand into Barbosa's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Barbosa throws a right hand that Kolehmainen ducks under and follows up with a left that Kolehmainen also avoids with ease.
Kolehmainen scoring well with a low kick there.
Barbosa tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Barbosa misses with a jab to the body
enabling Kolehmainen to counter with a crisp jab.
Kolehmainen shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Barbosa defends it nicely.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Kiki Kolehmainen. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's eight minutes gone in the round.
Barbosa misses with an uppercut.
Kolehmainen throws the left hand but Barbosa avoids the punch easily.
Barbosa doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Barbosa is looking to score with low kicks.
A little feinted left hand from Kolehmainen on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A nice inside leg kick there by Kolehmainen. That's going to slow Barbosa down.
Barbosa moves away from the strike by Kolehmainen.
Barbosa tried to score with a low kick but Kolehmainen checks it.
Kolehmainen was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
The fighters circle momentarily. Barbosa darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Kolehmainen misses with a body shot.

That's nine minutes gone in the round.
Barbosa throws a hook to the side of Kolehmainen's head but Kolehmainen sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.

Kolehmainen shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Kolehmainen showed some decent athleticism there.
Kolehmainen thows a huge punch but Barbosa dodges it nicely.
Barbosa is trying to control but can't.

Kolehmainen is working for a kimura but Barbosa is defending it quite comfortably.
Kolehmainen wants to lay and pray for a moment but Barbosa keeps working.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Kiki Kolehmainen will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Kolehmainen loads up on a big right hand but Barbosa slips the punch.

Kolehmainen drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Kolehmainen trying to control but Barbosa is working from the bottom.
Barbosa is trying to keep Kolehmainen in close.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Kolehmainen is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Barbosa keeping moving, preventing Kolehmainen from controlling successfully.
Barbosa looking to control but Kolehmainen passes into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Well, if Kolehmainen is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Barbosa is refusing to be controlled, as Kolehmainen sits in half guard.
Barbosa is trying to maintain the position but Kolehmainen is very close to passing his half guard.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Junior Barbosa is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Kolehmainen closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Barbosa did well to prevent Kolehmainen getting side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Barbosa tries to roll over but Kolehmainen keeps him under control.
Barbosa is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.
Barbosa trying to control but Kolehmainen postures up.
Kolehmainen is stalling here. Barbosa is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Kolehmainen seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Barbosa has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
Kolehmainen is looking to regain half guard here but Barbosa keeps moving and retains side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barbosa advances nicely into full mount.
Kolehmainen can't escape the position.
Barbosa tries to control but Kolehmainen wriggling away.
Kolehmainen is trying to escape the mount but Barbosa keeps good control and instead manages to take Kolehmainen's back.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Barbosa is looking cool and calm here, just waiting for a good opportunity to attack and finish the fight from this dominant position.
Let's hope that Barbosa has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kolehmainen turns into Barbosa and is now in his guard.
Kolehmainen works a leg free and moves into half guard.

That's five minutes gone in the round.

Kolehmainen seems to be looking for submissions.
Kolehmainen trying to mount his opponent but Barbosa defends it.
Barbosa is trying to maintain the position but Kolehmainen is very close to passing his half guard.
Kolehmainen is looking to take a break and control but Barbosa is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Barbosa moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.

That's six minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Kolehmainen trying to control the position from guard on top but Barbosa is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Kolehmainen looking to pass the guard.
Kolehmainen wants to control from the top but Barbosa keeps moving.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Kolehmainen is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Barbosa is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
A big right from Barbosa misses.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.
Kolehmainen throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Barbosa sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Barbosa is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Kolehmainen.
Kiki Kolehmainen is winning the standup battle so far.
Barbosa uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Kolehmainen.
Kolehmainen connects with a right hand. Barbosa shakes it off.
Barbosa fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Kolehmainen manages to avoid it.
The fighters circling - Kolehmainen throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
A countering left hand to the body from Barbosa misses.
Barbosa dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Kolehmainen. That did some damage!
Kolehmainen uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Barbosa.
Kolehmainen misses with a hook
and Barbosa connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

Barbosa gets caught napping as Kolehmainen dives in and scores a takedown. Barbosa manages to retain guard.

That's eight minutes gone in the round.
Kolehmainen trying to control the position from guard on top but Barbosa is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Kolehmainen looking to pass the guard.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Barbosa holds on and takes a little breather.
Kolehmainen won't allow Barbosa to sweep him here.

That's nine minutes gone in the round.
Kolehmainen trying to control the position from guard on top but Barbosa is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
A jab from Barbosa misses.
Kolehmainen misses with a takedown
and Barbosa counters with a nice uppercut.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Nice defenses there by Barbosa.
Barbosa slips a jab from Kolehmainen.

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 Kiki Kolehmainen.
I think Kolehmainen has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight for Kiki Kolehmainen!
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight for Kiki Kolehmainen!
Judge Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight for Kiki Kolehmainen!

Kiki Kolehmainen wins by unanimous decision!
A relieved looking Kiki Kolehmainen thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.