PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Jon Soialo (ranked 4322 p4p, 4676 weight class) and Kylan Finley (ranked 217 p4p, 238 weight class). I can't wait for this one - let's get the fighter introductions out of the way and get this one started!

Soialo
vs
Finley

225 cm
25
268
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Determined

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Jon Soialo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Kylan Finley!
The judges for this bout are Winston Howard, Francis DeMontford and Ben Hemmingworth.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Finley misses with a body kick.
Soialo closes the distance and clinches up with Finley, looking for a takedown. Soialo pushes Finley against the cage but Finley circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Soialo dodges the punch combination from Finley.
Finley looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Finley closes this distance looking for a takedown but Soialo circles away.
Soialo shoots in for a takedown but Finley shows good takedown defense.
Finley takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Soialo dives in and grabs Finley's left leg, looking for a takedown. Finley pushes down on Soialo's head and hops out.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jon Soialo. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Finley will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A punch lands to the side of Soialo 's head but he takes it in his stride.

Finley fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Soialo, pushing him back against the cage.
Soialo tries a body shot but Finley blocks it.
Finley lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Finley manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Soialo tries to pull guard but Finley forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Soialo is breathing heavily.
Finley has Soialo pressed against the cage.
Finley wants to take the fight to the mat but Soialo manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.

Finley breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Finley throws a sloppy head kick and Soialo moves out of range easily.
Soialo pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Soialo stuffs the takedown.
Soialo darts in looking for a takedown but Finley gets double underhooks and turns Soialo into the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Soialo jumps guard and drags Finley to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Finley tries to stand but Soialo is controlling from the bottom.
Soialo really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Finley trying to control the position from guard on top but Soialo is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Finley seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Finley pushing down on Soialo's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Finley sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Soialo defending well though.
Finley wants to lay and pray for a moment but Soialo keeps working.
Finley trying to control the pace.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Finley seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Soialo stuffs the takedown attempt from Finley. Finley gets slowly back to his feet.
Soialo changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.

Soialo shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Finley moves into full guard.
Soialo postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Finley is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Finley working a defensive guard here.
Soialo is fighting to break Finley's control of his arms but Finley is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

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

Soialo dives in and grabs Finley's left leg, looking for a takedown. Finley pushes down on Soialo's head and hops out.
Finley dives in and grabs Soialo's left leg, looking for a takedown. Soialo pushes down on Finley's head and hops out.
Finley shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Soialo as he jumps to the side.
Horrible takedown attempt by Finley or perhaps it was just good defense by Soialo, which made it look bad.
Jon Soialo has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Kylan Finley.
Soialo tries to close the distance and clinch but Finley swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Finley lands a two punch combo.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Finley keeps the fight on the outside.
Soialo with a poor takedown
and Finley counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Finley misses with a takedown attempt - Soialo sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Soialo circles away from the clinch attempt.

Finley forces Soialo back against the cage and clinches.
Soialo tries to circle away but Finley has him pinned against the cage.
Finley tries for a takedown but Soialo manages to get underhooks.
Finley tries for a takedown but Soialo manages to get underhooks.
Finley is trying to stall.
Finley managing to block the knees to the body from Soialo.
Soialo drops down looking for an ankle pick but Finley pulls his leg out and moves away.
Soialo shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Finley pinned against the cage. Finley gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Finley looks for a takedown but Soialo sprawls well.
Soialo shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Finley pinned against the cage. Finley gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Soialo tries a head kick but it misses.
Finley changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Finley.
Soialo doesn't manage to clinch there - Finley circles away.
Soialo shoots in and drives through. Finley sprawls well.
Finley wants to counter with a clinch but Soialo pushes him away.

Finley gets a clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Finley pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Finley fails to land the takedown.
Kylan Finley seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Soialo misses with a kick to the body.
Finley shoots in for a takedown but Soialo shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
A head kick misses from Soialo.
Finley moves in looking to clinch but Soialo pushes him off.
Jon Soialo is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Soialo misses with an uppercut. Finley saw that one coming.
Finley fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Soialo avoids it really well and circles away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Soialo stuffs the takedown attempt from Finley. Finley gets slowly back to his feet.

Finley gets tackled into the cage by Soialo. Soialo maintains the clinch.
Finley tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Soialo just stands there and leans against the cage.
Finley being controlled against the cage.
Finley wants to stall.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Finley wants a takedown but no success here.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Kylan Finley will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Soialo shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Soialo closes the distance and clinches up with Finley, looking for a takedown. Soialo pushes Finley against the cage but Finley circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

Finley gets a clinch.
I was talking to Soialo's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.

Finley jumps guard.
Finley lands with a heel strike from the guard.
Finley has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

Soialo avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

Soialo stands up and waves to Finley to follow him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Soialo closes the distance and pushes Finley back into the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Finley tries to pull guard but Soialo won't allow it.
Soialo is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Soialo tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jon Soialo. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Finley can't get the takedown.
Soialo is looking to break free of the clinch but Finley has double underhooks.

Finley's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Finley misses with the combination.
Finley connects with a leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A telegraphed right hand from Finley misses the target.

Soialo is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Finley's half guard.

Finley has managed to escape just enough to sneak back to his feet but Soialo is on him like a limpet, forcing Finley back against the cage.
Soialo tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Finley is looking to take this one to the mat.
Soialo is working for takedown but Finley is calmly controlling the position for now.

Finley pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Finley.
Soialo throws a head kick but Finley moves out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Finley forces Soialo back against the cage and clinches.
Soialo prevents the takedown attempt.
Finley is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Soialo tries to score a body lock takedown but Finley shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Soialo tries to break free but Finley pushes him back against the cage.
Finley slows down the pace here.
Finley goes for a takedown attempt but Soialo pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Soialo shoots and misses

and Finley moves into the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Finley can't get the takedown.
Soialo blocking some punches.
Finley tries for a takedown but Soialo manages to get underhooks.
Soialo can't get the takedown.
Finley prevents the takedown attempt.

Finley has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Soialo uses from the top position.
Finley throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Soialo won't allow Finley to sweep him here.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Finley has his hands on Soialo's head, controlling the position.
Jon Soialo has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Kylan Finley is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

Finley is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Soialo defends well.

And that's the end of the fight!
Kylan Finley comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Finley 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 Winston Howard scores the fight 28:29
Judge Francis DeMontford scores the fight 27:30
Judge Ben Hemmingworth scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kylan Finley!