PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Fred Larsson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and kalju kostaja (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Larsson's entrance music is NERD-Rockstar (remix). A fine choice. 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?

Larsson
vs
kostaja

185 cm
18
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
19
183 lbs
0 - 6 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Fred Larsson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, kalju kostaja!
The judges for this bout are Tarja Halkonen, Matti Vanhoillinen and Roosa Järviläinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Larsson throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
kostaja shoots for a double leg takedown but Larsson sprawls well. He's pushed kostaja's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

Larsson has taken the fight to the clinch.
Larsson throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but kostaja blocks it with crossed arms.
Larsson tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

Larsson breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Larsson pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Larsson doesn't manage to clinch there - kostaja circles away.
Larsson is looking to clinch but kostaja is avoiding it.
kostaja misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
A kick lands to the mid section there for Larsson.
kostaja looks gassed!

Larsson rushes kostaja and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Larsson lands with a right to the head.
Larsson gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.

Larsson pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Larsson closes the distance and pushes kostaja back into the cage.

Larsson breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
The fight stays on the outside here - Larsson looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
kostaja closes this distance looking for a takedown but Larsson circles away.
Fred Larsson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of kalju kostaja.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Larsson clinches with his opponent.
kostaja is trying to force a seperation but Larsson has the dominant position.
Larsson connects with a knee to the head.
Larsson manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Larsson with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.

Larsson manages to break the clinch.
kostaja circles away from the clinch attempt.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! kostaja crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Larsson - the referee stops the clock and kostaja gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Larsson. kostaja manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
Larsson lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Larsson scores with a head kick.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
kostaja keeps the fight on the outside.
Larsson throws a combination but it was largely blocked by kostaja.
Larsson tries to clinch there but kostaja circles away.
Larsson connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Larsson tries to close the distance and clinch up but kostaja swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Larsson fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with kostaja, pushing him back against the cage.
Larsson lands a nice uppercut.

Larsson has picked kostaja up - he's going for a ride! Larsson dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Larsson is thwarting kostaja's attempts to control the position.

kostaja looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Larsson is looking to take a break and control but kostaja is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Larsson wants to stand up but kostaja has a hold of him and won't allow it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
kostaja is trying to maintain the position but Larsson is very close to passing his half guard.
kostaja is trying to stand.
Larsson tries to stand but his arm is trapped.
Larsson is trying to control the action in half guard but kostaja is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Larsson is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
A slapping body kick lands there for Larsson.
Larsson tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but kostaja paws at him with a jab and circles away.

That's four 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.

Larsson clinches with his opponent.
Larsson slowing the pace effectively.
Larsson connects with a knee to the head.

Larsson pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Larsson swinging wilding here.
kostaja tries for a takedown but Larsson sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Larsson is looking to clinch.
Larsson tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Larsson tries to close the distance and clinch but kostaja swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Larsson tries to clinch but kostaja moves out of range.
kostaja tries for a takedown but Larsson sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Larsson scores with a push kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Fred Larsson dominated that round.
That's time! Larsson's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Larsson fails with an attempt to clinch.
kostaja avoids the head kick by Larsson.
Larsson wants to clinch.
Larsson tries to clinch there but kostaja circles away.
Larsson throws a series of punches but kostaja avoids them all with ease.

kostaja shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Larsson tries to reverse the position but kostaja maintains control.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
kostaja won't let Larsson get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Larsson is looking to get to half guard.
kostaja takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
kostaja fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Larsson is looking to improve his position but kostaja isn't that keen on the idea.
Larsson is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Larsson tries to hold on but kostaja postures up.
Larsson is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
kostaja avoids the attempt from Larsson to control.
Larsson is really trying hard to get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Larsson trying desperately to get back to his feet here but he's not having any joy at all. He's going to tire himself out if he's not careful.
kostaja controlling his opponent.
Larsson tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
kostaja scores with a couple of good head shots there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

kalju kostaja showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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. This is the final round!

Larsson tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Larsson tries to close the distance and clinch but kostaja swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Larsson tries to clinch up but kostaja circles away and keeps his distance.
kostaja avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Larsson tries to clinch up.
Larsson stalks kostaja and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into kostaja's face. kostaja staggers backwards, shaken.
Larsson fails in his attempt to clinch.
Larsson thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on kostaja if he has to take too many more of those.
Larsson avoids the head kick by kostaja.
Larsson fails with an attempt to clinch.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Larsson misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Fred Larsson seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Larsson is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Larsson wants to clinch up but kostaja keeps it at a distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
kostaja shoots in for a takedown but Larsson shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Larsson wants to clinch up but kostaja keeps it at a distance.
Larsson scores with a nice strike.

Larsson clinches up against the cage.

Larsson breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Larsson is looking to clinch but kostaja is avoiding it.
kostaja has developed a nice purple lump on his ribcage, as a result of some heavy body kicks from Larsson.
Larsson tries to clinch up but kostaja circles away and keeps his distance.
Larsson misses with a wild combination.
Larsson tries to clinch there but kostaja circles away.
Larsson fails in his attempt to clinch.
Larsson wants to clinch up but kostaja keeps it at a distance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
kostaja takes one to the chin there.
Larsson fails with an attempt to clinch.
kostaja swats away the attempt to clinch by Larsson.
kostaja keeps the fight on the outside.
Fred Larsson is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Larsson shoots in and drives through. kostaja sprawls well.
kostaja shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Larsson defends it nicely.
A nice inside leg kick there by Larsson. That's going to slow kostaja down.
kostaja fails with a takedown attempt.
Fred Larsson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of kalju kostaja.
kostaja keeps the fight on the outside.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
kostaja is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Larsson pulls him back up using the underhooks.

Larsson pulls guard.
Larsson throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Larsson wants to get back to his feet but kostaja is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Larsson working a defensive guard here.

That's four 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.
Larsson wants to sweep but no luck.
kostaja trying to control but Larsson is working from the bottom.

Larsson manages to escape and get back to his feet.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
kostaja shoots for a takedown but Larsson saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

And that's the end of the fight!
Fred Larsson showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Larsson has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 29:27
Judge Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 29:27
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 29:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Fred Larsson!