PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Ville Kuukkeli (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tauno Taliaivo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Kuukkeli comes into the arena with a-ha - Take On Me blaring out of the sound system. Tauno Taliaivo struggled to make weight for this fight. He only made it down to 186.3lbs at the first attempt and had to take the additional two hours to make the official bout weight. Let's see how much it's taken out of him. Tauno Taliaivo has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Kuukkeli
vs
Taliaivo

187 cm
21
191 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

170 cm
22
200 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good in bed

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

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 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Ville Kuukkeli!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Tauno Taliaivo!
The judges for this bout are Tarja Halkonen, Matti Vanhoillinen and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kuukkeli fails in his attempt to clinch.

Kuukkeli darts in and clinches Taliaivo up against the cage.
Taliaivo has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Kuukkeli is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.

Kuukkeli gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Kuukkeli trying to control from half guard but Taliaivo is working away.

Kuukkeli decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.

Kuukkeli moves into the clinch successfully.
Taliaivo has Kuukkeli pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Kuukkeli manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Kuukkeli with a knee to the head.

It looks like Tauno Taliaivo has been cut.
Come on Kuukkeli - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Nice elbow from Kuukkeli.
Kuukkeli lands with a short shot to the head.
Kuukkeli scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Taliaivo tries to break the clinch but Kuukkeli is controlling the position.
Kuukkeli lands an elbow inside that Taliaivo shrugs off.
Kuukkeli gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Kuukkeli takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.

Kuukkeli breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Ville Kuukkeli seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Kuukkeli clinches up with Taliaivo and pushes him back against the cage.
Kuukkeli lands a right hand.
Kuukkeli using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Taliaivo drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Kuukkeli gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Ville Kuukkeli has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Tauno Taliaivo.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kuukkeli lands a right hand that snaps the head of Taliaivo backwards.
Kuukkeli gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Kuukkeli lands an elbow inside that Taliaivo shrugs off.
Kuukkeli lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Kuukkeli scores a nice knee to the body.
Taliaivo looks gassed!
Kuukkeli putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Taliaivo in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Kuukkeli lands an elbow just above Taliaivo 's eye.
Kuukkeli lands a knee to the body.
Kuukkeli lands a nice elbow.

Kuukkeli breaks the clinch.
Kuukkeli tries to clinch but Taliaivo is having none of it.

Kuukkeli closes the distance and pushes Taliaivo back into the cage.
Taliaivo takes a knee right on the jaw!
Knees to the body from Kuukkeli.
Kuukkeli utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
A bit of stalling here from Kuukkeli.
Kuukkeli lands an elbow that stopped Taliaivo in his tracks for a moment.
Kuukkeli gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
A short right from Kuukkeli on the inside.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A nice right hand lands inside from Kuukkeli.
Taliaivo is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Kuukkeli gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Kuukkeli lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Kuukkeli stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Kuukkeli connects with a nasty looking knee right to Taliaivo's face.

Taliaivo is rocked!
Kuukkeli unloads a knee to the mid-section. Taliaivo lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Kuukkeli lands a body shot.
Kuukkeli will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Taliaivo up against the cage.
Kuukkeli makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.

Taliaivo is fighting off a takedown attempt but Kuukkeli is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Taliaivo to the mat. Taliaivo regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Kuukkeli stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Taliaivo swivels though and keeps the full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Kuukkeli with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Kuukkeli slips nicely into half guard.
Taliaivo on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kuukkeli passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Taliaivo!
Kuukkeli forces the positional change into back control.
Kuukkeli has the hooks sunk in and you can see the will to fight slowly draining out of Taliaivo's body.
Taliaivo looking very determined here, making life difficult for Kuukkeli.
Kuukkeli scores with strikes from the back.
Kuukkeli is landing with strikes from the back.
Kuukkeli biding his time, controlling Taliaivo.

Kuukkeli is working for the rear naked choke. He has one arm under the chin but Taliaivo has hold of the other arm. A bit of a stalemate here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Taliaivo is keeping busy.
Taliaivo has the hand control, trying to stop the rear naked choke.

Kuukkeli is staying calm and holding on to the back position, whilst working on a rear naked choke. Taliaivo is defending well though. Kuukkeli let's go of the attempt for now.
Taliaivo tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Taliaivo manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Kuukkeli is trying to control. Taliaivo wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ville Kuukkeli dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Tauno Taliaivo's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Kuukkeli tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Taliaivo paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Taliaivo shoots for a double leg takedown but Kuukkeli sprawls well. He's pushed Taliaivo's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Kuukkeli tries to clinch there but Taliaivo circles away.
Kuukkeli throws a nice head kick!

Kuukkeli looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Taliaivo!
Kuukkeli will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Kuukkeli lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Taliaivo is really trying hard to get back to his feet.

Kuukkeli is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Taliaivo is surviving well by controlling Kuukkeli's body position as best he can.
Kuukkeli tries to control but Taliaivo wriggling away.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Kuukkeli takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Taliaivo is working to get back to half guard.
Kuukkeli controlling the pace for now.
Kuukkeli trying to control but Taliaivo is having none of it.

Kuukkeli is going olschool here, as he tries to force Taliaivo to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Taliaivo shrugs it off.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Kuukkeli wants to control the pace but Taliaivo is squirming around nicely.
Taliaivo is looking to get to half guard.
Kuukkeli wants to control the pace but Taliaivo is squirming around nicely.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Ville Kuukkeli just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Kuukkeli tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

Taliaivo gets a takedown into half guard.
Kuukkeli gets full guard.

Taliaivo decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taliaivo swings for the body but Kuukkeli moves out of range.
Taliaivo swats away the attempt to clinch by Kuukkeli.
Taliaivo lands a right hook to the body.
Taliaivo showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Kuukkeli.
Taliaivo takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Taliaivo circles away from the clinch attempt.
Taliaivo misses with a series of wild punches.
A nice combination there by Kuukkeli.
Taliaivo misses with a takedown attempt - Kuukkeli sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Ville Kuukkeli is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Kuukkeli is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Kuukkeli lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Kuukkeli, as that shot connected.

Kuukkeli moves into the clinch.
Kuukkeli lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Kuukkeli lands with a left to the head.
Kuukkeli lands a good knee to the midsection. Taliaivo won't want to take too many of those.
Kuukkeli using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Kuukkeli with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.

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

Kuukkeli moves into the clinch.
Taliaivo's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Kuukkeli gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Kuukkeli lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Taliaivo takes a shot to the head.

Kuukkeli pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Kuukkeli drives through and clinches with Taliaivo against the cage.

Kuukkeli pulls Taliaivo into guard.
Kuukkeli controlling the position.
Taliaivo is looking to work some ground and pound but Kuukkeli has wrist control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ville Kuukkeli dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Tauno Taliaivo's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Taliaivo misses with a hook. Kuukkeli ducked under it nicely.
Kuukkeli swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Taliaivo counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Kuukkeli wants to get back to full guard.
Kuukkeli slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

Taliaivo got a little sloppy there for a moment and Kuukkeli has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Taliaivo has managed to get both his arms back between Kuukkeli's legs - danger averted.
Taliaivo lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Taliaivo with a nice head shot there.
Taliaivo wants to stand and escape but instead Kuukkeli has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Kuukkeli pushes down on Taliaivo's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Taliaivo is looking for a sweep. Kuukkeli is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Kuukkeli performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Kuukkeli looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Kuukkeli keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.

Kuukkeli is working for a kimura but Taliaivo is defending it quite comfortably.
Taliaivo is looking to escape.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.

Kuukkeli is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Taliaivo defends it well.
Taliaivo is looking to improve his position.
Kuukkeli seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Taliaivo does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Kuukkeli working Taliaivo over with strikes.
Kuukkeli performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Kuukkeli is keen to just control but Taliaivo is a slippery customer.
Kuukkeli passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Taliaivo!

Kuukkeli has hold of Taliaivo's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Taliaivo manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taliaivo is trying to escape the mount.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Kuukkeli sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Ville Kuukkeli overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Kuukkeli landing shots from mount.
Kuukkeli tries to control but Taliaivo wriggling away.
Kuukkeli landing shots from mount.

Taliaivo has left one of his arms exposed and Kuukkeli doesn't need a second invitation. He's isolated it and locked on a tight armbar. Taliaivo screams and taps out, obviously in a lot of pain. Hopefully there isn't permanent damage to that arm.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:01 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Ville Kuukkeli!