PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Bertti Wirtanen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Hyuga Neji (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Wirtanen comes to the cage accompanied by Korpiklaani - vodka. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Wirtanen
vs
Neji

186 cm
23
177 lbs
4 - 4 - 0

170 cm
18
165 lbs
1 - 5 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Tends to cut

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 4 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Bertti Wirtanen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Hyuga Neji!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Yamamoto, Shigeki Fujiwara and Sosuke Kotani.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Neji tries to close the distance and clinch but Wirtanen swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
The fight stays on the outside here - Neji looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Neji fails with a takedown attempt.
Neji tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Wirtanen is looking to clinch.
Neji looks to land a combination. Wirtanen sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Neji moves out of range of the leg kick from Wirtanen.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Neji.
Wirtanen tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Neji paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Neji is trying hard to land a takedown here. Wirtanen sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Bertti Wirtanen has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Hyuga Neji.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Neji tries to clinch

and Wirtanen counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Wirtanen.
Neji tries to pull guard but Wirtanen holds him up against the cage and eventually Neji drops back down to his feet.
Wirtanen with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Wirtanen connects with a nasty looking knee right to Neji's face.
Wirtanen misses with a knee strike.
Neji tries to break the clinch but Wirtanen is controlling the position.
Neji is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Neji throws a knee to the head but misses.
Wirtanen using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Neji has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Wirtanen throws a knee to the head but misses.
Wirtanen looking to throw knees to the head but Neji is blocking nicely.
Wirtanen misses with a knee to the head.

Neji ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Neji no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.

Wirtanen thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Neji looking to hit a scissor sweep but Wirtanen is one step ahead there.
Neji is looking to stand up but Wirtanen isn't so interested in that idea.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wirtanen trying to control but Neji is working from the bottom.
Wirtanen sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Wirtanen is breathing heavily.

Wirtanen stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Neji fails with the takedown

and Wirtanen counters with a shoot takedown. Neji fights it but they end up in guard.
Wirtanen loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

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

Wirtanen thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Neji can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Wirtanen controls the pace.
Wirtanen pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Neji is keeping the position for now.
Neji working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Wirtanen.
Neji keeping full guard, as Wirtanen tries to pass.
Wirtanen will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Wirtanen shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Wirtanen was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A nice elbow there by Wirtanen.
Neji tries to lock up and control but Wirtanen gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Wirtanen has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

Wirtanen is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Neji can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Wirtanen lands with some strikes.

Wirtanen looking for a guillotine from mount but Neji is having none of it.

Wirtanen is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Neji has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Neji!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Wirtanen shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Wirtanen showed some decent athleticism there.
Wirtanen is taking a breather. Neji says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Neji is looking to control Wirtanen's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Neji avoid being mounted?

Wirtanen seems to be looking for submissions.

Wirtanen is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Neji defends it well.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Neji wants to get back to his feet.
Wirtanen looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Wirtanen is trying to control the action in half guard but Neji is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

Wirtanen is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Neji defends it well.
Neji tries to kick Wirtanen off but Wirtanen keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Wirtanen feints and as Neji raises his hands in defense, Wirtanen changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wirtanen sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Neji's guard.
Neji is trying to get back to full guard.
Wirtanen throwing shots but Neji is blocking nicely.
Wirtanen thows a big elbow that misses, also allowing Neji to regain full guard.

Wirtanen is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Wirtanen throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Neji works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

Wirtanen is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Wirtanen sitting in guard, not really doing much.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Wirtanen is working Neji over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Neji keeping moving, preventing Wirtanen from controlling successfully.

Wirtanen drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Wirtanen jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Wirtanen with a flurry of punches that miss.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Neji misses with a takedown attempt

and Wirtanen counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Neji's guard now.
Wirtanen missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wirtanen postures up.

Wirtanen postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Neji is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Wirtanen, into his guard.
Wirtanen is pulling down on Neji's head. It's preventing any offense from Neji, at least for the moment.
Wirtanen is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

Wirtanen working for a triangle but Neji defends it easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bertti Wirtanen 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. This is the final round!

Neji tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Wirtanen counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Wirtanen wants to control from the top but Neji keeps moving.
Wirtanen lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Wirtanen sitting in guard here, content to control.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Wirtanen accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

Wirtanen drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Neji manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Wirtanen has Neji in his guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Wirtanen has an active guard here but Neji has managed to pass into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Wirtanen wants to control but Neji is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Neji wants to control but Wirtanen is keeping him busy.

Neji is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Wirtanen doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Neji.
Bertti Wirtanen overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Wirtanen trying to control here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.

Wirtanen is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Neji pulls his head out easily.

Wirtanen looking for submissions off his back.

Wirtanen actively working from the bottom here.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Neji looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

Wirtanen shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Neji's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Wirtanen stands and steps away. Neji gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Neji looks to clinch

and Wirtanen decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Neji's guard.

Wirtanen drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Neji manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Wirtanen has Neji in his guard.

Neji avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

Wirtanen is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

Wirtanen has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Neji is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Wirtanen.
Bertti Wirtanen is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neji working away.
Wirtanen stuck in half guard on the bottom here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Neji wants to lay and pray for a moment but Wirtanen keeps working.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Wirtanen can't do much from the bottom here.
Hyuga Neji has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Neji tries to get to his feet but he's trapped momentarily.

And that's the end of the fight!
Bertti Wirtanen showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Wirtanen, 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 Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 30:27
Judge Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 30:27
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Bertti Wirtanen!