PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Taavi Liisteri (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Titus Napao (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Liisteri comes to the cage accompanied by Solid Base - I like it. Buckle up people - heeeeeeeeeere we go!

Liisteri
vs
Napao

170 cm
25
162 lbs
10 - 6 - 0

170 cm
25
165 lbs
5 - 1 - 0

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Big heart

BJJ Brown Belt
Brawler
Determined

Londons Best Nutrition

HGH Nutrients

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 10 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Taavi Liisteri!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Titus Napao!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Bishop, Colin Fotheringham and Richard Clark.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Liisteri shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Napao napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Napao is looking for a sweep.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Napao is trying to control Liisteri's posture but Liisteri avoids it.
Liisteri throws an elbow but Napao slips to the side and avoids it well.
Napao throwing some weak shots from the bottom that do no damage.

Liisteri is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Napao is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.

Liisteri swings around for an armbar but Napao sees it coming a mile off and turns beautifully into Liisteri's guard.
Napao advances position into side control!
Liisteri defending against the ground and pound.
Napao working the ground and pound but Liisteri is defending the strikes.

Napao tries for a kimura but Liisteri is defending well.
Liisteri is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Liisteri is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Napao off and has taken his back!
Liisteri struggling to keep hold of the position.
Napao trying to control but he's just got himself in more trouble.

Napao fending off the submission attempt from Liisteri.

Napao is in a bad position with Liisteri working for a choke. Napao manages to spin nicely into guard and the danger is over for the moment.
Napao wants to control from the top but Liisteri keeps moving.

Liisteri looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Liisteri escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Napao gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Liisteri is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

Liisteri is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Napao is looking to work some ground and pound but Liisteri has wrist control.

Napao 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.
Liisteri throwing strikes off his back to little effect.

Liisteri had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Napao defends it easily.
Napao with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Napao controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Napao trying to control but Liisteri is working from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Liisteri working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Napao doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Napao manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

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

Napao thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

Napao got a little sloppy there for a moment and Liisteri has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Napao has managed to get both his arms back between Liisteri's legs - danger averted.
Napao throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

That's four 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.
Napao advances position into side control!
You can see the frustration on Liisteri's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Liisteri is not content to let Napao control the position.
Liisteri trying to remain calm as Napao controls from the top position.
Napao in side control, throwing shots but Liisteri defends.

Napao thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Liisteri tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Napao wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Liisteri sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Liisteri is looking to control Napao's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Liisteri avoid being mounted?
Napao is looking to take a break and control but Liisteri is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Taavi Liisteri dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Napao changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Liisteri looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Liisteri is trying to get back to half guard.

Napao is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Liisteri knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

Napao working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Liisteri can't do much from the bottom here.
Napao throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Liisteri is looking to reverse the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Napao throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Napao working the ground and pound but Liisteri is defending the strikes.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Liisteri gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Napao is breathing heavily.

Liisteri pushes a forearm under Napao's chin to create some space. He's escaped his hips and pivoted quickly for an armbar! Can he extend the arm? Yes, Napao is tapping out! Damn, that was fast!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:34 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Taavi Liisteri!