PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between George Oldenburg (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Thomas Riva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Riva has chosen Smack My B tch UP as his entrance music. I'm sure you'll be fascinated to know that I was talking to some pointless Z list celebrity before the fight and he thought that Thomas Riva was going to win. Let's see if he was right.

Oldenburg
vs
Riva

190 cm
20
190 lbs
0 - 3 - 0

183 cm
23
180 lbs
4 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Solid chin

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 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, George Oldenburg!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Thomas Riva!
The judges for this bout are Anni Minnemäki, Roosa Järviläinen and Tarja Halkonen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Riva is defended easily by Oldenburg.
Oldenburg finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Riva throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Oldenburg misses with a takedown attempt

and Riva counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Oldenburg wants to control but Riva is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Oldenburg flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.

Riva is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Oldenburg defends it well.
Riva winds up and cracks Oldenburg with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Oldenburg wants to get back to his feet.
Oldenburg is staying active underneath Riva, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

Riva is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Oldenburg wants to get back to full guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Oldenburg throws a head kick but Riva moves out of range.

Riva drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Oldenburg lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Riva!
Riva is trying desperately to improve position.
Oldenburg trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Oldenburg cracks Riva with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Riva throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
Riva looks gassed!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Oldenburg lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Riva is working to get back to half guard.
Riva is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.
Oldenburg connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Oldenburg trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Riva takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Oldenburg cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Oldenburg putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Oldenburg is working for a guillotine from mount but Riva frees his head quite easily.
Oldenburg trying to control but he's not successful this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Oldenburg lands a big elbow.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Oldenburg lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Riva hang on?

Oldenburg looking for a guillotine from mount but Riva is having none of it.
Riva squirming around on the bottom, looking to escape.

Oldenburg working for a guillotine from mount but Riva is in no mood to give up.
Riva wants to hold on but Oldenburg pushes him away.

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.
Riva is squirming around, avoiding Oldenburg's attempts to control the action.
Riva is trying to escape the mount.
Oldenburg wants to control the pace but Riva is squirming around nicely.
Riva is in all sorts of trouble here.
Riva is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
A nice elbow there by Oldenburg.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Thomas Riva will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Oldenburg is looking to clinch but Riva is avoiding it.

Riva shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Oldenburg is trying to defend but Riva finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Oldenburg has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Riva is working away from the top position though.
Oldenburg wants to sweep but Riva has passed to side control!
Oldenburg avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Riva.
Oldenburg takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Oldenburg 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.
Oldenburg is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Riva off and has taken his back!
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Oldenburg patiently working for the choke. Which fighter will keep their nerve here?
Riva turns into Oldenburg and is now in his guard.
Riva wants to control from the top but Oldenburg keeps moving.
Riva keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Oldenburg's head.
Riva in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Riva is fighting to break Oldenburg's control of his arms but Oldenburg is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Riva postures up.
Oldenburg wants to get back to his feet but Riva is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Oldenburg throws a head kick but Riva moves out of range.

Riva scores with a takedown into Oldenburg's guard.
Oldenburg trying to control the position.
Oldenburg looking for a sweep. Not yet Oldenburg, not yet.
Riva stops Oldenburg from standing up.
Oldenburg is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Oldenburg is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Riva trying to control the position from guard on top but Oldenburg is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Riva passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Riva working the ground and pound but Oldenburg is defending the strikes.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Riva changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Oldenburg looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Oldenburg is looking to reverse the position.
Thomas Riva has got the better of the ground game so far.
Oldenburg wants to control but Riva postures up.
Riva lands an elbow.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Riva throwing shots but missing, from side control.

Riva decides to stand back up.

Riva scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Oldenburg wants to control but Riva postures up.
Riva sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Oldenburg is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Riva is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Oldenburg will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.
Riva working away.
Oldenburg is working to avoid the ground and pound but Riva connects with a decent elbow.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Thomas Riva showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

A big left from Oldenburg misses.

Riva shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Oldenburg is not content to let Riva control the position.
Oldenburg gets full guard.
Oldenburg is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Riva is controlling him.
Oldenburg working a defensive guard here.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Oldenburg has his foot on Riva's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Riva works his way back into a safe position though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Oldenburg wants to control but Riva passes easily into half guard.
Riva scores with a couple of good hammerfists.

Oldenburg looking for submissions off his back.
Oldenburg tries to get to full guard but Riva has control of the leg.
Riva content to control rather than advance.

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.
Oldenburg is trying to control but can't.
Oldenburg wants to get back to his feet.
The fighters are battling for position here. Oldenburg manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Riva sitting in guard here, content to control.
Oldenburg is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Riva must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Riva passes into half guard.
Riva not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Riva is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Oldenburg is looking for a sweep. Riva is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Oldenburg trying to hold on to Riva's head to control him but Riva postures up.
Nice strikes from Riva there.
Oldenburg makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Oldenburg.

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.
Oldenburg wants to get back to his feet but Riva is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Riva is looking to work some ground and pound but Oldenburg has wrist control.
Riva stands up over Oldenburg, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Oldenburg wants to stand and escape but Riva is having none of it.
Riva trying to control the position from guard on top but Oldenburg is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Oldenburg is trying to keep Riva in close.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Riva throws a big right hand that misses.

And that's the end of the fight!
Thomas Riva comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Riva winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 27:30
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 28:30
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Thomas Riva!