PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Szymon Czarnecki (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and janpeter kurkela (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). kurkela has chosen Korpiklaani:Wood pint as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. janpeter kurkela has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Czarnecki
vs
kurkela

175 cm
22
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

182 cm
20
147 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Natural Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Szymon Czarnecki!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, janpeter kurkela!
The judges for this bout are Roosa Järviläinen, Marco Blurström and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

kurkela gets a takedown into half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Czarnecki is looking for a sweep. kurkela is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
kurkela is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
kurkela looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Czarnecki is looking to control kurkela's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Czarnecki avoid being mounted?
kurkela landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
kurkela is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Let's hope that kurkela has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Czarnecki trying to hold on to kurkela's head to control him but kurkela postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
kurkela slows the pace down in half guard.
kurkela sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Czarnecki defending well though.
Czarnecki won't allow kurkela to pass to mount.
kurkela is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Czarnecki!
Czarnecki tries to lock up and control but kurkela gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
kurkela unloading with bombs!
Czarnecki really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
kurkela in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Czarnecki is in all sorts of trouble here.
Czarnecki in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
kurkela tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Czarnecki wants to hold on but kurkela pushes him away.
kurkela lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Czarnecki hang on?

kurkela looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Czarnecki tries to hold on but kurkela postures up.
Czarnecki in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
kurkela lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Czarnecki hang on?
kurkela is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Czarnecki can't stay in a position like this for much longer.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
kurkela lands with some strikes.
Czarnecki is working to get back to half guard.
kurkela fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Czarnecki tries to lock up and control but kurkela gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
kurkela landing strikes from the mount and Czarnecki is in trouble!
Czarnecki is breathing heavily.

kurkela swings around for an armbar but it's a sloppy attempt and Czarnecki is now in kurkela's guard. A big mistake from kurkela there, giving up the dominant position!
kurkela looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
kurkela keeping full guard, as Czarnecki tries to pass.
kurkela wants to stand and escape but Czarnecki is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Czarnecki trying to control but kurkela is working from the bottom.
Czarnecki won't allow kurkela to sweep him here.
Czarnecki pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. kurkela is keeping the position for now.
Czarnecki trying to control but kurkela is working from the bottom.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
kurkela slaps away a takedown attempt from Czarnecki, before circling back to the center of the mat.

kurkela shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Czarnecki is trying to defend but kurkela finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

janpeter kurkela dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

kurkela lands with a slapping head kick.
janpeter kurkela seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Czarnecki doesn't manage to clinch there - kurkela circles away.

kurkela decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

kurkela gets to his feet - back to striking we go!

kurkela pushes Czarnecki up against the cage in a clinch.
Czarnecki drops down looking for an ankle pick but kurkela pulls his leg out and moves away.

kurkela looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
janpeter kurkela has got the better of the ground game so far.

kurkela postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Czarnecki to stand up.
Czarnecki shoots and misses

and kurkela counters by clinching up.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

kurkela breaks the clinch.

kurkela has closed the distance and engaged Czarnecki in a clinch.
kurkela lands a good knee to the midsection. Czarnecki won't want to take too many of those.

kurkela jumps guard and drags Czarnecki to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Czarnecki has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of kurkela is proving hard to escape from.
kurkela controlling Czarnecki's posture.
kurkela 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.

kurkela is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Czarnecki defends well.
Czarnecki trying to control but kurkela is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
kurkela will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Czarnecki trying to control but kurkela is working from the bottom.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

kurkela scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
kurkela is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Czarnecki throws a strike from the bottom that misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
kurkela scoring with strikes to the body and head.
kurkela keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
kurkela's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Czarnecki on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
kurkela thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Czarnecki's head.
Czarnecki is looking to improve his position.
kurkela prevents Czarnecki from standing back up.
Czarnecki is looking for a sweep. kurkela is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
kurkela is nestled in close to Czarnecki, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.

kurkela decides to stand up.
Czarnecki avoids the head kick by kurkela.
kurkela looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Czarnecki is fending him off so far but kurkela persists. Nope, Czarnecki circles away and we're back to standing.
Szymon Czarnecki is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
kurkela tries a head kick but it misses.
kurkela blocks a head kick by Czarnecki.

kurkela closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Czarnecki is looking to escape.
kurkela controlling the pace.
kurkela uses his free foot to push down on Czarnecki's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Czarnecki.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Czarnecki working to try and regain half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

janpeter kurkela showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Czarnecki gets caught flat footed, as kurkela shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
kurkela stands up over Czarnecki, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Czarnecki wants to get back to his feet but kurkela is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Czarnecki keeping full guard, as kurkela tries to pass.
kurkela is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Czarnecki wants to stand up but kurkela is controlling him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
kurkela looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
kurkela with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.

kurkela stands up from Czarnecki's guard - kurkela perhaps looking for a knockout.

Czarnecki feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Czarnecki trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
kurkela strikes from his own guard.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now kurkela is on top in guard.
Czarnecki is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Czarnecki preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

kurkela stands up from Czarnecki's guard - kurkela perhaps looking for a knockout.
Czarnecki with a poor takedown

and kurkela counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Czarnecki!
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
kurkela is in the full mount, landing strikes.
kurkela has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Czarnecki is trying to escape the mount.
Czarnecki is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
kurkela controlling from mount.
kurkela prevents Czarnecki from getting the reversal.
kurkela breaks from Czarnecki's wrist control and lands an elbow.
kurkela lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Czarnecki is really trying hard to get back to his feet.
kurkela controlling from mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Czarnecki is squirming around, avoiding kurkela's attempts to control the action.
kurkela landing strikes from the mount.
janpeter kurkela is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
kurkela takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Szymon Czarnecki has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
kurkela tries to control but Czarnecki wriggling away.

And that's the end of the fight!
janpeter kurkela comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well kurkela has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 26:30
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 26:30
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... janpeter kurkela!