PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Veijo Meri (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Lee Holt (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Meri's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, hold me, thrill me, kiss me, kill me. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Meri
vs
Holt

175 cm
19
163 lbs
1 - 6 - 0

167 cm
22
157 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Experienced

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Intelligent

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 1 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Veijo Meri!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Lee Holt!
The judges for this bout are Anni Minnemäki, Tarja Halkonen and Johanna Lukiainen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Holt throws a nice outside leg kick.
Meri avoids a punch combination nicely.
Meri changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Holt tries to avoid it but Meri manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Holt to the ground. Holt escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Meri pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Veijo Meri seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Meri misses with a series of wild punches.
Holt steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Meri. That one must have hurt.
Holt avoids a punch combination nicely.
Meri looks to land a combination but Holt avoids it well.
Meri tries to clinch there but Holt circles away.
Meri is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
An inside leg kick lands from Holt.
Meri tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Holt has Meri up against the cage in a clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Holt lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!

Meri manages to pull guard.

Meri throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Meri is looking for a triangle but Holt pushes his legs off easily.
Meri is breathing heavily.
Holt would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

Holt stands up from Meri's guard - Holt perhaps looking for a knockout.
Meri throws a head kick that misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Holt lands a head kick. Meri smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Lee Holt is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Meri throws a push kick but Holt slaps the foot to one side.
Holt throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Meri's head.
Meri tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Holt swivels and escapes.
Meri throws a leg kick
and Holt counters with a right hand to the body.
Meri falls off balance throwing a combination

and Holt moves into the clinch.
Holt comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Holt holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Holt lands a nice knee to the body.
Holt with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Holt throws a knee to the head but misses.
Holt connects with a knee to the head.
A knee to the head by Holt.
Holt stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Holt unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Meri takes an elbow to the temple.
Holt putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Meri in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Meri takes an elbow to the temple.
Holt with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Meri takes a knee right on the jaw!
Holt scores a nice knee to the body.
Holt lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Meri or not.
Holt connects with a nasty looking knee right to Meri's face.
Meri tries to stall but Holt uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Holt with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Holt misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Meri.
Meri managing to block the knees to the body from Holt.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Holt just misses with a elbow thrown towards Meri's brow.
Meri throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Meri trying to stall but Holt improves his position.
Holt lands a good knee to the midsection. Meri won't want to take too many of those.
Holt on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Holt creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Meri's defenses.
Knees in the clinch landing for Holt.
Meri avoiding damage as Holt throws knees to the body.
Holt is pressed up against the cage. Meri has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Holt down to the mat. Holt avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Veijo Meri. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Meri tries to clinch up

and Holt counters by clinching up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Meri blocks an elbow strike from Holt.
Meri fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Holt tries to stall but Meri uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
A bit of stalling here from Holt.
Holt prevents Meri from breaking the clinch.
Holt throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Meri blocks it with crossed arms.
Meri tries to break the clinch but Holt is controlling the position.
Holt avoiding damage as Meri throws knees to the body.
Holt is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Meri is defending well for now.
Meri landing knees to the body.
Meri missing with knees to the body.
Meri is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Holt is defending well for now.
Meri takes an elbow to the forehead.
Holt lands an elbow inside that Meri shrugs off.
Meri drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
A knee to the head by Holt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Lee Holt dominated that round.
That's time! Meri's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Meri sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Meri gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Holt counters with a slapping leg kick.
Meri tries a head kick but it misses.

Holt pushes Meri up against the cage in a clinch.
Holt crunches a lovely knee into Meri's ribcage.
Holt throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Meri blocks it with crossed arms.
Holt lands an elbow that stopped Meri in his tracks for a moment.
Holt tries a knee to the head but Meri blocks it.
Meri changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Holt fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Holt tries a head kick but it misses.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Holt closes the distance and clinches.
Holt using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Holt lands an elbow inside.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Holt lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Holt lands an elbow just above Meri 's eye.
Holt lands an elbow inside.
Meri wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Holt has him pressed against the cage.
Holt utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Holt lands a hook to the side of the head.
Holt lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Meri jumps guard but Holt stands there with Meri around his waist. Meri gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Veijo Meri. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Holt blocks an elbow strike from Meri.
Holt tries to land a knee to the head but Meri blocks with his arms.
Holt has Meri pressed against the cage.
Meri lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Holt or not.
Holt takes a knee to the side of the body.
Meri tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Meri looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Meri goes for a takedown attempt but Holt pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Holt lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Holt closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Meri throws a lazy body kick
and Holt counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Meri with a lazy takedown attempt
and Holt counters with an inside leg kick.

Holt rushes Meri and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Holt with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Meri letting Holt take a breather here.
Holt is pressed up against the cage. Meri has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Holt down to the mat. Holt avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Holt feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Meri's calf.
Holt scoring well with a low kick there.
Meri closes the distance but Holt moves to the side
and Holt counters with a head kick. That will keep Meri thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Holt throws a head kick but Meri moves out of range.
Meri tries to clinch
and Holt counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Holt tries to clinch but Meri moves out of range.
Meri misses with a takedown
and Holt counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Meri is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Meri throws a head kick but Holt moves out of range.
Meri fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Holt manages to avoid it.
Meri tries to clinch up
and Holt counters with a left to the body.
A head kick by Meri misses

and Holt counters by clinching up.
Holt lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!

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.
Meri has had enough of the clinch but Holt keeps him there for the moment.
Knees in the clinch landing for Holt.
Meri takes an elbow to the forehead.
Holt lands with a short head shot on the inside.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Holt misses with a hook from the clinch.

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

Meri is actively looking for submissions from his back. He's worked himself a little space on the bottom and seems to be going for a triangle. No, he's switched into an armbar! That was slick! Holt rolls with it to try and escape but Meri cranks on the arm and Holt is forced to tap out! This one is aaaaaaaaall over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:42 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Veijo Meri!