PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Niko Rupponen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Hatti Watti (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rupponen comes to the cage accompanied by SMC Hoodrats. This should be fireworks!

Rupponen
vs
Watti

160 cm
20
155 lbs
6 - 0 - 0

162 cm
19
153 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Good gas tank

THE STEEL PENN
Meat Inc.

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 6 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Niko Rupponen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Hatti Watti!
The judges for this bout are Johanna Lukiainen, Anni Minnemäki and Marco Blurström.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Watti misses with a wild combination.
Rupponen shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Watti as he jumps to the side.

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

Rupponen is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Watti defends it well.
Rupponen trying to control the action but Watti is working from the bottom.
Rupponen is pressing down on Watti's thigh, looking to free his foot. Watti is holding on for now.
Watti avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Rupponen.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Rupponen is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Watti wants to get back to his feet.

Rupponen is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Watti doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Rupponen.
Watti tries to kick Rupponen off but Rupponen keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

That's two 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.
Rupponen is trying to advance to mount but he's lost his balance and Watti reverses the position - he's now on top in Rupponen's guard.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Rupponen is on top in guard.
Rupponen trying to control but Watti is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rupponen postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

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

Rupponen drops back looking for a leg! Watti is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Watti manages to kick Rupponen off! Rupponen jumps back into Watti's guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rupponen stops Watti from standing up.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Rupponen loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Watti utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Rupponen misses with a takedown attempt - Watti sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Hatti Watti is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Watti throws a hook to the side of Rupponen's head but Rupponen sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Watti misses with an uppercut.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Rupponen looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Watti!
Watti is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Niko Rupponen dominated that 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.

Watti connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Rupponen momentarily.
Rupponen shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Watti sprawls well. Watti wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Rupponen gets slowly back to his feet.
Watti throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Rupponen.
Watti throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Watti fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Rupponen manages to avoid it.
Rupponen slips a jab from Watti.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rupponen staying out of range there.
Watti misses with a looping right.
Watti rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Rupponen moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rupponen shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Watti but Watti pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Rupponen slips under a jab.
Watti lands a lovely overhand right.
Rupponen slips under a jab from Watti.
Danga de danga de dang - Watti scores with a four punch combination!

It looks like Niko Rupponen has been cut.
Rupponen shoots in for a takedown but Watti shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Niko Rupponen. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rupponen moves out of range as Watti strikes.
Rupponen avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Watti throws a big shot that misses.
Watti is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Rupponen.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watti looks to land a right hand but Rupponen moved out of range.
No joy there for Watti, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Watti scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Watti misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Rupponen.
Watti might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
Watti works Rupponen's body with a nice hook.
Watti is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Rupponen.
Rupponen uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Watti.
Watti connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Rupponen tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Watti swivels and escapes.
Rupponen looks for a takedown but Watti sprawls well.
Hatti Watti is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Watti stuns Rupponen with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watti throws a right and a left that Rupponen avoids nicely.
Rupponen throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Watti's waist but Watti gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Rupponen off to one side.
Watti throws a right hand that Rupponen ducks under and follows up with a left that Rupponen also avoids with ease.
Rupponen misses with a takedown attempt - Watti sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Watti misses with a double jab.
Watti looks to score with a jab to the body but Rupponen is just out of range.
Rupponen fails with a takedown attempt.
Rupponen takes one on the button.

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.
Watti thows a left - swing and a miss!
Watti darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Rupponen defending well as Watti loads up on a big left hand.
Rupponen ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Watti scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Rupponen doesn't seem bothered though.
Watti throws a hook but Rupponen blocks it.
Watti throws the left hand but Rupponen avoids the punch easily.
Rupponen gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Rupponen looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hatti Watti showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Niko Rupponen's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Rupponen moves out of range as Watti strikes.
Watti smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Watti misses with the combination.
Watti throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Rupponen sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Watti wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Rupponen ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rupponen moves out of range of the strikes.
Watti stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Watti wants it to stay on the feet.
Rupponen tries to clinch up but Watti circles away and keeps his distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watti throws a series of strikes that have Rupponen backpedaling.
Watti throws a nice looking combination but Rupponen bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Watti misses with a straight right.
Jab, jab by Watti - just one landing.
A slow jab from Watti misses its intended target.
Watti ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Rupponen moves away.
Watti misses with an uppercut.
Watti looks to score with a jab to the body but Rupponen is just out of range.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Watti, as that shot connected.
Watti throws a jab but it's blocked by Rupponen.
Rupponen takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watti misses the shot to the body.
Watti misses with a jab, cross combination.
Hatti Watti seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rupponen fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Watti misses the shot to the body.
Watti stuffs the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Niko Rupponen. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rupponen slips a jab and a cross from Watti.
Rupponen avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Rupponen fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Watti scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Hatti Watti seems to be getting the better of the standup.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watti with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Rupponen bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Rupponen.
Watti scores with a nice right hand.
Watti keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Watti stuffs the takedown attempt from Rupponen. Rupponen gets slowly back to his feet.
Watti misses the jab.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Watti displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Rupponen.
Rupponen keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Watti.
Good exchange - Watti coming out on top.
Watti misses the jab.
Watti misses with a wild body shot.
Watti scores with a nice strike.
Watti thuds his right hand into Rupponen's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Watti just misses with a punch to the body.
Niko Rupponen has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
A left and a right from Watti both land. Nice combination.

And that's the end of the fight!
Hatti Watti comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Watti has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight for Hatti Watti!
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight for Hatti Watti!
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight for Hatti Watti!

Hatti Watti wins by unanimous decision!