PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Sven Barge (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ilkka Mursu (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Barge
vs
Mursu

194 cm
21
254 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

193 cm
18
287 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Big heart

Good wrestler
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Sven Barge!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Ilkka Mursu!
The judges for this bout are Johanna Lukiainen, Matti Vanhoillinen and Anni Minnemäki.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Barge shoots for a takedown but Mursu saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

Mursu shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Mursu thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Mursu drops an elbow to the side of Barge's head.
Barge is looking to improve his position.
Barge on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Barge tries to get out of the position.
The fighters are battling for position here. Barge manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Barge striking from his own guard.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Mursu accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Mursu lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

Barge is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Barge throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Mursu chips away with some ground and pound.
Mursu lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Barge wants to stand but Mursu is controlling the position.
Mursu works over Barge with some ground and pound from guard.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mursu is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Barge looking to hit a scissor sweep but Mursu is one step ahead there.
Mursu scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Mursu scoring with punches to the head and body.
Barge wants to sweep but no luck.
Mursu passes Barge's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Barge is breathing heavily.
Mursu working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Mursu lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Mursu winds up and cracks Barge with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Barge trying to control from the bottom.
Barge tries to get to full guard but Mursu has control of the leg.
Mursu looks to score some points with some ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Barge wants to control but Mursu is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Barge is looking for a sweep. Mursu is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Mursu is nestled in close to Barge, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Barge has hold of Mursu's hands but Mursu slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Mursu lands with a punch from half guard.
Barge is looking to improve his position.
Mursu scoring with strikes to the body and head.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Mursu drops an elbow to the side of Barge's head.
Mursu is thwarting Barge's attempts to control the position.
Mursu moves nicely into side control.
Mursu grinds an elbow into Barge's temple.
Mursu has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Barge takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Mursu scoring with punches and elbows.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mursu lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Barge tries to bench press Mursu off him but Mursu keeps the position.
Mursu lands a nice forearm strike.
Mursu grinds an elbow into Barge's temple.
Mursu lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Barge down.
Mursu in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Barge tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Barge is working to avoid the ground and pound but Mursu connects with a decent elbow.
Barge tries to bench press Mursu off him but Mursu keeps the position.
Mursu scores with a couple of short elbows.
Mursu looks up at the clock and then as Barge takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Mursu smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Mursu in side control lands a decent elbow.
Barge is looking to regain half guard here but Mursu keeps moving and retains side control.
Mursu working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Barge takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mursu is chipping away with strikes.
Barge is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Mursu looks up at the clock and then as Barge takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Mursu smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Barge is trying to get back to half guard.
Mursu scoring with punches from side control.
Barge is trying to improve his position.
Barge taking punishment in the form of punches.
Barge is working to avoid the ground and pound but Mursu connects with a decent elbow.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Mursu cracks Barge with an elbow. That is naaassty.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Mursu lands an elbow.
Mursu working the ground and pound.
Barge is trying to get back to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ilkka Mursu dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Mursu bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Barge's head backwards.
Barge shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Mursu sprawls well. Mursu wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Barge gets slowly back to his feet.
Mursu misses the jab.
Barge tries to clinch there but Mursu circles away.
Mursu tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Barge was well out of range. Poor timing from Mursu.
Mursu fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Barge manages to avoid it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Mursu shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Mursu was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Ilkka Mursu has got the better of the ground game so far.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Barge keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mursu is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Mursu scoring with strikes but Barge is staying in there.
Mursu lands a nice shot to the head.
Barge is in a horrible position here. Mursu smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Mursu lands a nice shot to the head.
A nice elbow there by Mursu.
Mursu in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Barge can't escape the position.
Mursu is landing with some decent strikes but Barge is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Mursu scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Mursu lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Mursu is in the full mount, landing strikes.
The referee warns Barge that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Mursu cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Mursu avoids the attempt from Barge to control.
Mursu raining down shots from the mount!
Mursu is landing with some decent strikes but Barge is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Mursu pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Mursu putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Mursu looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Barge tries to hold on but Mursu pushes him away.
Barge really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Barge really wants to buck Mursu off and get back to his feet.
Barge tries to reverse the position but Mursu maintains control.
Mursu raining down shots from the mount!
Mursu prevents Barge from getting the reversal.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mursu controlling from mount.
Mursu working the ground and pound effectively.
Barge keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Mursu dominating with strikes here.
Mursu lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Mursu unloading with bombs!
Mursu sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Barge is in all sorts of trouble here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Barge is working hard here to advance position.
Barge is squirming around, avoiding Mursu's attempts to control the action.
Mursu prevents Barge from getting the reversal.
Mursu lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Barge is looking to get to half guard.
Mursu lands a nice shot to the head.
Barge is looking to get to half guard.
Mursu is in the full mount, landing strikes.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Barge taking shots to the head.
Barge is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Barge wants to control but Mursu is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ilkka Mursu showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

The fighters circling - Mursu throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Barge defending well as Mursu loads up on a big left hand.
Barge tries to close the distance and clinch up but Mursu swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Sven Barge is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Mursu throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Barge fails to land the takedown.
Mursu tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Barge was well out of range. Poor timing from Mursu.
Mursu avoids the body shot from Barge.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Barge slips under a jab from Mursu.
Mursu misses with a looping right.

Barge shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Barge is looking to take a break and control but Mursu is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barge thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Mursu's head.
Mursu desperately trying to maintain half guard.
Mursu slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

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.
Barge postures up in Mursu's guard and throws a big left but Mursu blocks it.
Barge tries to free his leg and advance position but Mursu is retaining full guard.
Mursu tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Mursu lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Barge!
Mursu scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Mursu is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Barge can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Barge can't escape the position.
Mursu avoids the attempt from Barge to control.
Mursu lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Mursu lands a heavy elbow.
Mursu pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mursu landing punches.
Mursu has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Mursu raining down shots from the mount!
Barge is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Mursu scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Barge gets back to half guard.
Barge tries to get to full guard but Mursu has control of the leg.
Ilkka Mursu is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Sven Barge has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Mursu trying to control the pace.
Barge flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mursu slows the pace down in half guard.
Barge pushes Mursu off looking to stand but Mursu dives back in and keeps control.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
A combination from Mursu does no damage.
Mursu throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Mursu just misses with a punch to the body.
Mursu wants to land a leg kick but Barge is out of range.
Barge ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.

Mursu shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Mursu showed some decent athleticism there.
Barge works his way to full guard. Good work.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ilkka Mursu comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Mursu 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 Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 25:30
Judge Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 25:30
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 25:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ilkka Mursu!