PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Yoshihiro Takaya (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jarkko Rautavaara (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Takaya's entrance music is Jimi Hendrix - All along the Watchtower. A fine choice. Rautavaara has chosen Kiss - I Love It Loud as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Takaya
vs
Rautavaara

171 cm
22
152 lbs
7 - 2 - 0

169 cm
24
156 lbs
8 - 8 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Good kicks
Knockout power

Conviction
Conviction

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 7 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Yoshihiro Takaya!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 8 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Jarkko Rautavaara!
The judges for this bout are Sergei Dronov, Ivan Kurochkin and Vladimir Khabensky.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rautavaara tries to clinch up.
Takaya showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Rautavaara.
Rautavaara doesn't manage to clinch there - Takaya circles away.
Takaya scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.

Takaya looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Takaya seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Rautavaara trying to control from the bottom.
Takaya throwing shots but Rautavaara is blocking nicely.
Takaya prevents Rautavaara from improving his position.
Takaya winds up and cracks Rautavaara with a swinging punch to the side of the head.

Takaya is trying to work for a kimura but Rautavaara is defending well.
Takaya drops an elbow to the side of Rautavaara's head.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Takaya is controlling the pace.
Rautavaara is looking to improve his position.
Takaya lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Takaya winds up and cracks Rautavaara with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Takaya is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Rautavaara gets full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rautavaara looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Rautavaara has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Takaya has passed into side control.
Rautavaara tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Rautavaara gives up the full mount - oops, sloppy defensive grappling there!

Takaya is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Rautavaara has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Rautavaara!
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Takaya being controlled here, momentarily.
Takaya keeping moving, preventing Rautavaara from controlling successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Takaya looking for a guillotine here but Rautavaara defends easily.
Rautavaara wants to control from the top but Takaya keeps moving.
Rautavaara won't allow Takaya to sweep him here.
Takaya 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.
Rautavaara postures up.
Takaya manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Rautavaara manages to get himself to full guard.
Rautavaara 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.
Takaya wants to pass the guard but Rautavaara is keeping the 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.
Rautavaara bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Takaya's guard.
Takaya controlling Rautavaara's posture.
Takaya manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Rautavaara manages to get himself to full guard.
Rautavaara trying to keep a closed guard but Takaya is proving a slippery customer.

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

Rautavaara looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rautavaara is trying to control the position but Takaya postures up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yoshihiro Takaya dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Takaya throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Takaya throws a hook to the side of Rautavaara's head but Rautavaara sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Takaya avoids a punch combination nicely.
Takaya swats away the attempt to clinch by Rautavaara.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Takaya.
Rautavaara misses with a double jab
and Takaya cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rautavaara fails with the takedown
letting Takaya counter with a right hand.
Takaya avoids the head kick by Rautavaara.
Rautavaara throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Takaya has a takedown stuffed.
Takaya misses with a jab, cross combination.
Rautavaara falls off balance throwing a combination
and Takaya counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Takaya throws a nice looking combination but Rautavaara bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Rautavaara wants to clinch but Takaya slips to the side

and Takaya counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Takaya.
Takaya throws a big right hand that misses.
Rautavaara keeping moving, preventing Takaya from controlling successfully.
Rautavaara not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Takaya looking to sit in guard and control but Rautavaara gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Takaya looking to control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Takaya looking to hit a scissor sweep but Rautavaara is one step ahead there.
Takaya is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Takaya shoots and misses

and Rautavaara counters with a nice double leg into side control. Takaya won't be happy with that.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Yoshihiro Takaya. That's going to take a lot out of him.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Takaya tries to bench press Rautavaara off him but Rautavaara keeps the position.

Rautavaara thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

Rautavaara wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Takaya, who protects the arm well.
Rautavaara is breathing heavily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rautavaara postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Takaya is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Rautavaara's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Takaya makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Takaya.
Rautavaara throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Rautavaara loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Rautavaara being controlled here momentarily.
Rautavaara working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Rautavaara in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Rautavaara trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Takaya keeping moving, preventing Rautavaara from controlling successfully.
Takaya not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Takaya shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Jarkko Rautavaara is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Takaya blocks a head kick by Rautavaara.
Rautavaara pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Rautavaara has his takedown stuffed
and Takaya counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Rautavaara takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Rautavaara ducks under a wild hook from Takaya.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yoshihiro Takaya dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Rautavaara throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Rautavaara throws a series of punches but Takaya avoids them all with ease.
Rautavaara throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Takaya shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Rautavaara as he jumps to the side.
Takaya moves out of range as Rautavaara throws a body kick.
Takaya shoots in and drives through. Rautavaara sprawls well.
Rautavaara fails with the takedown.
Rautavaara leaves Takaya with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Yoshihiro Takaya. That's going to take a lot out of him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Takaya dips to his left and cracks Rautavaara with an uppercut!
Rautavaara takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Takaya misses with the combination.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rautavaara misses with a double jab

and Takaya counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Rautavaara!
Takaya lands a big shot there that rocks Rautavaara but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Takaya prevents Rautavaara from getting the reversal.
Takaya looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.

Rautavaara is rocked!
Takaya postures up and throws a couple of big shots that have Rautavaara in real trouble here! The ref calls for Rautavaara to improve his position which he doesn't do, so the referee has no choice but to end the fight due to the strikes!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:47 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Yoshihiro Takaya!