PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Hannes Virtanen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Katten Jansson (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.

Virtanen
vs
Jansson

180 cm
18
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

175 cm
22
195 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

Good wrestler
Brawler
Intelligent

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Hannes Virtanen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Katten Jansson!
The judges for this bout are Matti Vanhoillinen, Roosa Järviläinen and Tarja Halkonen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Virtanen lands with a slapping head kick.

Virtanen changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Jansson looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Virtanen wants to control but Jansson is keeping him busy.
Jansson trying to control but Virtanen flips him over like a cheap hooker and has his back!

Virtanen is looking for the choke from the back position but Jansson is controlling his hands well.
Virtanen has Jansson flattened out and is raining down punches.
The crowd hopeful of a finish here - Virtanen's supporters are on their feet, screaming for him to go for the rear naked choke.
Virtanen somehow managing to miss with a strike from the back.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Virtanen misses with an elbow to the head.
Jansson really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Virtanen. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Virtanen tries to keep control of the position but Jansson is staying busy.
Virtanen is trying to stick to Jansson's back but Jansson is turning into Virtanen. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Virtanen's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Jansson.
Jansson is working Virtanen over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Jansson content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Virtanen is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Jansson pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Virtanen is keeping the position for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Jansson in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Jansson working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Jansson thows a big elbow that misses.
Jansson wants to control from the top but Virtanen keeps moving.
Virtanen trying to control the position.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Jansson gets the takedown into side control.
Jansson trying to control the position but Virtanen is working away.
Jansson working the ground and pound from side control.
Virtanen sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Virtanen is breathing heavily.
Jansson lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jansson throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Jansson is trying to control the action in half guard but Virtanen is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Jansson scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Jansson drops an elbow to the side of Virtanen's head.
Virtanen is looking to control Jansson's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Virtanen avoid being mounted?
Virtanen slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Virtanen looking to control.
Jansson trying to control the position from guard on top but Virtanen is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's four 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.
Virtanen wants to stand up but Jansson is controlling him.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Jansson's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Virtanen throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Jansson landing with the ground and pound.
Jansson postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Virtanen misses with a takedown
and Jansson counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Jansson misses with a series of wild punches.
Jansson tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Virtanen showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Jansson.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Katten Jansson dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Jansson tried to score with a low kick but Virtanen checks it.
Virtanen throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Jansson shoots and misses

and Virtanen holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

Virtanen breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Virtanen uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Jansson.
Jansson tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Virtanen paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Virtanen fails with the takedown

so Jansson counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Jansson must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Virtanen wants to get back to his feet but Jansson is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Jansson trying to control but Virtanen is working from the bottom.
Jansson postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Katten Jansson has got the better of the ground game so far.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Jansson accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Virtanen looking to control.
Jansson postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Jansson trying to control but Virtanen is working from the bottom.
Virtanen trying to control the position.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Jansson throws a right hand that Virtanen ducks under and follows up with a left that Virtanen also avoids with ease.
Jansson with a nice cross.
Virtanen shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Jansson defends it nicely.
Jansson scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!

It looks like Hannes Virtanen has been cut.
Jansson falls off balance throwing a combination
and Virtanen counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Jansson shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Virtanen regains full guard. Nicely done.
Jansson throws and elbow that misses. Virtanen uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Jansson's guard. Nice move by Virtanen!
Virtanen wants to pass the guard but Jansson is keeping the position.
Jansson wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jansson keeping moving, preventing Virtanen from controlling successfully.
Virtanen pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Jansson is keeping the position for now.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Virtanen postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Virtanen works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Virtanen trying to control from half guard but Jansson is working away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Jansson is trying to get back to full guard.
Virtanen is thwarting Jansson's attempts to control the position.
Virtanen trying to control from half guard but Jansson is working away.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Jansson lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Virtanen circles away quickly and effectively.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Katten Jansson showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Hannes Virtanen's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Virtanen misses with a takedown

and Jansson decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Virtanen's guard.
Virtanen is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Jansson tries to free his leg and advance position but Virtanen is retaining full guard.
Jansson cracks Virtanen with a solid left hand.
Virtanen tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Virtanen is trying to keep Jansson in close.
Jansson looking to sit in guard and control but Virtanen gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Jansson working a defensive guard here.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jansson looking for a sweep. Not yet Jansson, not yet.
Jansson controls Virtanen momentarily but Virtanen frees himself.
Virtanen wants to control from the top but Jansson keeps moving.
Jansson controlling Virtanen's posture.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Jansson misses with a straight left.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Virtanen.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Jansson!
The fight stays on the outside here - Jansson looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Virtanen misses with the combination.
Virtanen shoots in for a takedown but Jansson shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Hannes Virtanen. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Virtanen takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
A combination from Jansson does no damage.
Virtanen misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Virtanen circles away from the clinch attempt.
A punch combination from Jansson misses.
Jansson tries to clinch but Virtanen moves out of range.
Jansson misses with a series of wild punches.
Jansson looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

Virtanen gets a takedown into half guard.
Virtanen is looking to stand up but he'll have to free his leg first. Instead, Jansson manages to get to full guard.
Virtanen trying to control the position from guard on top but Jansson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Virtanen stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Jansson swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Katten Jansson is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Virtanen trying to control but Jansson is working from the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
Katten Jansson comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Jansson winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 27:30
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 27:30
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Katten Jansson!