PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Jenni Salonen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Johnny Jonzzon (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Jonzzon's choice of entrance music: ---. Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Salonen
vs
Jonzzon

157 cm
22
130 lbs
5 - 10 - 0

225 cm
22
130 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

Decent wrestler
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 10 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Jenni Salonen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Johnny Jonzzon!
The judges for this bout are Aleksandr Martynov, Aleksei Zolotukhin and Fedor Mirinova.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Salonen stuffs the takedown.
Salonen swats away the attempt to clinch by Jonzzon.

Salonen closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Salonen lands in his opponent's guard.
Jonzzon looking to hit a scissor sweep but Salonen is one step ahead there.
Salonen landing some decent shots from guard.
Salonen has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Salonen postures up and lands a big shot to Jonzzon's brow.
Salonen throws a strike but Jonzzon rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Jonzzon trying to control the position from guard on top but Salonen is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Jonzzon pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Salonen is keeping the position for now.
Jonzzon loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Salonen looking to hit a scissor sweep but Jonzzon is one step ahead there.
Jonzzon trying to control but Salonen is working from the bottom.
Jonzzon looking to sit in guard and control but Salonen gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Salonen pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Jonzzon is keeping the position for now.
Jonzzon looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Salonen closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Jonzzon did well to prevent Salonen getting side control.
Jonzzon tries to get to full guard but Salonen has control of the leg.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Salonen with the ground and pound but Jonzzon uses the opportunity to regain guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Jonzzon seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Jonzzon is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Salonen working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Salonen passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Salonen lands a nice forearm strike.
Salonen postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Salonen working away.
Jonzzon looks gassed!
Jonzzon dodges the ground and pound from Salonen.
Salonen working the ground and pound.
Jonzzon regains half guard.
Salonen not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Salonen slips a nice elbow through Jonzzon's hands, connecting with Jonzzon's forehead.
Salonen is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.

Jonzzon is rocked!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Jonzzon has hold of Salonen's hands but Salonen slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Jonzzon is still in real trouble! Can Salonen finish him?

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Salonen 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.
Jonzzon seems to have recovered his senses.

Jonzzon kicks off Salonen and gets to his feet.

Salonen shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Salonen was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Salonen lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Salonen cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Jonzzon wants to control but Salonen is having none of it.
Salonen landing shots from mount.
Salonen lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Salonen landing strikes, looking to finish!
Salonen is landing with some decent strikes but Jonzzon is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Jonzzon tries to reverse the position but Salonen maintains control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Jonzzon is in a horrible position here. Salonen smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Salonen punishing his opponent with strikes.
Salonen working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Salonen fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Salonen lands a big elbow.
Salonen avoids the attempt from Jonzzon to control.
Salonen lands a nice shot to the head.
Jonzzon is trying to stand.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Salonen postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Jonzzon looks a forlorn figure.
Jonzzon keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Jonzzon dives in and grabs Salonen's left leg, looking for a takedown. Salonen pushes down on Jonzzon's head and hops out.

Salonen changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Jonzzon looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Salonen is working Jonzzon over with some ground and pound from side control.
Salonen in side control lands a decent elbow.
Jonzzon regains half guard.
Salonen lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Jonzzon wants to get back to full guard.
Salonen seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Salonen works his way into full mount!
Salonen looking to finish Jonzzon with some ground and pound. This is bad for Jonzzon!
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jonzzon tries to hold on but Salonen pushes him away.
Jenni Salonen overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Jonzzon takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Salonen fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Salonen with the ground and pound from mount.
Salonen lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
A nice elbow there by Salonen.
Salonen is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Jonzzon can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Salonen working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Salonen punishing his opponent with strikes.
Salonen is landing with some decent strikes but Jonzzon is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Salonen landing shots from mount.
Jonzzon in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Salonen landing strikes from the mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Salonen fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Salonen landing strikes from the mount.
Jonzzon wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
Salonen lands a nice shot to the head.
A nice elbow there by Salonen.
Jonzzon manages to regain half guard. Good work.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Salonen throwing shots but Jonzzon is blocking nicely.
Jonzzon is looking to control Salonen's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Jonzzon avoid being mounted?
Jonzzon is trying to stand back up but Salonen is controlling him
Salonen is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Salonen is thwarting Jonzzon's attempts to control the position.
Salonen wants to pass to mount but Jonzzon is defending the position.
Jonzzon has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Salonen is working away from the top position though.
Salonen not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Salonen is defended easily by Jonzzon.
Nice takedown defense from Salonen. No joy for Jonzzon on that attempt.
No luck for Jonzzon with that takedown attempt.
Jenni Salonen has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Johnny Jonzzon.

Salonen closes the distance and clinches.
Salonen drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

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.

Jonzzon jumps guard and drags Salonen to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Salonen won't allow Jonzzon to sweep him here.
Salonen distracts Jonzzon with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Salonen missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Salonen is looking to work some ground and pound but Jonzzon has wrist control.
Salonen tries to free his leg and advance position but Jonzzon is retaining full guard.
Jonzzon working a defensive guard here.
Jonzzon is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
Salonen might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Salonen fails with the takedown.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jenni Salonen dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Salonen has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Jonzzon.

Jonzzon clinches up against the cage.
Salonen is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.

Salonen tightens his grip and picks Jonzzon up, before dumping him to the ground. Jonzzon manages to land in guard.
Jonzzon seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Jonzzon wants to sweep but no luck.
Jonzzon is trying to keep Salonen in close.
Salonen lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Salonen postures up.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Salonen postures up in Jonzzon's guard and throws a big left but Jonzzon blocks it.
Salonen throwing strikes from guard but Jonzzon blocks nicely.
Salonen throwing strikes but missing.

That's one minute gone in the round.

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

Salonen shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Salonen showed some decent athleticism there.
Jonzzon is trying to control but can't.
Jonzzon wants to get back to his feet.
Salonen wants to pass the guard but Jonzzon is defending well.
Jonzzon is trying to get back to full guard.
Jonzzon trying to control here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Jonzzon looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Salonen scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Jonzzon trying to control but Salonen postures up.
Jonzzon is looking to escape.
Salonen 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.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Salonen lands a nice short elbow.
Jonzzon manages to get to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Salonen pushing down on Jonzzon's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Jonzzon wants to get back to full guard.
Salonen not landing any meaningful shots this time.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Salonen lands a nice short elbow.
Jonzzon trying to hold on to Salonen's head to control him but Salonen postures up.
Salonen looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Jonzzon with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Jenni Salonen is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Salonen seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Jonzzon does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Jonzzon is pressing down on Salonen's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Salonen sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Jonzzon's guard.
Jonzzon wants to get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Salonen winds up and cracks Jonzzon with a swinging punch to the side of the head.

Jonzzon kicks Salonen off and gets back to his feet.
No luck for Jonzzon with that takedown attempt.

Salonen fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Jonzzon sprawls well initially but Salonen persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Salonen wants to take a breather but Jonzzon is having none of it.
Salonen seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Salonen thows a big elbow that misses, also allowing Jonzzon to regain full guard.
Salonen working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Jonzzon's head.
Jonzzon lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Salonen!
Salonen wants to hold on but Jonzzon pushes him away.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jenni Salonen showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Salonen, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight 30:27
Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 30:27
Judge Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jenni Salonen!