PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Tom Byron (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Antti Haapasalo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Byron comes to the cage accompanied by Roky Erickson - Click your Fingers Applauding the Play . The crowd seem to be enjoying Haapasalo's choice of entrance music: Korpiklaani - Let's Drink . The fight MMA fans around the world have waited their entire lives for!

Byron
vs
Haapasalo

175 cm
23
289 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

189 cm
21
245 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Great elbows
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Knockout power

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 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Tom Byron!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Antti Haapasalo!
The judges for this bout are Tarja Halkonen, Arvi Lind and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Haapasalo clinches with his opponent.
Haapasalo jumps guard but Byron stands there with Haapasalo around his waist. Haapasalo gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Haapasalo dodges an elbow strike from Byron.
Byron throws an elbow but it misses.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Byron just misses with a elbow thrown towards Haapasalo's brow.
Byron pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Byron throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Haapasalo wants to get back to striking at distance but Byron won't allow it.
Haapasalo takes an elbow to the temple.

It looks like Antti Haapasalo has been cut.
Haapasalo tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Byron just stands there and leans against the cage.
Haapasalo tries to pull guard but Byron won't allow it.
Tom Byron has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Antti Haapasalo.
Haapasalo dodges an elbow strike from Byron.
Haapasalo can't break the clinch.
Byron looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Haapasalo avoids the elbow strike from Byron, against the cage.
Byron looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Haapasalo wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Haapasalo tries to circle away but Byron has him pinned against the cage.
Byron pushes off an throws an elbow but Haapasalo leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Haapasalo is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Haapasalo blocks an elbow strike from Byron.
Byron throws an elbow but it misses.
Haapasalo has had enough of the clinch but Byron keeps him there for the moment.
Byron pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Byron just misses with a elbow thrown towards Haapasalo's brow.
Byron pushes off an throws an elbow but Haapasalo leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
With the fighters up against the cage, Byron throws an elbow but misses.
Byron gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Haapasalo wants to break free but Byron has control.
Haapasalo is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Byron keeps control of Haapasalo as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Haapasalo misses with a hook from the clinch.
Haapasalo can't break the clinch.
Haapasalo blocks the elbow strike.
Haapasalo is trying to break the clinch but Byron has him pressed against the cage.
Haapasalo avoids the elbow strike from Byron, against the cage.
Byron looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Byron comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Haapasalo blocks an elbow strike.
Haapasalo jumps guard but Byron stands there with Haapasalo around his waist. Haapasalo gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Haapasalo is trying to break the clinch but Byron has him pressed against the cage.
Haapasalo blocks an elbow strike.
Byron pushes off an throws an elbow but Haapasalo leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Haapasalo blocks the elbow strike.
Haapasalo tries to pull guard but Byron won't allow it.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Byron.
Haapasalo jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Byron walks away with a smile on his face. Haapasalo gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Byron tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Haapasalo counters with a stiff right hand.
Byron clinches but Haapasalo breaks the clinch
and Haapasalo counters with a stiff right hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Byron clinches but Haapasalo breaks the clinch
and Haapasalo counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Byron clinches but Haapasalo breaks the clinch
and Haapasalo counters with a three punch combo that has Byron backing up. Byron nods at Haapasalo to acknowledge the strikes.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Byron tries to clinch
and Haapasalo counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Byron tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Haapasalo counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Byron is breathing heavily.
Haapasalo swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Byron.
Haapasalo lands a nice hook to Byron's body. Byron takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Haapasalo scores to the head and body with a nice combination!

Haapasalo closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Haapasalo tries to pull guard but Byron won't allow it.

Haapasalo breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Haapasalo lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Byron backs up against the cage.
A left and a right from Haapasalo both land. Nice combination.

Haapasalo lands a left and a right that send Byron crashing to the mat, dazed. Haapasalo thinks about following him to the mat but decides to wave him back up to his feet!

Byron is rocked!
Byron takes a shot right to the bread basket.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Haapasalo closes the distance and pushes Byron back into the cage.
Byron misses with an elbow over the top.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Byron.
Haapasalo fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Haapasalo tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Haapasalo avoids a wild elbow strike from Byron.
Haapasalo fails to pull guard.
Byron throws an elbow that misses.
Byron throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Haapasalo avoids a wild elbow strike from Byron.
Haapasalo tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Byron just stands there and leans against the cage.
Byron throws an elbow that misses.
Haapasalo blocks an elbow strike from Byron.
Byron creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Haapasalo looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Haapasalo is looking to break free of the clinch but Byron has double underhooks.

Haapasalo decides to pull guard.
Haapasalo wants to stand and escape but Byron is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Haapasalo has his hands on Byron's head, controlling the position.

Byron stands up from guard. Let's bang!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Antti Haapasalo dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Antti Haapasalo's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Haapasalo moves into range and clinches up with Byron.
Byron throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
A frustrated look appears on Haapasalo's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Haapasalo tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Byron smiles and moves away.
Haapasalo changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Byron takes one to the chin there.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Haapasalo tries to bum rush Byron with a series of wild strikes but Byron uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Byron wants to clinch
and Byron takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Haapasalo throws a nice looking combination but Byron bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Haapasalo connects with a good right hand that stumbles Byron. Byron circles away out of range and recomposes himself.

Haapasalo sends Byron crashing to the mat with a devastating uppercut! Haapasalo is motioning to the referee to let Byron up. He wants to try and finish this one on the feet!
Oh Byron is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Haapasalo is throwing a storm of strikes! Right hook, left hook and follows it up with a spinning back fist! Byron hits the canvas like a rag doll! And just like that, this one is over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:48 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Strikes). Antti Haapasalo!