PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Ismo Laitela (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Julius Prime (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Laitela's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Anna Hanski - Tunteisiin. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Laitela
vs
Prime

182 cm
26
192 lbs
9 - 5 - 0

189 cm
23
185 lbs
7 - 2 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent elbows
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Knockout power

THE STEEL PENN NUTRITION

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 9 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Ismo Laitela!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Julius Prime!
The judges for this bout are Robert Twigg, Stewart Dunkirk and Gwen Towbar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Laitela tries to clinch up but Prime circles away and keeps his distance.
Laitela tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Prime paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Laitela fails in his attempt to clinch.
Prime keeps the fight on the outside.
Prime closes the distance and clinches up with Laitela, looking for a takedown. Prime pushes Laitela against the cage but Laitela circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
A jab from Prime misses.
Laitela wants to clinch up but Prime keeps it at a distance.
Laitela is looking to clinch but Prime is avoiding it.
Prime swats away the attempt to clinch by Laitela.
Prime swats away the attempt to clinch by Laitela.
Prime fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

Laitela has managed to clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Laitela with a knee to the head.
Laitela misses with a knee strike.
Prime is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Laitela escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Laitela tries to clinch there but Prime circles away.
Laitela slaps away a takedown attempt from Prime, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Ismo Laitela has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Julius Prime.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Laitela is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Laitela moves in looking to clinch but Prime pushes him off.
Laitela tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Prime paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Laitela wants to clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Laitela looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Laitela is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Prime circles away from the clinch attempt.
Laitela is looking to clinch but Prime is avoiding it.
Prime tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Laitela is able to avoid easily.
Laitela tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Prime paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Prime keeps the fight on the outside.

That's two 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.
Laitela fails in his attempt to clinch.

Prime has taken the fight to the clinch.
Laitela tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Laitela looking to throw knees to the head but Prime is blocking nicely.
Laitela lands a knee to the head.
Laitela looking to throw knees to the head but Prime is blocking nicely.
Prime is working for takedown but Laitela is calmly controlling the position for now.
Laitela landing knees to the body.
Laitela manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Laitela tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Laitela connects with a nasty looking knee right to Prime's face.
Prime tries to pull guard but Laitela holds him up against the cage and eventually Prime drops back down to his feet.
Laitela lands a left hand.
Laitela misses with a knee strike.
Laitela lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Prime fails to pull guard.
Laitela misses with a knee strike.
A right hook to the body lands for Laitela.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Prime tries to score a body lock takedown but Laitela shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Laitela throws a knee to the head but misses.
Laitela using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Prime has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Laitela is breathing heavily.
Laitela lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Prime goes for a takedown attempt but Laitela pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Laitela looks to clinch

and Prime counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Prime tries to pass the half guard into mount. Laitela knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Prime trying to control from half guard but Laitela is working away.
Laitela avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Prime.
Prime missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Laitela keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Laitela holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.
Prime is keen to just control but Laitela is a slippery customer.
Prime throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Prime circles away from the clinch attempt
and Prime counters with a nice leg kick.
Laitela clinches but Prime breaks the clinch

and Prime counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Prime.
Laitela keeping moving, preventing Prime from controlling successfully.
Laitela 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.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Ismo Laitela will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Prime is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Laitela's half guard.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Prime is trying to control the action in half guard but Laitela is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Prime not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Laitela keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Prime not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Laitela trying to hold on to Prime's head to control him but Prime postures up.
Laitela slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Prime slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Prime trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Laitela manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!
Laitela seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Laitela sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Prime's guard.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Prime can do anything to dispel that myth.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.

Laitela stands up from half guard.
Ismo Laitela seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Prime throws a series of strikes that have Laitela backpedaling.
Laitela closes the distance but Prime moves to the side
and Prime counters with a good low kick that Laitela was not able to check.
Laitela wants to clinch but Prime slips to the side
and Prime counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Laitela tries to clinch but Prime moves away
and Prime counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Laitela tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Prime counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
The fighters are battling for position here. Laitela manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Prime throws a big right hand that misses.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Prime has gone for a leg lock! Laitela slips out almost immediately though and dives into Prime's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Laitela controlling from the top position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Laitela stands up and waves to Prime to follow him.
Laitela wants to clinch

and Prime counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Laitela!
Laitela is trying to stand up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Prime wants to control the pace but Laitela is squirming around nicely.
Prime lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Laitela hang on?
Prime dominating with strikes here.
Laitela can't escape the position.
Prime sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Prime working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Prime throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Laitela because Prime loaded up on that one.
Prime thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Julius Prime showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Laitela tries to clinch up

so Prime counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Prime trying to control but Laitela is working from the bottom.
Prime stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Laitela swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Prime postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Laitela is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Prime, into his guard.
Laitela stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Prime swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Laitela is working hard here to advance position.

Laitela stands up and waves to Prime to follow him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's two 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.
Laitela tries to clinch but Prime moves away

and Prime counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Prime is trying to control. Laitela wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Prime is nestled in close to Laitela, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Julius Prime has got the better of the ground game so far.
Prime lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Prime missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Prime not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Prime lands with a punch from half guard.
Laitela avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Prime.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Prime is looking to stall here but Laitela recovers full guard.
Prime trying to control but Laitela is working from the bottom.

Laitela working for a triangle but Prime defends it easily.
Laitela wants to sweep but no luck.

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.
Laitela keeping moving, preventing Prime from controlling successfully.
Prime throwing strikes from guard but Laitela blocks nicely.
Prime looking to sit in guard and control but Laitela gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Laitela stands and steps away. Prime gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Prime shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Laitela pinned against the cage. Laitela gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

And that's the end of the fight!
Julius Prime comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Prime has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Robert Twigg scores the fight 28:29
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 28:29
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Julius Prime!