PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Max Kuorma (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Pera Kuukkeli (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Kuorma
vs
Kuukkeli

193 cm
24
275 lbs
5 - 5 - 0

188 cm
20
250 lbs
6 - 5 - 0

Decent wrestler
Basic striking
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

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 5 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Max Kuorma!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Pera Kuukkeli!
The judges for this bout are Matti Vanhoillinen, Ben Zyskovitsi and Marco Blurström.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kuukkeli shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Kuorma as he jumps to the side.
Kuorma defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Kuukkeli.
A jab from Kuukkeli misses.
Kuorma throws the left hand but Kuukkeli avoids the punch easily.
Kuukkeli throws a good cross that connects.
A big right from Kuukkeli misses.
Kuukkeli throws a shot to the body.
Kuorma misses with a body shot
and Kuukkeli counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Kuukkeli fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Max Kuorma has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Pera Kuukkeli.
Kuukkeli throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Kuorma showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Kuukkeli.
Kuukkeli blocks a jab.
Kuorma looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Kuukkeli is fending him off so far but Kuorma persists. Nope, Kuukkeli circles away and we're back to standing.
Kuorma takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.

Kuorma is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Kuukkeli's half guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Kuukkeli striking from half guard on the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kuukkeli moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Kuorma stopping the sweep attempt from Kuukkeli.
Kuukkeli is pulling down on Kuorma's head. It's preventing any offense from Kuorma, at least for the moment.
Kuorma throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Kuukkeli works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Kuorma wants to control from the top but Kuukkeli keeps moving.
Kuorma's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Kuorma stops Kuukkeli from standing up.

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.
Kuukkeli keeping moving, preventing Kuorma from controlling successfully.
Kuorma is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Kuorma won't allow Kuukkeli to sweep him here.
Kuukkeli is controlling Kuorma's posture.
Kuorma cracks Kuukkeli with a solid left hand.
Kuukkeli preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Kuorma loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

Kuukkeli is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Kuorma wants to control from the top but Kuukkeli keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kuukkeli is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Kuorma has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Kuorma stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Kuukkeli swivels though and keeps the full guard.

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

Kuukkeli is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Kuorma defends well.
Kuukkeli is trying to keep Kuorma in close.
Kuorma trying to control but Kuukkeli is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.

Kuukkeli uses the cage to get back to his feet.
Kuukkeli fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Kuukkeli dodges the punch combination from Kuorma.
Kuukkeli lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Kuorma takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Kuorma moves out of range of the strikes.
Kuorma chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Kuukkeli can pounce on him.
Kuukkeli takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Kuukkeli looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pera Kuukkeli dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Kuukkeli lands with a nice combination. Kuorma backs away looking to recover.
Kuukkeli cracks Kuorma with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.

Kuukkeli looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Kuorma!
Kuorma gets back to half guard.
Kuorma blocking the ground and pound attempt from Kuukkeli.
Kuukkeli throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Kuorma is looking to improve his position.

Kuorma is defending against the submission attempts here by Kuukkeli.

Kuukkeli is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Kuukkeli is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kuorma blocking the ground and pound attempt from Kuukkeli.
Kuukkeli drops an elbow to the side of Kuorma's head.
Kuukkeli is looking to take a break and control but Kuorma is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Kuorma is looking to control Kuukkeli's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Kuorma avoid being mounted?
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Kuukkeli works his way into full mount!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Kuukkeli is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Kuorma can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Kuukkeli blocks Kuorma's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Kuukkeli pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Kuukkeli cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Kuukkeli lands a nice shot to the head.
Kuukkeli fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Kuukkeli looking to finish with strikes here!
Kuorma regains half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kuukkeli tries to pass the half guard into mount. Kuorma knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Kuorma is not content to let Kuukkeli control the position.
Kuorma is pressing down on Kuukkeli's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Kuukkeli throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Kuorma on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Kuorma tries to get out of the position.
Kuukkeli wants to pass the guard but Kuorma is keeping the position.
Kuorma being controlled here, momentarily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Kuorma trying to keep a closed guard but Kuukkeli is proving a slippery customer.
Kuorma utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Kuukkeli trying to control but Kuorma is working from the bottom.
Kuorma has momentary wrist control but Kuukkeli slips an elbow through the middle.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Kuukkeli throws a big right hand that misses.
Kuukkeli thows a big elbow that misses.
Kuukkeli wants to pass the guard but Kuorma is keeping the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pera Kuukkeli showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Kuorma misses the shot to the body.
Kuukkeli is looking to clinch.

Kuukkeli gets a takedown into half guard.

Kuukkeli seems to be working for a kimura but Kuorma defends the submission attempt.
Kuukkeli trying to pass the guard but Kuorma defending well.
Kuorma is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Kuukkeli's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Kuukkeli's back!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Kuukkeli looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kuukkeli looking very determined here, making life difficult for Kuorma.
Kuukkeli is very frustrated here, being controlled quite effectively by Kuorma.

Kuorma looking for the choke but no joy.
Kuorma gets his hooks in and is throwing strikes.

Kuorma looking for the choke from the back.
Max Kuorma has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kuukkeli tries to escape the position.
Pera Kuukkeli has got the better of the ground game so far.
Kuorma avoiding Kuukkeli 's attempts to control his hands.
Kuorma looking to soften up his opponent with punches.
Kuukkeli manages to reverse the position and now he's in Kuorma's guard. Nice work there by Kuukkeli.

Kuorma is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Kuorma trying to keep a closed guard but Kuukkeli is proving a slippery customer.
Kuukkeli advances position into side control!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kuukkeli tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
An elbow from Kuukkeli crashes against the mat.

Kuukkeli has hold of Kuorma's arm. He's looking for a kimura. Kuorma seems comfortable defending it but Kuukkeli has shifted his position slighty and is cranking on the arm! Kuorma is real pain and he's forced to tap out! Kuorma is disgusted with himself for not defending it better but Kuukkeli couldn't care less - he's delighted!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:31 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Pera Kuukkeli!