PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between janpeter kurkela (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Lucky Luciano (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). kurkela kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Korpiklaani:Forest Man. janpeter kurkela has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

kurkela
vs
Luciano

182 cm
21
147 lbs
5 - 5 - 0

175 cm
18
145 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, janpeter kurkela!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Lucky Luciano!
The judges for this bout are Ben Zyskovitsi, Matti Vanhoillinen and Roosa Järviläinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
An inside leg kick from Luciano misses.
Nice sprawl there from Luciano as kurkela shoots in.
Luciano defends well against a solid takedown attempt from kurkela.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!

kurkela darts in and clinches Luciano up against the cage.
kurkela looking to stall.
kurkela keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Luciano's efforts to push away.
kurkela lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
kurkela using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Luciano has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
kurkela dodges an elbow strike from Luciano.
kurkela is trying to stall.
Luciano fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Luciano misses with an elbow over the top.
kurkela misses with a short punch on the inside.

kurkela decides to pull guard.
Luciano trying to control but kurkela is working from the bottom.
Luciano keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of kurkela's head.
Luciano chips away with some ground and pound.
Luciano has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Luciano preventing the sweep.
kurkela really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Luciano slips nicely into half guard.
kurkela is looking to improve his position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Luciano seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.

kurkela looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Luciano connects with a nice short shot to kurkela's temple.
Luciano is nestled in close to kurkela, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Luciano working kurkela over with strikes.
kurkela won't allow Luciano to pass to mount.
Luciano lands strikes from half guard.

Luciano is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Luciano takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Luciano frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
kurkela takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Luciano lands a big elbow.
Luciano looking to control but kurkela is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Luciano lands a big elbow.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Luciano lands a big shot there that rocks kurkela but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Luciano wants to control the pace but kurkela is squirming around nicely.
Luciano might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control kurkela kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Luciano with good strikes from the mount here!
kurkela is squirming around, avoiding Luciano's attempts to control the action.
Luciano lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Luciano can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as kurkela is looking to escape.
Luciano landing strikes, looking to finish!

Luciano working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Luciano avoids the attempt from kurkela to control.
kurkela is breathing heavily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Luciano landing strikes from the mount.
Luciano controlling the position easily from mount.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Luciano prevents kurkela from getting the reversal.
Luciano landing punches.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Luciano tries to control but kurkela wriggling away.
Luciano pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Luciano breaks from kurkela's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Luciano lands with some vicious ground and pound - can kurkela hang on?
Luciano tries to control but kurkela wriggling away.
Luciano lands with some vicious ground and pound - can kurkela hang on?

That's four minutes gone in the round.
kurkela is trying to get back to his feet but can't.

Luciano working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
kurkela is working to get back to half guard.
Luciano in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Luciano looking to control but kurkela is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Luciano has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of kurkela's face.
Luciano lands a nice shot to the head.
Luciano landing strikes from the mount.
BOOM! Luciano connects with a massive shot to the dome!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Luciano looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Luciano fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Lucky Luciano 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.

Luciano looks to land a left hand but kurkela moved out of range nicely.
kurkela throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Luciano's waist but Luciano gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing kurkela off to one side.

Luciano shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Luciano putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Luciano lands a nice shot to the head.
Luciano with shots to the head and body - kurkela looks very uncomfortable down there.
Luciano unloading with bombs!

Luciano has hold of kurkela's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and kurkela manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Luciano unloading with bombs!
Luciano landing strikes from the mount.
kurkela is in all sorts of trouble here.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Luciano lands with some vicious ground and pound - can kurkela hang on?
Luciano tries to control but kurkela wriggling away.
Luciano landing shots from mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
kurkela taking shots to the head.
Luciano blocks kurkela's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Luciano looking to control but kurkela is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
A nice elbow there by Luciano.

kurkela is flailing around, obviously not happy about being mounted. Luciano locks hold of one of his arms and spins for an armbar. He's got it! kurkela is forced to tap!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:38 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Lucky Luciano!