PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Draven Hush (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Miikka Kumpulainen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Hush comes to the cage accompanied by Hakushi's Theme. Miikka Kumpulainen has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Draven Hush's chin.

Hush
vs
Kumpulainen

179 cm
20
182 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

177 cm
22
180 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Big heart

BJJ White Belt
Dangerous knees
Intelligent

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 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Draven Hush!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Miikka Kumpulainen!
The judges for this bout are Dmitry Maklakov, Konstantin Menshow and Illya Tyunina.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kumpulainen shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Hush as he jumps to the side.

Hush feints and as Kumpulainen raises his hands in defense, Hush changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Kumpulainen tries to strike from the bottom.
Hush stopping the sweep attempt from Kumpulainen.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Kumpulainen holds on and takes a little breather.

Kumpulainen is looking for a triangle but Hush pushes his legs off easily.
Kumpulainen wants to sweep here but Hush controlling him for the moment.
Hush working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Hush throwing strikes but missing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kumpulainen looking to control.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Hush scores with a takedown into Kumpulainen's guard.

Kumpulainen looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Hush is breathing heavily.
Hush not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Hush has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Hush trying to control the position from guard on top but Kumpulainen is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Kumpulainen had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Hush is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Kumpulainen Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Hush's back instead.
Hush tries to break free.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Will Kumpulainen go for the finish here or will he try and keep control of the position?
Kumpulainen gets his hands free as Hush looks to control.
Kumpulainen throwing sloppy strikes.
Kumpulainen is looking cool and calm here, just waiting for a good opportunity to attack and finish the fight from this dominant position.
Hush trying to control the position but Kumpulainen manages to sink in the hooks.
Kumpulainen controlling the position well here. Hush rolled but Kumpulainen kept the hooks locked in and stayed in the dominant position.
Kumpulainen gets his hands free as Hush looks to control.
Kumpulainen trying to secure his dominant position for a moment - making sure Hush doesn't escape.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kumpulainen throwing lazy shots from the back mount that aren't doing any damage.
Kumpulainen really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Hush. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
I would not like to be Hush right now.
Kumpulainen scores with some strikes to the side of the head there. Good, points scoring shots.
Hush covers up after that shot from Kumpulainen.
Even with his hooks in, Kumpulainen manages to miss with strikes from the back.
Kumpulainen wants to control but Hush is keeping busy.
Kumpulainen scores with a nice shot to the head of his opponent. Hush is looking for a way out.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hush is trying to get back to his feet but Kumpulainen has full control of the position and if anything, Hush has just worked his way into a worse spot.
Kumpulainen struggling to land strikes to the head as Hush covers up.
Hush looking very determined here, making life difficult for Kumpulainen.

Kumpulainen working for the choke.
Hush manages to escape to a better position under a series of strikes. Kumpulainen is now in side control.
Kumpulainen controls the position.
Kumpulainen is looking to take a break and control but Hush is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Hush tries to buck Kumpulainen off but Kumpulainen is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Miikka Kumpulainen will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Kumpulainen closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Kumpulainen is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Despite being in the dominant position, Miikka Kumpulainen just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Kumpulainen tries to clinch but Hush is having none of it.

Hush gets a takedown into half guard.
Hush trying to control the action but Kumpulainen is working from the bottom.
Kumpulainen wants to improve his position but Hush is controlling well.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kumpulainen moves into full guard.
Kumpulainen not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Hush controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

Kumpulainen has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Hush is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Kumpulainen.
Hush takes a little break here. Kumpulainen wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.
Kumpulainen sneaks back into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kumpulainen wants to improve his position but Hush is controlling well.
Kumpulainen scrambles, trying to get to his feet, but Hush manages to mount him!
Hush lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Kumpulainen working to try and regain half guard.
Kumpulainen is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Kumpulainen wants to improve position but instead he's given up his back.
Kumpulainen tries to escape the position.
Kumpulainen looking very determined here, making life difficult for Hush.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kumpulainen trying to control the position but Hush manages to sink in the hooks.
Hush trying to control.
Kumpulainen rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.
Kumpulainen tries to roll over but Hush keeps him under control.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Kumpulainen will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Hush chopping away at his opponent's legs.

Hush takes the fight into the clinch.
Kumpulainen is trying to stall.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Hush slows down the pace here.
Kumpulainen goes for a takedown attempt but Hush pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Draven Hush is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Kumpulainen looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Kumpulainen is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Kumpulainen trying to control the action but Hush is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Miikka Kumpulainen will probably get the nod - 10:9.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Kumpulainen rushes Hush and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Kumpulainen tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

Kumpulainen breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Kumpulainen closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Kumpulainen lands in his opponent's guard.
Hush controls Kumpulainen momentarily but Kumpulainen frees himself.
Kumpulainen looking to pass the guard.
Kumpulainen 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.
Kumpulainen wants to control from the top but Hush keeps moving.
Kumpulainen stopping the sweep attempt from Hush.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hush trying to keep a closed guard but Kumpulainen is proving a slippery customer.
Kumpulainen looking to pass the guard.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Kumpulainen looks to clinch

and Hush decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Kumpulainen's guard.
Hush showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Kumpulainen pulls Hush in close to prevent any damage.
Hush slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kumpulainen pulls Hush in to control the position.
Kumpulainen has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Hush has passed into side control.
Kumpulainen struggling a bit here.
Hush wants to control but Kumpulainen is keeping him busy.
Kumpulainen tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Hush wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hush landing strikes.
Kumpulainen is looking for a sweep.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Kumpulainen fails with an attempt to clinch.
Kumpulainen shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Hush pinned against the cage. Hush gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

Hush drives through with a takedown into guard.
Kumpulainen keeping full guard, as Hush tries to pass.
Hush preventing the sweep.
Kumpulainen working a defensive guard here.
Kumpulainen looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kumpulainen wants to control but Hush passes easily into half guard.
Kumpulainen is not content to let Hush control the position.
Draven Hush overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Kumpulainen wants to control but Hush is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Kumpulainen might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Hush kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.

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

so Hush counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Draven Hush has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Miikka Kumpulainen.
Hush loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Hush distracts Kumpulainen with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Kumpulainen wants to sweep but no luck.
Hush trying to control the position from guard on top but Kumpulainen is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Draven Hush has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Hush won't allow Kumpulainen to sweep him here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Draven Hush showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Kumpulainen 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 Dmitry Maklakov scores the fight 28:29
Judge Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 29:29
Judge Illya Tyunina scores the fight 30:28

The fight is ruled a draw!