PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Kenneth Williams (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Raivo Rape (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Williams
vs
Rape

183 cm
23
195 lbs
10 - 4 - 0

170 cm
22
196 lbs
5 - 0 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Solid boxing
Granite chin

ADCC Champion
Decent boxing
Powerful

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 10 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Kenneth Williams!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Raivo Rape!
The judges for this bout are Marco Blurström, Arvi Lind and Johanna Lukiainen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A left lands for Rape.
Williams is looking to chop away at Rape's legs.
Williams attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Williams plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!

It looks like Raivo Rape has been cut.
Williams throws a sloppy head kick and Rape moves out of range easily.
Rape cracks Williams with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.

Rape rushes Williams and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Rape lands a body punch.
Williams fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
A head punch on the inside from Williams fails to land.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Rape.
Rape blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Rape gets through Williams's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Williams is trying to drag Rape to the mat but Rape just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Williams tries for a takedown. No joy.
Rape lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.

Rape pulls guard successfully.
Rape is adopting a defensive guard.
Rape is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Williams controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rape wants to sweep but no luck.
Williams with a flurry of punches that miss.

Rape has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Williams can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Rape keeping moving, preventing Williams from controlling successfully.
Williams is looking to work some ground and pound but Rape has wrist control.
Williams 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.
Williams postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Williams stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Williams wants it to stay on the feet.
Rape on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Williams. Williams obviously looking to wear him down.
Rape throws a nice looking combination but Williams bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.

Rape has taken the fight to the clinch.
Rape stops a takedown attempt from Williams.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Kenneth Williams. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Williams has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Rape avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Rape is pressed up against the cage. Williams has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Rape down to the mat. Rape avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Williams misses with a low kick.
Rape blocks a leg kick.

Rape shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Williams's guard.
Rape wants to control from the top but Williams keeps moving.
Williams working a defensive guard here.
Rape controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rape lands a couple of digs.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Rape working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Williams's head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Williams wants to sweep but no luck.
Rape is stalling in the full guard.
Rape postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Rape won't allow Williams to sweep him here.
Rape is fighting to break Williams's control of his arms but Williams is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Rape trying to control the position from guard on top but Williams is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Rape throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Williams was covering up waiting for the punch and Rape finishes the takedown easily into guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rape trying to control the position from guard on top but Williams is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Rape stopping the sweep attempt from Williams.
Williams keeping full guard, as Rape tries to pass.
Williams keeping moving, preventing Rape from controlling successfully.
Williams has Rape pulled in close to control his posture.
Rape postures up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Raivo Rape dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Raivo Rape's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Rape bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Williams gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Rape is thwarting Williams's attempts to control the position.
Williams is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Rape scores with a couple of nice shots.
Williams is looking to improve his position.
Williams moves into full guard.
Williams 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.
Williams is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Williams pulls Rape in to control the position.
Rape wants to control from the top but Williams keeps moving.

Rape is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Williams is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Williams has escaped and now he's on top!
Rape manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Rape lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Williams hang on?
Williams is trying to escape the mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Williams takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Williams really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Rape landing strikes from the mount.
Williams is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Williams can't escape the position.
Rape with good strikes from the mount here!

Rape is working for a guillotine from mount but Williams frees his head quite easily.

Rape goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Williams is on top in guard.
Rape looking to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Williams wants to control from the top but Rape keeps moving.
Williams is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Williams working some strikes from top position.
Rape wants to sweep but no luck.
Williams is fighting to break Rape's control of his arms but Rape is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Williams postures up.
Rape is trying to hold Williams in close to prevent damage but Williams has managed to pass into half guard.
Rape is trying to get back to full guard.
Ground and pound from Williams.
Williams looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Rape with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Raivo Rape has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rape wants to control but Williams is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Williams is looking to take a break and control but Rape is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Rape tries to get to full guard but Williams has control of the leg.
Rape is breathing heavily.
Rape keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Rape avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Williams.

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

Williams is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Rape's half guard.
Rape trying to control here.
Nice strikes from Williams there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Kenneth Williams will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Raivo Rape's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Rape swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Rape blocks a head kick by Williams.
Williams displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Rape.
Some bone on bone action there as Rape checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Williams throws a low kick but it's checked well by Rape.
Rape tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Williams was well out of range. Poor timing from Rape.
Williams lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Rape connects with a nice looking jab.
Williams misses with a head kick.
Williams keeps the fight on the outside.
Williams shoots in but no luck this time.
Williams attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rape shoots in but no luck this time.

Williams gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Rape takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Williams looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Williams keeping moving, preventing Rape from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Williams bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Rape's guard.

Rape looking for a guillotine here but Williams defends easily.
Williams makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Williams working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Williams is working Rape over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Rape controls Williams momentarily but Williams frees himself.

That's two 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.

Williams is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.

Rape has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Williams 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 Rape.
Williams is working Rape over with some ground and pound from side control.
Rape is looking to reverse the position.
Rape regains half guard.
Rape keeping hold of Williams's head, controlling as best he can.
Rape has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Williams is working away from the top position though.
Rape is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Williams's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Williams's back!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Williams trying to control the position but Rape manages to sink in the hooks.

Rape patiently working for the choke. Which fighter will keep their nerve here?
Rape is trying to stick to Williams's back but Williams is turning into Rape. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Rape's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Williams.
Rape looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Williams puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Rape keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Williams not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Williams is looking to take a break and control but Rape is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Williams throwing shots but Rape is blocking nicely.
Rape is looking for a sweep. Williams is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Williams landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Rape tries to get to full guard but Williams has control of the leg.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Williams throws a leg kick but Rape sees it coming and checks it nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Rape cracks Williams with a right hand to the side of the head.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Rape.
Kenneth Williams has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Raivo Rape.
Rape checks a leg kick nicely.
Rape keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Williams displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Rape.
Raivo Rape is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Williams throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.

Williams changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Rape looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.

Williams working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Rape sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Rape is looking to control Williams's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Rape avoid being mounted?

And that's the end of the fight!
Kenneth Williams showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Williams has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Marco Blurström scores the fight 28:29
Judge Arvi Lind scores the fight 29:28
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Raivo Rape!