PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Yu Pu (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Raimo Pukki (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the ring.

Pu
vs
Pukki

165 cm
26
140 lbs
7 - 3 - 0

170 cm
23
146 lbs
12 - 5 - 0

Decent wrestler
Great elbows
Very strong

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Yu Pu!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Raimo Pukki!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Fujiwara, Hirohito Nitta and Kenichi Hosakawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The fight stays on the outside here - Pu looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Pukki keeps the fight on the outside.
A decent looking cross lands there for Pukki.
Pu tries to clinch there but Pukki circles away.
Pu tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Pukki paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Yu Pu seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Pukki swats away the attempt to clinch by Pu.

Pu darts in and clinches Pukki up against the ropes.
Pu throws a knee to the head but misses.
Pukki stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Pukki has had enough of the clinch but Pu keeps him there for the moment.

Pukki breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Pukki digs a good body shot into Pu's ribs.
Pu tries to clinch but Pukki is having none of it.
Pu is looking to clinch.
Pukki tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Pu was well out of range. Poor timing from Pukki.
Pu fails with an attempt to clinch.
Pu tries to close the distance and clinch up but Pukki swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Pu moves in looking to clinch but Pukki pushes him off.
Pu tries to clinch but Pukki is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pu tries to clinch but Pukki moves out of range.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Pukki!
Pu takes one on the chin but keeps coming.

Pu is rocked!
Pu fails with an attempt to clinch.
Pu tries to clinch there but Pukki circles away.
Pu tries to clinch up but Pukki circles away and keeps his distance.
Pukki avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Pu is looking to clinch but Pukki is avoiding it.
Pu tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Pu takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Pu tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Pukki paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Pu tries to close the distance and clinch but Pukki swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Pukki circles away from the clinch attempt.
Pu tries to clinch up.
The fight stays on the outside here - Pu looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Pukki circles away from the clinch attempt.
Yu Pu is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pukki fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
A jab from Pukki finds it's way through Pu's defenses.
Pu tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Pukki paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Pukki gets a takedown into half guard.

Pukki is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Pu is just riding it out for now. Pukki eventually gives up the hold.
Pu is staying active underneath Pukki, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pukki throwing shots but Pu is blocking nicely.

Pu is defending against the submission attempts here by Pukki.
Pu is trying to control but can't.
Pukki seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Pu does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Pu knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Pukki on the ground.
Pu is pressing down on Pukki's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

Pukki drops back, looking for a kneebar! Pu looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Pu looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Pu!
Pukki tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Pu wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Pu wants to stand but Pukki has his arm trapped.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Pukki is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Pu's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Pu prevents Pukki from improving his position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Raimo Pukki dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Pu moves in looking to clinch but Pukki pushes him off.
Pu tries to close the distance and clinch up but Pukki swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Pukki swats away the attempt to clinch by Pu.
Pu doesn't manage to clinch there - Pukki circles away.
Pu stuffs the takedown attempt from Pukki. Pukki gets slowly back to his feet.
Pukki stalks Pu and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Pu's face. Pu staggers backwards, shaken.
Pukki keeps the fight on the outside.
The fight stays on the outside here - Pu looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Pukki keeps the fight on the outside.
Pu wants to clinch up but Pukki keeps it at a distance.
Pu takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Pukki shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Pu but Pu pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Pukki looks to land a right hand but Pu moved out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pu fails in his attempt to clinch.
Pu doesn't manage to clinch there - Pukki circles away.
Pukki swats away the attempt to clinch by Pu.
Pu is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Pu tries to clinch up.
Pukki misses with a body shot.
Pu wants to clinch up but Pukki keeps it at a distance.
Pu doesn't manage to clinch there - Pukki circles away.
Raimo Pukki seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Pu fails with an attempt to clinch.
Pu tries to close the distance and clinch but Pukki swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Pukki misses with a two punch combination.
Pukki swats away the attempt to clinch by Pu.
Pukki waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Pu.

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.
Pu tries to clinch but Pukki is having none of it.
Pu fails in his attempt to clinch.
Pu tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Pu is looking to clinch.
Pukki throws a combination. Pu tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Pukki throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Pu wants to clinch.
Pu fails with an attempt to clinch.
Pu wants to clinch.
Pu fails in his attempt to clinch.
Pukki swats away the attempt to clinch by Pu.
Horrible takedown by Pukki or perhaps it was just good defense by Pu which made him look bad.
Yu Pu has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Raimo Pukki.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pu tries to clinch up but Pukki circles away and keeps his distance.
Pu tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Pukki paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Pu tries to clinch up.
Pu is looking to clinch.
Pu is looking to clinch.
Pu fails with an attempt to clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Pu looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Pu has closed the distance and engaged Pukki in a clinch.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Pu.
Pu throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Pukki takes an elbow to the forehead.

Pukki's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Pu fails with an attempt to clinch.
Pu tries to clinch but Pukki moves out of range.
Pukki lands with an overhand left.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pu is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Pu is looking to clinch.
Pukki looks to land a left hand but Pu moved out of range nicely.
The fight stays on the outside here - Pu looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Pu is looking to clinch but Pukki is avoiding it.
Pukki keeps the fight on the outside.
Pu is looking to clinch.
Pukki connects with a body shot.
Pu tries to close the distance and clinch but Pukki swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Pukki keeps the fight on the outside.
Pukki avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Pu tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Pu tries to close the distance and clinch up but Pukki swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Pu is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Raimo Pukki 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! This is the final round!

Pukki circles away from the clinch attempt.
Pu tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Pu fails with an attempt to clinch.
Pu slaps away a takedown attempt from Pukki, before circling back to the center of the mat.

Pu gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Pukki to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Pukki wants to control from the top but Pu keeps moving.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Pukki controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Pu is trying to keep Pukki in close.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pu wants to sweep but no luck.

Pukki is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Pu is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Pu has escaped and now he's on top!
Pukki throws a nice elbow from the bottom.
Pukki is pulling down on Pu's head. It's preventing any offense from Pu, at least for the moment.

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.
Pukki is trying to keep Pu in close.
Pu stopping the sweep attempt from Pukki.

Pukki throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Pu escapes and throws Pukki's legs to the side, diving into side control!
Pukki takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Pukki tries to buck Pu off but Pu is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Pu stands up.
Pu takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Pukki circles away from the clinch attempt.
The fight stays on the outside here - Pu looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Pukki misses the shot to the body.
Pu doesn't manage to clinch there - Pukki circles away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Pukki avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Pu tries to clinch up.
A jab from Pukki misses.
Pu fails with an attempt to clinch.
Pu is looking to clinch.
Pu tries to close the distance and clinch but Pukki swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Pu wants to clinch.
Pu tries to clinch but Pukki is having none of it.
The fighters circling - Pukki throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Pukki ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Pu moves away.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Pu tries to clinch up but Pukki circles away and keeps his distance.
Pukki looks to land a combination but Pu avoids it well.
Yu Pu has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Pu tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Pukki paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Pu misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Pukki.

And that's the end of the fight!
Raimo Pukki comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Pukki winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight for Raimo Pukki!
Judge Hirohito Nitta scores the fight for Raimo Pukki!
Judge Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight for Raimo Pukki!

Raimo Pukki wins by unanimous decision!