PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Taika Lono (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kari Taalasmaa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Taalasmaa has chosen Jore Marjaranta - Tunteisiin as his entrance music. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Lono
vs
Taalasmaa

200 cm
25
198 lbs
9 - 2 - 0

184 cm
26
196 lbs
13 - 6 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Very strong

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
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 9 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Taika Lono!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 13 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Kari Taalasmaa!
The judges for this bout are Colin Fotheringham, Paul Tew and James Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Taalasmaa changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Lono looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Lono wants to control but Taalasmaa postures up.
Taalasmaa advances to mount.
Lono is hanging on here. He's in a desperate position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Lono tries to hold on but Taalasmaa pushes him away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lono keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Taalasmaa lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Lono hang on?
Lono wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
Taalasmaa with a couple of short strikes.
Lono is desperately trying to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Taalasmaa throws some wild stikes that Lono manages to avoid easily.
Taalasmaa lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Lono wants to hold on but Taalasmaa pushes him away.
Lono on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Lono tries to get out of the position.
Lono is trying to escape but when you're mounted that's not too easy.
Lono wants to control but Taalasmaa is having none of it.
Lono gets back to half guard.
Lono knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Taalasmaa on the ground.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taalasmaa looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Lono with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Lono keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.
Taalasmaa is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Lono is pressing down on Taalasmaa's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Lono really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Taalasmaa wants to pass the guard but Lono is keeping the position.
Lono wants to control the position but Taalasmaa says "no thanks buddy" and passes to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lono avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Taalasmaa.
Taalasmaa lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Taalasmaa throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Lono is trying to maintain the position but Taalasmaa is very close to passing his half guard.

Taalasmaa is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Lono has managed to free his arm - good work.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kari Taalasmaa dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Taalasmaa connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Lono with a jab.
Taalasmaa throws a looping overhand right but Lono ducks down to avoid it.
A slow jab from Lono misses its intended target.
Taalasmaa looks to land a combination but Lono avoids it well.
Lono stuns Taalasmaa with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Taalasmaa throws a series of punches but Lono avoids them all with ease.
Lono keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lono doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Taalasmaa misses with a looping right.
Lono defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Taalasmaa.
Taalasmaa misses with a wild combination.
Taalasmaa on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Lono is looking to clinch.
Lono misses with an uppercut.
Taalasmaa throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Lono lands an overhand right.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Taalasmaa fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Lono misses with an uppercut. Taalasmaa saw that one coming.
Lono missing with a left hand there. Taalasmaa was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Lono tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Taalasmaa paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Taalasmaa fails with the takedown.
Lono looks to land a right hand but Taalasmaa moved out of range.
Taalasmaa with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Lono to score with a decent uppercut.
Lono misses with a shot to the body
and Taalasmaa counters with a stiff right hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lono avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Lono tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Taalasmaa counters with a stiff right hand.
Lono just misses with a punch to the body.
Taalasmaa throws a shot from downtown. Lono moves away and avoids it.
Taalasmaa throws a hook to the side of Lono's head but Lono sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Nice shot lands for Lono.
Taalasmaa closes the distance and clinches up with Lono, looking for a takedown. Taalasmaa pushes Lono against the cage but Lono circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Taika Lono has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Kari Taalasmaa.
Taalasmaa throws a hook but Lono blocks it.

That's four 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.
Taalasmaa swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Taalasmaa pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Lono is looking to chop away at Taalasmaa's legs.
Taalasmaa looks for a takedown but Lono sprawls well.
Taalasmaa throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Taalasmaa uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Lono.
Taalasmaa bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Lono's head.
Taalasmaa fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Lono avoids it really well and circles away.
Taalasmaa throws a jab when Lono was well out of range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Taika Lono dominated that second 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. This is the final round!

Taalasmaa scores with a sloppy right hand. Lono should have avoided that one.

Taalasmaa closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Lono to the mat! Lono manages to get full guard.
Taalasmaa throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Lono works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Lono looking to control.
Taalasmaa is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Lono controls Taalasmaa momentarily but Taalasmaa frees himself.

Lono working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Taalasmaa has passed into half guard!
Taalasmaa is pressing down on Lono's thigh, looking to free his foot. Lono is holding on for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lono trying to control here.
Taalasmaa tries to pass to full mount but Lono defends it.
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.
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.
Lono is pressing down on Taalasmaa's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Lono controls Taalasmaa momentarily but Taalasmaa frees himself.
Taalasmaa passes into half guard.
Lono is in trouble now - Taalasmaa has advanced to mount!
Lono wants to hold on but Taalasmaa pushes him away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taalasmaa punching from mount but Lono doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Taalasmaa thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Poor strikes thrown by Taalasmaa there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!
Lono tries to lock up and control but Taalasmaa gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Lono is looking to improve his position but Taalasmaa isn't that keen on the idea.
Taalasmaa cracks Lono with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lono is wriggling around trying to escape.
Taalasmaa landing punches.
Lono is working to get back to half guard.
Taalasmaa misses with a head shot.
Lono is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.
Taalasmaa misses with a head shot.
Taalasmaa throws a wild left hand from mount and Lono manages to wriggle his way back to half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Kari Taalasmaa comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Taalasmaa 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 Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 28:29
Judge Paul Tew scores the fight 28:29
Judge James Glass scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kari Taalasmaa!