PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Paavali Pietari (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tero Taikina (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Pietari's entrance music is The Prodigy - Smack My Bitch Up. A fine choice. Taikina has chosen Cookie song as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Paavali Pietari has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Pietari
vs
Taikina

200 cm
20
188 lbs
4 - 5 - 0

166 cm
23
183 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Counter striker
Experienced

Decent wrestler
Counter striker
Granite chin

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 4 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Paavali Pietari!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Tero Taikina!
The judges for this bout are Johanna Lukiainen, Arvi Lind and Anni Minnemäki.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Taikina scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.

Taikina is working for a submission of some sort.

Taikina is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Pietari sees it coming and defends easily.
Pietari won't allow Taikina to pass to mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pietari regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Taikina.
Taikina 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.
Let's hope that Taikina has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.

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.

Taikina stands and steps away. Pietari gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taikina rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Pietari moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Pietari tries to close the distance and clinch up but Taikina swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Paavali Pietari is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Taikina fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Pietari wants to clinch up but Taikina keeps it at a distance.
Taikina tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Pietari counters with an inside leg kick.

Pietari closes the distance and clinches.
Taikina lands an elbow that stopped Pietari in his tracks for a moment.
Taikina drops down looking for an ankle pick but Pietari pulls his leg out and moves away.
A looping hook to the body misses from Taikina. Pietari does a little dance to reset his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Taikina shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Pietari napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Taikina working the strikes but Pietari uses the opportunity to regain half guard.
Taikina throws a strike but Pietari avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Taikina slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Taikina postures up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tero Taikina dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

A low kick from Taikina is predictable there
and Pietari counters with a head kick. That will keep Taikina thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
Pietari lands with a kick to the ribs.
Pietari closes the distance looking to clinch

and Taikina counters with a nice double leg into side control. Pietari won't be happy with that.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Taikina wants to lay and pray for a moment but Pietari keeps working.
Taikina works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.

Taikina stands up and we're back to a striking position.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Pietari gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Taikina is breathing heavily.
Taikina looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Taikina is looking to stand up but Pietari won't let him.
Pietari really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pietari being controlled here, momentarily.
Taikina is looking to advance position but Pietari has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pietari sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Pietari can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Taikina is looking to escape.
Pietari throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Taikina slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Taikina blocking the ground and pound attempt from Pietari.
Taikina is trying to stand up here but Pietari is controlling him well.
Taikina missing with punches from the bottom.
Taikina wants to control but Pietari is keeping busy and won't allow it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Taikina wants to improve his position but Pietari is controlling well.

Pietari stands up from half guard.
Pietari lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Taikina takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Pietari misses with a head kick.
Pietari fails in his attempt to clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
A right-left combo lands from Pietari.
An inside leg kick lands from Pietari.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Paavali Pietari dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Pietari tries to clinch up.
Taikina misses the body punch
and Pietari counters with a leg kick.
Taikina circles away from the clinch attempt.
Pietari tries to close the distance and clinch up but Taikina swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Taikina falls off balance throwing a combination

and Pietari moves into the clinch.
Taikina goes for a takedown attempt but Pietari pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Pietari paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Taikina takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Pietari turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Taikina on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Pietari. Pietari obviously looking to wear him down.
Taikina takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Pietari looks to clinch

and Taikina counters with a takedown into side control.
Pietari tries to escape but Taikina is in control.
Pietari is trying to control Taikina's posture but Taikina avoids it.
Taikina trying to control the position but Pietari is working away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pietari tries to improve position but can't.
Taikina throwing strikes but Pietari manages to buck up and roll into a nice reversal - now he's on top in side control!
Tero Taikina has got the better of the ground game so far.
Taikina is not content to let Pietari control the position.
Pietari lands a decent elbow from side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taikina is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Pietari's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Pietari sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Taikina defending well though.
Pietari is keen to just control but Taikina is a slippery customer.

Taikina looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Taikina can do anything to dispel that myth.
Pietari tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Taikina.
Taikina wants to sweep but Pietari has passed to side control!
Taikina is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

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.
Pietari lands an elbow.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
You can see the frustration on Taikina's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Pietari trying to control the action but Taikina is working from the bottom.
Pietari taking a break here but Taikina is having none of it and regains half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Paavali Pietari showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Pietari 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 Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight for Paavali Pietari!
Judge Arvi Lind scores the fight for Tero Taikina!
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight as a draw!

The fight ends as a draw!