PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Mikko Rask (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Desmond Troyer (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Troyer is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Lords Of The Underground ft. Redman - What I'm After. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Rask
vs
Troyer

186 cm
23
186 lbs
4 - 6 - 0

195 cm
21
184 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Determined

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 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Mikko Rask!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Desmond Troyer!
The judges for this bout are Johanna Lukiainen, Anni Minnemäki and Arvi Lind.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Troyer gets a clinch.
Troyer lands a body shot.
Troyer lands a body shot in the clinch.

Rask jumps into guard, dragging Troyer to the mat.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Troyer forces his way into half guard.

Troyer is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Rask tries to get to full guard but Troyer has control of the leg.

Rask looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

Troyer is trying to work for a kimura but Rask is defending well.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Troyer gets to his feet - back to striking we go!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Troyer throws a nice looking combination but Rask bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.

Rask scores with a takedown into Troyer's guard.
Rask tries to free his leg and advance position but Troyer is retaining full guard.
Rask looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Troyer seems keen to control Rask's posture.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Troyer preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Rask being controlled here momentarily.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Troyer connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Troyer misses with a jab, cross combination.
Troyer wants to clinch.

Troyer shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Rask napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Rask is breathing heavily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Troyer working away.

Troyer tries for a kimura but Rask is defending well.
A control attempt from Rask but he's now mounted!
Rask is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.
Troyer lands a heavy elbow.
Troyer lands a nice shot to the head.
The referee warns Rask that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Troyer looking to finish Rask with some ground and pound. This is bad for Rask!
Rask throwing hammer fists to the chest of Troyer. What's that going to do exactly?
Troyer lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Troyer scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Troyer cracks Rask with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Troyer is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Troyer looking to control but Rask is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Troyer lands a big shot there that rocks Rask but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Troyer controlling the pace for now.
Troyer lands a big elbow.
Rask is squirming around, avoiding Troyer's attempts to control the action.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Troyer tries to clinch there but Rask circles away.
A right-left combo lands from Troyer.
Rask changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Troyer tries to avoid it but Rask manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Troyer to the ground. Troyer escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.

Troyer gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Troyer stalling.
Rask tries for a takedown but Troyer manages to get underhooks.
Rask is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Troyer takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.

Troyer breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Troyer moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Troyer shoots in and gets a takedown into Rask's guard.

Rask escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Troyer gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

Troyer gets to his feet - Rask follows without any prompting.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Troyer lands a slapping body shot.
Troyer throws a combination. Rask tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Troyer buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.

Troyer clinches up against the cage.
Troyer taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Troyer throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Rasks head.
Troyer comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Troyer slowing the pace effectively.
Troyer digs a right hand underneath Rask's ribcage. Rask let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Troyer unloads a knee to the mid-section. Rask lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Rask wants to stall.
Rask wants to break the clinch but can't.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Troyer escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Troyer connects with a looping right hand.

Troyer drives through with a takedown into guard.
Rask looking to hit a scissor sweep but Troyer is one step ahead there.
Rask is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Troyer preventing the sweep.
Troyer wants to pass the guard but Rask is keeping the position.

Troyer stands up and waves to Rask to follow him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Troyer has a takedown stuffed.

Troyer closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Troyer lands a shot to the body.
Troyer gets underhooks to prevent Rask's takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mikko Rask. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rask wants to break the clinch but can't.
Troyer digs a right hand underneath Rask's ribcage. Rask let out a lung full of air as it connected.

Troyer breaks from the clinch.
Troyer fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

Troyer gets a clinch.
Rask fails to pull guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Troyer tries to pull guard but Rask holds him up against the cage and eventually Troyer drops back down to his feet.
Rask wants to break free but Troyer has control.
Stalling in the clinch from Troyer.

Rask breaks the clinch.
Troyer wants to clinch up but Rask keeps it at a distance.
Rask fails with the takedown
and Troyer counters with a one-two to the body.
Horrible takedown by Rask or perhaps it was just good defense by Troyer which made him look bad.

Troyer gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Troyer escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Troyer fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Rask has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Troyer misses with a series of wild punches.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Desmond Troyer showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Rask's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Troyer throws a series of punches but Rask moves out of range.
Rask tries to clinch but Troyer moves away

and Troyer counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Troyer.
Troyer postures up in Rask's guard and throws a big left but Rask blocks it.
Rask looking for a sweep. Not yet Rask, not yet.
Troyer stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Rask swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Troyer wants to stand and escape but instead Rask has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Troyer wants to control the position but Rask says "no thanks buddy" and passes to half guard.
Desmond Troyer has got the better of the ground game so far.
Rask is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Troyer can't escape the position.
Rask lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Troyer hang on?
Troyer manages to regain half guard. Good work.

Rask wants to work for an arm triangle but Troyer is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Troyer keeping hold of Rask's head, controlling as best he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rask seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.
Rask wants to pass the guard but Troyer is defending well.
Troyer pushes Rask off looking to stand but Rask dives back in and keeps control.
Troyer wants to get back to full guard.
Troyer makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Troyer.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Troyer keeping moving, preventing Rask from controlling successfully.

Troyer wriggles free and stands up.

Troyer closes the distance and clinches.
Troyer scores with a nice hook to the head.
Troyer tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

Troyer pulls guard successfully.
Rask trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rask with a flurry of punches that miss.
Rask loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Rask trying to control the position from guard on top but Troyer is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Troyer pushes Rask off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Desmond Troyer is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Desmond Troyer seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Troyer with a lazy takedown attempt
and Rask counters with a nice body kick.
Rask misses with a takedown attempt
and Troyer counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Troyer fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Mikko Rask has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Rask throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

And that's the end of the fight!
Desmond Troyer comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Troyer has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 26:30
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 27:30
Judge Arvi Lind scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Desmond Troyer!