PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Sulevi Sammalharju (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and John Kicker (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Sammalharju
vs
Kicker

179 cm
21
169 lbs
5 - 3 - 0

178 cm
26
160 lbs
7 - 7 - 0

Good wrestling
Lethal high kicks
Very quick

Decent wrestler
Excellent MT
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Sulevi Sammalharju!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, John Kicker!
The judges for this bout are Marco Blurström, Matti Vanhoillinen and Roosa Järviläinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A telegraphed right hand from Kicker misses the target.
Kicker throws a head kick that misses.

Kicker has closed the distance and engaged Sammalharju in a clinch.
Kicker using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Sammalharju has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Kicker looking to throw knees to the head but Sammalharju is blocking nicely.
Sammalharju is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Kicker is defending well for now.
Kicker scores with a shot to the side of Sammalharju's head.
Sammalharju lands an uppercut.
Kicker pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Kicker lands an uppercut.
Sammalharju pushes Kicker back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Sammalharju lands a body shot in the clinch.
Sammalharju unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Sammalharju lands a body punch in the clinch.
Sammalharju works on Kicker's body with a couple of short punches.
Kicker looks gassed!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Kicker is trying to stall.

Sammalharju breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Sammalharju fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Sammalharju scores with a jab to the body.
Sammalharju feints and then cracks Kicker's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Kicker down.
Sammalharju throws a leg kick which misses Kicker's front leg but catches the back leg as Kicker tries to avoid it.
Kicker avoids the head kick by Sammalharju.
Sammalharju's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Sammalharju duly obliges.

Kicker gets caught flat footed, as Sammalharju shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Sammalharju chips away with some ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sammalharju is working Kicker over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Sammalharju wants to control from the top but Kicker keeps moving.
Sammalharju throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Sammalharju's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Sammalharju accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Sammalharju is pushing down on Kicker's leg trying to pass to half guard. Kicker is fighting to maintain full guard but Sammalharju has managed to sneak the leg through.
Sammalharju thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Kicker's head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Sammalharju is working for a submission of some sort.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Sammalharju is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Kicker sees it coming and defends easily.
Kicker is looking to escape.
Sammalharju throwing shots but Kicker is blocking nicely.
Sammalharju thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Kicker's head.
Kicker tries to get to full guard but Sammalharju has control of the leg.
Sammalharju sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Kicker defending well though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sammalharju missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Sammalharju is trying to control the action in half guard but Kicker is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Sammalharju slips a nice elbow through Kicker's hands, connecting with Kicker's forehead.
Kicker avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Sammalharju.
Kicker wants to get back to full guard but Sammalharju has mounted him!
Kicker in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Sammalharju punishing his opponent with strikes.
Kicker is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.
Sammalharju dominating with strikes here.
Sammalharju cracks Kicker 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.
Sammalharju lands with some strikes.
Sammalharju avoids the attempt from Kicker to control.
Sammalharju scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Sammalharju 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.
Kicker tries to reverse the position but Sammalharju maintains control.
Sammalharju fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Sammalharju landing shots from mount.
Sammalharju is in the full mount, landing strikes.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
BOOM! Sammalharju connects with a massive shot to the dome!
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Kicker can do anything to dispel that myth.
Sammalharju working Kicker over with strikes here.
Sammalharju scoring with strikes but Kicker is staying in there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sulevi Sammalharju dominated that round.
That's time! Sammalharju's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Sammalharju drops Kicker with a straight left! Oh this is bad for Kicker! Sammalharju dives in and starts dropping bombs - the referee has no choice but to step in and save him!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:05 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (strikes). Sulevi Sammalharju!