PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Hermanni Aarnio (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tony Draco (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Aarnio
vs
Draco

184 cm
19
185 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

190 cm
24
195 lbs
3 - 4 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
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 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Hermanni Aarnio!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Tony Draco!
The judges for this bout are Ben Zyskovitsi, Marco Blurström and Roosa Järviläinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The fight stays on the outside here - Aarnio looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Draco throws a series of punches but Aarnio avoids them all with ease.
A punch combination from Draco misses.
Draco fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
No joy there for Draco, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Draco scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Aarnio stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Draco.

Aarnio has managed to clinch.
Draco tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Draco on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Draco blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.

Draco has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Aarnio uses from the top position.

Draco is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Aarnio defends well.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Draco holds on and takes a little breather.
Aarnio would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Aarnio knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Draco on the ground.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Aarnio stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Aarnio wants to clinch up but Draco keeps it at a distance.
Aarnio wants to clinch up but Draco keeps it at a distance.
Draco shoots in but Aarnio avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Aarnio fails in his attempt to clinch.
Aarnio tries to clinch but Draco moves out of range.
Draco stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Draco misses with a few strikes there.
Aarnio tries to close the distance and clinch up but Draco swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Aarnio throws the left hand but Draco avoids the punch easily.
Draco keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Draco misses with a low kick.
A nice leg kick lands there from Draco.
Aarnio doesn't manage to clinch there - Draco circles away.
Aarnio lands with an uppercut that bounces Draco off the cage and back into rage.
Draco looks to land a combination. Aarnio sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Draco lands a jab-cross combination.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Aarnio doesn't manage to clinch there - Draco circles away.
Draco fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Aarnio is breathing heavily.

Aarnio has managed to clinch.
Aarnio lands a body punch.
Aarnio missing with knees to the body.
Aarnio misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Draco.

Draco jumps into guard, dragging Aarnio to the mat.

Draco is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

Draco had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Aarnio defends it easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Draco looking for a guillotine here but Aarnio defends easily.
Aarnio would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

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.

Draco is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Aarnio defends well.
Draco is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Aarnio wants to get up but he can't break Draco's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Draco working for a triangle but Aarnio defends it easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tony Draco dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Aarnio is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Draco scores with a decent looking hook.
Aarnio tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Draco manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Draco fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Draco looks to land a combination but Aarnio avoids it well.
Aarnio fails in his attempt to clinch.
Aarnio tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Draco paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Aarnio tries to close the distance and clinch up but Draco swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Aarnio is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Draco misses with a few strikes there.

Draco throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Aarnio was covering up waiting for the punch and Draco finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Aarnio keeping full guard, as Draco tries to pass.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Aarnio wants to stand and escape but Draco is having none of it.

Draco thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Aarnio wants to get back to his feet but Draco is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Draco content to stall in guard here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.

Draco gets to his feet - Aarnio follows without any prompting.
Draco moves out of range as Aarnio strikes.
Aarnio takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Hermanni Aarnio is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Draco misses with a wild combination.
Aarnio has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Draco.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Draco throws a right hand that Aarnio ducks under and follows up with a left that Aarnio also avoids with ease.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Draco lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Draco lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Aarnio circles away quickly and effectively.
Hermanni Aarnio is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Draco connects with a looping right hand.
Aarnio tries to close the distance and clinch up but Draco swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Hermanni Aarnio seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Draco throws a right and a left that Aarnio avoids nicely.
Aarnio is looking to clinch but Draco is avoiding it.

Draco shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Draco is trying to control the action in half guard but Aarnio is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Draco is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Aarnio doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Draco.
Draco prevents Aarnio from standing back up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Draco controlling the action here.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Aarnio tries to kick Draco off but Draco keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Draco is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Aarnio is just riding it out for now. Draco eventually gives up the hold.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tony Draco showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Draco misses with the combination.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Draco.
Aarnio throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Some wild striking there from Draco.
Aarnio tries to clinch up.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Aarnio tries to close the distance and clinch up but Draco swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Draco swats away the attempt to clinch by Aarnio.
A head kick misses from Aarnio.
Aarnio wants to clinch up but Draco keeps it at a distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Aarnio doesn't manage to clinch there - Draco circles away.
No joy there for Draco, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Draco avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Aarnio tries to close the distance and clinch up but Draco swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Aarnio checks a low kick from Draco.
Draco attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Tony Draco seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Draco avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Aarnio fails in his attempt to clinch.
A chopping leg kick lands by Aarnio.
Aarnio tries to close the distance and clinch but Draco swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Aarnio tries to clinch there but Draco circles away.
Draco is trying hard to land a takedown here. Aarnio sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Draco takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Aarnio tries to clinch but Draco moves out of range.
Aarnio fails with an attempt to clinch.
Aarnio is looking to clinch.
A head kick misses from Aarnio.

That's two 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.
Draco avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Aarnio tries to clinch up.
Draco wants to slow Aarnio down by chopping away at his legs.
Aarnio wants to clinch up but Draco keeps it at a distance.
Draco lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Draco throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Draco's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Draco duly obliges.
Aarnio wants to clinch up but Draco keeps it at a distance.
Aarnio tries to clinch up.
Draco tries to bum rush Aarnio with a series of wild strikes but Aarnio uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Aarnio wants to clinch.
Aarnio tries to clinch up but Draco circles away and keeps his distance.
Aarnio tries to close the distance and clinch but Draco swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Aarnio instigates a clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Aarnio tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Aarnio tries a knee to the head but Draco blocks it.
Draco tries to pull guard but Aarnio won't allow it.
Hermanni Aarnio has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Tony Draco.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Aarnio.
Aarnio missing with knees to the body.
Aarnio throws a punch but it's blocked by Draco.
Aarnio tries to land a knee to the head but misses.

Draco successfully pulls guard.

Draco has his feet on Aarnio's thighs here. He's pushed Aarnio off and worked for a very quick armbar from the bottom! He's flipped onto his stomach and he's cranking hard on the arm! Aarnio screams in pain and taps out! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:48 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Tony Draco!