PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Mika Soutukorva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sergei Klitschko (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Klitschko is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Monster by Skillet. The atmosphere really building for this one as we go over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Soutukorva
vs
Klitschko

177 cm
26
160 lbs
4 - 3 - 0

175 cm
21
157 lbs
7 - 5 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Good chin

Good takedowns
Decent boxing
Knockout power

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 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Mika Soutukorva!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Sergei Klitschko!
The judges for this bout are Arvi Lind, Anni Minnemäki and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Klitschko misses with a left hand
and Soutukorva counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Soutukorva tries for a takedown but Klitschko circles away easily
letting Klitschko counter with a right hand.
Klitschko digs a good hook to Soutukorva's body.
Klitschko fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Soutukorva shoots and misses

and Klitschko counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Soutukorva working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Klitschko.
Klitschko pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Soutukorva is keeping the position for now.
Klitschko trying to control the position from guard on top but Soutukorva is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Sergei Klitschko.
Soutukorva slips under a jab from Klitschko.
Sergei Klitschko seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Klitschko clinches.
Soutukorva blocks an uppercut.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Klitschko jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Soutukorva walks away with a smile on his face. Klitschko gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Soutukorva misses with a takedown attempt
and Klitschko makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mika Soutukorva. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Klitschko moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Soutukorva keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Soutukorva doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Klitschko cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Klitschko lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Soutukorva at a distance.

Klitschko feints and as Soutukorva raises his hands in defense, Klitschko changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Soutukorva tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Soutukorva keeping full guard, as Klitschko tries to pass.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Klitschko connects with a good right hand that stumbles Soutukorva. Soutukorva circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Soutukorva gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Klitschko counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Soutukorva closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Klitschko to the mat! Klitschko manages to get full guard.
Soutukorva trying to control but Klitschko is working from the bottom.
Soutukorva has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Klitschko is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Klitschko stops Soutukorva from getting back to his feet.
Klitschko wants to pass to mount but Soutukorva is defending the position.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Soutukorva wants to get back to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

We're going to have a standup here because Mika Soutukorva wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Soutukorva ducks right into an uppercut from Klitschko.

Klitschko shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Soutukorva is looking to control Klitschko's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Soutukorva avoid being mounted?
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sergei Klitschko dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Soutukorva ducks under a wild hook from Klitschko.
A big right from Klitschko misses.
Klitschko throws a front kick aimed at Soutukorva's knee but Soutukorva avoids it well.
Soutukorva moves out of range of the strikes.
Klitschko tries for a takedown but Soutukorva circles away easily

and Soutukorva holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Klitschko tries to pull guard but Soutukorva holds him up against the cage and eventually Klitschko drops back down to his feet.
Klitschko fails to pull guard.
Mika Soutukorva has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Sergei Klitschko.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Klitschko is fighting off a takedown attempt but Soutukorva is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Klitschko to the mat. Klitschko regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
Klitschko looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Soutukorva throws a strike but Klitschko rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Klitschko pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Soutukorva is keeping the position for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Klitschko trying to control the position from guard on top but Soutukorva is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Sergei Klitschko.
Klitschko misses with an uppercut.
Klitschko misses with a wild body shot.

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.
Klitschko tries to bum rush Soutukorva with a series of wild strikes but Soutukorva uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Soutukorva slips under a jab.
Klitschko misses with an uppercut.
Soutukorva with a lazy takedown attempt
and Klitschko counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Klitschko swings for the body but Soutukorva moves out of range.
Soutukorva has his takedown stuffed
and Klitschko counters with a nice body shot.
Klitschko throws a right hand that misses

and Soutukorva counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Klitschko's guard now.
Klitschko trying to control the position.
Soutukorva thows a big elbow that misses.
Soutukorva with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Soutukorva lands a couple of digs.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Klitschko wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Soutukorva preventing the sweep.
Klitschko is pulling down on Soutukorva's head. It's preventing any offense from Soutukorva, at least for the moment.
Klitschko tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Soutukorva postures up.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Sergei Klitschko hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Soutukorva takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Soutukorva tries for a takedown but Klitschko circles away easily

and Klitschko counters with a single leg into guard. Soutukorva didn't expect that.
Soutukorva wants to get back to his feet but he's too absorbed in his own little project and Klitschko manages to pass to side control.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Soutukorva is looking for a sweep. Klitschko is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Soutukorva is trying to stand.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Klitschko gets the takedown into side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Sergei Klitschko will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Klitschko shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Soutukorva counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.

Klitschko has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Soutukorva can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Klitschko seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Soutukorva won't allow Klitschko to sweep him here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Klitschko is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

Klitschko is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.
Soutukorva goes for a takedown attempt but Klitschko pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

Soutukorva shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Klitschko manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Klitschko is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Soutukorva is controlling him.
Klitschko tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Klitschko keeping full guard, as Soutukorva tries to pass.
Soutukorva stopping the sweep attempt from Klitschko.

Klitschko is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.
Klitschko takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Klitschko jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Soutukorva walks away with a smile on his face. Klitschko gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Klitschko throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Soutukorva takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Soutukorva tries for a takedown but Klitschko circles away easily
and Klitschko counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Soutukorva thinking.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Klitschko stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Klitschko wants it to stay on the feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mika Soutukorva. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Klitschko decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

Soutukorva manages to escape and get back to his feet!

Klitschko moves into the clinch.
A short left from Klitschko.

Soutukorva ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Soutukorva no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Soutukorva has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Mika Soutukorva wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Soutukorva fails with the takedown
and Klitschko counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Soutukorva with a lazy takedown attempt
and Klitschko counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Soutukorva with a poor takedown
and Klitschko counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Soutukorva thinking.
Soutukorva takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Klitschko ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Soutukorva moves away.

Klitschko throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Soutukorva was covering up waiting for the punch and Klitschko finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Klitschko passes into half guard.
Sergei Klitschko is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Klitschko trying to control the action but Soutukorva is working from the bottom.
Klitschko is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.

And that's the end of the fight!
Sergei Klitschko comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Klitschko 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 Arvi Lind scores the fight 27:30
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 27:30
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Sergei Klitschko!