PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Gala Zar (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ville rantanen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ville rantanen has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Gala Zar's chin.

Zar
vs
rantanen

200 cm
18
217 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

194 cm
20
190 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Prefers standup

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

recos laboratory
Valhalla War Gear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Gala Zar!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Ville rantanen!
The judges for this bout are Marco Blurström, Roosa Järviläinen and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
rantanen shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
rantanen tries to clinch up but Zar circles away and keeps his distance.
Zar throws a low kick but it's checked well by rantanen.

Excellent takedown into side control there by rantanen.
rantanen is trying to move to mount but Zar reverses beautifully and ends up in rantanen's guard.
rantanen is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
rantanen tries to land a sweep but no joy.
rantanen pulls Zar in close to prevent any damage.
Zar is stalling in the full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
rantanen controls Zar momentarily but Zar frees himself.
Zar not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Zar stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. rantanen swivels though and keeps the full guard.

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.
rantanen trying to keep a closed guard but Zar is proving a slippery customer.
Zar not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
rantanen is striking from the bottom but Zar uses the opportunity to pass into half guard.
rantanen wants to get back to his feet.
rantanen looks gassed!
rantanen tries to regain full guard. Instead though, Zar has advanced to mount. Uh oh.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
rantanen tries to lock up and control but Zar gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
rantanen can't escape the position.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Zar trying to control but he's not successful this time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Zar controlling his opponent.
rantanen is looking to get to half guard.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Ville rantanen will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

A combination from Zar does no damage.
Zar looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Gala Zar seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Zar throws a sloppy head kick and rantanen moves out of range easily.
Zar misses with a few strikes there.

rantanen changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Zar looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.

rantanen tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
rantanen sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Zar is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Zar pushes rantanen away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, rantanen gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
rantanen is breathing heavily.
rantanen tries to advance to mount but Zar instead regains half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
rantanen stops Zar from getting back to his feet.
rantanen is trying to get back to his feet now but his leg is trapped.
rantanen trying to control from Zar's half guard. Zar has other ideas though and has regained full guard.
Zar is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
rantanen trying to control but Zar is working from the bottom.
Zar keeping full guard, as rantanen tries to pass.

That's two 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.
rantanen passes into half guard.

rantanen is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
rantanen is looking to take a break and control but Zar is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

rantanen seems to be working for a kimura but Zar defends the submission attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
rantanen controlling the action here.
rantanen not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
rantanen throwing shots but Zar is blocking nicely.
rantanen content to control rather than advance.

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.
rantanen missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Zar is looking to improve his position.
rantanen is just content to waste time from the top position. Zar takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
rantanen throwing strikes from guard but Zar blocks nicely.

rantanen gets to his feet - Zar follows without any prompting.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ville rantanen showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Zar's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Zar scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Gala Zar is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
rantanen wants to clinch.
Zar misses with a two punch combination.
Zar scores with a punch to the head.
rantanen shoots for a double leg takedown but Zar sprawls well. He's pushed rantanen's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Zar tries a head kick but it misses.
Zar with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Zar connects with a single shot there.
Zar misses with a double jab.
A leg kick checked by rantanen.
Zar misses with a two punch combination.
rantanen scores with a kick to the midsection.
Zar stuffs the takedown attempt from rantanen. rantanen gets slowly back to his feet.

Zar rushes rantanen and presses him up against the cage.
A short right from Zar on the inside.

Zar manages to break the clinch.
Zar tries to clinch but rantanen moves away

and rantanen counters with a shoot takedown. Zar fights it but they end up in guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

rantanen gets to his feet. Zar looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
rantanen takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
rantanen looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Zar is fending him off so far but rantanen persists. Nope, Zar circles away and we're back to standing.
Gala Zar has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ville rantanen.
A nice inside leg kick there by Zar. That's going to slow rantanen down.
Zar moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Zar tries to clinch but fails miserably

and rantanen counters by moving into the clinch.
Zar wants to get back to striking at distance but rantanen won't allow it.

rantanen breaks the clinch.
Zar takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Zar swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
rantanen tries to clinch
and Zar cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Zar swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and rantanen counters with a shoot takedown. Zar fights it but they end up in guard.
Zar is pulling down on rantanen's head to control his posture.
rantanen is looking to stand up but Zar won't let him.

rantanen decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Zar throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and rantanen counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Zar is lucky that one didn't land flush.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Zar moves into the clinch.

Zar breaks the clinch.
Zar moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Zar scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. rantanen doesn't seem bothered though.
rantanen blocks a head kick by Zar.
Zar closes the distance but rantanen moves to the side

and rantanen counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Zar wants to stand but rantanen is controlling the position.
rantanen is looking to stand up but Zar won't let him.
rantanen trying to control but Zar is working from the bottom.
rantanen sitting in guard here, content to control.
Zar wants to stand and escape but rantanen is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Zar is working an open guard so rantanen takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
rantanen tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Zar throws a series of strikes that have rantanen backpedaling.
Zar throws a lazy head kick

and rantanen counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Zar won't allow rantanen to pass to mount.
Zar trying to control here.
rantanen missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
rantanen is looking to take a break and control but Zar is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
rantanen thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

rantanen is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Zar doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time rantanen.
rantanen takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
rantanen wants to pass the guard but Zar is defending well.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

rantanen fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Zar sprawls well initially but rantanen persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Gala Zar has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Zar is defending against the submission attempts here by rantanen.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ville rantanen comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got rantanen winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Marco Blurström scores the fight 27:30
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 27:30
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 28:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ville rantanen!