PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Rashawn Curry (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Benjamin Nappula (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Nappula is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Los Mandados. Both fighters look pumped up here. Let's hope this is a good fight!

Curry
vs
Nappula

180 cm
23
195 lbs
7 - 5 - 0

188 cm
27
196 lbs
6 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Great low kicks
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

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 7 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Rashawn Curry!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Benjamin Nappula!
The judges for this bout are Arvi Lind, Marco Blurström and Roosa Järviläinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Curry misses with a head kick.
Curry closes the distance and clinches up with Nappula, looking for a takedown. Curry pushes Nappula against the cage but Nappula circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Curry slips under a jab.
Nappula is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Curry.
Nappula lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Curry circles away quickly and effectively.

Curry shoots in and gets a takedown into Nappula's guard.
Curry slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Curry looking to pass the guard.

Curry thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Nappula working a defensive guard here.
Curry scoring with punches to the head and body.
Curry tries to free his leg and advance position but Nappula is retaining full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Curry postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Nappula wants to stand but Curry is controlling the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Nappula can't keep his opponent in guard - Curry advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Curry working the head and body with strikes.
Nappula really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Curry. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Curry missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Curry lands with a punch from half guard.

Curry is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Nappula has managed to free his arm - good work.
Nappula is not content to let Curry control the position.

Curry is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Curry throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Curry 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.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nappula tries to roll over but Curry keeps him under control.

Curry is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Curry trying to control the action but Nappula is working from the bottom.
Curry tries to pass to full mount but Nappula defends it.
Nappula tries to kick Curry off but Curry keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Curry has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Curry scoring with strikes but Nappula is staying in there.
Curry is in the full mount, landing strikes.

Curry is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Nappula to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Nappula shrugs it off.
Nappula tries to buck Curry off but he can't manage it.
Nappula looks gassed!
Curry tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.

Curry is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Nappula to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Nappula shrugs it off.
Curry lands a nice shot to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Curry is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Curry scoring with strikes but Nappula is staying in there.
Curry looking to control and managing it successfully.
Curry pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Curry lands a big shot there that rocks Nappula but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Curry in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Curry unloading with bombs!
Curry raining down hammerfists from mount.
Curry lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Nappula taking shots to the head.
Curry lands a nice shot to the head.
Curry content just to control the position here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rashawn Curry dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Nappula feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Currys jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Nice shot by Nappula.
Nappula throws a right and a left that both miss.
Curry throws a nice inside leg kick.
Curry connects with a high kick.
Nappula throws a lazy uppercut

and Curry counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

Curry seems to be working for a kimura but Nappula defends the submission attempt.
Curry throwing shots but Nappula is blocking nicely.
Nappula is breathing heavily.
Curry working Nappula over with strikes.
Curry not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Curry wants to pass to mount but Nappula is defending the position.
Curry not landing any meaningful shots this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Curry in particular looking to stall.
Nappula wants to improve his position but Curry is controlling well.
Curry lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Nappula is staying active underneath Curry, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Curry moves nicely into side control.
Curry cracks Nappula with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Curry lands some shots froms side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Curry trying to control the position but Nappula is working away.
Nappula on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Curry trying to control the action but Nappula is working from the bottom.
Curry landing strikes.
Nappula tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Curry lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Nappula down.
Curry connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Nappula some visible discomfort.

Curry is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Nappula has escaped the position, nice work there.
Nappula is not in a great position here, taking some shots.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Curry connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Nappula some visible discomfort.
Curry grinds an elbow into Nappula's temple.
Nappula wants to get back to his feet but Curry drags him back down.
Check out the look on Curry's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Nappula can't do much from the bottom here.
Curry scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Nappula to see if he's OK.
Curry trying to control the position but Nappula is working away.
Nappula taking a bit of punishment here - Curry scoring with strikes.
Nappula takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Curry trying to control the action but Nappula is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Curry grinds an elbow into Nappula's temple.
Curry wants to control but Nappula is keeping him busy.
Curry is chipping away with strikes.

Curry tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Curry has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Check out the look on Curry's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Curry lands some shots froms side control.
Rashawn Curry overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Nappula takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rashawn Curry dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Good leg kick by Curry there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Curry moves out of range of the strikes.
Curry lands with a slapping head kick.
An inside leg kick lands from Curry.
Curry fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Nappula jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Curry, right into the meat.
A head kick from Curry lands but Nappula takes it in his stride.
Curry is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Nappula can do to turn this around?
Curry lets loose with a powerful body kick. Nappula will feel that in the morning.
Nappula throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Nappula rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Curry moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Curry scores with a leg kick.
Curry thumps Nappula with a low kick.
Nappula misses with a hook. Curry ducked under it nicely.
Curry connects with a leg kick. Nappula looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Nappula takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Curry scores with a head kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Curry throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Nappula.
Curry chopping away at his opponent's legs.

Curry looking to score a takedown here. Nappula is defending well but Curry drives through and ends up in Nappula's guard.
Curry makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Curry postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Curry lands a couple of digs.
Curry passes Nappula's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Curry is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Curry passes to full mount!
BOOM! Curry connects with a massive shot to the dome!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Curry with a couple of short strikes.
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!
BOOM! Curry connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Curry landing strikes from the mount.
Curry landing strikes, looking to finish!
Nappula is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Curry controlling his opponent.

Curry jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Nappula manages to avoid the submission attempt.
Curry scoring with punches and elbows.
Curry scoring with punches from side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Curry cracks Nappula with a big elbow.
Curry scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Nappula to see if he's OK.
Curry advances nicely into full mount.
Curry takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Curry landing strikes from the mount and Nappula is in trouble!
Curry looking to control but Nappula is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Curry looking to finish Nappula with some ground and pound. This is bad for Nappula!
Curry lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Curry in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Curry lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.

Curry working for a submission but Nappula is keeping him at bay.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Curry is giving the impression that he's looking to ground and pound but he switches suddenly into a beautiful far side armbar! Nappula is forced to tap! Great finish!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:33 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Rashawn Curry!