PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Muru Aalto (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jimmy Harrison (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Muru Aalto has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Aalto
vs
Harrison

175 cm
27
160 lbs
3 - 4 - 0

150 cm
19
160 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent knees
Granite chin

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 3 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Muru Aalto!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Jimmy Harrison!
The judges for this bout are Roosa Järviläinen, Matti Vanhoillinen and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Aalto circles away from the clinch attempt.
Harrison tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Harrison displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Aalto throws out the jab.
Aalto pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
The fighters circling - Aalto throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Aalto missing with a left hand there. Harrison was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Aalto blocks a head kick by Harrison.
Aalto misses with an uppercut.
Aalto misses with a hook
and Harrison counters with a big head kick but Aalto shrugs it off.
Aalto lands with a hook. Harrison tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Harrison uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Aalto.
Harrison keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Aalto.
Aalto cracks Harrison with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Muru Aalto seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Harrison takes a jab right on the kisser.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Aalto thows a left - swing and a miss!
Aalto misses with a straight right.
Harrison lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Aalto misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Aalto throws a hook but Harrison blocks it.
Harrison tries to close the distance and clinch but Aalto swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Aalto swings widly with a right hand

and Harrison moves into the clinch.
Aalto tries to circle away but Harrison has him pinned against the cage.
Aalto is trying to push Harrison away but Harrison has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Harrison unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Aalto wants to get back to striking at distance but Harrison won't allow it.
We're hearing some news coming in from back stage. It's official - Harrison has eaten all the pies!
Harrison prevents Aalto from breaking the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Harrison throws a knee to the head but misses.

Harrison breaks the clinch.
Harrison moves forwards but Aalto connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Harrison throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Aalto's head.
Aalto circles away from the clinch attempt.
Aalto looks to throw the jab but Harrison is out of range.
Aalto misses with a straight right.
Aalto is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
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!
Harrison tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Aalto loads up on a big right hand but Harrison slips the punch.
Harrison takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Aalto throws a lazy right hand but Harrison sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Harrison throws a head kick that looked like it stung.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A slow jab from Aalto misses its intended target.
Some wild striking there from Aalto.
Aalto is breathing heavily.
Aalto looks to land a left hand but Harrison moved out of range nicely.
Harrison slips a jab from Aalto.
A looping hook to the body misses from Aalto. Harrison does a little dance to reset his feet.
Harrison ducks under a wild hook from Aalto.
Harrison gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Aalto.
Harrison wants to clinch up but Aalto keeps it at a distance.
Harrison looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Harrison lands a high kick!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Harrison connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Harrison tries to close the distance and clinch but Aalto swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Harrison moves into the clinch successfully.
Harrison unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Harrison is pushing Aalto up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Harrison keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Aalto's efforts to push away.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Harrison landing knees to the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Muru Aalto will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Harrison keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Aalto.
Aalto is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Harrison slips a straight right by Aalto.
Harrison tries to clinch up
and Aalto cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Aalto missing with a left hand there. Harrison was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
The fighters circle momentarily. Aalto darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Harrison blocks a leg kick.
Harrison moves out of range as Aalto strikes.
Aalto lands a jab.
Nice shot lands for Aalto.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The fighters circling - Aalto throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Harrison throws a quick inside leg kick.
Harrison shoots in for a double leg but Aalto sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Aalto misses with an uppercut. Harrison saw that one coming.
Muru Aalto is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Harrison wants to clinch.
Harrison fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Aalto looks to throw the jab but Harrison is out of range.

Harrison closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Aalto is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Aalto is trying to break the clinch but Harrison has him pressed against the cage.
Aalto tries to break the clinch but Harrison is controlling the position.
Harrison keeps control of Aalto as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Harrison trying to land knees to the body.
Harrison is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Aalto pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Muru Aalto has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jimmy Harrison.
Aalto on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Aalto can't break the clinch.
Harrison keeps control of Aalto as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
A frustrated look appears on Aalto's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Harrison landing knees to the body.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Harrison pressing his opponent against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harrison trying to land knees to the body.
Aalto wants to break the clinch but can't.
Harrison prevents Aalto from breaking the clinch.
Harrison is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Aalto is defending well for now.
Harrison landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Harrison keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Aalto's efforts to push away.
Aalto is trying to break the clinch but Harrison has him pressed against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Harrison prevents Aalto from breaking the clinch.
Aalto prevents the takedown attempt.

Harrison's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Muru Aalto is winning the standup battle so far.
Harrison uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Aalto.
Harrison slips a jab from Aalto.
Aalto lands a jab to the head.
Aalto throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Harrison sees it coming and avoids it easily.
The fight stays on the outside here - Harrison looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Harrison will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Aalto lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Muru Aalto 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. 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.

Harrison doesn't manage to clinch there - Aalto circles away.
Harrison darts in trying to clinch
and Harrison takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Harrison misses with a right hand
and Aalto connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Harrison moves out of range of the strikes.
The fight stays on the outside here - Harrison looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Aalto is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Harrison.
Harrison tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Aalto paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Harrison moves out of range of the strikes.
Aalto misses with a few strikes there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A slow jab from Aalto misses its intended target.
Harrison displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Aalto throws out the jab.
Harrison tries to clinch but Aalto is having none of it.
Aalto throws an overhand right that lands on Harrison's shoulder, as Harrison tries to avoid the shot.
Some wild striking there from Aalto.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Aalto waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Harrison.
A telegraphed right hand from Aalto misses the target.
A swing and a miss from Aalto.
Harrison tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Aalto manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Aalto throws the left hand but Harrison avoids the punch easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Harrison blocks a jab.
Aalto avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Harrison shoots in but no luck this time.
Harrison fails with an attempt to clinch.

Harrison closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Aalto wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Aalto wants to break the clinch but can't.
Aalto is trying to push Harrison away but Harrison has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Aalto on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Harrison using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.

Harrison breaks the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A jab from Aalto misses.
Nice defenses there by Harrison.
Aalto throws a lazy right hand but Harrison sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Harrison bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Aalto uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Harrison has time to react.
Harrison tries to close the distance and clinch up but Aalto swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Harrison tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Aalto counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Harrison fails with an attempt to clinch.
Muru Aalto is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Aalto connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Harrison moves in looking to clinch but Aalto pushes him off.

Harrison clinches up against the cage.
Harrison trying to land knees to the body.
Harrison tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Aalto avoids it.
Aalto is trying to force a seperation but Harrison has the dominant position.
Harrison working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Harrison effectively controlling the action here.
Jimmy Harrison has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Aalto managing to block the knees to the body from Harrison.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Muru Aalto.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Aalto, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 28:29
Judge Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 30:27
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Muru Aalto!