PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Haya Oku (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Raiskari Raimo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Haya Oku has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Oku
vs
Raimo

197 cm
22
211 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

184 cm
19
215 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

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 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Haya Oku!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Raiskari Raimo!
The judges for this bout are Yuuki Gou, Shigeki Fujiwara and Hirohito Nitta.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Raimo fails with the takedown.

Raimo shoots in and bounces Oku off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Oku is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Oku looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Raimo trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Oku trying to control the position.
Raimo trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Raimo wants to control from the top but Oku keeps moving.
Raimo tries to free his leg and advance position but Oku is retaining full guard.
Raimo controls from within his opponent's guard.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Raimo shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Oku pinned against the cage. Oku gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Raimo looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Oku!
Oku is working to get back to half guard.
Raimo landing shots from mount.
Raimo looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Oku is squirming around, avoiding Raimo's attempts to control the action.
Oku is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Oku regains half guard.
Oku gets full guard.
Raimo wants to control from the top but Oku keeps moving.
Oku will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Oku manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Raimo keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Oku pushing the pace here, looking to move to his opponents back and work for a finish.
Raimo wants to hold on but Oku pushes him away.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Raimo is looking to get to half guard.
Oku sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Oku is breathing heavily.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Raimo wants to hold on but Oku pushes him away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Raimo is squirming around, avoiding Oku's attempts to control the action.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Raimo is in all sorts of trouble here.
Oku looking to control and managing it successfully.
Oku prevents Raimo from getting the reversal.
Oku blocks Raimo's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Raimo wants to control but Oku is having none of it.
Raimo is trying to escape the mount.

Oku get's back to his feet.

Oku looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Oku seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Raimo does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Raimo is trying to control but can't.
Raimo tries to roll over but Oku keeps him under control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Raimo is looking to control Oku's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Raimo avoid being mounted?
Raimo tries to get to full guard but Oku has control of the leg.
Raimo lands with a few short shots to the body.
Raimo is trying to maintain the position but Oku is very close to passing his half guard.
Raimo is looking to improve his position.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Oku misses with a body kick.
Haya Oku seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Raimo gets a takedown into half guard.
Raimo scoring with strikes to the body and head.

Raimo is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Oku doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Raimo.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Raimo scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Raiskari Raimo will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Oku tries to keep at a distance but Raimo has taken the fight into the clinch.
Oku gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Raimo.
Raimo goes for a takedown attempt but Oku pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

Raimo gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Raimo striking from the bottom.
Raimo is trying to keep Oku in close.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Raimo wants to sweep here but Oku controlling him for the moment.
Oku showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Raimo.

Raimo has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.

Raimo bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
The ground and pound from Raimo seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Raimo tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Raimo fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Raimo trying to control the action but Oku is working from the bottom.
Raimo tries to advance to mount but Oku instead regains half guard.
Raimo throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Raimo seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Oku does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Oku wants to improve his position but Raimo is controlling well.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Oku shoots and misses

and Raimo counters with a single leg into guard. Oku didn't expect that.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Raimo wants to control from the top but Oku keeps moving.
Oku bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Raimo's guard.
Raimo keeping moving, preventing Oku from controlling successfully.
Raimo trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Oku's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Oku pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Raimo is keeping the position for now.

Raimo had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Oku is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Raimo Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Oku's back instead.
Raimo connects with a series of strikes and the referee is calling for Oku to escape the position.
Oku is covering up but some of the strikes from Raimo are getting through and doing damage.
You can see the frustration on Oku's face… He knows he is in trouble unless he improves his position sooner rather than later.
Raimo lands a shot to the body.
Raimo lands with a couple of good shots - one to the side of the head and one questionable shot that could be viewed as to the back of the head but the referee lets it go.
I really don't envy Oku right now.
Raimo struggling to keep hold of the position.
Oku is trying to break free.
Raimo trying to control momentarily.
Raimo punishes Oku with strikes from the back mount.
Watch the back of the head! Comes the shout from the referee towards Raimo.
Raimo throwing damaging strikes from the back! Oku could be in trouble here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Raimo lands a punch that was close to the back of the head but the ref thinks it's OK.
Raimo lands with a nice looking elbow that stuns Oku.
Raiskari Raimo has got the better of the ground game so far.
Raimo looking to soften up his opponent with punches.
Raimo is looking to finish with some ground and pound!
Raimo is working the ground and pound. Can Oku escape?
Raimo scores with punches from the back.
Raimo lands strikes to the head.
Raimo is not going to allow Oku to sit and survive in this position.
Oku is keeping busy.
Oku is covering up but some of the strikes from Raimo are getting through and doing damage.
Oku tries to escape the position.
Raimo trying desperately to keep hold of the dominant position.
Oku tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Raiskari Raimo showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Oku shoots in and bounces Raimo off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Raimo has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Oku has passed into side control.
Raimo gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Raimo missing with punches from the bottom.
Raimo tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Raimo is pressing down on Oku's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.

Raimo working for a triangle but Oku defends it easily.
Raimo trying to keep a closed guard but Oku is proving a slippery customer.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Oku accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Raimo keeping moving, preventing Oku from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Oku is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Raimo manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Oku manages to get himself to full guard.
Raimo stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Oku swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Raimo lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Raimo trying to control but Oku is working from the bottom.
Raimo lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Oku avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Raimo postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Oku keeping full guard, as Raimo tries to pass.

Oku has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Raimo can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Raimo scoring with punches to the head and body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Oku has control of Raimo's left arm, preventing Raimo from doing any damage.
Oku bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Raimo's guard.
Oku slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Raimo is trying to control the position but Oku postures up.

Oku stands up from Raimo's guard - Oku perhaps looking for a knockout.
Raimo checks a leg kick nicely.
Oku pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Oku swings widly with a right hand
and Raimo counters with a nice uppercut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Oku darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Raimo moves into full guard.
Oku passes into half guard.
Oku is controlling the pace.
Oku works his way into full mount!
Oku blocks Raimo's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Oku blocks Raimo's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Raimo keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Raimo is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Raimo regains half guard.
Raimo is looking to control Oku's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Raimo avoid being mounted?

Oku wants to work for an arm triangle but Raimo is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Raimo wants to improve his position but Oku is controlling well.
Oku slows the pace down in half guard.
Raimo is pressing down on Oku's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.

Raimo had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Oku is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Raimo Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Oku's back instead.
Oku avoids the strikes from Raimo.

And that's the end of the fight!
Haya Oku showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Raimo has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Yuuki Gou scores the fight 28:29
Judge Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 28:29
Judge Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Raiskari Raimo!