PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Alex Marchione (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Etunimi Sukunimi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Marchione
vs
Sukunimi

177 cm
20
175 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

188 cm
21
180 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Alex Marchione!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Etunimi Sukunimi!
The judges for this bout are Tarja Halkonen, Matti Vanhoillinen and Arvi Lind.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sukunimi lands a nice leg kick that just misses Marchione's sensitive parts.
Marchione tries to score a power double leg takedown but Sukunimi sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Marchione somewhat.
Sukunimi tries a head kick but it misses.
Sukunimi closes the distance but Marchione moves to the side
and Marchione counters with a lovely straight right hand!

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Marchione wants a takedown but no success here.
Marchione changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Sukunimi fights it off and pushes away nicely.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Alex Marchione. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A slapping leg kick lands for Sukunimi.
Sukunimi lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sukunimi is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Alex Marchione seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Sukunimi dodges the punch combination from Marchione.
Sukunimi misses with a head kick.
Sukunimi tries to clinch but Marchione moves out of range.
Marchione ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Sukunimi thumps Marchione with a low kick.
Marchione shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Sukunimi sprawls well. Sukunimi wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Marchione gets slowly back to his feet.
Both fighters circling a little - Sukunimi finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Marchione tries to land a front kick but Sukunimi steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Sukunimi moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Marchione throws a lazy uppercut
and Sukunimi counters with a nice leg kick.
Sukunimi throws a leg kick which misses Marchione's front leg but catches the back leg as Marchione tries to avoid it.
Sukunimi stuffs the takedown attempt from Marchione. Marchione gets slowly back to his feet.
Sukunimi cracks the inside of Marchione's front leg.
Sukunimi with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Marchione throws a half hearted mid kick.
Sukunimi lands a front kick.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Marchione moves out of range of the body kick from Sukunimi.
Sukunimi tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marchione throws a hook but Sukunimi avoids it easily.

Marchione moves into the clinch.
Marchione prevents Sukunimi from breaking the clinch.
Sukunimi wants to break the clinch but can't.

Marchione pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Sukunimi stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Sukunimi wants it to stay on the feet.
Sukunimi tries to clinch but Marchione is having none of it.
Marchione throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Sukunimi.
A combination from Marchione does no damage.
Marchione looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Sukunimi misses with a head kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Marchione will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Sukunimi is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Sukunimi plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Sukunimi tries to clinch but Marchione is having none of it.
Sukunimi lands with a thumping leg kick.
Sukunimi throws a head kick that misses.
Marchione throws a body kick, spinning off balance
and Sukunimi counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Horrible takedown by Marchione or perhaps it was just good defense by Sukunimi which made him look bad.
Sukunimi scores with a push kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Marchione keeps the fight on the outside.
Sukunimi scores with a kick to the body.
Sukunimi misses with a head kick.
Sukunimi throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Marchione shoots in for a double leg but Sukunimi sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Marchione throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Sukunimi's waist but Sukunimi gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Marchione off to one side.
Marchione misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Alex Marchione. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A looping hook to the body misses from Marchione. Sukunimi does a little dance to reset his feet.
Sukunimi lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Sukunimi is looking to clinch but Marchione is avoiding it.
Sukunimi looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Marchione fails with the takedown.
Sukunimi plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Sukunimi wants to clinch
and Marchione counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Sukunimi misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Marchione takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.
Sukunimi is breathing heavily.
Marchione takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Sukunimi fails with an attempt to clinch.
A combination from Marchione does no damage.
Sukunimi throws a head kick that misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sukunimi misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Sukunimi is looking to clinch.

Sukunimi moves into the clinch successfully.
Marchione is working for takedown but Sukunimi is calmly controlling the position for now.
Sukunimi with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Marchione wants a takedown but no success here.

Marchione gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Sukunimi regains guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Sukunimi scrambles and gets back to his feet.
Marchione fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Etunimi Sukunimi seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Marchione throws a right hand that Sukunimi ducks under and follows up with a left that Sukunimi also avoids with ease.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marchione looks to land a combination. Sukunimi sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Marchione swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Etunimi Sukunimi is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Sukunimi tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Sukunimi takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Marchione throws a series of punches but Sukunimi avoids them all with ease.

Marchione scores with a takedown into Sukunimi's guard.
Marchione showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

Marchione is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sukunimi being controlled here, momentarily.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Marchione won't allow Sukunimi to sweep him here.
Marchione sitting in guard, not really doing much.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alex Marchione dominated that second round.
That's time! Marchione's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Sukunimi throws out a leg kick but Marchione moves out of range and Sukunimi only half commits.
Marchione lands a jab to Sukunimi's midsection.
Marchione misses with a hook.
Marchione fails with the takedown.
Marchione will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Marchione connects with a high kick.
No joy there for Marchione, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Sukunimi stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Sukunimi wants it to stay on the feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Alex Marchione. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Marchione looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Sukunimi is fending him off so far but Marchione persists. Nope, Sukunimi circles away and we're back to standing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sukunimi wants to clinch.
Sukunimi is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Sukunimi misses with a head kick.
Marchione fails with a takedown attempt.
Sukunimi pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Marchione is looking to wear down Sukunimi with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Sukunimi tries to close the distance and clinch up but Marchione swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Marchione forces Sukunimi back against the cage and clinches.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Marchione tries to score a body lock takedown but Sukunimi shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Sukunimi looking to stall.
Marchione is working for takedown but Sukunimi is calmly controlling the position for now.
Marchione is looking to break free of the clinch but Sukunimi has double underhooks.
Marchione is trying to push Sukunimi away but Sukunimi has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.

Sukunimi breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Marchione shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Sukunimi defends it nicely.
Sukunimi tries to close the distance and clinch but Marchione swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Marchione is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sukunimi tries to clinch there but Marchione circles away.
Horrible takedown by Marchione or perhaps it was just good defense by Sukunimi which made him look bad.
Sukunimi misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Marchione shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Sukunimi keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Sukunimi is looking to clinch but Marchione is avoiding it.
Sukunimi lands with a slapping head kick.
Marchione throws a half hearted mid kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sukunimi fails with an attempt to clinch.
Marchione throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Sukunimi's waist but Sukunimi gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Marchione off to one side.
Sukunimi throws a head kick that half lands.
Marchione fails to land with a series of punches.
Marchione dives in and grabs Sukunimi's left leg, looking for a takedown. Sukunimi pushes down on Marchione's head and hops out.
Sukunimi lands a nice looking kick to the body. Marchione takes a step back to recover.
Sukunimi throws a head kick that misses.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Sukunimi tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Marchione is trying hard to land a takedown here. Sukunimi sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Marchione walks forward, straight into a front kick from Sukunimi.

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 Alex Marchione.
I think Marchione has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 29:28
Judge Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 29:28
Judge Arvi Lind scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Alex Marchione!