PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Guido Valutekitaja (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Keijo Kurko (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Valutekitaja comes to the cage accompanied by PIzazz - Gonna Give It To Ya!. Keijo Kurko is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Valutekitaja
vs
Kurko

182 cm
18
180 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

185 cm
21
184 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

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 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Guido Valutekitaja!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Keijo Kurko!
The judges for this bout are Paulo Santos, Thiago Cunha and Mauricio Rocha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Valutekitaja closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Kurko dodges the ground and pound from Valutekitaja.
Kurko struggling a bit here.
Valutekitaja cracks Kurko with a big right hand but Kurko just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.

Valutekitaja decides to stand up, so the ref orders Kurko to his feet.
Kurko with a poor takedown

so Valutekitaja counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Valutekitaja passes Kurko's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Valutekitaja trying to control the action but Kurko is working from the bottom.
Valutekitaja thows a huge punch but Kurko dodges it nicely.
Kurko is trying to stand up here but Valutekitaja is controlling him well.
Valutekitaja scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Valutekitaja sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Kurko defending well though.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Valutekitaja in particular looking to stall.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Valutekitaja trying to pass the guard but Kurko defending well.
Valutekitaja wants to lay and pray for a moment but Kurko keeps working.
Kurko on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Valutekitaja throwing shots but Kurko is blocking nicely.
Valutekitaja wants to control but Kurko is keeping him busy.
Kurko trying to control but Valutekitaja postures up.
Valutekitaja working the head and body with strikes.
Kurko tries to get to full guard but Valutekitaja has control of the leg.
Kurko looks gassed!

That's two 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.
Kurko is staying active underneath Valutekitaja, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Valutekitaja in particular looking to stall.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Valutekitaja is trying to work for a kimura but Kurko is defending well.
Kurko trying to hold on to Valutekitaja's head to control him but Valutekitaja postures up.
Valutekitaja controlling the pace.
Valutekitaja is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Valutekitaja throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Valutekitaja wants to lay and pray for a moment but Kurko keeps working.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Valutekitaja throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Still in half guard, Valutekitaja seems content to control.
Kurko is refusing to be controlled, as Valutekitaja sits in half guard.
Kurko avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Valutekitaja.
Valutekitaja is pressing down on Kurko's thigh, looking to free his foot. Kurko is holding on for now.
Valutekitaja is stalling here. Kurko is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Valutekitaja seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Kurko has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Kurko fails with the takedown

and Valutekitaja counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Valutekitaja passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Kurko!
Valutekitaja lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Valutekitaja looking to control but Kurko is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Kurko slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Kurko has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Valutekitaja is working away from the top position though.
Valutekitaja thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Kurko's head.
Valutekitaja winds up and cracks Kurko with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Valutekitaja throwing shots but Kurko is blocking nicely.
Kurko moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Kurko is on top in guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Kurko trying to control but Valutekitaja is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Valutekitaja shoots and misses

so Kurko counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.

Valutekitaja pushes Kurko off and scrambles back to his feet.
Valutekitaja shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Kurko counters with a nice double leg into side control. Valutekitaja won't be happy with that.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Valutekitaja gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Valutekitaja is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Valutekitaja is looking to get full guard. It looks like he might be successful but at the last minute Kurko jumps into side control!
Kurko is looking to take a break and control but Valutekitaja is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Kurko is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Valutekitaja knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Valutekitaja stops Kurko from passing to mount.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Valutekitaja wants to control but Kurko postures up.
Valutekitaja is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Kurko is controlling him well.

Kurko tries for a kimura but Valutekitaja is defending well.
Valutekitaja holding on.
Kurko trying to control the position but Valutekitaja is working away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Kurko is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.

Valutekitaja scores with a takedown into Kurko's guard.
Valutekitaja trying to control but Kurko is working from the bottom.
Valutekitaja tries to free his leg and advance position but Kurko is retaining full guard.
Valutekitaja content to stall in guard here.
Kurko is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kurko wants to sweep here but Valutekitaja controlling him for the moment.
Valutekitaja with a flurry of punches that miss.
Valutekitaja chips away with some ground and pound.
Kurko looking for a sweep. Not yet Kurko, not yet.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Valutekitaja shoots and misses
and Kurko counters with a three punch combo that has Valutekitaja backing up. Valutekitaja nods at Kurko to acknowledge the strikes.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Guido Valutekitaja. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Valutekitaja doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Kurko counters with a big head kick but Valutekitaja shrugs it off.

Kurko bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.

Kurko is working for what looks like an arm triangle here. Valutekitaja is trying to escape and Kurko transitions quickly into an armbar! He's slapped it on tight and Valutekitaja is forced to tap! Nice work there by Kurko! Very nice indeed!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:02 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Keijo Kurko!