PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Dean Mitchell (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Pekka Pouta (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Mitchell might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Hail Mary Tupac Shakur. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Mitchell
vs
Pouta

180 cm
21
185 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

185 cm
19
195 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Knockout power

Demonic Clothing

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 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Dean Mitchell!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Pekka Pouta!
The judges for this bout are Tatsuya Matsuyama, Hirohito Nitta and Shigeki Sano.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Pouta closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the ropes.
Mitchell prevents the takedown attempt.
Mitchell gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Pouta.
Pouta misses with a knee to the head.
Pouta changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Mitchell fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Dean Mitchell has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Pekka Pouta.

Mitchell has closed the distance and engaged Pouta in a clinch.
Pouta is working for takedown but Mitchell is calmly controlling the position for now.

Pouta jumps guard and drags Mitchell to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Mitchell has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Pouta is proving hard to escape from.
Mitchell throws a strike but Pouta rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Mitchell keeping full guard, as Pouta tries to pass.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mitchell is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Pouta wanted to stand there but Mitchell had control of the position.
Pouta must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Mitchell keeping moving, preventing Pouta from controlling successfully.
Pouta is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
Mitchell manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Pouta manages to get himself to full guard.
Mitchell trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Pouta looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Pouta can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Mitchell controls the pace.

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.

Mitchell thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Mitchell works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Pouta looks gassed!
Mitchell is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.

Mitchell decides to stand and escape the position.
Pouta tries to clinch up but Mitchell circles away and keeps his distance.
Pouta tries to clinch up but Mitchell circles away and keeps his distance.
Mitchell lands with a hook. Pouta tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Mitchell fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Pouta has his takedown stuffed

and Mitchell moves into the clinch.
Pouta can't break the clinch.
Mitchell missing with knees to the body.
Pouta drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Mitchell gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Mitchell is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pouta looking to slow down the pace here.
Pouta lands with a short punch from the clinch.

Pouta breaks from the clinch.
Pouta changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Mitchell tries to avoid it but Pouta manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Mitchell to the ground. Mitchell escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Pouta misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Mitchell blocks a head kick by Pouta.
Pouta fails to land the takedown.
Pouta closes the distance looking to clinch

and Mitchell counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Pouta preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mitchell tries to free his leg and advance position but Pouta is retaining full guard.
Mitchell stopping the sweep attempt from Pouta.

Pouta is looking for a triangle here but Mitchell uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
Mitchell 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.
Mitchell wants to lay and pray for a moment but Pouta keeps working.
Pouta is trying to get back to his feet.

Mitchell looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Mitchell slows the pace down.
Pouta is trying to get back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dean Mitchell dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Mitchell shoots for a takedown but Pouta saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Pouta keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Mitchell gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Pouta decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Mitchell's guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Dean Mitchell. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Mitchell trying to control the position here.
Mitchell wants to control the position but Pouta says "no thanks buddy" and passes to half guard.
Pouta working Mitchell over with strikes.
Pouta sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Mitchell defending well though.
Pouta looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Mitchell with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Pouta throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

Mitchell manages to escape and get back to his feet!
Pouta keeps the fight on the outside.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Pouta forces Mitchell back against the ropes and clinches.
Pouta looking to slow down the pace here.
Pouta tries to break the clinch but Mitchell is controlling the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mitchell throws an elbow but it's blocked.

Mitchell manages to break the clinch.

Pouta gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Mitchell passes into half guard under a barage of strikes.
Mitchell prevents Pouta from standing back up.
Pouta gets back to full guard.
Pouta trying to control the position.
Pouta is pulling down on Mitchell's head. It's preventing any offense from Mitchell, at least for the moment.
Pouta wants to sweep here but Mitchell controlling him for the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Pouta has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Mitchell off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Pouta shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Mitchell as he jumps to the side.
Pouta tries to clinch but Mitchell moves out of range.

Pouta moves into the clinch successfully.
Pouta is looking to break free of the clinch but Mitchell has double underhooks.
Pouta is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Mitchell is keeping busy.
Mitchell tries to land knees in the clinch but Pouta avoids the damage to the body.
Pouta misses with a shot to the kidneys.
A bit of stalling here from Pouta.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pouta continues to stall. The referee tells him to work or he's going to break them up.
Mitchell is pressed up against the ropes. Pouta has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Mitchell down to the mat. Mitchell avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

Mitchell drives through with a takedown into guard.
Pouta tries to strike from the bottom.
Pouta controls Mitchell momentarily but Mitchell frees himself.
Mitchell wants to control from the top but Pouta keeps moving.
Pouta is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Mitchell takes a decent strike to the side of the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pouta will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.

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

Pouta has Mitchell up against the ropes in a clinch.
Mitchell jumps guard but Pouta stands there with Mitchell around his waist. Mitchell gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Pouta is trying to stall.
Pouta drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Mitchell gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Pouta wants a takedown.

Pouta pulls guard effortlessly.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pekka Pouta showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Pouta is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Pouta tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Mitchell has Pouta up against the ropes in a clinch.
Mitchell looking to slow down the pace here.
Mitchell has a couple of punches blocked by Pouta.
Pouta lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Mitchell.
Mitchell misses with a knee to the head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Pouta misses with a knee to the head.

Mitchell successfully pulls guard.
Pouta throws and elbow that misses. Mitchell uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Pouta's guard. Nice move by Mitchell!
Pouta takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Mitchell is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mitchell trying to control but Pouta is working from the bottom.
Mitchell is really struggling to control Pouta but he's trying to hold on to the position.
Mitchell working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Pouta's head.
Pouta wants to stand and escape but Mitchell is having none of it.
Mitchell stands up over Pouta, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Pouta is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Mitchell is controlling him.
Mitchell pushing down on Pouta's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Pouta gets full guard.
Dean Mitchell overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Mitchell pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Pouta is keeping the position for now.

Mitchell postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Pouta is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Mitchell, into his guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mitchell keeping moving, preventing Pouta from controlling successfully.

Pouta stands up and waves to Mitchell to follow him.
Pouta lands a body shot.

Pouta shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Pouta is looking to stand up but he'll have to free his leg first. Instead, Mitchell manages to get to full guard.
Mitchell manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Pouta manages to get himself to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pouta lands a decent punch to the body there.
Pouta wants to get back to his feet but Mitchell passes into half guard.
Mitchell controlling the action here.
Pouta is looking to escape.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Pouta tries to roll over but Mitchell keeps him under control.
Mitchell stops Pouta from getting back to his feet.
Pouta missing with punches from the bottom.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Pouta wants to clinch up but Mitchell keeps it at a distance.

Pouta moves into the clinch.
Mitchell tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Pouta smiles and moves away.
Dean Mitchell is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

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.
Pouta shoots and misses

and Mitchell counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Pouta!
Pouta tries to hold on but Mitchell postures up.
Mitchell lands a nice shot to the head.
Pouta is wriggling around trying to escape.
Mitchell avoids the attempt from Pouta to control.
Pouta wants to improve position but instead he's given up his back.
Mitchell lands punches and elbows.
Mitchell controlling well, preventing Pouta from escaping the position.
Mitchell trying to control.
Pouta tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!

Mitchell working for a guillotine from mount but Pouta is in no mood to give up.
Mitchell trying to control but he's not successful this time.

And that's the end of the fight!
Dean Mitchell showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Mitchell 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 Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 29:28
Judge Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 29:28
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Dean Mitchell!