PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Thulani Imamu (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and John Perala (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Perala comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Pantera - Cowboys From Hell kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! John Perala has the eye of the tiger tonight.

Imamu
vs
Perala

188 cm
22
210 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

193 cm
22
215 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Improved boxing
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Attliction Inc - new product coming next week!

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 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Thulani Imamu!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, John Perala!
The judges for this bout are Arvi Lind, Roosa Järviläinen and Johanna Lukiainen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Perala misses the jab.
Imamu throws a series of punches but Perala moves out of range.
Imamu goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Imamu wants to clinch up but Perala keeps it at a distance.
Imamu fails to land with a series of punches.
Perala wants to clinch but Imamu slips to the side
and Imamu counters with a three punch combo that has Perala backing up. Perala nods at Imamu to acknowledge the strikes.
Perala is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Imamu.
Imamu is looking to clinch.
Perala wants to clinch.
Imamu closes the distance and clinches up with Perala, looking for a takedown. Imamu pushes Perala against the cage but Perala circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

Imamu moves into the clinch successfully.
Imamu wants to stall.
Imamu has had enough of the clinch but Perala keeps him there for the moment.
Perala gets underhooks to prevent Imamu's takedown attempt.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Perala takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Imamu lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Perala backwards.
Perala lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Perala tries for a takedown but Imamu manages to get underhooks.
Perala prevents Imamu from breaking the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Imamu lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
A nice right hand lands inside from Imamu.
Imamu tries to break the clinch but Perala is controlling the position.

Imamu tightens his grip and picks Perala up, before dumping him to the ground. Perala manages to land in guard.
Perala keeping moving, preventing Imamu from controlling successfully.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Perala is on top in guard.
Imamu trying to control the position here.
Imamu trying to control the position.
Perala postures up in Imamu's guard and throws a big left but Imamu blocks it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Imamu keeping moving, preventing Perala from controlling successfully.
Imamu tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Perala trying to control but Imamu is working from the bottom.
Imamu wants to sweep but no luck.
Perala is looking to stand up but Imamu won't let him.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Imamu swinging wilding here.
Imamu tries to clinch but Perala moves out of range.
Imamu changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Perala tries to avoid it but Imamu manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Perala to the ground. Perala escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Thulani Imamu. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Imamu is breathing heavily.
Imamu tries to clinch up
and Perala connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Imamu looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Imamu doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Perala has a takedown stuffed.
Imamu swats away the attempt to clinch by Perala.
Perala misses with a two punch combination.
Imamu tries to clinch but Perala moves away

and Perala counters with a single leg into guard. Imamu didn't expect that.

Imamu is working an open guard so Perala takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Imamu showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Perala.
Perala tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Perala moves in looking to clinch but Imamu pushes him off.
Perala is looking to clinch.
Imamu tries to clinch up

and Perala moves into the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Imamu gets underhooks to prevent Perala's takedown attempt.
A shot in the inside from Imamu.

Perala jumps guard and drags Imamu to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Perala wants to get back to his feet but Imamu is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Perala managing to control the position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Perala is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Perala wants to sweep but no luck.
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 Thulani Imamu will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Imamu misses with a wild combination.
Perala tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Imamu counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Imamu wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Perala has him pressed against the cage.
Imamu is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Imamu changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Perala fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Perala tries for a takedown but Imamu sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Imamu will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Danga de danga de dang - Imamu scores with a four punch combination!
Some wild striking there from Imamu.
Imamu misses with a takedown attempt - Perala sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Thulani Imamu. That's going to take a lot out of him.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Perala is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Imamu pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Imamu gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Perala.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Perala successfully pulls guard.
Perala has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Perala manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Perala takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Perala can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Imamu is looking to escape.
Imamu wants to hold on but Perala pushes him away.
Perala trying to control but Imamu is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Imamu holds on for dear life, controlling Perala's posture momentarily.
Perala sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

Despite being in the dominant position, John Perala just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Imamu will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Perala tries to clinch there but Imamu circles away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Perala.

Imamu gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Imamu is pressed up against the cage. Perala has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Imamu down to the mat. Imamu avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Imamu tries to clinch up but Perala circles away and keeps his distance.
Perala tries a head kick but it misses.
Imamu moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Imamu lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Perala keeps the fight on the outside.
Perala has a takedown stuffed.
Imamu wants to clinch up but Perala keeps it at a distance.
Perala throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Imamu on the side of the head.
Thulani Imamu is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
A big right from Perala misses.
No joy there for Perala, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

Imamu clinches.
Imamu looking to stall.

Perala breaks the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Thulani Imamu will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Imamu wants to clinch.
Perala has a takedown stuffed.
Imamu lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Thulani Imamu seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Perala misses with a jab, cross combination.

Imamu gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Imamu pulls guard effortlessly.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Perala has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Imamu is proving hard to escape from.
Perala throws a big right hand that misses.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Imamu is looking to stand up but Perala isn't so interested in that idea.

Perala stands and steps away. Imamu gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Imamu throws a right and a left that both miss.
Perala is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Imamu swinging wilding here.
Perala with a poor takedown
and Perala takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Imamu tries to clinch but Perala moves out of range.
Imamu tries to clinch but Perala moves away

and Perala counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Perala won't allow Imamu to sweep him here.
Perala being controlled here momentarily.

Imamu pushes Perala off and gets back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Imamu throws a series of punches but Perala avoids them all with ease.
Imamu scores with a body shot.
Nice takedown defense from Perala. No joy for Imamu on that attempt.
Nice takedown defense from Imamu. No joy for Perala on that attempt.
Thulani Imamu has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of John Perala.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Imamu lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Imamu.
Thulani Imamu is winning the standup battle so far.
Imamu misses with the combination.
Imamu looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Perala avoids a punch combination nicely.

Perala has taken the fight to the clinch.
Imamu is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Perala turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!
Perala wants to control but Imamu is keeping him busy.

Perala stands up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A left and a right from Perala both land. Nice combination.
Perala throws a sloppy head kick and Imamu moves out of range easily.
Imamu displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Perala throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Imamu tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Perala clinches up against the cage.
Perala scores with a hook to the body.
Perala tries for a takedown but Imamu manages to get underhooks.
Imamu can't get the takedown.
Perala goes for a takedown attempt but Imamu pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

Imamu feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Imamu pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Perala is keeping the position for now.
Perala wants to stand but Imamu is controlling the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Imamu wants to control from the top but Perala keeps moving.

Perala pushes Imamu off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Imamu misses with a double jab.

Imamu clinches up against the cage.
Perala goes for a takedown in the clinch but Imamu prevents it.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Perala is pressed up against the cage. Imamu has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Perala down to the mat. Perala avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Imamu looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Imamu swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
John Perala has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Imamu shoots for a double leg takedown but Perala sprawls well. He's pushed Imamu's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

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 Thulani Imamu.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Imamu, 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 Arvi Lind scores the fight 30:28
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 30:27
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Thulani Imamu!