PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Mauri Saarinen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jack Ripper (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ripper comes into a darkened arena with his song building. The Odorants - This Night kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Saarinen
vs
Ripper

190 cm
30
219 lbs
15 - 7 - 1

210 cm
29
217 lbs
14 - 12 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Very quick

BJJ Purple Belt
Lethal high kicks
Good gas tank

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 15 - 7 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Mauri Saarinen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 14 - 12 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Jack Ripper!
The judges for this bout are Tarja Halkonen, Marco Blurström and Anni Minnemäki.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ripper avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Ripper throws a big shot that misses.
Saarinen tries for a takedown but Ripper sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Saarinen.
Saarinen shoots in looking for a takedown. Ripper tries to sprawl out of it but Saarinen keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Ripper manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mauri Saarinen. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Saarinen bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Ripper is looking to reverse the position.
Saarinen is trying to ground and pound but Ripper uses the momentary lack of control by Saarinen to regain half guard.
Saarinen lands with a punch from half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ripper trying to get back to full guard but Saarinen takes advantage of the position and moves to full mount!
Ripper is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Saarinen sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Ripper is in a horrible position here. Saarinen smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.

It looks like Jack Ripper has been cut.
Saarinen avoids the attempt from Ripper to control.
Saarinen lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Saarinen throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Saarinen 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.
Saarinen lands a heavy elbow.

Ripper is rocked!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Oooh a big shot lands for Saarinen! Ripper is out! The ref dives in to save him from more punishment!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:23 of round 1, we have a winner by way of KO (Strikes). Mauri Saarinen!