PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Joseph Townsend (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Eetu Rauhanen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Townsend kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genuis that is "Suicide Design" by The Hope Conspiracy. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Townsend
vs
Rauhanen

187 cm
22
221 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

192 cm
22
225 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Joseph Townsend!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Eetu Rauhanen!
The judges for this bout are Cecil Peabody, Alan Glass and Robert Twigg.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rauhanen throws a right and a left that both miss.

Townsend rushes Rauhanen and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Townsend content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Townsend unloads a knee to the mid-section. Rauhanen lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Townsend stalls.
Rauhanen wants to get back to striking at distance but Townsend won't allow it.
Rauhanen can't break the clinch.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Townsend.
Rauhanen on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Rauhanen wants to break the clinch but can't.
Townsend stalling the fight.
Rauhanen wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Rauhanen can't break the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rauhanen wants to break free but Townsend has control.
Townsend drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Rauhanen is trying to break the clinch but Townsend has him pressed against the cage.

Townsend breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Horrible takedown by Townsend or perhaps it was just good defense by Rauhanen which made him look bad.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Townsend tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Rauhanen paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Townsend closes the distance and clinches.
Rauhanen has had enough of the clinch but Townsend keeps him there for the moment.
Rauhanen can't break the clinch.

Rauhanen breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Townsend misses with a double jab
and Rauhanen counters with a left and a right that stings Townsend.

Townsend drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Townsend stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Rauhanen swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Townsend is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Townsend wants to control from the top but Rauhanen keeps moving.
Rauhanen can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Townsend controls the pace.
Rauhanen keeping full guard, as Townsend tries to pass.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rauhanen is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Townsend is controlling him.

Townsend stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Rauhanen throws a series of punches but Townsend avoids them all with ease.
Rauhanen with a jab.
Townsend tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Rauhanen paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Rauhanen moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.

Rauhanen tries to keep at a distance but Townsend has taken the fight into the clinch.
Townsend can't get the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Joseph Townsend. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rauhanen managing to block the knees to the body from Townsend.
Rauhanen is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Townsend throws a knee to the head but misses.
Townsend controlling the action here for a moment.
Townsend can't get the takedown.
Rauhanen can't break the clinch.
Rauhanen can't break the clinch.

Townsend pulls Rauhanen into guard.
Rauhanen wants to stand but Townsend has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Rauhanen stopping the sweep attempt from Townsend.
Townsend is breathing heavily.
Townsend controlling Rauhanen's posture.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Joseph Townsend dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Rauhanen throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Rauhanen lands a two punch combo.

It looks like Joseph Townsend has been cut.
Townsend pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Townsend fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Rauhanen, pushing him back against the cage.
Rauhanen wants to break the clinch but can't.
Townsend digs a right hand into Rauhanen's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Rauhanen's gas tank.
Rauhanen wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Rauhanen is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Rauhanen can't break the clinch.
Rauhanen is looking to break free of the clinch but Townsend has double underhooks.
Rauhanen has had enough of the clinch but Townsend keeps him there for the moment.
Rauhanen is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Rauhanen wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Rauhanen wants to break the clinch but can't.
Townsend landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Townsend prevents Rauhanen from breaking the clinch.
Rauhanen is breathing heavily.

Townsend pulls guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Townsend seems keen to control Rauhanen's posture.

Townsend looking for a guillotine here but Rauhanen defends easily.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Townsend managing to control the position.

Townsend looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Rauhanen preventing the sweep.
Rauhanen tries to stand but Townsend is controlling from the bottom.
Townsend pulls Rauhanen in close to his closed guard and prevents Rauhanen from doing any damage or advancing position.
Rauhanen tries to stand but Townsend is controlling from the bottom.
Townsend is controlling Rauhanen's posture.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Townsend's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Joseph Townsend just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Townsend throws a head kick that misses
and Rauhanen counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Townsend thinking.
Rauhanen takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Townsend scores with a one two! Rauhanen had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Rauhanen circles away from the clinch attempt.
Rauhanen throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Townsend misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Townsend fails with an attempt to clinch.
Rauhanen staying out of range there.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Rauhanen works the jab nicely.
Rauhanen blocks a head kick by Townsend.
Townsend shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
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 Joseph Townsend will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Joseph Townsend's cut.
That's time! Townsend's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Rauhanen throws a combination that misses
and Townsend counters with a nice kick to the body.
Rauhanen throws a sloppy head kick and Townsend moves out of range easily.
Townsend tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Rauhanen paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Townsend connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Townsend tries to clinch but Rauhanen is having none of it.
Rauhanen misses with a two punch combination.
Townsend tries to close the distance and clinch but Rauhanen swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Townsend fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Rauhanen manages to avoid it.
Townsend tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Joseph Townsend seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rauhanen works over Townsend's head and body with a nice combination.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Townsend throws a nice head kick!
Rauhanen circles away from the clinch attempt
and Rauhanen counters with a three punch combo that has Townsend backing up. Townsend nods at Rauhanen to acknowledge the strikes.
Townsend misses with a head kick.
Rauhanen takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rauhanen connects with a nice looking jab.
Townsend tries to clinch there but Rauhanen circles away.
Rauhanen takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Rauhanen circles away from the clinch attempt.
Townsend tries a head kick but it misses.
Townsend is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Rauhanen throws a nice looking combination but Townsend bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Rauhanen misses with a combination
and Townsend counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Rauhanen is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Townsend fails in his attempt to clinch.
Rauhanen misses with a wild combination.
Townsend tries to clinch there but Rauhanen circles away.

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.
Townsend looks to land a combination but Rauhanen avoids it well.

Townsend closes the distance and clinches.
Rauhanen wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Townsend has Rauhanen pushed against the cage.
Townsend works on Rauhanen's body with a couple of short punches.
Townsend prevents Rauhanen from breaking the clinch.
Townsend will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Rauhanen up against the cage.

Rauhanen breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Rauhanen throws a nice looking combination but Townsend bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.

Townsend looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Townsend in particular looking to stall.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Townsend trying to pass the guard but Rauhanen defending well.
Townsend performing his best blanket impression for a moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

And that's the end of the fight!
Joseph Townsend showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Townsend, 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 Cecil Peabody scores the fight 30:27
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 30:27
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Joseph Townsend!