PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Tarja Halonen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Lukas Hartmann (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Halonen
vs
Hartmann

190 cm
25
205 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

191 cm
29
223 lbs
5 - 4 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
World class boxer
Powerful

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 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Tarja Halonen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Lukas Hartmann!
The judges for this bout are Johanna Lukiainen, Arvi Lind and Anni Minnemäki.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A punch combination from Hartmann misses.
Halonen keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Hartmann throws a body punch but Halonen moves out of range.
Hartmann misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Halonen.

Halonen manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Hartmann on his heels. He'll look to pass Hartmann's guard now, I'm sure.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Hartmann keeping moving, preventing Halonen from controlling successfully.
Halonen passes Hartmann's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Halonen thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

Hartmann looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Halonen takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Halonen stops Hartmann from getting back to his feet.
Hartmann has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Halonen is working away from the top position though.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Halonen throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Halonen takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Halonen works his way into side control.
Halonen takes a little break here. Hartmann wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.
Halonen tries to advance to mount but Hartmann instead regains half guard.
Halonen passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Hartmann!
Halonen scores with a couple of good head shots there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Halonen has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Hartmann's face.
Halonen looking to finish Hartmann with some ground and pound. This is bad for Hartmann!
Hartmann can't escape the position.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Halonen controlling the pace for now.
Hartmann tries to reverse the position but Halonen maintains control.
Halonen looking to control and managing it successfully.
Hartmann can't escape the position.
Halonen controlling from mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Halonen throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
Halonen content just to control the position here.
Halonen blocks Hartmann's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Halonen can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Hartmann is looking to escape.
Halonen tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Halonen can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Hartmann is looking to escape.
Hartmann really wants to buck Halonen off and get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Halonen tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Halonen thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
Halonen controlling his opponent.
Hartmann wants to control but Halonen is having none of it.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Halonen takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tarja Halonen dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Hartmann lands an overhand right.
Halonen misses with a looping right.
Halonen showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Hartmann.
Hartmann lands the left hand.
Hartmann lands a lovely overhand right.
Halonen swings for the body but Hartmann moves out of range.
Halonen thows a body shot but no joy.
Hartmann looks to land a combination but Halonen avoids it well.
Halonen showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Hartmann.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Halonen drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Hartmann tries to slip a leg under to move to half guard but Halonen presses down on the leg and jumps into full mount!
Halonen throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Halonen misses with a head shot.
Hartmann is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Halonen can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Hartmann is looking to escape.
Tarja Halonen overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Halonen controlling from the full mount.
Halonen has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hartmann is really trying hard to get back to his feet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Halonen looking to control and managing it successfully.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Hartmann tries to hold on but Halonen pushes him away.
Halonen controlling the position easily from mount.
Hartmann in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Halonen controlling the pace for now.
Halonen tries to control but Hartmann wriggling away.
Hartmann holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Halonen tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
Hartmann working to try and regain half guard.
Halonen is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Hartmann can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Halonen trying to control but Hartmann is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Halonen won't let Hartmann get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.
Halonen trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Halonen takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Halonen avoids the attempt from Hartmann to control.
Halonen controlling from the full mount.
Halonen cracks Hartmann with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
This has been an exciting period of action!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Halonen controlling his opponent.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tarja Halonen dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. And we move into the final round!

Halonen shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Halonen showed some decent athleticism there.
Hartmann won't allow Halonen to pass to mount.
Halonen with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Hartmann trying to control from the bottom.
Halonen perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Hartmann looks like he's trying to stand up.
Halonen perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

We're going to have a standup here because Tarja Halonen wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Hartmann fails to land with a series of punches.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hartmann rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Halonen moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Halonen slips a jab and a cross from Hartmann.

Halonen throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Hartmann was covering up waiting for the punch and Halonen finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Halonen slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Hartmann keeping moving, preventing Halonen from controlling successfully.
Hartmann wants to sweep but no luck.
Halonen content to stall in guard here.
Lukas Hartmann has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Halonen has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Halonen throws an elbow that misses. Hartmann uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Halonen's guard. Nice move by Hartmann!

Hartmann drops back looking for a leg! Halonen is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Halonen manages to kick Hartmann off! Hartmann jumps back into Halonen's guard.
Halonen keeping moving, preventing Hartmann from controlling successfully.
Halonen is pulling down on Hartmann's head to control his posture.
Halonen on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Halonen tries to get out of the position.
Hartmann won't allow Halonen to sweep him here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Halonen has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Tarja Halonen wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Hartmann!
Halonen looks to score with a jab to the body but Hartmann is just out of range.
Hartmann staying out of range there.
Lukas Hartmann is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Halonen scores a takedown into full mount!
Halonen misses with a head shot.
Hartmann working to try and regain half guard.
Halonen sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Hartmann really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Halonen looking to control and managing it successfully.
Halonen lands a big shot there that rocks Hartmann but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Halonen controlling from the full mount.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Halonen throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tarja Halonen showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Halonen, 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 Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 30:27
Judge Arvi Lind scores the fight 30:27
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tarja Halonen!