PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Tomi Koski (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Marcus Monstra (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Koski's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Catatonic Overload - Heavyweight . The crowd seem to be enjoying Monstra's choice of entrance music: Slayer - Hate Worldwide. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Koski
vs
Monstra

190 cm
32
234 lbs
25 - 9 - 1

219 cm
33
278 lbs
26 - 10 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

BJJ Purple Belt
World class boxer
Granite chin

Hell's Balls Recovery (160)
Perkele!

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 25 - 9 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Tomi Koski!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 26 - 10 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Marcus Monstra!
The judges for this bout are Aleksei Zolotukhin, Vladimir Khabensky and Konstantin Menshow.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The fight stays on the outside here - Koski looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Monstra misses with a right hand

and Koski counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Koski.
Monstra swings away with an uppercut that misses.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Koski creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Koski lands a hook to the side of the head.

It looks like Marcus Monstra has been cut.
Monstra swings wildly with an uppercut but Koski uses good head movement to avoid it.
Koski scores with a shot to the side of Monstra's head.
Koski scores with a shoulder strike.
Koski tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Monstra's elbow.
Koski gets through Monstra's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Good body shot from Koski.
Monstra lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Monstra is trying to break free.
Monstra lands a body punch.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Monstra misses with a hook to the ribs.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Monstra.
Koski lands a body punch in the clinch.
A nice left hand lands by Koski.
Koski has a couple of punches blocked by Monstra.
Koski lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Koski is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Koski blocks an uppercut.
Monstra swings wildly with an uppercut but Koski uses good head movement to avoid it.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Koski.
Koski misses with a shot to the kidneys.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Koski.
Monstra misses with a punch on the inside.
Monstra misses with a hook from the clinch.
Monstra swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Koski lands an uppercut.
Monstra throws a head punch that misses.
Good body shot from Koski.

Koski breaks from the clinch.

Monstra gets caught flat footed, as Koski shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
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!
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Koski controls from within his opponent's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Koski'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.

We're going to have a standup here because Tomi Koski wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Koski misses the shot to the body.
Monstra pulls out of a head kick attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Koski motions for Monstra to come forward. Koski throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Koski rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Monstra moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Koski takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Koski tries to land a leg kick but Monstra saw it coming and moves away.
Monstra avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Monstra misses with a two punch combination.
Koski takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Koski shoots in for a takedown but Monstra shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Koski keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Monstra.

Koski closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Koski is looking to take a break and control but Monstra is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Koski content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Koski wants to lay and pray for a moment but Monstra keeps working.
Monstra really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Koski. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tomi Koski dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Marcus Monstra's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Koski lands with a kick to the ribs.
Koski scores with a leg kick.
Monstra connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Some wild striking there from Monstra.
Good shot there by Koski.
Koski cracks Monstra with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Monstra stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Monstra wants it to stay on the feet.
Monstra throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Monstra moves out of range of the body kick.
Koski scores with a nice right hand.
Tomi Koski is winning the standup battle so far.
Monstra stuffs the takedown attempt from Koski. Koski gets slowly back to his feet.
Koski misses with a hook.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Monstra avoids a kick to the body.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Monstra enables Koski to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Monstra manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Koski engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Koski tries to free his leg and advance position but Monstra is retaining full guard.
Koski wants to control from the top but Monstra keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Koski trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Tomi Koski wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Monstra tries a head kick but it misses.
Koski with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Koski tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Monstra swivels and escapes.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tomi Koski. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Koski steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Monstra.
Monstra slips a straight right by Koski.
Koski throws a good cross that connects.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Monstra scores with a punch to the head.
Koski avoids the head kick by Monstra.
Monstra waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Koski.
It really doesn't seem like the step up in weight is hurting Koski here at all. He's more than holding his own against the bigger man.
Koski explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Koski throws a wild body kick that Monstra sees coming a mile off.
Monstra throws a hook to the side of Koski's head but Koski sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Monstra takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Monstra is breathing heavily.

Koski closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.

Koski wants to work for an arm triangle but Monstra is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Koski moves nicely into side control.
Koski controls the position from side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Koski wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Monstra, who protects the arm well.
Koski wants to lay and pray for a moment but Monstra keeps working.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tomi Koski dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Marcus Monstra's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Koski throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Monstra throws a right hand that misses
and Koski counters with an inside leg kick.
Koski tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Monstra misses with a hook

and Koski counters with a single leg into guard. Monstra didn't expect that.
Monstra is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Koski wants to pass the guard but Monstra is keeping the position.
Koski trying to control but Monstra is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.

We're going to have a standup here because Tomi Koski wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Koski closes the distance and clinches up with Monstra, looking for a takedown. Koski pushes Monstra against the cage but Monstra circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

Koski instigates a clinch.
Koski blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Koski throws a punch but it's blocked by Monstra.
Monstra's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Monstra working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Koski misses with a hook to the ribs.
Monstra misses with a short punch on the inside.

Koski breaks the clinch.
Monstra loads up on a big right hand but Koski slips the punch.
Tomi Koski is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Monstra misses with a body punch
and Koski counters with a nice uppercut.
Monstra swings for the body but Koski moves out of range.
Koski fails in his attempt to clinch.
Koski cracks Monstra with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
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!
Monstra throws a head kick that misses.
Monstra takes a swing at Koski's ribcage but misses.
Koski looks to score with a jab to the body but Monstra is just out of range.
Monstra misses the shot to the body.
Koski defending well as Monstra loads up on a big left hand.
Koski connects with a crisp jab.
Koski throws a jab when Monstra was well out of range.
Koski connects with a leg kick. Monstra looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Koski tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Monstra swivels and escapes.
Monstra misses with a head kick.
Monstra checks the leg kick.
Monstra throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Koski.
Marcus Monstra is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Koski ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Monstra moves away.
Koski throws a leg kick which misses Monstra's front leg but catches the back leg as Monstra tries to avoid it.
The fight stays on the outside here - Koski looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Koski tries to close the distance and clinch but Monstra swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Koski connects with a body shot that sends Monstra's belly button to the back.
Monstra on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Nice takedown defense from Monstra. No joy for Koski on that attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tomi Koski. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Koski takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Koski misses the jab.
Marcus Monstra has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Koski misses with a looping right.
Koski uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Monstra.
Monstra on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Monstra swats away the attempt to clinch by Koski.
Monstra takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Koski lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
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!
Monstra throws a hook but Koski blocks it.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Koski throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Koski uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Koski scores with a kick to the midsection.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tomi Koski showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Koski has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 30:27
Judge Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 30:27
Judge Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tomi Koski!
A pretty intense looking Tomi Koski took the opportunity post-fight to ask for a shot at the title.