PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Keni Susi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Malvin Maldi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Susi comes into the arena with Metallica - Hero of the Day blaring out of the sound system. Maldi has chosen Loituma TECHNO! as his entrance music. On his way into the cage it seems that Keni Susi has been attacked by a crazed fan! It looks like it might have been the just bleed guy! Luckily Keni Susi seems to be OK! I thought that lunatic was in prison!?

Susi
vs
Maldi

175 cm
29
158 lbs
19 - 15 - 0

170 cm
30
161 lbs
23 - 14 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

ADCC Champion
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Steel Terror-Trition: Video Proven 160Q

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 19 - 15 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Keni Susi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 23 - 14 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Malvin Maldi!
The judges for this bout are Ben Zyskovitsi, Marco Blurström and Anni Minnemäki.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Maldi lands a nice leg kick that just misses Susi's sensitive parts.
Susi has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Maldi finds it's way round the side to connect with Susi's head.
Susi misses with a takedown
and Maldi cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Maldi throws out a loose jab but Susi uses good head movement to avoid it.
Danga de danga de dang - Maldi scores with a four punch combination!
Maldi scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.

Susi closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Maldi trying to control but Susi postures up.
Susi is looking to pass Maldi's guard but actually Maldi recovers to full guard.
Maldi keeping full guard, as Susi tries to pass.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maldi is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Susi pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Maldi is keeping the position for now.
Susi trying to control the position from guard on top but Maldi is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Malvin Maldi.
Maldi falls off balance throwing a combination

and Susi counters with a shoot takedown. Maldi fights it but they end up in guard.
Maldi keeping moving, preventing Susi from controlling successfully.
Maldi wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Maldi tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Susi trying to control the position from guard on top but Maldi is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Susi fails with the takedown

and Maldi counters with a nice double leg into half guard.

Susi looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Maldi trying to control the action but Susi is working from the bottom.
Susi trying to control here.
Maldi drops an elbow to the side of Susi's head.
Maldi not doing much here.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Maldi tries to pass the half guard into mount. Susi knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Maldi is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Susi has managed to free his arm - good work.
Maldi is trying to control. Susi wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Susi won't allow Maldi to pass to mount.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Susi actively working from the bottom here.

Susi is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Maldi pulls his head out easily.
Maldi trying to pass the guard but Susi defending well.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Maldi content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Maldi is keen to just control but Susi is a slippery customer.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Nice defenses there by Susi.
Maldi fails with a takedown attempt.
No luck for Susi with that takedown attempt.
Maldi fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Susi has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Maldi looks for the body kick but Susi saw that one coming.
Maldi bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.
Maldi dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Susi. That did some damage!
Susi slips a jab from Maldi.
Susi keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Susi fails with a takedown attempt.

Maldi closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Susi quickly recovers to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Maldi is working for a kimura but Susi is defending it quite comfortably.
Maldi lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.

Susi is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Maldi pulls his head out easily.

Susi is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Maldi pulls his head out easily.
Maldi not doing much here.

Susi looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Susi controlling the position well.
Susi is not content to let Maldi control the position.

Maldi seems to be looking for submissions.

Susi looking for submissions off his back.
Susi taking some punishment here, with Maldi in his half guard.
Maldi seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Susi does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Maldi works his foot free and advances to mount.

Maldi goes for an armbar but Susi turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from Susi.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maldi utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Susi wants to control from the top but Maldi keeps moving.
Susi stopping the sweep attempt from Maldi.

Susi drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Maldi dives on top into guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Maldi slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Maldi trying to control the position but Susi is working away.
Susi is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Maldi scoring with punches and elbows.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Susi is looking to reverse the position.
Maldi is looking to take a break and control but Susi is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Malvin Maldi showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Nice defenses there by Susi.
Maldi lands with an uppercut that bounces Susi off the cage and back into range.
Susi shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Maldi but Maldi pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Susi gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Susi slips under a jab.
Susi shoots in but Maldi avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Maldi tries a head kick but it misses.
Susi takes a kick to the side of the head.
Maldi misses with a looping left.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maldi tried to score with a low kick but Susi checks it.
Maldi misses with a jab, cross combination.
Susi shoots in but no luck this time.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Keni Susi. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Susi on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Susi with a lazy takedown attempt
and Maldi counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Susi keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Maldi.
A chopping leg kick lands by Maldi.
Malvin Maldi seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Maldi scores a takedown into full mount!
Maldi avoids the attempt from Susi to control.
Malvin Maldi has got the better of the ground game so far.
Maldi looking to control but Susi is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Susi is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Maldi lands a heavy elbow.
Maldi can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Susi is looking to escape.
Maldi prevents Susi from getting the reversal.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Maldi lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Susi tries to reverse the position but Maldi maintains control.
Maldi looking to control but Susi is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
A nice elbow there by Maldi.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Susi tries to reverse the position but Maldi maintains control.
Maldi looking to finish Susi with some ground and pound. This is bad for Susi!
Maldi sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
A nice elbow there by Maldi.
Susi is working to get back to half guard.
Maldi tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Susi is looking to improve his position but Maldi isn't that keen on the idea.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Maldi wants to control the pace but Susi is squirming around nicely.

Maldi working for a submission but Susi is keeping him at bay.
Maldi in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Malvin Maldi is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Maldi working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Susi really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Maldi trying to control but he's not successful this time.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Maldi controlling from the full mount.
Keni Susi has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Susi is looking to get to half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Malvin Maldi comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Maldi has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 27:30
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 27:30
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Malvin Maldi!
An out of breath Malvin Maldi thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.