PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Woima Karhu (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ryan Sonnen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Karhu
vs
Sonnen

182 cm
23
175 lbs
11 - 2 - 0

185 cm
23
185 lbs
9 - 6 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent MT
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 11 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Woima Karhu!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Ryan Sonnen!
The judges for this bout are Stewart Dunkirk, Robert Twigg and George Francis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Karhu shoots for a takedown but Sonnen saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Karhu slips under a jab from Sonnen.
Sonnen swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!

Karhu shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Karhu was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.

Karhu is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Sonnen has managed to escape the submission attempt.

Karhu swings around for an armbar but it's a sloppy attempt and Sonnen is now in Karhu's guard. A big mistake from Karhu there, giving up the dominant position!

Sonnen gets to his feet - Karhu follows without any prompting.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nice shot lands for Karhu.
Sonnen takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Sonnen misses the body punch
and Karhu counters with an inside leg kick.
Karhu shoots in and drives through. Sonnen sprawls well.
Sonnen lands a jab.
Karhu fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Sonnen keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Sonnen connects with a single shot there.
Karhu misses with a low kick.
Sonnen connects with a body shot.
Karhu throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Sonnen misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Karhu.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Karhu feints and then cracks Sonnen's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Sonnen down.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Sonnen avoids the head kick by Karhu.
Sonnen throws a right and a left that both miss.
Sonnen throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Karhu throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Sonnen throws a series of punches but Karhu avoids them all with ease.
Sonnen checks a leg kick.
Sonnen swings for the body but Karhu moves out of range.
Karhu tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Sonnen swivels and escapes.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Woima Karhu. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sonnen checks a low kick from Karhu.
Sonnen throws a shot to the body.
Sonnen displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Karhu.
Sonnen has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Karhu.
Ryan Sonnen is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Karhu fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Sonnen fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Karhu manages to avoid it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sonnen thows a body shot but no joy.
A telegraphed right hand from Karhu misses the target.
Crunch! Karhu slams his shin into Sonnen's torso.
Karhu takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Sonnen swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Sonnen lands the left hand.
A big left from Sonnen misses.
Sonnen fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Sonnen lands with a hook. Karhu tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Karhu throws a nice inside leg kick.
Sonnen is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Karhu rather than just go for the knockout.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Karhu, right into the meat.
Sonnen swings for the body but Karhu moves out of range.
Sonnen fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Karhu throws a chopping leg kick but Sonnen manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Some bone on bone action there as Sonnen checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Sonnen tries to clinch but Karhu is having none of it.

Karhu has taken the fight to the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sonnen misses with the head strike.
Karhu landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Karhu tries a knee to the head but Sonnen blocks it.
Karhu blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
A nice left hand lands by Sonnen.
Karhu misses with a knee to the head.
Karhu keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Sonnen's efforts to push away.
Karhu trying to land knees to the body.
Sonnen doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Karhu is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Karhu tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Karhu blocks an uppercut.
Sonnen blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Karhu looking to throw knees to the head but Sonnen is blocking nicely.
Karhu tries to land a knee to the head but Sonnen blocks with his arms.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Ryan Sonnen will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Nice uppercut there from Sonnen.
Sonnen misses with a body shot.
Sonnen loads up on a big right hand but Karhu slips the punch.
Good work by Sonnen as he checks the leg kick.
Karhu takes one to the side of the head.
Sonnen keeps the fight on the outside.

Karhu closes the distance and pushes Sonnen back into the cage.
Sonnen fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Sonnen misses with the head strike.
Sonnen is trying to break free.
Sonnen avoiding damage as Karhu throws knees to the body.
Karhu taking a breather.
Karhu has Sonnen pressed against the cage.

Karhu's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Karhu throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
The fight stays on the outside here - Karhu looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The fighters circling - Sonnen throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Karhu uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Sonnen.
Karhu misses with a straight right.
Sonnen misses the shot to the body.
Sonnen keeps the fight on the outside.
Karhu throws a quick inside leg kick.
Karhu blocks a jab.
Karhu tries a head kick but it misses.
Sonnen throws a hook to the side of Karhu's head but Karhu sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Karhu keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Karhu shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
A big right from Sonnen misses.
Sonnen tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Sonnen checks a leg kick.
Karhu finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Karhu lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sonnen just misses with a punch to the body.

Sonnen has taken the fight to the clinch.

Karhu manages to break the clinch.
Karhu throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Karhu throws a head kick but Sonnen moves out of range.
Sonnen swings for the body but Karhu moves out of range.
Karhu looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Sonnen moves into range and clinches up with Karhu.
Karhu lands a shoulder strike.
Karhu tries to work over Sonnen's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Sonnen softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
A head punch on the inside from Sonnen fails to land.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Sonnen.
A short uppercut from Sonnen.
Sonnen throws a head punch that misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sonnen misses with a hook to the ribs.
Sonnen misses with the head strike.
Knees in the clinch landing for Karhu.
Sonnen misses with a punch on the inside.
Karhu blocking some punches.
A short body shot lands from Sonnen as the two fighters clinch.
Sonnen has Karhu pressed against the cage, preventing Karhu from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Sonnen misses with the head strike.
Sonnen lands a hook to the side of the head.
Sonnen throws a punch but it's blocked by Karhu.
A short uppercut from Sonnen.
Sonnen on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Karhu blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Karhu taking a breather.
Sonnen doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Karhu looking to throw knees to the head but Sonnen is blocking nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Sonnen escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Sonnen throws a looping overhand right but Karhu ducks down to avoid it.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
A right-left combo lands from Sonnen.

It looks like Woima Karhu has been cut.
Sonnen throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Sonnen lands with an overhand left.
Karhu looks for the body kick but Sonnen saw that one coming.
Karhu tried to score with a low kick but Sonnen checks it.
Karhu misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Sonnen stuns Karhu with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Karhu misses with a body kick.
Sonnen catches Karhu with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Sonnen cracks Karhu with an open hand slap.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Sonnen tries to clinch there but Karhu circles away.

Karhu shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Sonnen manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Karhu stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Sonnen swivels though and keeps the full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ryan Sonnen showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Woima Karhu's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Sonnen fails with an attempt to clinch.
Woima Karhu is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Sonnen misses with a wild body shot.
Karhu tries to score with a low kick but Sonnen moves his leg out of the way.
Sonnen misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Karhu.
Karhu tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Karhu moves in looking to clinch but Sonnen pushes him off.
Karhu moves in looking to clinch but Sonnen pushes him off.
Sonnen doesn't manage to clinch there - Karhu circles away.
Karhu moves out of range of the strikes.
Karhu throws a half hearted mid kick.
Sonnen misses the shot to the body.
Karhu misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Ryan Sonnen seems to be getting the better of the standup.
A nice inside leg kick there by Karhu. That's going to slow Sonnen down.
Karhu connects with a solid leg kick.
Sonnen jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Karhu with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sonnen scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Sonnen tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
An inside leg kick from Karhu misses.
Sonnen misses with a hook.
Sonnen scores with a jab to the body.
Karhu lands a leg kick that knocks Sonnen off balance momentarily.
Sonnen lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Karhu circles away quickly and effectively.
Sonnen swings for the body but Karhu moves out of range.
Sonnen throws a good cross that connects.
A jab from Sonnen misses.
Sonnen swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Karhu.
Some wild striking there from Sonnen.
Sonnen's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Karhu throws an overhand right that lands on Sonnen's shoulder, as Sonnen tries to avoid the shot.
Karhu misses with an attempted mid kick.
Sonnen throws the left hand but Karhu avoids the punch easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sonnen stuffs the takedown.

Karhu rushes Sonnen and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Sonnen goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Sonnen tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Sonnen lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Karhu tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Sonnen tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Karhu keeps control of Sonnen as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Sonnen lands a left hand that snaps the head of Karhu backwards.
Sonnen doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Sonnen fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Sonnen misses with a hook from the clinch.
Karhu is looking to control Sonnen's arms but Sonnen gets an underhook and turns him. Now Karhu has his back to the cage.
Karhu can't seem to implement his control oriented gameplan at the moment. That's no bad thing of course, for those of us who want to see a good fight.
Karhu misses with a knee strike.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Sonnen as Karhu tries to tie him up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Karhu prevents Sonnen from breaking the clinch.
Sonnen working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Karhu blocking some punches.
Karhu putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Sonnen in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Karhu.
Sonnen misses with a shot to the kidneys.

Karhu manages to break the clinch.
Karhu tries a head kick but it misses.

Karhu clinches with his opponent.
A right handed body shot lands from Sonnen.
Sonnen misses with a short punch on the inside.
Karhu keeps control of Sonnen as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Karhu stalls.
Sonnen on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Karhu blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Karhu with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Karhu blocking some punches.
Karhu tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Karhu tries to stall but Sonnen uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Sonnen lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Sonnen is trying to force a seperation but Karhu has the dominant position.
Woima Karhu has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Sonnen's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Sonnen ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Crunch! Karhu slams his shin into Sonnen's torso.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Karhu.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Sonnen cracks a nice hook into Karhu's ribs.
Sonnen scores with a hook.
Ryan Sonnen is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Sonnen swings for the body but Karhu moves out of range.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ryan Sonnen comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Sonnen winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 28:29
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 28:30
Judge George Francis scores the fight 28:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ryan Sonnen!