PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Ville Apila (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kick Puncher (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Apila comes to the cage accompanied by Distance ( OF OUR SKILLS). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Apila
vs
Puncher

175 cm
33
142 lbs
21 - 13 - 0

175 cm
22
144 lbs
7 - 3 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Cardio machine

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Steel Penn's Laundry 93%

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 21 - 13 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Ville Apila!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Kick Puncher!
The judges for this bout are Ivan Kurochkin, Igor Prikhodko and Illya Tyunina.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Puncher misses with a double jab.
Puncher rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Apila moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
A punch combination from Puncher misses.
Puncher lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Sloppy strikes from Puncher. Those never looked like landing.
Puncher moves in looking to clinch but Apila pushes him off.
Puncher looks to land a combination. Apila sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Puncher throws a lazy right hand but Apila sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Apila jabbing away but nothing is landing.

Puncher shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Puncher showed some decent athleticism there.
Puncher is looking to take a break and control but Apila is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The fighters are battling for position here. Apila manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

Puncher got a little sloppy there for a moment and Apila has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Puncher has managed to get both his arms back between Apila's legs - danger averted.
Puncher looking to sit in guard and control but Apila gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Apila wants to control from the top but Puncher keeps moving.
Apila distracts Puncher with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Apila looking to pass the guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Apila throws a big right hand that misses.
Apila wants to pass the guard but Puncher is keeping the position.
Puncher looking for a sweep. Not yet Puncher, not yet.
Puncher not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Apila slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Apila in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Apila postures up.

Kick Puncher has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.

Apila rushes Puncher and presses him up against the cage.
Puncher working Apila over with knees to the body.
Puncher misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Apila.
Puncher using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Apila has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Puncher connects with a nasty looking knee right to Apila's face.
Puncher with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Apila is trying to pull guard but Puncher has him pressed against the cage.
Apila fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Puncher lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Apila is looking to take this one to the mat.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ville Apila. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Puncher misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Apila.
Nice elbow from Puncher.
Apila is trying to pull guard but Puncher turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Apila struggles to land a body shot inside as Puncher controls his hands.
Apila has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Puncher avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Puncher looking to throw knees to the head but Apila is blocking nicely.
Puncher with a knee to the head.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Puncher misses with some punches.
Apila avoids the elbow strike from Puncher, against the cage.
Puncher misses with an elbow over the top.
Puncher with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Puncher is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Apila avoiding damage as Puncher throws knees to the body.
Knees in the clinch landing for Puncher.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Puncher tries to land a knee to the head but Apila blocks with his arms.
Apila is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Puncher misses with an elbow strike.
Apila fails to pull guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kick Puncher dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Puncher lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Puncher takes a swing at Apila's ribcage but misses.
Apila slips a jab from Puncher.

Apila throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Puncher was covering up waiting for the punch and Apila finishes the takedown easily into guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Apila throws a strike but Puncher rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Apila utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Puncher stopping the sweep attempt from Apila.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
Apila working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Puncher.
Puncher looking to sit in guard and control but Apila gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Puncher manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Apila manages to get himself to full guard.
Puncher postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Puncher not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Apila avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Puncher landing with the ground and pound.
Puncher is in close to Apila's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Puncher looking to sit in guard and control but Apila gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Apila looking to sit in guard and control but Puncher gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Puncher wants to control from the top but Apila keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Puncher forces his way into half guard.
Puncher not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Puncher thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Puncher slows the pace down in half guard.
Puncher throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Apila looking for submissions off his back.
Puncher is looking to take a break and control but Apila is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Ground and pound from Puncher.
Apila is refusing to be controlled, as Puncher sits in half guard.
Puncher throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Kick Puncher has got the better of the ground game so far.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Apila keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Puncher controlling the pace.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kick Puncher showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Apila ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Apila thows a body shot but no joy.
Puncher misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Apila.
Puncher looks to land a left hand but Apila moved out of range nicely.
Puncher just misses with a punch to the body.

Puncher closes the distance and pushes Apila back into the cage.
Puncher tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Puncher misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Apila.
Puncher landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Apila is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Puncher is defending well.
Apila blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Puncher gets underhooks to prevent Apila's takedown attempt.
Puncher misses with an elbow strike.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Apila goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Puncher lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Puncher is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Apila is defending well for now.
Puncher tries to land a knee to the head but Apila blocks with his arms.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Puncher just misses with a elbow thrown towards Apila's brow.
Kick Puncher seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Puncher missing with knees to the body.
Apila taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Apila is trying to force a seperation but Puncher has the dominant position.
Apila takes an elbow to the temple.
Puncher missing with knees to the body.
Puncher is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Apila is defending well for now.
Puncher lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Puncher with a knee to the head.
Apila is looking to control Puncher's arms but Puncher gets an underhook and turns him. Now Apila has his back to the cage.
Puncher misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Apila.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Apila has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Puncher is trying to keep an underhook but Apila manages to get the takedown into half guard.

Apila is trying to work for a kimura but Puncher is defending well.
Puncher tries to get to full guard but Apila has control of the leg.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Apila connects with a nice short shot to Puncher's temple.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Apila looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Puncher trying to control but Apila postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Apila wants to take a breather but Puncher is having none of it.
Ville Apila has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Puncher is looking to improve his position.
Apila winds up and cracks Puncher with a swinging punch to the side of the head.

Apila is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Puncher doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Apila.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Apila is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Puncher wants to improve his position but Apila is controlling well.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Apila is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Puncher is just riding it out for now. Apila eventually gives up the hold.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Kick Puncher.
Well Puncher 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 Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 27:30
Judge Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 28:30
Judge Illya Tyunina scores the fight 28:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kick Puncher!
A very excited looking Kick Puncher rambled incoherently for about 5 minutes post fight about how awesome he is. It was kinda funny for a while but then everyone got annoyed.