PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Solomon Burke (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kamala Naamahaara (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Burke might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Highway Star-Deep Purple. Naamahaara is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Kishore Kumar : Chuu Kar Mere Mann Ko. Rumors backstage are that the fighters have been paid to keep it standing but we know that would never happen in MMA!

Burke
vs
Naamahaara

188 cm
30
200 lbs
26 - 7 - 0

193 cm
21
239 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 26 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Solomon Burke!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Kamala Naamahaara!
The judges for this bout are Roosa Järviläinen, Anni Minnemäki and Matti Vanhoillinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Burke avoids the head kick by Naamahaara.
Naamahaara is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Burke looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Naamahaara is fending him off so far but Burke persists. Nope, Naamahaara circles away and we're back to standing.
Naamahaara is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Naamahaara moves into the clinch.
Naamahaara misses with an elbow strike.
Naamahaara lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Burke tries to throw a body punch but Naamahaara avoids it by throwing Burke back against the cage.

Naamahaara breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Burke misses with a two punch combination.
Naamahaara uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Burke.
Naamahaara doesn't manage to clinch there - Burke circles away.
Burke misses with a takedown attempt - Naamahaara sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Naamahaara throws a sloppy head kick
and Burke counters with a series of strikes. Naamahaara will be more careful next time no doubt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Burke keeps the fight on the outside.
The crowd cheers as Naamahaara lands an impressive looking overhand right. Burke doesn't seem phased though.
Naamahaara throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Nice straight punches there by Burke. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Burke.
Naamahaara misses with a body kick.
Naamahaara looks to land a combination but Burke avoids it well.
Naamahaara wants to clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Naamahaara looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Horrible takedown by Burke or perhaps it was just good defense by Naamahaara which made him look bad.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Solomon Burke. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Naamahaara moves into the clinch successfully.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Naamahaara breaks from the clinch.
Naamahaara throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Naamahaara misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

Burke tries to keep at a distance but Naamahaara has taken the fight into the clinch.
Burke avoiding damage as Naamahaara throws knees to the body.
Burke avoids a wild elbow strike from Naamahaara.
Naamahaara is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Naamahaara breaks the clinch.
Naamahaara doesn't manage to clinch there - Burke circles away.
Naamahaara moves in looking to clinch but Burke pushes him off.
Burke thows a body shot but no joy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Naamahaara moves in looking to clinch but Burke pushes him off.
Naamahaara tries to close the distance and clinch up but Burke swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Naamahaara tries a head kick but it misses.
Good work by Naamahaara as he checks the leg kick.

Naamahaara gets tackled into the cage by Burke. Burke maintains the clinch.
Burke trying to stall but Naamahaara improves his position.
Naamahaara misses with an elbow over the top.
Burke slows down the pace here.
Naamahaara lands an elbow that stopped Burke in his tracks for a moment.
Burke misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Naamahaara blocking some punches.
Naamahaara managing to block the knees to the body from Burke.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Naamahaara breaks the clinch.
Naamahaara tries to clinch up.

Naamahaara drives through and clinches with Burke against the cage.
Naamahaara prevents a body shot from Burke.
Naamahaara lands a damaging elbow.

It looks like Solomon Burke has been cut.
Burke avoids a wild elbow strike from Naamahaara.
Naamahaara lands an elbow inside that Burke shrugs off.
Burke scores with a shot to the side of Naamahaara's head.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Naamahaara tries to land a knee to the head but Burke blocks with his arms.

Naamahaara escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Naamahaara blocks a leg kick.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Naamahaara tries to clinch but Burke moves out of range.
Naamahaara tries to clinch but Burke moves out of range.
Naamahaara swats away the attempt to clinch by Burke.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kamala Naamahaara dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Solomon Burke's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Naamahaara lands with a slapping head kick.
Solomon Burke is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Naamahaara wants to clinch.
Naamahaara avoids the body shot from Burke.
Burke fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Naamahaara throws a sloppy head kick and Burke moves out of range easily.
Naamahaara fails in his attempt to clinch.

Burke gets tackled into the cage by Naamahaara. Naamahaara maintains the clinch.
Naamahaara looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Naamahaara tries to land a knee to the head but Burke blocks with his arms.
Naamahaara blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Naamahaara is trying to break the clinch but Burke has him pressed against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Naamahaara breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Burke misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Naamahaara.
Kamala Naamahaara seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Burke throws a right hand that Naamahaara ducks under and follows up with a left that Naamahaara also avoids with ease.
Naamahaara takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Naamahaara throws a body punch but Burke moves out of range.
Naamahaara throws a lazy head kick
and Burke counters with a nice low kick that buckles Naamahaara's knee momentarily.
Naamahaara keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Burke.

Naamahaara has taken the fight to the clinch.
Burke managing to block the knees to the body from Naamahaara.
Naamahaara looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Naamahaara creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Burke's defenses.
Burke keeps control of Naamahaara as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Naamahaara throws an elbow but it's blocked.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Burke is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Burke tries a body shot but Naamahaara blocks it.
Burke managing to block the knees to the body from Naamahaara.

Naamahaara breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Naamahaara lands with a kick to the temple. Burke shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Burke buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Burke fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Burke comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Burke is looking to wear down Naamahaara with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Naamahaara pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Naamahaara tries to clinch up.
Naamahaara uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Burke.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Burke wants to clinch up but Naamahaara keeps it at a distance.
Burke avoids the head kick by Naamahaara.
Kamala Naamahaara is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Burke circles away from the clinch attempt
and Burke counters with a stiff right hand.
Burke ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Naamahaara moves in looking to clinch but Burke pushes him off.
Burke swats away the attempt to clinch by Naamahaara.
Burke shoots for a takedown but Naamahaara saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Burke with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Naamahaara throws a head kick that misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
No luck for Burke with that takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Solomon Burke. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Naamahaara misses with a straight right.
Naamahaara tries a head kick but it misses.
Naamahaara misses with an attempted mid kick.
Burke will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Naamahaara tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Burke manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Naamahaara fails with an attempt to clinch.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Naamahaara moves in looking to clinch but Burke pushes him off.
Naamahaara tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Naamahaara connects with a high kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kamala Naamahaara showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Solomon Burke's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Naamahaara has taken the fight to the clinch.
This is turning into a torrid day at the office for Burke. He's trying desperately to land a takedown but he's failing miserably and getting slapped silly on the feet to compound his misery.
Naamahaara is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Burke can't find room to land a body shot as Naamahaara controls the action.
Burke tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Naamahaara smiles and moves away.

Naamahaara closes the distance and pushes Burke back into the cage.

Naamahaara pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
No joy there for Burke, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Naamahaara slaps away a takedown attempt from Burke, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Burke takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Naamahaara throws a nice inside leg kick.
Kamala Naamahaara seems to be getting the better of the standup.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Naamahaara lands a big head kick that sends Burke tumbling to the mat! Naamahaara takes a step backwards and waves Burke back to his feet - he wants the finish!

Burke is rocked!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Burke gets hit by the mother of all head kicks and drops to the canvas in a crumpled heap! Woooow, the Internet is going to be talking about this one for weeks!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:15 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Head Kick). Kamala Naamahaara!
Kamala Naamahaara is the new heavyweight champion!
An out of breath Kamala Naamahaara thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.