PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Karri Kemppainen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Raimo Helminen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Karri Kemppainen has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Kemppainen
vs
Helminen

184 cm
22
169 lbs
0 - 3 - 0

184 cm
18
170 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Inexperienced

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 0 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Karri Kemppainen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Raimo Helminen!
The judges for this bout are Ben Zyskovitsi, Marco Blurström and Arvi Lind.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kemppainen digs a good hook to Helminen's body.
Kemppainen's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Kemppainen duly obliges.
Kemppainen shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Helminen as he avoids it easily.

Kemppainen darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Helminen has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Kemppainen is working away from the top position though.
Kemppainen thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Kemppainen wants to lay and pray for a moment but Helminen keeps working.
Kemppainen tries to pass to full mount but Helminen defends it.
Helminen is not content to let Kemppainen control the position.
Helminen is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kemppainen is keen to just control but Helminen is a slippery customer.
Kemppainen is thwarting Helminen's attempts to control the position.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Helminen showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Kemppainen.
Kemppainen shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Helminen but Helminen pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Helminen takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Kemppainen stuffs the takedown.
Kemppainen circles away from the clinch attempt.
A punch combination from Kemppainen misses.
A punch combination from Kemppainen misses.
Kemppainen fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Karri Kemppainen. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Kemppainen is breathing heavily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.

Helminen decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Helminen in particular looking to stall.
Helminen is looking to take a break and control but Kemppainen is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Helminen prevents Kemppainen from improving his position.
Kemppainen is trying to maintain the position but Helminen is very close to passing his half guard.

Kemppainen is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Helminen pulls his head out easily.
Helminen is pressing down on Kemppainen's thigh, looking to free his foot. Kemppainen is holding on for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Helminen wants to control but Kemppainen is keeping him busy.

Helminen is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Kemppainen defends it well.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Helminen tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Helminen.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Helminen stands up.
Helminen with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Kemppainen to score with a decent uppercut.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kemppainen throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Kemppainen will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
No luck for Kemppainen with that takedown attempt.
Helminen has a takedown stuffed.
Kemppainen throws a nice looking combination but Helminen bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Kemppainen misses with a wild combination.

Helminen bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Kemppainen is trying to improve his position.

Helminen stands up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Raimo Helminen will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Helminen changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Kemppainen tries to avoid it but Helminen manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Kemppainen to the ground. Kemppainen escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Karri Kemppainen seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Helminen tries for a takedown but Kemppainen circles away easily

and Kemppainen counters with a takedown into side control.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Helminen sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Helminen is looking for a sweep. Kemppainen is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Kemppainen wants to control but Helminen is keeping him busy.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Kemppainen in particular looking to stall.
Helminen tries to roll over but Kemppainen keeps him under control.
Helminen trying to control here but he's found himself mounted! Oh no!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Helminen working to try and regain half guard.
Helminen is breathing heavily.
Helminen is trying to reverse the position but instead Kemppainen has taken his back - oops!
A bit of a pause in the action here. Kemppainen controlling the positon.
Helminen is covering up but some of the strikes from Kemppainen are getting through and doing damage.
Helminen has the hand control, trying to stop the rear naked choke.
Helminen looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Kemppainen trying to secure his dominant position for a moment - making sure Helminen doesn't escape.
Kemppainen tries to keep control of the position but Helminen is staying busy.
The referee is taking a good look at Helminen as he is on the wrong end of some big shots from Kemppainen!

Kemppainen is remaining active here, looking for the choke. The more discerning members of the crowd will appreciate his efforts.
Kemppainen is not going to allow Helminen to sit and survive in this position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kemppainen lands a couple of good shots to his opponent's body and a final shot to the head. Good little attack there by Kemppainen.

Kemppainen is looking for the choke from the back position but Helminen is controlling his hands well.
Helminen trying to control but not successfully.
Oooh a big shot gets through from Kemppainen. Many more shots like that and the referee will have to think about stepping in!
Helminen is trying to get back to his feet but Kemppainen has full control of the position and if anything, Helminen has just worked his way into a worse spot.
You can see the frustration on Helminen's face… He knows he is in trouble unless he improves his position sooner rather than later.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Helminen covering up well and avoiding damage.
Helminen tries to escape the position.
Karri Kemppainen overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Helminen controlling the position well but he knows he's in a bad position.
Kemppainen is trying to stick to Helminen's back but Helminen is turning into Kemppainen. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Kemppainen's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Helminen.
Helminen seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Kemppainen misses with a two punch combination.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Karri Kemppainen dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Nice sprawl there from Kemppainen as Helminen shoots in.
Kemppainen lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Helminen shoots in but Kemppainen avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Helminen changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Kemppainen tries to avoid it but Helminen manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Kemppainen to the ground. Kemppainen escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Karri Kemppainen has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Raimo Helminen.

Kemppainen shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Helminen keeping moving, preventing Kemppainen from controlling successfully.
Kemppainen passes Helminen's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Kemppainen lands a nice short elbow.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Kemppainen is looking to take a break and control but Helminen is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ground and pound from Kemppainen.
Helminen tries to roll over but Kemppainen keeps him under control.
Helminen has hold of Kemppainen's hands but Kemppainen slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Helminen is trying to control but can't.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Kemppainen rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Helminen moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Kemppainen tries for a takedown but Helminen sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Kemppainen swats away the attempt to clinch by Helminen.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.

Helminen gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Kemppainen gets underhooks to prevent Helminen's takedown attempt.

Helminen manages to break the clinch.
Helminen lands a glancing blow to the side of Kemppainen's head.
Helminen shoots for a double leg takedown but Kemppainen sprawls well. He's pushed Helminen's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
A swing and a miss from Kemppainen.
Kemppainen shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Helminen as he jumps to the side.

Helminen gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Helminen stalling against the cage.
Helminen tries for a takedown but Kemppainen manages to get underhooks.
Helminen misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Kemppainen.
Kemppainen goes for a takedown in the clinch but Helminen prevents it.
Kemppainen goes for a takedown in the clinch but Helminen prevents it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Kemppainen manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Helminen is looking to work some ground and pound but Kemppainen has wrist control.
Kemppainen is pulling down on Helminen's head. It's preventing any offense from Helminen, at least for the moment.

Kemppainen is looking for a triangle but Helminen pushes his legs off easily.
Kemppainen bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Helminen's guard.
Kemppainen advances position into side control!
Kemppainen is looking to take a break and control but Helminen is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kemppainen happy to just control the position for now.
Kemppainen is looking to take a break and control but Helminen is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Helminen prevents Kemppainen from moving into mount.

Kemppainen working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Helminen is trying to control Kemppainen's posture but Kemppainen avoids it.

And that's the end of the fight!
Karri Kemppainen showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Kemppainen has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 29:28
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 29:28
Judge Arvi Lind scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Karri Kemppainen!