PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Gianluca Gattusi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gevorg Petrosyan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gattusi comes to the cage accompanied by Fratelli d'Italia. Gevorg Petrosyan is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Gattusi
vs
Petrosyan

190 cm
21
220 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

185 cm
22
216 lbs
3 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Very strong

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Gianluca Gattusi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Gevorg Petrosyan!
The judges for this bout are Roosa Järviläinen, Anni Minnemäki and Tarja Halkonen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gattusi fails with the takedown
and Petrosyan counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Petrosyan swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Petrosyan throws a hook to the side of Gattusi's head but Gattusi sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Petrosyan is defending well against a takedown attempt.

Gattusi breaks the clinch.

Gattusi gets a double leg takedown into Petrosyan's guard.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Gattusi prevents Petrosyan from getting back to his feet.

Petrosyan manages to escape and get back to his feet.
Gattusi swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Petrosyan counters with a stiff right hand.

It looks like Gianluca Gattusi has been cut.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Petrosyan misses with a wild combination.
Petrosyan throws a looping overhand right but Gattusi ducks down to avoid it.
Gattusi tries for a takedown but Petrosyan sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Gianluca Gattusi. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Gattusi has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Gattusi there as he acknowledges the shot.
Petrosyan keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Gattusi.
Petrosyan avoids the body shot from Gattusi.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Petrosyan gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Gattusi to score an easy takedown into full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Gattusi won't allow Petrosyan to get back to his feet.

Petrosyan pushes Gattusi off and gets back to his feet.
Petrosyan dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Petrosyan throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Petrosyan loads up on a big right hand but Gattusi slips the punch.
Petrosyan keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Gattusi fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Gattusi throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Petrosyan sees it coming and avoids it easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gattusi shoots in for a takedown but Petrosyan shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Petrosyan scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Gattusi misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Petrosyan.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Gattusi is defended easily by Petrosyan.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Gattusi wants a takedown.
Petrosyan misses with a knee to the head.
Petrosyan tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Gattusi is looking to break free of the clinch but Petrosyan has double underhooks.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
A short right from Petrosyan on the inside.
Gattusi is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Gattusi is trying to drag Petrosyan to the mat but Petrosyan just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Petrosyan misses with a body punch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A bit of stalling here from Petrosyan.
Petrosyan is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Gattusi is keeping busy.
Petrosyan using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Gattusi has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

Gattusi pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Gattusi looks to throw the jab but Petrosyan is out of range.
Petrosyan misses with a few strikes there.
Gattusi shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Petrosyan pinned against the cage. Petrosyan gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Petrosyan connects with a body shot that sends Gattusi's belly button to the back.
Gattusi tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Petrosyan was well out of range. Poor timing from Gattusi.
Petrosyan lands a head shot.

Petrosyan has managed to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gattusi tries to work over Petrosyan's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Petrosyan misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Gattusi.
Gattusi changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Petrosyan fights it off and pushes away nicely.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Gattusi moves out of range as Petrosyan strikes.
Gattusi blocks a jab.
Petrosyan looks to throw the jab but Gattusi is out of range.
Petrosyan tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Gattusi was well out of range. Poor timing from Petrosyan.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Gattusi.
Gattusi swats away the attempt to clinch by Petrosyan.
Gattusi doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Petrosyan scores with a body shot.
Petrosyan connects with a right hand. Gattusi shakes it off.
Gattusi tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Petrosyan swivels and escapes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gevorg Petrosyan dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Gianluca Gattusi's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Gattusi fails with a takedown attempt.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Gattusi.
Petrosyan digs a good body shot into Gattusi's ribs.
Petrosyan throws a left and a right that both miss

and Gattusi counters by moving into the clinch.
Petrosyan keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Gattusi's efforts to push away.
Petrosyan has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Gattusi avoiding damage as Petrosyan throws knees to the body.
Petrosyan tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Petrosyan slows down the pace here.
Petrosyan trying to stall but Gattusi improves his position.
Petrosyan throws a knee to the head but misses.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Petrosyan takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Petrosyan lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Gattusi backwards.

Petrosyan manages to break the clinch.
Gattusi tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Gevorg Petrosyan seems to be getting the better of the standup.

Gattusi fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Petrosyan sprawls well initially but Gattusi persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Petrosyan pushes Gattusi off looking to stand but Gattusi dives back in and keeps control.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Gattusi throwing shots but Petrosyan is blocking nicely.
Gattusi prevents Petrosyan from standing back up.
Petrosyan avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Gattusi.

Petrosyan makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!
Petrosyan catches Gattusi with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Gattusi circles away from the clinch attempt.
Petrosyan connects with a body shot.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Gattusi blocks a head kick by Petrosyan.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Petrosyan lands a lovely overhand right.

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

Gattusi 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.

Gattusi decides to return to a standing position.
The fight stays on the outside here - Petrosyan looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Gattusi fails with an attempt to clinch.
Petrosyan throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

Gattusi moves into the clinch.

Petrosyan breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gattusi swinging wildly here.
Petrosyan takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Gattusi fails with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Gianluca Gattusi. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Petrosyan on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Gattusi throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.

Gattusi tries to keep at a distance but Petrosyan has taken the fight into the clinch.

Gattusi pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Petrosyan darts in and clinches Gattusi up against the cage.

Gattusi pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Gattusi avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Petrosyan jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Gianluca Gattusi seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Petrosyan throws a head kick but Gattusi moves out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Petrosyan moves into range and clinches up with Gattusi.
Petrosyan trying to control the position but instead, Gattusi has worked for underhooks and has pushed Petrosyan into the cage.
Gattusi is trying to force a seperation but Petrosyan has the dominant position.
Petrosyan tries to land knees in the clinch but Gattusi avoids the damage to the body.
Gattusi tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Petrosyan missing with knees to the body.
Gattusi keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Petrosyan's efforts to push away.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Gattusi creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Gattusi wants a takedown.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Gattusi being controlled against the cage.
Petrosyan unloads a knee to the mid-section.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gevorg Petrosyan showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Gianluca Gattusi's cut.
That's time! Gattusi's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

A shot to the liver by Petrosyan. Beautiful body shot.
Gattusi fails in his attempt to clinch.
Gattusi tries to clinch up but Petrosyan circles away and keeps his distance.
Gattusi misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Petrosyan.
Petrosyan tries to land a front kick but Gattusi steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Gattusi connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Petrosyan is looking to clinch but Gattusi is avoiding it.
Gattusi is trying hard to land a takedown here. Petrosyan sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Petrosyan lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Petrosyan looks to land a right hand but Gattusi moved out of range.
Petrosyan scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Petrosyan misses with an uppercut. Gattusi saw that one coming.
A left lands for Petrosyan.

Gattusi is rocked!
Petrosyan is looking to clinch but Gattusi is avoiding it.
Oh Gattusi is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Gattusi walks straight into a right hand from Petrosyan - that's dropped him! Petrosyan jumps into mount and starts pounding away - can he finish?! More strikes go undefended and the referee has to dive in to save Gattusi from any more punishment! Gattusi complains about the stoppage but falls over as he tries to stand back up, so it was clearly a good stoppage.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:56 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Punches). Gevorg Petrosyan!
A relieved looking Gevorg Petrosyan thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.