PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Juyt Calhan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ljeva Desna (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The fight MMA fans around the world have waited their entire lives for!

Calhan
vs
Desna

176 cm
21
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

192 cm
19
194 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Big heart

BJJ White Belt
Basic striking
Very confident

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, Juyt Calhan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Ljeva Desna!
The judges for this bout are Tarja Halkonen, Johanna Lukiainen and Anni Minnemäki.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Calhan tries to close the distance and clinch but Desna swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Ljeva Desna seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Desna avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Calhan fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Desna to the ground. Calhan is now in Desna's guard.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Calhan wants to control from the top but Desna keeps moving.
Desna is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

Desna had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Calhan defends it easily.
Desna keeping moving, preventing Calhan from controlling successfully.
Desna keeping full guard, as Calhan tries to pass.
Desna keeping moving, preventing Calhan from controlling successfully.

Desna manages to escape and get back to his feet.
Desna swats away the attempt to clinch by Calhan.
Calhan shoots for a takedown but Desna saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Desna tries a head kick but it misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Calhan attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.

Calhan has closed the distance and engaged Desna in a clinch.
Desna tries to pull guard but Calhan won't allow it.
Calhan drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Calhan misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Desna.
Calhan landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Desna looks winded!
Desna tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Calhan just stands there and leans against the cage.
Calhan wants a takedown but no success here.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Juyt Calhan. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Calhan keeps control of Desna as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

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

Desna closes the distance and clinches.
Desna is looking to break free of the clinch but Calhan has double underhooks.
Calhan unloads a knee to the mid-section.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Calhan has had enough of the clinch but Desna keeps him there for the moment.
Calhan taking a breather.
Desna fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Calhan is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Desna to keep the fight standing.
Calhan stalling in the clinch.
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!
Desna wants to break free but Calhan has control.
Desna wants to break free but Calhan has control.
Desna wants to get back to striking at distance but Calhan won't allow it.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Calhan obliges.
Desna is trying to maintain a safe position but Calhan gets an underhook and turns Desna into the cage.
Calhan wants to break the clinch but can't.
Desna looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Calhan stalling.

Calhan manages to break the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Calhan is looking to clinch.
Desna swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Desna stuffs the takedown attempt from Calhan. Calhan gets slowly back to his feet.
Calhan tries to clinch up.
Calhan is trying hard to land a takedown here. Desna sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Calhan is looking to land body kicks.
Calhan walks into a stiff left hand from Desna.
Desna misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Calhan.
The fight stays on the outside here - Calhan looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Calhan could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Calhan closes this distance looking for a takedown but Desna circles away.
Calhan tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Calhan tries to close the distance and clinch up but Desna swats him away and circles back towards the center.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Desna checks a leg kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Desna gets a takedown into half guard.
Calhan is looking for a sweep. Desna is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

Desna is looking for a kimura but Calhan is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Desna to get the leverage.
Desna not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Calhan is trying to stand up here but Desna is controlling him well.
Calhan is not content to let Desna control the position.
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!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Desna not landing any meaningful shots this time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Juyt Calhan will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Desna leaves Calhan with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Juyt Calhan is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Calhan fails with an attempt to clinch.
Desna misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Nice shot by Desna.
Desna showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Calhan.
Desna changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Calhan avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Calhan tries to keep at a distance but Desna has taken the fight into the clinch.
Desna jumps guard but Calhan turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Desna is breathing heavily.
Calhan lands a nice knee to the body.
Desna has Calhan pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Calhan manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Desna is looking for a takedown.
Juyt Calhan has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ljeva Desna.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Calhan has had enough of the clinch but Desna keeps him there for the moment.
Calhan is trying to break free.

Calhan's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Calhan tries to clinch there but Desna circles away.
Desna stuffs the takedown.

Calhan gets a clinch.
Calhan connects with a nasty looking knee right to Desna's face.

Calhan escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Calhan fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Calhan tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Desna manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Desna is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Calhan's half guard.
Desna is keen to just control but Calhan is a slippery customer.
Calhan keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Desna trying to pass the guard but Calhan defending well.
Calhan avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Desna.
Desna throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Calhan is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Calhan wants to control but Desna is keeping busy and won't allow it.

Desna postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Calhan to stand up.
Calhan shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Desna defends it nicely.

Calhan rushes Desna and presses him up against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Desna tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Calhan just stands there and leans against the cage.
Desna is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Calhan to keep the fight standing.
Calhan tries for a takedown but Desna manages to get underhooks.
Calhan looking to stall.
Desna is trying to pull guard but Calhan has him pressed against the cage.
Desna trying to land knees to the body.

Calhan has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Desna uses from the top position.

Calhan has his foot on Desna's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Desna works his way back into a safe position though.
Desna passes Calhan's right leg, so he's now in half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Desna stops Calhan from getting back to his feet.
Desna throws a big elbow that misses, also allowing Calhan to regain full guard.
Desna is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Ljeva Desna has got the better of the ground game so far.
Desna trying to control but Calhan is working from the bottom.
Desna trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Desna content to stall in guard here.
Calhan might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Desna loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ljeva Desna showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Calhan shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Desna but Desna pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Desna misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Desna avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Calhan tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Desna manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Desna swings for the body but Calhan moves out of range.
Calhan doesn't manage to clinch there - Desna circles away.
Desna misses with a body kick.

Desna shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Calhan napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Desna throwing strikes but missing, from side control.

Desna is trying to get an arm triangle but Calhan is defending well.

Desna wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Calhan, who protects the arm well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Desna tries to score with some ground and pound. Calhan controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Desna in side control, throwing shots but Calhan defends.
Calhan is looking to reverse the position.
Calhan is working hard here to advance position.
Calhan dodges the ground and pound from Desna.
Desna fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Desna throws a strike aimed at the side of Calhan's head but Calhan avoids it well.
Desna in side control, throwing shots but Calhan defends.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Desna wants to control for a moment but Calhan uses the opportunity to move back to half guard.
Calhan avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Desna.
Desna missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Calhan blocking the ground and pound attempt from Desna.
Desna perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Desna has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Desna thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Desna missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Calhan tries to roll over but Desna keeps him under control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Desna trying to control from half guard but Calhan is working away.
Desna throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Desna lands strikes from half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Desna is looking to advance position but Calhan won't allow it.
Calhan is not content to let Desna control the position.
Desna is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Desna 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.
Desna not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Calhan is trying to stand up here but Desna is controlling him well.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ljeva Desna comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Desna has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 28:29
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 28:29
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ljeva Desna!
Ljeva Desna thanked the fans post fight for their support.