PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Topi Takala (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Alexander Valentine (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Takala kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Volga. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Takala
vs
Valentine

198 cm
28
194 lbs
21 - 5 - 0

185 cm
30
193 lbs
28 - 10 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

ADCC Champion
World class MT
Good gas tank

Perkele!
FinnFighter Nutrition (Five 160Q supps!)

Fury Nutrition Inc.
Syndicate Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 21 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Topi Takala!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 28 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Alexander Valentine!
The judges for this bout are , Don Winkell and Timothy Bukovac.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Valentine tries to score with a low kick but Takala moves his leg out of the way.
Takala connects with a good right hand that stumbles Valentine. Valentine circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Valentine misses with a straight left.
Takala looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Valentine keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Valentine throws a head kick but Takala moves out of range.
A slapping leg kick lands for Valentine.
Takala looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Jab by Valentine.
Valentine swings widly with a right hand
and Takala counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Valentine on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Takala displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Valentine throws out the jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Takala tried to score with a low kick but Valentine checks it.
Valentine looks to throw the jab but Takala is out of range.
Takala misses with a hook.
Takala throws a nice outside leg kick.
Valentine throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Takala misses the shot to the body.
A low kick from Valentine misses
and Takala counters with a body kick.
Valentine throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Takala lands a jab to Valentine's midsection.
Takala throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Valentine with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Takala to score with a decent uppercut.
Takala lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Takala throws a nice outside leg kick.
Valentine throws an off balance right hand
and Takala counters with a stiff right hand.
Takala thumps Valentine with a low kick.
Takala takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Valentine cracks Takala with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Takala swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Takala throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Valentine tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Takala connects with an inside leg kick.
Takala is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Valentine.
Takala scores with a body shot.
Takala misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Valentine.
Valentine uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Takala.
Danga de danga de dang - Takala scores with a four punch combination!
Takala ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Valentine moves away.
Topi Takala seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A bone on bone clash there as Valentine blocks the leg kick.
Takala just misses with a punch to the body.
A slapping body kick lands there for Takala.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Valentine checks a low kick from Takala.
Takala connects with a jab.
Takala takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Takala really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Takala takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Takala looks to score with a jab to the body but Valentine is just out of range.
Donk. Takala catches Valentine right on the button with a cross.
Topi Takala is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Takala closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Takala misses the body punch

and Valentine counters with a nice double leg into side control. Takala won't be happy with that.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Valentine in side control, throwing shots but Takala defends.
Takala can't do much from the bottom here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Topi Takala dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Takala lands a jab.
Valentine avoids the body shot from Takala.
Takala jabs Valentine to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Valentine throws a leg kick but Takala sees it coming and moves out of range.
Takala scoring well with a low kick there.
A kick lands to the mid section there for Takala.
Valentine uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Takala.
Valentine ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Takala moves away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Valentine connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Takala throws a looping overhand right but Valentine ducks down to avoid it.
Takala misses with a low kick as Valentine jumps back.
Takala fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Valentine is out of range.
Takala takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Valentine swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Takala makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Takala lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Valentine misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Takala.
Takala stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Valentine.
Takala needs to keep his hands up - Valentine had a free shot at his head there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Takala throws a leg kick but Valentine moved away.
That kick from Takala tenderised Valentine's leg. Valentine is trying to keep his angry face on.
Takala misses with a leg kick

and Valentine counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Takala's guard now.
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!
Valentine throws a strike but Takala rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Takala passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Valentine is looking for a sweep.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Valentine wants to control but Takala postures up.
Takala slows the pace down.
Valentine is looking to reverse the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Takala is pausing for a moment. What's he doing? It looks like he's clearing his nose. Oh dude! He's shot a load of snot all down Valentine's shoulder. That is not cool.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Topi Takala wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Takala misses with a body shot.
Takala throws a low kick but Valentine moves out of range easily.
A low kick from Takala misses

and Valentine counters with a takedown into side control.
Valentine scoring with punches from side control.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Takala defending against the ground and pound.
Alexander Valentine has got the better of the ground game so far.
Takala tries to slip a leg under to move to half guard but Valentine presses down on the leg and jumps into full mount!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Valentine working Takala over with strikes here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alexander Valentine showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! 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.

Takala misses with a low kick.
Takala displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Valentine.
Takala throws a leg kick but Valentine sees it coming and moves out of range.
Decent striking displayed by Valentine there.
Takala lands with a hook. Valentine tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Takala loads up on a big right hand but Valentine slips the punch.
Takala throws a leg kick that misses.
Valentine walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Takala stuns Valentine with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Valentine is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Takala fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Valentine manages to avoid it.
Takala lands with a straight right. Valentine didn't see that one coming.
Valentine throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
A jab lands there for Takala.
Valentine throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Valentine lunges at Takala with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Takala's hand.
Takala with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Takala misses with a body shot

and Valentine counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Valentine is just content to waste time from the top position. Takala takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Valentine distracts Takala with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Valentine pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Takala is keeping the position for now.
Valentine wants to control from the top but Takala keeps moving.
Takala is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Valentine throwing strikes from guard but Takala blocks nicely.
Valentine content to stall in guard here.
Takala will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Takala is looking to land body kicks.
Takala moves out of range of the leg kick from Valentine.
Takala thows a left - swing and a miss!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Takala misses with a body shot

and Valentine decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Takala's guard.
Valentine trying to control but Takala is working from the bottom.
Valentine controls from within his opponent's guard.
Takala is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Valentine ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.

And that's the end of the fight!
Alexander Valentine comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Valentine 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 Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 28:29
Judge Don Winkell scores the fight 28:29
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Alexander Valentine!
In his post fight interview, Alexander Valentine gave a big smile as he said 'In a career full of ups and downs, this win , hopefully, is the start of something amazing! '.