PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Atlas Kivi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Keijo Kerjalainen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Kivi's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Metallica - Ride the Lightning. Kerjalainen comes into a darkened arena with his song building. krolithika kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Kivi
vs
Kerjalainen

175 cm
27
160 lbs
16 - 9 - 0

179 cm
29
168 lbs
19 - 9 - 0

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Granite chin

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Perkele!
Untouchable Fight Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 16 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Atlas Kivi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 19 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Keijo Kerjalainen!
The judges for this bout are Arvi Lind, Roosa Järviläinen and Tarja Halkonen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kerjalainen slips a jab and a cross from Kivi.
Kivi lands a jab to Kerjalainen's midsection.
Kivi throws a left and a right that both miss
and Kerjalainen counters with an outside leg kick.
Kerjalainen showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Kivi.
Kivi lands with a cross.
Kivi uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Kerjalainen.
Kivi jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Kivi scores with a shot to the body.
Kerjalainen scores with a head kick.

It looks like Atlas Kivi has been cut.
Kivi tries to bum rush Kerjalainen with a series of wild strikes but Kerjalainen uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Kivi looks to land a left hand but Kerjalainen moved out of range nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Kerjalainen enables Kivi to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Kerjalainen manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Kerjalainen pulls Kivi in close to prevent any damage.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Kerjalainen being controlled here, momentarily.
Kerjalainen is pulling down on Kivi's head to control his posture.
Kivi throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Kerjalainen works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Kerjalainen keeping moving, preventing Kivi from controlling successfully.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
A slow jab from Kivi misses its intended target.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kivi has a takedown stuffed.
Kivi throws a leg kick
and Kerjalainen counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Kivi misses the shot to the body.
Kivi scores with a body shot.
Kerjalainen takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Kivi lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Kivi shoots in for a takedown but Kerjalainen shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Kerjalainen keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Atlas Kivi. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Kivi throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Kerjalainen counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Kivi misses with a telegraphed body shot

and Kerjalainen counters by moving into the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kivi lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Kivi lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Kerjalainen backwards.

Kerjalainen breaks from the clinch.
Kivi swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Kerjalainen misses with a body kick.
Kerjalainen moves into range and connects with a jab.
Kivi uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Kerjalainen.
Kivi throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Kivi closes this distance looking for a takedown but Kerjalainen circles away.
Kivi thows a left - swing and a miss!
Kivi tries to score with a low kick but Kerjalainen moves his leg out of the way.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kerjalainen uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Kivi.
Kerjalainen connects with a good right hand that stumbles Kivi. Kivi circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Kivi will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Kerjalainen clinches with his opponent.
Good body shot from Kerjalainen.
Kivi working aggressively here.
Kivi misses with a body punch.
Kerjalainen lands with a right to the head.
Kivi scores with a shoulder strike.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
A short right from Kerjalainen on the inside.
Kivi blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Kerjalainen has a couple of punches blocked by Kivi.
Kivi wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Kerjalainen has him pressed against the cage.
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 Atlas Kivi will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Atlas Kivi's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Kerjalainen avoids the body shot from Kivi.
Atlas Kivi is winning the standup battle so far.
Kerjalainen uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Kivi.
Kivi misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Kerjalainen.
Atlas Kivi seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Kivi dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Kivi pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Kerjalainen keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Kivi takes a swing at Kerjalainen's ribcage but misses.
Kerjalainen on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Kerjalainen slips under a jab from Kivi.
Kivi misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Kerjalainen.
Kivi dips down and scores with a jab to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kivi looks to score with a jab to the body but Kerjalainen is just out of range.
Kivi lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Kerjalainen circles away quickly and effectively.
Kivi throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Donk. Kerjalainen catches Kivi right on the button with a cross.
Kivi misses with a few strikes there.
Kivi misses with a body shot.
Kivi thows a body shot but no joy.
Kivi's jab looks to have found its range, popping Kerjalainen under the eye.
Kivi throws a low kick, looking for Kerjalainen's leg but Kerjalainen calmly moves out of range.
Kivi swings and misses with a hook to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Kerjalainen checks a leg kick.
Kerjalainen walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Kivi will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
A cross from Kivi lands.
Kerjalainen takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Kivi tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Kerjalainen was well out of range. Poor timing from Kivi.
Kerjalainen throws a leg kick
and Kivi counters with a nice body shot.
Kivi connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Kerjalainen's hands.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Kivi will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kerjalainen throws a head kick that misses.
Kivi lands with an overhand left.

Kivi closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Kerjalainen's guard.
Kivi trying to control the position from guard on top but Kerjalainen is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Kivi slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Kerjalainen keeping moving, preventing Kivi from controlling successfully.

Atlas Kivi has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.

Kivi looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Kerjalainen!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kerjalainen struggling a bit here.
Kivi wants to control but Kerjalainen is keeping him busy.

The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Kivi wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Kerjalainen, who protects the arm well.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Kerjalainen is not content to let Kivi control the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Atlas Kivi dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Atlas Kivi's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Kivi throws a leg kick
and Kerjalainen counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Kivi thinking.
Kerjalainen blocks a jab.
Kivi throws a lazy right hand but Kerjalainen sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Kivi dips to his left and cracks Kerjalainen with an uppercut!

Kivi shoots in and bounces Kerjalainen off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Kerjalainen is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Kivi pushes down on Kerjalainen's leg and manages to get into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kivi throws a big elbow that misses, also allowing Kerjalainen to regain full guard.
Kivi slips nicely into half guard.
Kerjalainen works his way to full guard. Good work.
Kerjalainen looking for a sweep. Not yet Kerjalainen, not yet.
Kivi with a flurry of punches that miss.
Kivi looking to pass the guard.
Atlas Kivi overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Kivi trying to control but Kerjalainen is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kivi is really struggling to control Kerjalainen but he's trying to hold on to the position.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Kivi trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Atlas Kivi wasn't doing enough on the ground.
A looping hook to the body misses from Kivi. Kerjalainen does a little dance to reset his feet.
Kivi jabs at Kerjalainen's body.
A jab from Kivi misses.
Nice jab there from Kivi.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kivi throws a front kick aimed at Kerjalainen's knee but Kerjalainen avoids it well.
Kivi looks for a takedown but Kerjalainen sprawls well.
Kerjalainen keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Kivi.
Kerjalainen throws a sloppy head kick and Kivi moves out of range easily.
Kivi is looking to wear down Kerjalainen with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Kerjalainen attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Kerjalainen takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Kivi throws a leg kick
and Kerjalainen counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Kivi is lucky that one didn't land flush.
An inside leg kick lands from Kivi.
Keijo Kerjalainen has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kivi throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Kerjalainen fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Kivi has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
No joy there for Kivi, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Kerjalainen slaps away a takedown attempt from Kivi, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Atlas Kivi is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Kerjalainen uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Kivi.
Kivi uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Kerjalainen.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Kivi rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Kerjalainen counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
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!
Kerjalainen uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Kivi.
Kivi feints a jab promting Kerjalainen to slip. Kivi then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Kerjalainen slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.

And that's the end of the fight!
Atlas Kivi showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Kivi, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Arvi Lind scores the fight 30:28
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 29:28
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Atlas Kivi!
A very excited looking Atlas Kivi made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.