PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Jaska Raatikainen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Marrio Marselli (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Raatikainen's entrance music is Children of Bodom - Are you dead yet. A fine choice. Marrio Marselli will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Raatikainen
vs
Marselli

162 cm
23
145 lbs
3 - 4 - 0

185 cm
22
145 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

Good wrestling
Dangerous knees
Cardio machine

Good takedowns
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 4 - 0, fighting out of New York, Jaska Raatikainen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of New York, Marrio Marselli !
The judges for this bout are Reed Andrews, Joseph Jones and Alyssa Summers.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Raatikainen digs a good hook to Marselli 's body.
Marselli uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Raatikainen.
Raatikainen throws a nice looking combination but Marselli bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Marselli tries for a takedown but Raatikainen sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Marrio Marselli seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Marselli shoots in looking for a takedown but Raatikainen manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Marselli 's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Raatikainen connects with a good right hand that stumbles Marselli . Marselli circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Marselli is trying hard to land a takedown here. Raatikainen sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Jaska Raatikainen has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Marrio Marselli .
Marselli just misses with a punch to the body.
Marselli walks into a stiff left hand from Raatikainen.
Marselli shoots for a double leg takedown but Raatikainen sprawls well. He's pushed Marselli 's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Raatikainen jabs Marselli to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Marselli on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Marselli takes a jab right on the kisser.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Marselli shoots in but Raatikainen avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Marselli tries to close the distance and clinch but Raatikainen swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Marselli throws a body kick despite being completely out of range
and Raatikainen counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Marselli fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Raatikainen avoids it really well and circles away.

Raatikainen takes the fight into the clinch.
Marselli looking to slow down the pace here.
Raatikainen lands a hook to the side of the head.
Marselli is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Knees in the clinch landing for Raatikainen.
Marselli takes a knee to the side of the body.

Raatikainen breaks from the clinch.
Raatikainen lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Marselli closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Raatikainen ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
A leg kick checked by Raatikainen.
Marselli shoots in looking for a takedown but Raatikainen manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Marselli 's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Marselli with a lazy takedown attempt
and Raatikainen counters with a nice leg kick.
Marselli looks winded!
Marselli shoots and misses
enabling Raatikainen to counter with a crisp jab.
Raatikainen clobbers Marselli with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Jaska Raatikainen is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Raatikainen thows a body kick. Marselli tries to catch it but that hurt him.
Marselli tries to move into range but Raatikainen moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.

Marselli gets tackled into the cage by Raatikainen. Raatikainen maintains the clinch.
Raatikainen manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Raatikainen has Marselli pressed against the cage, preventing Marselli from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marselli tries to pull guard but Raatikainen holds him up against the cage and eventually Marselli drops back down to his feet.
Raatikainen dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Raatikainen using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Marselli has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Marselli looking for a takedown.
Raatikainen stalling against the cage.
Raatikainen unloads a knee to the mid-section. Marselli lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.

Raatikainen manages to break the clinch.
Raatikainen throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
A swing and a miss from Marselli .

Raatikainen forces Marselli back against the cage and clinches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Raatikainen lands a nice knee to the body.

Raatikainen breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Marselli on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Raatikainen lands with an uppercut that bounces Marselli off the cage and back into range.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Marselli shoots in but no luck this time.
A nice combination there by Raatikainen.

Marselli is rocked!
Marselli misses with a head kick.
Raatikainen misses with a series of wild punches.
A good leg kick by Raatikainen.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Raatikainen works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Marselli shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Raatikainen but Raatikainen pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Raatikainen tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Marselli was well out of range. Poor timing from Raatikainen.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jaska Raatikainen dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Marselli dives in and grabs Raatikainen's left leg, looking for a takedown. Raatikainen pushes down on Marselli 's head and hops out.
Raatikainen connects with a body shot.
Marselli shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Raatikainen lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Marselli is trying desperately to land a takedown but Raatikainen is having absolutely none of it. This is turning into a bit of a nightmare for Marselli .
Raatikainen connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Marselli is still on wobbly legs! Can Raatikainen finish him?
Marselli tries for a takedown but Raatikainen sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Marselli seems to have recovered his senses.
Jaska Raatikainen has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Marrio Marselli .

Raatikainen clinches with his opponent.
Raatikainen connects with a nasty looking knee right to Marselli 's face.
Marselli is trying to pull guard but Raatikainen turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Raatikainen takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Raatikainen with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
A bit of stalling here from Raatikainen.
Marselli is looking to control Raatikainen's arms but Raatikainen gets an underhook and turns him. Now Marselli has his back to the cage.
Raatikainen is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Raatikainen pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Raatikainen landing knees to the head.
Marselli takes a knee to the side of the body.
Marselli is breathing heavily.
Raatikainen controlling the action here for a moment.
Raatikainen lands a knee to the body.
Raatikainen is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Marselli tries for a takedown but Raatikainen manages to get underhooks.

Raatikainen breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Marselli takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
Raatikainen cracks Marselli with a hook to the temple - Marselli is on wobbly legs here! Raatikainen swarms him with hook after hook, landing with each one! Marselli falls to the canvas face first and the referee dives in to stop the fight! Raatikainen wins by TKO!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:57 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Punches). Jaska Raatikainen!
After winning the bout, Jaska Raatikainen thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.