PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Kiyah Matsumoto (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Heikko Saarinen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Saarinen has chosen I Walk Alone as his entrance music. Kiyah Matsumoto had a look across the cage there at his opponent. He definitely means business

Matsumoto
vs
Saarinen

168 cm
38
150 lbs
20 - 3 - 0

170 cm
33
154 lbs
26 - 9 - 1

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Very quick

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Knockout power

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 20 - 3 - 0, fighting out of London, Kiyah Matsumoto!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 26 - 9 - 1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Heikko Saarinen!
The judges for this bout are Emerson Jorge, Felipe Paraventi and Mauricio Rocha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Matsumoto fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Saarinen to the ground. Matsumoto is now in Saarinen's guard.
Saarinen seems keen to control Matsumoto's posture.
Saarinen avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Matsumoto pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Saarinen is keeping the position for now.
Matsumoto postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Matsumoto works over Saarinen with some ground and pound from guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Saarinen is trying to control the position but Matsumoto postures up.
Matsumoto trying to control but Saarinen is working from the bottom.
Matsumoto throwing strikes but missing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Saarinen looking for a sweep. Not yet Saarinen, not yet.
Saarinen pulls Matsumoto in close to prevent any damage.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Heikko Saarinen was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Saarinen finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Matsumoto digs a good hook to Saarinen's body.
A looping hook to the body misses from Matsumoto. Saarinen does a little dance to reset his feet.
Saarinen lands a really nice looking cross but Matsumoto seems unphased.
Matsumoto takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Saarinen throws a half hearted mid kick.
Saarinen scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Matsumoto doesn't seem bothered though.
Matsumoto throws a hook but Saarinen avoids it easily.
Saarinen uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Matsumoto.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Saarinen moves out of range of the strikes.
Saarinen stuffs the takedown attempt from Matsumoto. Matsumoto gets slowly back to his feet.
Saarinen throws a hook to the side of Matsumoto's head but Matsumoto sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Matsumoto avoids the head kick by Saarinen.
Saarinen feints and then cracks Matsumoto's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Matsumoto down.

Matsumoto shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Matsumoto showed some decent athleticism there.
Matsumoto has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Matsumoto prevents Saarinen from standing back up.
Matsumoto is pressing down on Saarinen's thigh, looking to free his foot. Saarinen is holding on for now.
Saarinen keeping control of the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Matsumoto is looking to advance position but Saarinen won't allow it.
Saarinen wants to get back to full guard.
Saarinen moves into full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Matsumoto looking to sit in guard and control but Saarinen gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Matsumoto looking to hit a scissor sweep but Saarinen is one step ahead there.
Matsumoto seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Matsumoto has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Saarinen can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Matsumoto is trying to control the position from the bottom.

Matsumoto looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Matsumoto working a defensive guard here.
Saarinen would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kiyah Matsumoto dominated that round.
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.

Saarinen throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Matsumoto.
Matsumoto lands with a hook. Saarinen tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Matsumoto tries to clinch but Saarinen is having none of it.
Matsumoto dives in and grabs Saarinen's left leg, looking for a takedown. Saarinen pushes down on Matsumoto's head and hops out.
Matsumoto doesn't manage to clinch there - Saarinen circles away.
Saarinen throws a sloppy head kick and Matsumoto moves out of range easily.
Matsumoto moves into range and connects with a jab.
Matsumoto fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Saarinen is looking to slow Matsumoto down with leg kicks.

Matsumoto fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Saarinen to the ground. Matsumoto is now in Saarinen's guard.
Matsumoto trying to move into half guard but instead Saarinen has managed to sweep!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Matsumoto has a closed guard, preventing Saarinen from standing up.
Saarinen won't allow Matsumoto to sweep him here.
Saarinen trying to stand up but can't free himself from Matsumoto's guard.
Kiyah Matsumoto overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Matsumoto is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Matsumoto looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Saarinen puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Well, if Saarinen is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Matsumoto is trying is best to control the position here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Saarinen wants to take a breather but Matsumoto is having none of it.
Matsumoto wants to control but Saarinen is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Matsumoto is trying to control but Saarinen passes into side control!
Matsumoto tries to buck Saarinen off but Saarinen is having none of it.
Matsumoto is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Matsumoto is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Matsumoto is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Saarinen pulls his head out easily.
Saarinen controlling the action here.

Matsumoto is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Saarinen pulls his head out easily.
Matsumoto is trying to control but can't.
Matsumoto works his way to full guard. Good work.
Saarinen stays in close to Matsumoto's body and controls the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Matsumoto is trying to control the position from the bottom.

Matsumoto looking for a guillotine here but Saarinen defends easily.
Matsumoto wants to sweep here but Saarinen controlling him for the moment.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Matsumoto is looking for a triangle but Saarinen pushes his legs off easily.
Saarinen trying to control the position from guard on top but Matsumoto is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kiyah Matsumoto dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Saarinen throws a head kick that Matsumoto semi-blocks.
The fight stays on the outside here - Matsumoto looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Kiyah Matsumoto seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Matsumoto tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Saarinen paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Matsumoto tries to close the distance and clinch up but Saarinen swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Saarinen misses with a straight right.
Matsumoto wants to clinch.
Matsumoto fails with an attempt to clinch.
Matsumoto fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Saarinen looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Matsumoto throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Saarinen will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Matsumoto moves out of range of the leg kick from Saarinen.
Matsumoto tries to close the distance and clinch up but Saarinen swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Matsumoto scores with a sloppy right hand. Saarinen should have avoided that one.
Matsumoto shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Saarinen but Saarinen pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Matsumoto takes a swing at Saarinen's ribcage but misses.
Matsumoto shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Saarinen as he jumps to the side.
Matsumoto on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Saarinen lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Saarinen bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Saarinen takes a jab right on the kisser.
Saarinen misses with a wild body shot.
Saarinen throws a jab but it's blocked by Matsumoto.
Matsumoto looks to score with a jab to the body but Saarinen is just out of range.
Matsumoto uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Saarinen.
Saarinen connects with a crisp jab.
Matsumoto looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Saarinen is fending him off so far but Matsumoto persists. Nope, Saarinen circles away and we're back to standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Kiyah Matsumoto. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Matsumoto tries to clinch up.
Saarinen misses with an attempted mid kick.
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!
Matsumoto misses the shot to the body.
Saarinen moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Matsumoto tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Saarinen was well out of range. Poor timing from Matsumoto.
Heikko Saarinen has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Saarinen looks to land a body kick but Matsumoto moved away.
Nice jab there from Saarinen.
Matsumoto throws a body punch but Saarinen moves out of range.
Matsumoto lands a slapping body shot.
Matsumoto takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.
Matsumoto punishes Saarinen's body with a nice straight punch.
Heikko Saarinen seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Matsumoto scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Matsumoto takes a swing at Saarinen's ribcage but misses.
Matsumoto lands with a nice body punch.
Saarinen misses with a kick to the body.
Matsumoto takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Matsumoto dips down and scores with a jab to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Saarinen missing with a left hand there. Matsumoto was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Matsumoto staying out of range there.
Saarinen swats away the attempt to clinch by Matsumoto.
Saarinen feints and then cracks Matsumoto's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Matsumoto down.
Saarinen misses with a head kick.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Saarinen throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Matsumoto cracks Saarinen with an open hand slap.
Saarinen avoids the body shot from Matsumoto.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Saarinen cracks the inside of Matsumoto's front leg.
Matsumoto shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Saarinen as he avoids it easily.
Kiyah Matsumoto is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Saarinen throws a body kick that misses.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Heikko Saarinen.
I think Matsumoto has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Emerson Jorge scores the fight 29:28
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 29:28
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kiyah Matsumoto!
Heikko Saarinen was interviewed post fight and said 'Fuck you'.