PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Morten Joikhaaja (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nathan Drake (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Drake's choice of entrance music: Nate's Theme. Nathan Drake will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Joikhaaja
vs
Drake

173 cm
19
185 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

178 cm
20
193 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

FinnFighter Nutrition (Five 160Q supps!)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the middleweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Morten Joikhaaja!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Nathan Drake!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Blasius, Wagner Zegers and Aafke Stam.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Joikhaaja tries to work over Drake's front leg with a kick but Drake checks it.
Joikhaaja gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Drake counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Joikhaaja.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Joikhaaja trying to control the action but Drake is working from the bottom.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Drake can do anything to dispel that myth.
Drake tries to improve position but can't.
Drake prevents Joikhaaja from improving position.
Joikhaaja working the ground and pound but Drake is defending the strikes.
Drake pushes Joikhaaja away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Joikhaaja gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Joikhaaja landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Joikhaaja advances to mount.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Drake wants to hold on but Joikhaaja pushes him away.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Joikhaaja misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Joikhaaja sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Joikhaaja looking to ground and pound but Drake is blocking nicely.
Joikhaaja is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Joikhaaja throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Joikhaaja lands a couple of good shots and Drake has given up his back, trying to escape the position!
Joikhaaja lands a punch to the side of the head from the back.
Joikhaaja somehow managing to miss with a strike from the back.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Drake is covering up but some of the strikes from Joikhaaja are getting through and doing damage.
Joikhaaja throwing sloppy strikes.
Joikhaaja scores with punches and elbows.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Joikhaaja missing with punches from the back.
Joikhaaja is throwing strikes from the back here. Oh that last one was to the back of the head. Joikhaaja gets a warning from the referee. He throws another strike to the back of the head straight away though and the referee has seen enough. He breaks up the two fighters and stands them back up. Joikhaaja gets a real talking to here and is lucky not to get a point deducted. Joikhaaja apologises and we restart here on the feet.
Drake misses with a body shot.
Joikhaaja changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Drake tries to avoid it but Joikhaaja manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Drake to the ground. Drake escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Drake listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Joikhaaja wants to slow Drake down by chopping away at his legs.
Morten Joikhaaja seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Joikhaaja fails with the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Morten Joikhaaja. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Joikhaaja drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Joikhaaja loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Drake keeping moving, preventing Joikhaaja from controlling successfully.
Joikhaaja throwing strikes from guard but Drake blocks nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Joikhaaja is in close to Drake's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Joikhaaja 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 fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Joikhaaja working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Joikhaaja stands up over Drake, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Joikhaaja working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Joikhaaja trying to control the position from guard on top but Drake is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Joikhaaja is really struggling to control Drake but he's trying to hold on to the position.
Joikhaaja missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Joikhaaja throws a big elbow that misses.
Joikhaaja trying to control the position from guard on top but Drake is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Joikhaaja scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Joikhaaja connects with a couple of short punches.
Joikhaaja wants to control from the top but Drake keeps moving.
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!
Joikhaaja throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Drake works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Joikhaaja pushing down on Drake's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Joikhaaja drops an elbow to the side of Drake's head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Morten Joikhaaja dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Joikhaaja shoots in and drives through. Drake sprawls well.
Drake punishes Joikhaaja's body with a nice straight punch.
Joikhaaja takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Joikhaaja shoots in looking for a takedown. Drake tries to sprawl out of it but Joikhaaja keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Drake manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Joikhaaja misses with a takedown attempt - Drake sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Morten Joikhaaja. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Joikhaaja closes this distance looking for a takedown but Drake circles away.

Drake closes the distance and pushes Joikhaaja back into the cage.
Joikhaaja tries to pull guard but Drake won't allow it.
Drake content to slow the pace in the clinch.

Drake's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Drake lands a nice looking body shot.
Drake changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Drake wants to clinch up but Joikhaaja keeps it at a distance.
Joikhaaja shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Drake but Drake pushes him off and we're back to square one.

Joikhaaja closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The strikes coming from Joikhaaja are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Drake tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Drake really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Joikhaaja. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Joikhaaja works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Drake can't do much from the bottom here.
Joikhaaja misses with the ground and pound.
Joikhaaja throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.

Joikhaaja wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Drake, who protects the arm well.
Morten Joikhaaja overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Joikhaaja throwing strikes but missing, from side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Joikhaaja lands a few punches from side control.
Sloppy strikes there by Joikhaaja.
Drake is looking to reverse the position.
Joikhaaja lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Drake down.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Drake sneaks back into half guard.
Joikhaaja thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Drake's head.
Ground and pound from Joikhaaja.
Joikhaaja is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Drake is not content to let Joikhaaja control the position.
Joikhaaja throwing shots but Drake is blocking nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Joikhaaja seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Drake does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Drake blocking the ground and pound attempt from Joikhaaja.
Joikhaaja not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Joikhaaja missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Joikhaaja throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Joikhaaja looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Drake has his hands clasped together around Joikhaaja's back. He's all about the action.
Joikhaaja thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Drake's head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Joikhaaja throwing shots but Drake is blocking nicely.
Joikhaaja seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Joikhaaja sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Drake defending well though.
Joikhaaja working the head and body with strikes.
Joikhaaja not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Drake wants to get back to his feet.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Joikhaaja seems to be looking for submissions.
Joikhaaja throwing shots but Drake is blocking nicely.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Joikhaaja throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Joikhaaja looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Drake with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Morten Joikhaaja dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Joikhaaja shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Drake pinned against the cage. Drake gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Joikhaaja shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Drake but Drake pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Drake cracks Joikhaaja with a right hand to the side of the head.
Joikhaaja fails with the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Morten Joikhaaja. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Joikhaaja drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Joikhaaja shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Drake defends it nicely.

Drake sends Joikhaaja crashing to the mat with a devastating uppercut! Drake is motioning to the referee to let Joikhaaja up. He wants to try and finish this one on the feet!

Joikhaaja is rocked!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Drake lands an uppercut, right on the button! Joikhaaja tumbles backwards into the cage, staring vacantly into space! He's got no idea where he is, who he is or what day it is... Poor guy.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:50 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Nathan Drake!
Nathan Drake is the new middleweight champion!
After winning the bout, Nathan Drake thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.