PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Jose Aldo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sami Katalinen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Aldo
vs
Katalinen

170 cm
25
155 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

172 cm
25
152 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Jose Aldo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Sami Katalinen!
The judges for this bout are Roosa Järviläinen, Ben Zyskovitsi and Anni Minnemäki.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Katalinen avoids the head kick by Aldo.
Katalinen takes a head kick and keeps coming.

Katalinen scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Katalinen is working Aldo over with some ground and pound from side control.
Katalinen landing strikes.
Katalinen lands an elbow.
Katalinen really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Aldo. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Katalinen scoring with punches and elbows.
Aldo is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Katalinen cracks Aldo with a big elbow.
Katalinen lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Aldo down.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Katalinen scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Aldo to see if he's OK.
Katalinen trying to control the position but Aldo is working away.
Katalinen working the ground and pound from side control.
Katalinen scoring with punches and elbows.
Aldo is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Aldo trying to control here.
Aldo is trying to get back to full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Aldo trying to hold on to Katalinen's head to control him but Katalinen postures up.
Katalinen working the head and body with strikes.
Aldo taking some punishment here, with Katalinen in his half guard.
Katalinen is trying to control the action in half guard but Aldo is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Katalinen passes to side control.
Katalinen grinds an elbow into Aldo's temple.
Katalinen scoring with punches from side control.
Aldo is looking for a sweep.
Aldo is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Katalinen off and has taken his back!

Aldo has his opponent's back but Katalinen is looking to stand. He manages to get to his feet and shakes off Aldo.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Katalinen swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Aldo throws a sloppy head kick and Katalinen moves out of range easily.
Aldo pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Aldo is breathing heavily.
Aldo tries to clinch up but Katalinen circles away and keeps his distance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Aldo throws a head kick but Katalinen moves out of range.

Katalinen is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Aldo's half guard.

The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Aldo actively working from the bottom here.
Well, if Katalinen 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.
Aldo tries to roll over but Katalinen keeps him under control.
Katalinen seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Katalinen working the head and body with strikes.
Katalinen working the head and body with strikes.
Aldo moves into full guard.
Katalinen with a nice head shot there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Katalinen keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Aldo's head.
Katalinen lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Katalinen lands a couple of decent looking shots.

Katalinen decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Aldo throws a head kick that Katalinen semi-blocks.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Aldo enables Katalinen to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Aldo manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.

Aldo is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

Aldo throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Katalinen stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Aldo swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Aldo escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Katalinen gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Katalinen working some strikes from top position.
Katalinen pushing down on Aldo's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.

Katalinen is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Aldo defends it well.
Aldo trying to control here.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Aldo gets full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Katalinen clinches up with Aldo and pushes him back against the cage.
Katalinen is looking for a takedown.
Aldo tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Katalinen avoids it.

Katalinen pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Aldo moves in looking to clinch but Katalinen pushes him off.
Aldo throws out a loose jab but Katalinen uses good head movement to avoid it.
Aldo misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Aldo tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Katalinen paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Katalinen throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Aldo throws a head kick that Katalinen semi-blocks.
Aldo throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Katalinen avoids the head kick by Aldo.

Katalinen bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
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!
Aldo is looking to reverse the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Katalinen tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Katalinen in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Aldo is trying to get back to half guard.
Katalinen working the head and body with strikes.
Aldo takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Aldo is looking for a sweep.
Katalinen scoring with punches from side control.
Aldo taking a bit of punishment here - Katalinen scoring with strikes.
Aldo is not in a great position here, taking some shots.

Katalinen is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Aldo knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Aldo tries to get back to half guard but can't.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Katalinen wants to control but Aldo is keeping him busy.
Aldo on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Aldo manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Katalinen keeps control of the position for the meantime.
Katalinen regains full guard. Nicely done.
Katalinen wants to sweep but no luck.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Katalinen working a defensive guard here.
Katalinen keeping moving, preventing Aldo from controlling successfully.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.

Katalinen isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Aldo stacks Katalinen on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Aldo!
Aldo trying to control the position but Katalinen is working away.
Aldo misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Katalinen gives up the full mount - oops, sloppy defensive grappling there!
Sami Katalinen has got the better of the ground game so far.
Aldo trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Katalinen is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Aldo tries to control but Katalinen wriggling away.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Katalinen is trying to stand up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sami Katalinen showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Aldo moves in looking to clinch but Katalinen pushes him off.
Aldo throws a head kick but Katalinen moves out of range.

Katalinen fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Aldo sprawls well initially but Katalinen persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Katalinen scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Aldo is trying to control but can't.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Katalinen lands a nice short elbow.
Ground and pound from Katalinen.
Aldo trying to control but Katalinen postures up.
Katalinen tries to pass the half guard into mount. Aldo knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Aldo is looking to improve his position.

Katalinen is looking for a kimura but Aldo is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Katalinen to get the leverage.

Aldo looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Katalinen prevents Aldo from improving his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Katalinen is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Katalinen is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Aldo wants to improve his position but Katalinen is controlling well.
Katalinen lands with a punch from half guard.

Katalinen is looking for a kimura but Aldo is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Katalinen to get the leverage.
Aldo is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Katalinen is looking for a kimura but Aldo is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Katalinen to get the leverage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Aldo has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Katalinen is working away from the top position though.
Ground and pound from Katalinen.
Aldo gets full guard.
Katalinen postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.

Aldo is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Katalinen defends well.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Aldo not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

Katalinen avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Katalinen connects with a couple of short punches.

Katalinen got a little sloppy there for a moment and Aldo has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Katalinen has managed to get both his arms back between Aldo's legs - danger averted.

Katalinen is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Katalinen is sitting in close to Aldo's body. Aldo has gone for a guillotine from the bottom. Oh damn, that looks pretty tight! Katalinen is panicking - it looks like this one could be all over! Yes, Katalinen is tapping! That was a very nice submission by Aldo.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:24 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Guillotine). Jose Aldo!