PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Mitsuyo Maeda (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Erkki Elastinen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Elastinen has chosen Cascada - Dangerous as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Maeda
vs
Elastinen

170 cm
34
142 lbs
25 - 19 - 0

160 cm
36
148 lbs
24 - 19 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Solid boxing
Insanely flexible

Olympic wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Milwaukee's Best 160

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 25 - 19 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Mitsuyo Maeda!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 24 - 19 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Erkki Elastinen!
The judges for this bout are Jorge Garcia, John Roberts and Lou da Vinci.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Elastinen drives through with a takedown into guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Elastinen stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Maeda swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Maeda looking for a sweep. Not yet Maeda, not yet.
Elastinen trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Maeda preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Elastinen trying to control the position from guard on top but Maeda is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Maeda looking for a sweep. Not yet Maeda, not yet.
Elastinen pushing down on Maeda's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.

Elastinen is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Elastinen has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Maeda wants to improve his position but Elastinen is controlling well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maeda won't allow Elastinen to pass to mount.
Maeda is trying to control but can't.

Elastinen is looking for a kimura but Maeda is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Elastinen to get the leverage.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Elastinen is pressing down on Maeda's thigh, looking to free his foot. Maeda is holding on for now.
Maeda is trying to get back to full guard.
Elastinen looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Elastinen controlling the pace.
Maeda manages to get to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maeda controlling the position.
Elastinen wants to control from the top but Maeda keeps moving.
Maeda 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.
Maeda has a closed guard, preventing Elastinen from standing up.
Maeda working a defensive guard but Elastinen manages to pass into side control anyway.

Elastinen working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Maeda can't do much from the bottom here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Elastinen is looking to take a break and control but Maeda is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Maeda tries to improve position but can't.
Elastinen tries to move into full mount but can't pass Maeda's legs.
Elastinen advances to full mount.
Elastinen tries to control but Maeda wriggling away.
Maeda is in all sorts of trouble here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Maeda is squirming around, avoiding Elastinen's attempts to control the action.
Maeda tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Elastinen can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Maeda is looking to escape.
Elastinen prevents Maeda from getting the reversal.
Maeda wants to control but Elastinen is having none of it.
Maeda is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Elastinen is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Elastinen throws some wild stikes that Maeda manages to avoid easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Erkki Elastinen dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Maeda shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Elastinen pinned against the cage. Elastinen gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Elastinen is defended easily by Maeda.
Elastinen with a poor takedown

and Maeda counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Elastinen is looking to improve his position.
Maeda winds up and cracks Elastinen with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Elastinen moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
We've been hearing that Maeda has been drilling a lot of ground and pound in training, so let's see if he get the finish.
Maeda throws a big right hand that misses.
Elastinen avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Elastinen looking to hit a scissor sweep but Maeda is one step ahead there.
Maeda working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maeda throwing strikes but missing.
Maeda in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Elastinen wants to improve his position but instead Maeda has moved into half guard.
Maeda thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Elastinen's head.
Maeda takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Elastinen wants to improve his position but Maeda is controlling well.
Maeda seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Maeda stalling.
Elastinen moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Elastinen is trying to control the position but Maeda postures up.
Maeda won't allow Elastinen to sweep him here.
Maeda is pushing down on Elastinen's leg trying to pass to half guard. Elastinen is fighting to maintain full guard but Maeda has managed to sneak the leg through.
Elastinen is trying to get back to full guard.
Elastinen is still trying to improve position.
Elastinen works his way to full guard. Good work.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Elastinen is trying to hold Maeda in close to prevent damage but Maeda has managed to pass into half guard.
Elastinen avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Maeda.
Elastinen is trying to control but can't.
Elastinen is trying to get back to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Elastinen is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Maeda wants to pass the guard but Elastinen is defending well.
Maeda is trying to control. Elastinen wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Maeda is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Maeda working Elastinen over with strikes.
Erkki Elastinen has got the better of the ground game so far.
Maeda prevents Elastinen from improving his position.
Maeda wants to free his trapped foot but Elastinen is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Maeda uses his free foot to push down on Elastinen's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Elastinen.
Elastinen can't escape the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Elastinen keeps trying to improve his position.
Elastinen wants to hold on but Maeda pushes him away.
Maeda unloading with bombs!
Elastinen regains half guard.
Maeda looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Elastinen is trying to maintain the position but Maeda is very close to passing his half guard.

Elastinen is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Maeda pulls his head out easily.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Elastinen is trying to control but Maeda passes into side control!
Sloppy strikes there by Maeda.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mitsuyo Maeda dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Elastinen misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Elastinen shoots for a double leg takedown but Maeda sprawls well. He's pushed Elastinen's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Maeda slaps away a takedown attempt from Elastinen, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Elastinen has tried to improve his agility in the runup to this fight.
Mitsuyo Maeda has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Erkki Elastinen.
Maeda throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Elastinen's waist but Elastinen gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Maeda off to one side.
Erkki Elastinen seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Maeda manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Elastinen on his heels. He'll look to pass Elastinen's guard now, I'm sure.
Maeda postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Maeda postures up.
Elastinen controlling Maeda's posture.
Maeda is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Maeda throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Maeda with a flurry of punches that miss.
Elastinen keeping moving, preventing Maeda from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Elastinen looking to try and escape his hips here, looking for a submission. It looks like he's going for a triangle but Maeda is defending well. Elastinen quickly switches to an armbar and extends the arm! Maeda has no choice but to tap, to a very quick submission! Wow, that was lightning fast! Elastinen celebrates on the cage, with the crowd.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:23 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Erkki Elastinen!
After the big win, Erkki Elastinen made sure to do all the important stuff like thanking his sponsors //buriedALIVE// Fight Gear and telling the interviewer how much he loves him.