PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Nyyrikki Takaraivo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Veli Urhola (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Veli Urhola will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Takaraivo
vs
Urhola

179 cm
26
220 lbs
11 - 6 - 1

194 cm
25
270 lbs
9 - 3 - 0

Good wrestling
Lethal high kicks
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Great elbows
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 11 - 6 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Nyyrikki Takaraivo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Veli Urhola!
The judges for this bout are Anni Minnemäki, Arvi Lind and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Urhola clinches.
Urhola has a couple of punches blocked by Takaraivo.
Urhola works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Urhola throws an elbow but it misses.
Urhola goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Urhola just misses with a elbow thrown towards Takaraivo's brow.
Urhola throws an elbow that misses.
Urhola working Takaraivo over with knees to the body.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Urhola tries a knee to the head but Takaraivo blocks it.
Takaraivo looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Takaraivo blocks an elbow strike.
Urhola tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Urhola tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Takaraivo avoids it.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Urhola just misses with a elbow thrown towards Takaraivo's brow.
Urhola has Takaraivo pushed against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Takaraivo avoids the elbow strike from Urhola, against the cage.
Urhola with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.

It looks like Nyyrikki Takaraivo has been cut.
Takaraivo manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Urhola fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Urhola pushes off an throws an elbow but Takaraivo leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Urhola misses with some punches.
Urhola avoiding damage.

Takaraivo manages to break the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Urhola connects with a right hand. Takaraivo shakes it off.
Urhola misses with a body kick.
Takaraivo blocks a head kick by Urhola.
Takaraivo is looking to clinch.
We've been told by Takaraivo's head coaches at IMMA Gym of ASS that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.

Takaraivo rushes Urhola and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Urhola tries to land a knee to the head but Takaraivo blocks with his arms.
Urhola misses with a punch on the inside.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Takaraivo blocks an elbow strike.

Takaraivo escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Takaraivo steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Urhola. That one must have hurt.
Takaraivo looks to clinch
and Urhola counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Urhola throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Takaraivo misses with a head kick.

Urhola instigates a clinch.
A short left from Urhola.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Urhola lands with a light punch inside.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Urhola utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Takaraivo is breathing heavily.
Urhola lands an elbow inside.
Urhola misses with a knee to the head.
Urhola misses with some punches.
Takaraivo blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Urhola lands a shot to the body.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
With the fighters up against the cage, Urhola throws an elbow but misses.
Urhola tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Takaraivo avoids it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Urhola missing with knees to the body.
Urhola lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Urhola tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Takaraivo's elbow.
Takaraivo is looking to break free of the clinch but Urhola has double underhooks.
Urhola lands an elbow just above Takaraivo 's eye.

Takaraivo breaks from the clinch.
Nice body kick there by Takaraivo.
Takaraivo throws a head kick that misses.
Urhola throws a leg kick
and Takaraivo counters with a nice body kick.
Urhola misses with a jab, cross combination.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Urhola fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Takaraivo is out of range.
Urhola shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Takaraivo eats them both and turns towards Urhola to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Urhola slips a jab and a cross from Takaraivo.
Takaraivo throws a sloppy head kick and Urhola moves out of range easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Veli Urhola dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Nyyrikki Takaraivo's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Takaraivo chopping away at his opponent's legs.
A head kick misses from Urhola.
Takaraivo turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Takaraivo throws a head kick but Urhola moves out of range.
Takaraivo doesn't manage to clinch there - Urhola circles away.

Urhola closes the distance and clinches.
Urhola misses with the head strike.
Urhola tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Takaraivo avoids it.
Urhola throws an elbow that misses.
Takaraivo blocks a body shot from Urhola.
Veli Urhola seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Urhola misses with a punch on the inside.
Takaraivo avoiding damage as Urhola throws knees to the body.
Takaraivo tries to break the clinch but Urhola is controlling the position.
Urhola throws an elbow that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Urhola tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Urhola lands an elbow just above Takaraivo 's eye.
Urhola throws a head punch that misses.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Urhola.
Urhola working aggressively here.
Takaraivo blocking some punches.
Urhola lands a body punch.
Takaraivo on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Urhola scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Urhola pushes off an throws an elbow but Takaraivo leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Urhola throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Takaraivos head.
Takaraivo takes an elbow to the temple.
Urhola tries to land knees in the clinch but Takaraivo avoids the damage to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Takaraivo misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Urhola unloads a knee to the mid-section. Takaraivo lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Urhola throws a punch but it's blocked by Takaraivo.
Takaraivo tries to circle away but Urhola has him pinned against the cage.
Urhola stalling.

Takaraivo breaks the clinch.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Urhola takes a swing at Takaraivo's ribcage but misses.
Takaraivo misses with a head kick.
Takaraivo takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.
Urhola with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Urhola tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Takaraivo paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Takaraivo throws a half hearted mid kick.
Urhola connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Urhola lands a high kick!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Urhola turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
A low kick from Urhola is predictable there

and Takaraivo holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Urhola keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Takaraivo's efforts to push away.
Takaraivo takes an elbow to the forehead.

Nyyrikki Takaraivo's cut is getting worse.
Takaraivo on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Urhola with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Urhola tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Takaraivo blocks an uppercut.
Urhola misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Takaraivo.
Urhola tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Urhola missing with knees to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Urhola tries to land knees in the clinch but Takaraivo avoids the damage to the body.
Urhola has Takaraivo pressed against the cage, preventing Takaraivo from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Urhola tries a body shot but Takaraivo blocks it.
Takaraivo is trying to force a seperation but Urhola has the dominant position.
Urhola tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Urhola swings wildly with an uppercut but Takaraivo uses good head movement to avoid it.
Urhola misses with a punch on the inside.
A frustrated look appears on Takaraivo's face as he tries to break the clinch.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Takaraivo is trying to break free.
Urhola lands a left hand.
A shot in the inside from Urhola.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Veli Urhola showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Nyyrikki Takaraivo's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Urhola tries to clinch but Takaraivo is having none of it.
A combination from Urhola does no damage.
Takaraivo is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Urhola looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Urhola fails with an attempt to clinch.
A head kick misses from Urhola.
Takaraivo throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Urhola misses with a body kick.
Urhola tries to clinch but Takaraivo moves out of range.
Urhola throws a head kick but Takaraivo moves out of range.
Takaraivo lands with a kick to the temple. Urhola shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"

It looks like Veli Urhola has been cut.
Takaraivo swats away the attempt to clinch by Urhola.

Urhola clinches.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Urhola lands a nice knee to the body.
Urhola leaning against his opponent.
Takaraivo wants to break free but Urhola has control.
Takaraivo trying to stall but Urhola improves his position.
Urhola misses with the head strike.
Urhola misses with some punches.
Good body shot from Urhola.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Takaraivo blocks an elbow strike.
Urhola is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Takaraivo is defending well for now.
Urhola lands a shot to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Urhola controlling the action here for a moment.
Takaraivo blocks an elbow strike.
Urhola tries a body shot but Takaraivo blocks it.
Takaraivo is trying to break the clinch but Urhola is controlling him.
Urhola misses with a hook to the ribs.
Urhola digs a right hand into Takaraivo's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Takaraivo's gas tank.
Urhola lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
A bit of stalling here from Urhola.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Urhola tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Urhola leaning against his opponent.
Takaraivo wants to break the clinch but can't.
Takaraivo has had enough of the clinch but Urhola keeps him there for the moment.

Takaraivo breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Takaraivo throws a head kick but Urhola moves out of range.
Takaraivo throws a head kick that half lands.
Takaraivo throws a head kick but Urhola moves out of range.
Takaraivo throws a head kick that misses.
Veli Urhola is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Takaraivo wants to clinch.

Urhola closes the distance and clinches.
Urhola lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Takaraivo trying to control the position but instead, Urhola has worked for underhooks and has pushed Takaraivo into the cage.
Urhola trying to land knees to the body.
Urhola lands an elbow just above Takaraivo 's eye.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Urhola misses with a short punch on the inside.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Nyyrikki Takaraivo has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Takaraivo wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
Veli Urhola comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Urhola has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 27:30
Judge Arvi Lind scores the fight 27:30
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Veli Urhola!
Our winner, Veli Urhola, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.