PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Salvatore Gattuso (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Valdemar Friman (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Friman has chosen Metallica - Damage Inc. as his entrance music. Buckle up people - heeeeeeeeeere we go!

Gattuso
vs
Friman

179 cm
35
169 lbs
24 - 17 - 0

168 cm
40
160 lbs
23 - 24 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent elbows
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Dangerous knees
Granite chin

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 24 - 17 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Salvatore Gattuso!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 23 - 24 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Valdemar Friman!
The judges for this bout are Anni Minnemäki, Arvi Lind and Tarja Halkonen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Friman throws a combination that misses
and Gattuso counters with a series of strikes. Friman will be more careful next time no doubt.
Friman rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Gattuso moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Friman thows a body shot but no joy.
Friman throws a quick inside leg kick.
Friman wants to clinch up but Gattuso keeps it at a distance.

Gattuso tries to keep at a distance but Friman has taken the fight into the clinch.
Gattuso prevents a body shot from Friman.
Friman using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Gattuso has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Gattuso on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Gattuso blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Gattuso stalling in the clinch but Friman improves position.
Gattuso throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Friman blocks it with crossed arms.
Gattuso tries a knee to the head but Friman blocks it.
Friman misses with a knee strike.
Friman blocks the elbow strike.
Gattuso pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gattuso on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Gattuso throws a head punch that misses.
Gattuso looks to throw an elbow but misses.

Friman breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Gattuso shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Gattuso was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Gattuso in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Friman regains half guard.
Friman moves into full guard.
Gattuso trying to control the position from guard on top but Friman is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gattuso with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Gattuso postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Friman is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Gattuso is aware though and is defending well.
Gattuso trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Gattuso stays in close to Friman's body and controls the position.
Gattuso trying to control the position from guard on top but Friman is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Gattuso pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Friman is keeping the position for now.
Gattuso postures up in Friman's guard and throws a big left but Friman blocks it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Friman trying to control the position.
Gattuso trying to control the position from guard on top but Friman is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Friman is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Friman is looking for the mount but instead finds himself back in full guard.
Friman working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Friman slips nicely into half guard.
Gattuso tries to get to full guard but Friman has control of the leg.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Friman thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Friman throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Friman lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.

Friman is working for a kimura from half guard. He's really concentrating on the hold and it's allowed Gattuso to slip a leg under and get back to full guard.
Gattuso will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

Gattuso looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Friman passes into half guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Friman looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Valdemar Friman will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Friman throws a head kick that half lands.

Gattuso decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Gattuso seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Friman does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Friman is pressing down on Gattuso's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Friman tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Salvatore Gattuso overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Gattuso keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Friman's head.

Friman is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Friman looking to control.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Friman is looking for a triangle but Gattuso pushes his legs off easily.
Friman keeping moving, preventing Gattuso from controlling successfully.

Gattuso has a momentary lapse of concentration, allowing Friman to throw up a leg and lock on what appears to be a pretty tight triangle! Gattuso is fighting it off but it's all too little too late - Friman pulls down on the head and he's put Gattuso to sleep! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:38 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle). Valdemar Friman!