PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Derrick Lashley (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mika Verkko (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Lashley comes to the cage accompanied by Never Scared. Both fighter's entrance songs getting the crowd jumping here.

Lashley
vs
Verkko

195 cm
22
155 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

175 cm
22
162 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Enjoys gardening

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Derrick Lashley!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Mika Verkko!
The judges for this bout are Alyssa Summers, Joseph Jones and Eddie Farnsworth.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Verkko fails to land with a series of punches.
Lashley looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!
Lashley showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Verkko.
Lashley ducks under a wild hook from Verkko.
Lashley shoots in but no luck this time.
Verkko throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Verkko swinging wilding here.
Verkko drops Lashley with a nice combination! Verkko dives into Lashley's guard, looking to finish!

It looks like Derrick Lashley has been cut.

Verkko stands up from Lashley's guard - Verkko perhaps looking for a knockout.
Verkko misses with a series of wild punches.
Verkko drops Lashley with a beautiful combination! Lashley stares up at his opponent, who ushers him back to his feet - Verkko is looking for the KO!

Lashley is rocked!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Verkko tries to bum rush Lashley with a series of wild strikes but Lashley uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Oh Lashley is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Verkko throws a right and a left that both miss.
Verkko drops Lashley with a left right combo! Verkko follows him down to the ground into side control.

Derrick Lashley's cut is getting worse.
Verkko is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.
Lashley tries to wriggle free to get back to his feet but he's given up his back! Oops.
Lashley seems to have got his legs back now.
Verkko really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Lashley. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lashley is trying to get back to his feet but he's not managed it yet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
A bit of a pause in the action here. Verkko controlling the positon.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mika Verkko dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Derrick Lashley's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Verkko has Lashley up against the cage in a clinch.
Verkko wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Verkko wants to break the clinch but can't.
Lashley really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Verkko lands a hook to the side of the head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Verkko stops a takedown attempt from Lashley.
Verkko is looking to break free of the clinch but Lashley has double underhooks.
Verkko drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Lashley gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Verkko breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Verkko looks to land a combination but Lashley avoids it well.
Lashley showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Verkko.
Verkko throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Verkko drops Lashley with a left and a right! Oh, Lashley is hurt - Verkko dives into side control looking to finish!

Lashley is rocked!
Verkko moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.
Oh Lashley is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lashley seems to have got his legs back now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lashley wants to get back to his feet but Verkko drags him back down.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Verkko remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Verkko decides to take the fight back to the feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mika Verkko showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Derrick Lashley's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Verkko fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
A punch combination from Verkko misses.
Verkko looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Verkko throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Lashley dodges the punch combination from Verkko.
Lashley shoots in for a takedown but Verkko shows good takedown defense.
Verkko scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Verkko will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
The fight stays on the outside here - Verkko looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Some wild striking there from Verkko.
Lashley shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Verkko pinned against the cage. Verkko gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Verkko drives through and clinches with Lashley against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lashley has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Verkko avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Derrick Lashley. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Lashley changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Verkko fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Verkko throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Lashley checks the leg kick nicely there.
No luck for Lashley with that takedown attempt.
Verkko throws a series of punches but Lashley moves out of range.
Lashley fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Lashley keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Verkko.
Verkko misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Verkko fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Mika Verkko seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Verkko misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Lashley shoots in but Verkko avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Verkko misses with a wild combination.
Some wild striking there from Verkko.
Lashley changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Verkko tries to avoid it but Lashley manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Verkko to the ground. Verkko escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Lashley shoots in for a takedown but Verkko shows good takedown defense.
A punch combination from Verkko misses.
Lashley misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Verkko swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Lashley tries for a takedown but Verkko sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Lashley takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
This is turning into a torrid day at the office for Lashley. He's trying desperately to land a takedown but he's failing miserably and getting slapped silly on the feet to compound his misery.
Verkko throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

Lashley drives through with a takedown into guard.
Verkko wants to stand up but Lashley is controlling him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lashley has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Verkko is proving hard to escape from.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.

Verkko pushes Lashley off and gets back to his feet.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mika Verkko comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Verkko 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 Alyssa Summers scores the fight 26:30
Judge Joseph Jones scores the fight 26:30
Judge Eddie Farnsworth scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mika Verkko!