PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Carl Creel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tarmo Hovi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Hovi has chosen Die for Metal as his entrance music. Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Creel
vs
Hovi

194 cm
36
244 lbs
41 - 11 - 0

200 cm
27
249 lbs
15 - 5 - 1

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Granite chin

Excellent grappler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Hellbent

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 41 - 11 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Carl Creel!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 5 - 1, fighting out of Los Angeles, Tarmo Hovi!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Timothy Bukovac and Jack Bonds.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Creel throws a hook but Hovi avoids it easily.
Creel throws a low kick but it's checked well by Hovi.
Creel steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Hovi. That one must have hurt.
Hovi walks forward, straight into a front kick from Creel.
Creel will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Hovi misses with a kick to the body.
Creel does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Creel swings away with a body shot that misses

and Hovi counters with a nice double leg into side control. Creel won't be happy with that.
Hovi wants to control but Creel is keeping him busy.
Creel manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Creel controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.
Creel trying to hold on to Hovi's head to control him but Hovi postures up.
Creel wants to improve his position but Hovi is controlling well.
Creel has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Hovi is working away from the top position though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Creel has hold of Hovi's hands but Hovi slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Hovi has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Hovi tries to pass to full mount but Creel defends it.
Hovi misses with a head shot. Creel uses the momentum to regain guard.
Creel is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Creel is pulling down on Hovi's head. It's preventing any offense from Hovi, at least for the moment.

Hovi thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Creel is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Creel controls Hovi momentarily but Hovi frees himself.
Creel is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.

That's two 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.
Hovi wants to control from the top but Creel keeps moving.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
A low kick from Creel misses

and Hovi counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Creel tries to get to full guard but Hovi has control of the leg.
Hovi is thwarting Creel's attempts to control the position.
Hovi throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Creel gets back to full guard.
Hovi is fighting to break Creel's control of his arms but Creel is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hovi content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Creel not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Hovi stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Creel swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Creel wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Hovi wants to control from the top but Creel keeps moving.
Hovi is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Hovi postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Creel seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Hovi looking to pass the guard.
Hovi sitting in guard, not really doing much.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Hovi working his ground and pound in the gym.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Hovi with a flurry of punches that miss.
Creel is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Creel keeping full guard, as Hovi tries to pass.
Hovi throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Creel works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Hovi is looking to work some ground and pound but Creel has wrist control.
Creel is controlling Hovi's posture.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Creel misses the shot to the body.
Creel scoring well with a low kick there.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Creel throws out a leg kick but Hovi moves out of range and Creel only half commits.
Hovi cracks Creel with an open hand slap.
Nice body kick there by Hovi.
Good standup being displayed there by Hovi as he connects with a hook.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Creel tries to score with a low kick but Hovi moves his leg out of the way.
Creel throws an ugly left hook that misses

and Hovi counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Creel trying to control from the bottom.
Hovi not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.

Hovi is looking for a kimura here.
Hovi has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Creel is looking to control Hovi's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Creel avoid being mounted?
Creel avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Hovi.
Hovi wants to take a breather but Creel is having none of it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Creel tries to roll over but Hovi keeps him under control.
Creel is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.
Creel trying to control but Hovi postures up.

Hovi is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Creel preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.
Creel tries to get to full guard but Hovi has control of the leg.
Hovi perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Hovi sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Creel defending well though.
Hovi trying to pass the guard but Creel defending well.
Hovi uses his free foot to push down on Creel's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Creel.
Hovi connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Creel wants to control but Hovi is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hovi controlling his opponent.
Hovi trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Creel tries to hold on but Hovi pushes him away.
BOOM! Hovi connects with a massive shot to the dome!

It looks like Carl Creel has been cut.
Hovi raining down hammerfists from mount.
Hovi pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Hovi punching from mount but Creel doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Hovi lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Creel hang on?

Creel is rocked!

Hovi has control of Creel's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Creel regains control of the situation pretty easily.
Creel working to try and regain half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hovi scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Creel tries to hold on but Hovi pushes him away.
Hovi raining down hammerfists from mount.
Creel can't escape the position.
Hovi pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.

Carl Creel's cut is getting worse.
Hovi postures up and throws a couple of big shots that have Creel in real trouble here! The ref calls for Creel to improve his position which he doesn't do, so the referee has no choice but to end the fight due to the strikes!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:46 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Tarmo Hovi!
Tarmo Hovi tried to hype himself up post fight but didn't word it too well and it ended up with him sounding like a bit of a tool.
Carl Creel was interviewed post fight and said 'Best fighter of all-time losing to a scrub. I'm done. Fuck all of you.'.