PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Richard Imer (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jethro Rusted (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Imer
vs
Rusted

176 cm
37
175 lbs
26 - 12 - 0

185 cm
23
179 lbs
4 - 3 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 26 - 12 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Richard Imer!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Jethro Rusted!
The judges for this bout are Ben Zyskovitsi, Tarja Halkonen and Marco Blurström.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Imer misses with a kick to the body.
Rusted shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Rusted misses with a looping left.
Rusted is looking to clinch but Imer is avoiding it.
Rusted throws an ugly left hook that misses

and Imer counters with a takedown into side control.

Imer tries for a kimura but Rusted is defending well.
Rusted is looking to regain half guard here but Imer keeps moving and retains side control.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Imer controls the position.
Imer wants to control but Rusted is keeping him busy.

Imer is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Rusted knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Imer taking a breather here.

Imer goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Rusted rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Imer's guard! Nice work there by Rusted!
Rusted looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Rusted postures up and lands a big shot to Imer's brow.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rusted trying to control but Imer is working from the bottom.
Rusted trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Imer controls Rusted momentarily but Rusted frees himself.
Imer pulls Rusted in to control the position.
Rusted tries to free his leg and advance position but Imer is retaining full guard.

Imer working for submissions but it's allowed Rusted to get to half guard.
Rusted content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nice strikes from Rusted there.
Imer trying to control but Rusted postures up.
Imer avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Rusted.
Rusted sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Imer defending well though.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Imer throws a body shot but no joy.
Rusted throws a push kick but Imer slaps the foot to one side.

Imer clinches with his opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rusted is trying to break the clinch but Imer is controlling him.
Rusted taking a breather.
Rusted tries to stall but Imer uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Imer scores with a hook to the body.
Rusted tries to work over Imer's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Rusted prevents a body shot from Imer.
Imer tries to pull guard but Rusted won't allow it.
With the fighters up against the cage, Rusted throws an elbow but misses.
Rusted wants to break free but Imer has control.
Rusted is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Imer pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Nice body punch from Rusted.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Imer tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Rusted's elbow.
A body shot lands from Imer.
Rusted looking to stall.
Rusted is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Richard Imer will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Rusted.
Imer tries to counter with a takedown but Rusted is quick to defend against it.
Rusted throws a leg kick which misses Imer's front leg but catches the back leg as Imer tries to avoid it.
Rusted looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Imer bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Rusted's head backwards.
Rusted tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Imer paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Rusted avoids a kick to the body.
Rusted lands with a shot to the body.
Imer misses with a body kick.
Rusted throws a counter combo.
Rusted fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Some wild striking there from Rusted.
Rusted goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Imer shoots in and drives through. Rusted sprawls well.
And Rusted responds with a good body kick, but Imer manages to step out the way in time.
Imer lands a jab to the nose.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nice body punch from Imer.
Rusted loads up on a big right hand but Imer slips the punch.
Imer ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Imer fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Rusted stuffs the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Richard Imer. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rusted fails with the takedown.
Rusted misses with an attempted mid kick.
Imer moves out of range of the body kick from Rusted.
Imer on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Rusted. Rusted obviously looking to wear him down.
Imer fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Rusted lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Rusted explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Imer.
Rusted tries to land a front kick but Imer steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Good leg kick by Imer there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Imer cracks Rusted with an open hand slap.
Imer sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Imer throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Rusted on the side of the head.
Rusted misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Imer.
Rusted is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Imer looks to score with a jab to the body but Rusted is just out of range.
Rusted chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Imer can pounce on him.
Imer throws a jab when Rusted was well out of range.
Imer throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.

Imer decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rusted is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Imer is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Rusted doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Imer.
Rusted is staying active underneath Imer, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Rusted tries to get to full guard but Imer has control of the leg.
Rusted has found himself in a tricky position here. He's been working his transitions in training so let's see if he can work his way out of it.
Rusted controlling the position for now.

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.
Imer prevents Rusted from improving his position.
Imer keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Imer trying to control the action but Rusted is working from the bottom.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Imer uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Rusted.
Imer throws a body punch but Rusted moves out of range.
Imer uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Rusted.
Imer dodges the punch combination from Rusted.
Imer comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Richard Imer dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Imer takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Rusted misses with a low kick.
Nice body kick from Imer.
Rusted ducks under a wild hook from Imer.
Imer connects with a solid leg kick.
Imer throws a push kick but Rusted slaps the foot to one side.
Nice body kick from Rusted.
A low kick from Rusted is predictable there

and Imer counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Imer is pushing down on Rusted's leg trying to pass to half guard. Rusted is fighting to maintain full guard but Imer has managed to sneak the leg through.
Rusted trying to control from the bottom.
Imer trying to control the action but Rusted is working from the bottom.

Imer is working for a submission of some sort.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rusted works his way to full guard. Good work.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Imer wants to control from the top but Rusted keeps moving.
Imer postures up.
Richard Imer is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

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.
Imer wants to pass the guard but Rusted is keeping the position.
Imer stays in close to Rusted's body and controls the position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Rusted throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.

Rusted rushes Imer and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Imer prevents Rusted from breaking the clinch.
Imer softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Rusted misses with a hook to the ribs.
Imer misses with a punch to the body.
Rusted is working Imer over against the cage.
Imer tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Rusted's elbow.
Rusted misses with a punch to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rusted lands on the inside with an uppercut.
A right hook to the body lands for Imer.
Rusted lands a left hand that snaps the head of Imer backwards.
Imer works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Rusted looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
A short uppercut from Imer.

Imer turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!
Imer working away.
Rusted is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.

Imer is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.

Imer is working for a submission of some sort.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well, if Imer is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Imer stalling away here and it's allowed Rusted to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Richard Imer showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Imer has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 30:27
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 30:27
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Richard Imer!