PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between John Henry (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ari Kantola (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Kantola's choice of entrance music: Teräskehä. Ari Kantola will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Henry
vs
Kantola

173 cm
23
235 lbs
9 - 5 - 0

185 cm
29
250 lbs
19 - 6 - 1

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Dangerous GnP
Dangerous knees
Good gas tank

Namunamu Clothing
SP Ultimate Nutrition

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 9 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, John Henry!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 19 - 6 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Ari Kantola!
The judges for this bout are Anni Minnemäki, Roosa Järviläinen and Marco Blurström.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Henry throws a head kick but Kantola moves out of range.
We've been told by Henry's head coaches at Bomb Squad Training Center that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.
Henry pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Henry scores with a shot to the body.
Kantola throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Henry will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Kantola throws a leg kick which misses Henry's front leg but catches the back leg as Henry tries to avoid it.
Kantola throws a lazy head kick
and Henry counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Henry fails to land with a series of punches.
Kantola scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Kantola chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Henry can pounce on him.
Kantola misses with a few strikes there.
Kantola stuffs the takedown attempt from Henry. Henry gets slowly back to his feet.

Henry fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Kantola to the ground. Henry is now in Kantola's guard.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Henry postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Henry working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Kantola's head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Henry throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Henry throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Kantola works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Kantola tries to strike from the bottom.
Henry has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Henry trying to control but Kantola is working from the bottom.
Henry tries to free his leg and advance position but Kantola is retaining full guard.
Henry postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Kantola not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Kantola keeping moving, preventing Henry from controlling successfully.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Kantola misses with a combination
and Henry counters with a straight right hand.
Kantola misses with a leg kick.
Henry misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Henry throws a body shot but no joy.
Kantola throws a head kick that Henry semi-blocks.
Kantola walks forward, straight into a front kick from Henry.
Henry swings and misses with a hook to the body.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Henry.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for John Henry. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Henry shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Kantola defends it nicely.
A big left from Henry misses.
Kantola throws a fast counter high kick but Henry manages to duck under it in time.

Henry shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Kantola manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Kantola wants to sweep but no luck.
Henry lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Kantola trying to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Henry is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Henry slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Henry throws a strike but Kantola rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Kantola accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Henry wants to sweep here but Kantola controlling him for the moment.
Kantola postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Kantola scores with a decent looking elbow strike.

It looks like John Henry has been cut.
Kantola is looking to work some ground and pound but Henry has wrist control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Henry working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Kantola.
Kantola looking to pass the guard.
Henry is adopting a defensive guard.
Henry is trying to keep Kantola in close.
Henry is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Kantola is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.

Kantola stands up from Henry's guard - Kantola perhaps looking for a knockout.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Henry dominated that round.
The cut man is working on John Henry's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Henry looks for a takedown but Kantola sprawls well.
Kantola lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Henry throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
John Henry seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Henry shoots for a double leg takedown but Kantola sprawls well. He's pushed Henry's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Ari Kantola is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Kantola avoids the body shot from Henry.
Henry is looking to wear down Kantola with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Henry thows a left - swing and a miss!
Kantola rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Henry moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
A head kick misses from Kantola.
Henry looks for the body kick but Kantola saw that one coming.
Henry lands a body shot.

Henry shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Kantola is trying to defend but Henry finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.

Kantola looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

Henry is trying to work for a kimura but Kantola is defending well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kantola missing with punches from the bottom.
Henry looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Kantola is trying to stand.
Henry throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Kantola wants to control but Henry is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Henry throws a big elbow that misses, also allowing Kantola to regain full guard.

Kantola escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Henry gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Henry might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Henry is working Kantola over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Kantola controls Henry momentarily but Henry frees himself.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Henry looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Kantola controls Henry momentarily but Henry frees himself.
Henry is in close to Kantola's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Henry working some strikes from top position.
Henry is pushing down on Kantola's leg trying to pass to half guard. Kantola is fighting to maintain full guard but Henry has managed to sneak the leg through.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kantola is refusing to be controlled, as Henry sits in half guard.
Kantola is trying to maintain the position but Henry is very close to passing his half guard.
Henry missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Henry is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Kantola flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Kantola avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Henry.
Kantola wants to get back to his feet.
Henry is pressing down on Kantola's thigh, looking to free his foot. Kantola is holding on for now.
Henry is nestled in close to Kantola, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Kantola looks like he's trying to stand up.
Kantola keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Henry not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Kantola keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Kantola is trying to maintain the position but Henry is very close to passing his half guard.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Henry throws a sloppy head kick and Kantola moves out of range easily.
Henry throws out a leg kick but Kantola moves out of range and Henry only half commits.
Henry stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Henry misses with a kick to the body.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Henry misses with a hook to the body
and Kantola counters with a head kick.

Henry closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Kantola quickly recovers to half guard.
Kantola blocking the ground and pound attempt from Henry.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Henry dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on John Henry'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. And we move into the final round!

Henry throws a hook but Kantola blocks it.

Henry scores with a takedown into Kantola's guard.
Henry trying to control but Kantola is working from the bottom.
Kantola not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Henry scoring with punches to the head and body.
Henry landing with the ground and pound.
Kantola avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Henry working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

Kantola escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Henry gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Henry scoring with some ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Henry looking to sit in guard and control but Kantola gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Henry is controlling Kantola's posture.
Kantola throws a strike but Henry rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Kantola working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Henry doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Oh but Kantola is tightening it up a little... Henry has to be careful here... He's got his foot tucked under now, this looks tight! Henry reacted too slowly and this one could be over in a matter of seconds! YES! Henry taps out! Nice BJJ there by Kantola!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:58 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle Choke). Ari Kantola!
A very excited looking Ari Kantola rambled incoherently for about 5 minutes post fight about how awesome he is. It was kinda funny for a while but then everyone got annoyed.