PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Alex Laush (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mirko Laamanen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Laamanen is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Daft Punk - Da Funk/Daftendirekt. 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?

Laush
vs
Laamanen

182 cm
22
194 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

183 cm
19
185 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Solid chin

Russia GOLD (only real 159 in st petes)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Alex Laush!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Mirko Laamanen!
The judges for this bout are Aleksandr Martynov, Ivan Kurochkin and Fedor Mirinova.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Laamanen lands a jab to the nose.

Laush bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Laush in side control, just content to control the action for now.
Laamanen wants to get back to his feet.

Laush looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Laamanen is trying to buck Laush off.

Laush tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Laush has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Laush content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Laush working away.
Laamanen gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Laush wants to stand but Laamanen has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.
Laush trying to control from half guard but Laamanen is working away.

Laamanen looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Laamanen wants to control but Laush is keeping busy.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Laush is pressing down on Laamanen's thigh, looking to free his foot. Laamanen is holding on for now.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Laamanen moves in looking to clinch but Laush pushes him off.
A head kick misses from Laush.
Laush tries to close the distance and clinch up but Laamanen swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Laamanen tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Laush counters with a shoot takedown. Laamanen fights it but they end up in guard.
Laush is breathing heavily.
Laush is pushing down on Laamanen's leg trying to pass to half guard. Laamanen is fighting to maintain full guard but Laush has managed to sneak the leg through.
Laamanen is looking for a sweep. Laush is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Laush is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Laush prevents Laamanen from improving his position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Laamanen wants to control but Laush is keeping busy.
Laamanen wants to get back to his feet.
Laamanen wants to control but Laush is keeping busy.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Laush scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Laush tries for a takedown but Laamanen sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
The fight stays on the outside here - Laush looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Laamanen takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Laush takes the fight into the clinch.
Laamanen is looking to control Laush's arms but Laush gets an underhook and turns him. Now Laamanen has his back to the cage.
A bit of stalling here from Laush.

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

Laush drives through with a takedown into guard.
Laush advances to half guard.
Laamanen wants to improve his position but Laush is controlling well.

Laamanen looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Laamanen is trying to get back to full guard.

Laush is looking for a kimura but Laamanen is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Laush to get the leverage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alex Laush dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Laamanen tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Laush holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Laush trying to land knees to the body.
Laamanen blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Laamanen crunches a lovely knee into Laush's ribcage.
Laamanen connects with a nasty looking knee right to Laush's face.
Knees in the clinch landing for Laamanen.
Laush on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

Laush jumps into guard, dragging Laamanen to the mat.
Laush tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Laamanen has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Laush is proving hard to escape from.
Laush is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Laush is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Laush seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Laamanen does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

Laamanen looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

Laush stands, ready to strike. The ref makes him back up and allows Laamanen to get to his feet.
Laush tries to close the distance and clinch but Laamanen swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Laamanen darts in trying to clinch

and Laush counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Laamanen!
Laush trying to control but he's not successful this time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Laush wants to finish this one by submission but Laamanen is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Laush.
Laush trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Laamanen sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.

Laamanen actively working from the bottom here.
Laush stalling.
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.
Laush missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Well, if Laush 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.
Laamanen trying to control but Laush postures up.
Laush perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Laush lands strikes from half guard.
Laush is figuring out what he wants to do next.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Laamanen wants to control but Laush is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Laamanen is in trouble now - Laush has advanced to mount!
Laush sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Alex Laush just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Laamanen throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Laush.
Laush is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Laush throws a push kick but Laamanen slaps the foot to one side.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alex Laush dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Laush fails with an attempt to clinch.

Laush rushes Laamanen and presses him up against the cage.
Laush tries to pull guard but Laamanen won't allow it.
Laush controlling the action here for a moment.
Laush misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Laamanen.
Laamanen trying to land knees to the body.
Laush avoiding damage as Laamanen throws knees to the body.
Laamanen scores a nice knee to the body.
Laamanen scores a nice knee to the body.

Laush escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Laush shoots in for a double leg but Laamanen sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Mirko Laamanen seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Laamanen throws a sloppy head kick and Laush moves out of range easily.
Laamanen plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Laamanen misses with a hook. Laush ducked under it nicely.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Laamanen has closed the distance and engaged Laush in a clinch.
Laamanen is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Knees in the clinch landing for Laush.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
Laush tries to clinch up.
Laush takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
A solid leg kick lands there for Laamanen.
Laush throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Laamanen on the side of the head.
Laush keeps the fight on the outside.
Laamanen tries to close the distance and clinch but Laush swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Laamanen tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Laush counters with a nice body kick.
Laush throws a head kick that misses.
Laamanen tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Laush counters with a stiff right hand.
Laamanen throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Laamanen tries to clinch up.

Laush rushes Laamanen and presses him up against the cage.
Laush fails to pull guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Alex Laush. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Laush managing to block the knees to the body from Laamanen.

Laush breaks from the clinch.
Laamanen tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Laush moves into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Laamanen is trying to stall.
Laush tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

Laush breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Alex Laush is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Laamanen misses with a few strikes there.
Mirko Laamanen is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Laush decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Laush trying to pass the guard but Laamanen defending well.

Laush decides to return to a standing position.
A punch lands to the side of Laamanen 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Laamanen steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Laush.

Laamanen closes the distance and clinches.
Laush avoiding damage as Laamanen throws knees to the body.
Laush landing knees to the head.
Laamanen trying to stall but Laush improves his position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Laush fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Knees in the clinch landing for Laamanen.

Laush pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Laush clinches.
Laush tries a knee to the head but Laamanen blocks it.
Laamanen landing knees to the head.
Laush managing to block the knees to the body from Laamanen.
A knee to the head by Laush.
Laamanen scores a nice knee to the body.
Laamanen takes a knee right on the jaw!
Laush avoiding damage as Laamanen throws knees to the body.

Laush breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Laush throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Laamanen circles away from the clinch attempt.
An inside leg kick lands from Laush.
Laamanen tries to clinch up but Laush circles away and keeps his distance.
Laush swats away the attempt to clinch by Laamanen.

Laush drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Laamanen tries to improve position but can't.
A lull in the action here as Laush stalls from top position.
Laamanen is looking to reverse the position.

Laush goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Laamanen rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Laush's guard! Nice work there by Laamanen!
Mirko Laamanen has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Laush looking to hit a scissor sweep but Laamanen is one step ahead there.
Alex Laush is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Laush working a defensive guard here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Alex Laush showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Laush 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 Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight 30:27
Judge Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 30:27
Judge Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Alex Laush!