PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Pekko Persvako (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nikola Barbalic (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Persvako comes to the cage accompanied by In Flames - Crawl through knives. This should be fireworks!

Persvako
vs
Barbalic

170 cm
23
174 lbs
6 - 0 - 0

180 cm
23
180 lbs
6 - 3 - 0

Good wrestling
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Good gas tank

Combat Pro Design

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the welterweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Pekko Persvako!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Nikola Barbalic!
The judges for this bout are Roosa Järviläinen, Marco Blurström and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Barbalic stuffs the takedown.

Persvako drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Persvako staying calm.
Persvako working the ground and pound but Barbalic is defending the strikes.
You can see the frustration on Barbalic's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Persvako looks up at the clock and then as Barbalic takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Persvako smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Persvako misses with the ground and pound.
Persvako moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.
Barbalic tries to bench press Persvako off him but Persvako keeps the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Persvako wants to lay and pray for a moment but Barbalic keeps working.
Persvako is putting a hurting on Barbalic here, landing some big shots from side control.
Barbalic tries to buck Persvako off but Persvako is having none of it.
Persvako lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Barbalic down.
Barbalic wants to control but Persvako postures up.
Persvako trying to control the position but Barbalic is working away.
Persvako in side control, throwing shots but Barbalic defends.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Persvako wants to control but Barbalic is keeping him busy.
Barbalic tries to bench press Persvako off him but Persvako keeps the position.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Persvako fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

Persvako closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Persvako lands in his opponent's guard.

Barbalic looking for a guillotine here but Persvako defends easily.
Persvako in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Persvako has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Persvako is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Barbalic looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Persvako keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Barbalic's head.
Barbalic keeping moving, preventing Persvako from controlling successfully.
Persvako is in close to Barbalic's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Persvako trying to control the position from guard on top but Barbalic is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Persvako slips nicely into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Barbalic is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Persvako looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Barbalic manages to get to full guard.
Persvako stands and throws Barbalic's legs to the side, diving into side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pekko Persvako dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Persvako looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Persvako trying to control the position from guard on top but Barbalic is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Persvako drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Persvako jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Persvako looking to pass the guard.
Barbalic wants to sweep here but Persvako controlling him for the moment.
Persvako is in close to Barbalic's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Persvako trying to control but Barbalic is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Persvako is really struggling to control Barbalic but he's trying to hold on to the position.
Barbalic keeping full guard, as Persvako tries to pass.

Barbalic is looking for a triangle but Persvako pushes his legs off easily.
Barbalic tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Persvako wants to control from the top but Barbalic keeps moving.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Persvako is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Barbalic is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.

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.
Persvako tries to free his leg and advance position but Barbalic is retaining full guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Persvako tries for a takedown but Barbalic sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Persvako.
Nice sprawl there from Barbalic as Persvako shoots in.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Pekko Persvako. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Persvako closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Barbalic to the mat! Barbalic manages to get full guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Barbalic looking for subs off his back but Persvako has passed one foot through into half guard.
Persvako scores with a couple of good hammerfists.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Still in half guard, Persvako seems content to control.
Persvako wants to pass the guard but Barbalic is defending well.
Barbalic desperately trying to maintain half guard.
Persvako is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Persvako is looking to take a break and control but Barbalic is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's four 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.
Persvako frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Barbalic keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Persvako lands a nice shot to the head.
Barbalic wants to control but Persvako is having none of it.
Persvako fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pekko Persvako dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Persvako misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

Persvako looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Barbalic looking to hit a scissor sweep but Persvako is one step ahead there.
Persvako trying to control the position from guard on top but Barbalic is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Persvako pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Barbalic is keeping the position for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barbalic utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Persvako wants to control from the top but Barbalic keeps moving.
Persvako works a leg free and moves into half guard.

Barbalic looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Persvako shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Persvako closes the distance and clinches up with Barbalic, looking for a takedown. Persvako pushes Barbalic against the cage but Barbalic circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Pekko Persvako. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Nice body punch from Barbalic.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
No luck for Persvako with that takedown attempt.
Nikola Barbalic is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Persvako throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Barbalic's waist but Barbalic gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Persvako off to one side.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Persvako tries for a takedown but Barbalic sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Persvako takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Barbalic misses with a looping left.
Persvako shoots in and drives through. Barbalic sprawls well.
A jab from Barbalic misses.
Barbalic scores with a crisp jab that stopped Persvako in his tracks.
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!
Barbalic throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Persvako shoots for a takedown but Barbalic saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Barbalic lands a jab followed by a vicious hook that sends Persvako sprawling to the canvas. Barbalic follows him down, looking for the kill. Can Persvako hang on?

Persvako is rocked!

It looks like Pekko Persvako has been cut.
Barbalic is tying to control. Persvako wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Persvako tries to roll over but Barbalic keeps him under control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barbalic seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Persvako does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Persvako trying to control here.
Persvako is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Persvako is working hard here to advance position.
Pekko Persvako overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Barbalic is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Persvako doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Barbalic.

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

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.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Persvako shoots in for a takedown but Barbalic shows good takedown defense.

Persvako shoots in and bounces Barbalic off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Barbalic keeping moving, preventing Persvako from controlling successfully.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Persvako working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nikola Barbalic really dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Pekko Persvako's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Persvako throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Barbalic's waist but Barbalic gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Persvako off to one side.
Barbalic misses with a straight left.
Persvako shoots for a double leg takedown but Barbalic sprawls well. He's pushed Persvako's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Barbalic keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Pekko Persvako. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Barbalic stuffs the takedown attempt from Persvako. Persvako gets slowly back to his feet.
Barbalic throws out a powerful jab.

Persvako fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Barbalic sprawls well initially but Persvako persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Barbalic works his way to full guard. Good work.

Persvako avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
It's got to the stage where if one of these guys blows hard enough, the other might fall over.

Barbalic pushes a forearm under Persvako's chin to create some space. He's escaped his hips and pivoted quickly for an armbar! Can he extend the arm? Yes, Persvako is tapping out! Damn, that was fast!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:01 of round 4, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Nikola Barbalic!
Nikola Barbalic is the new welterweight champion!