PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Kalle Palikka (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Thomas Hawk (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Hawk has chosen Deadwood as his entrance music. Kalle Palikka has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Palikka
vs
Hawk

181 cm
24
176 lbs
8 - 6 - 0

167 cm
26
183 lbs
10 - 7 - 1

Great wrestler
World class MT
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Lethal high kicks
Good gas tank

Sun-Tzu

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 8 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Kalle Palikka!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 7 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Thomas Hawk!
The judges for this bout are Sosuke Kotani, Shigeki Sano and Shigeki Fujiwara.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hawk keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Hawk lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Palikka circles away quickly and effectively.
Hawk has been working on his striking defense in training and it's paying off as Palikka is landing a low percentage of strikes.
Palikka jabs Hawk to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Palikka has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.
Hawk takes one on the button.
Palikka connects with a body shot that sends Hawk's belly button to the back.
Hawk misses with a straight right.
A counter left hand to the body from Palikka misses its target.
A low kick from Palikka is predictable there
and Hawk counters with a straight right hand.
A jab from Hawk misses.
A little feinted left hand from Palikka on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Hawk with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Palikka to score with a decent uppercut.
Hawk gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Palikka.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Palikka misses with a wild body shot.
As Palikka backs off Hawk throws a huge counter combo but Palikka manages to avoid it all.
Hawk throws a lazy right hand but Palikka sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Hawk misses with a low kick.
Palikka looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Hawk is fending him off so far but Palikka persists. Nope, Hawk circles away and we're back to standing.
Hawk throws a lazy right hand but Palikka sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Palikka throws a low kick but Hawk moves out of range easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Palikka throws a body punch but Hawk moves out of range.
Palikka lands with a slapping head kick.
Palikka throws a lazy uppercut
and Palikka takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Palikka looks to score with a jab to the body but Hawk is just out of range.
Palikka's corner calls for a 1-2. Palikka obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Palikka ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Hawk moves away.
Hawk looks to land a right hand but Palikka moved out of range.
Hawk throws a shot from downtown. Palikka moves away and avoids it.
Hawk lands a front kick.
Hawk throws a nice inside leg kick.

Hawk takes the fight into the clinch.
Hawk tries a body shot but Palikka blocks it.
Hawk misses with a hook to the ribs.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Palikka missing with knees to the body.
Hawk doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Hawk misses with a body punch.
Palikka dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Palikka is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Palikka blocks a body shot from Hawk.
Palikka holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Hawk doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Hawk misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Palikka gets through Hawk's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Hawk swings away with an uppercut that misses.
A hook to the body from Hawk.
Hawk lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Hawk has a couple of punches blocked by Palikka.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hawk tries to work over Palikka's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Palikka taking a breather.
Hawk working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Palikka has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Hawk doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Hawk misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Hawk scores with a shoulder strike.
A shot in the inside from Palikka.
A head punch on the inside from Palikka fails to land.
Hawk doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Hawk misses with a body punch.
Hawk doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Palikka prevents a body shot from Hawk.
Palikka doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Palikka tries a body shot but Hawk blocks it.
Palikka blocks a body shot from Hawk.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Palikka taking a breather.
Hawk can't find room to land a body shot as Palikka controls the action.
Palikka misses with a punch on the inside.
Palikka misses with the head strike.
Hawk misses with a punch on the inside.
Hawk misses with a body punch.
Hawk struggles to land a body shot inside as Palikka controls his hands.
Hawk lands a right hand that snaps the head of Palikka backwards.
Palikka is trying to maintain a safe position but Hawk gets an underhook and turns Palikka into the cage.
Palikka tries to pull guard but Hawk forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Hawk tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Palikka lands with a left to the head.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Palikka doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Hawk lands a left hand that snaps the head of Palikka backwards.
Hawk fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Palikka tries to pull guard but Hawk won't allow it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Hawk is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Palikka looks to land a left hand but Hawk moved out of range nicely.
Hawk misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Palikka counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Kalle Palikka is winning the standup battle so far.
Hawk will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Palikka lands with a right hand.
No joy there for Hawk, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Palikka throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Hawk scores with a jab to the jaw.

Palikka scores with a takedown into Hawk's guard.
Palikka pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Hawk is keeping the position for now.
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!
Palikka is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Palikka won't allow Hawk to sweep him here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Hawk has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Palikka has passed into side control.
Palikka wants to lay and pray for a moment but Hawk keeps working.
Hawk regains half guard.
Hawk is refusing to be controlled, as Palikka sits in half guard.
Palikka scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Palikka looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Hawk with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Hawk gets full guard.
Hawk is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hawk missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

Palikka looking for submissions off his back.
Palikka is looking to improve his position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Palikka keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Hawk missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Palikka is pressing down on Hawk's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Palikka avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

Palikka has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Hawk can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Palikka keeping full guard, as Hawk tries to pass.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hawk looking to sit in guard and control but Palikka gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Palikka landing some decent shots from guard.

Hawk is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Palikka defends well.

Hawk is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Hawk wants to sweep but no luck.
Palikka trying to control but Hawk is working from the bottom.
Palikka advances to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hawk is trying to get back to full guard.
Palikka works his foot free and advances to mount.
Hawk is trying desperately to improve position.
Hawk taking shots to the head.
Hawk is trying to stand.
Hawk is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Hawk slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Hawk moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Hawk is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

Hawk working for a triangle but Palikka defends it easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kalle Palikka dominated that second round.
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. This is the final round!

Palikka swings for the body but Hawk moves out of range.
Palikka blocks a jab.
A low kick from Hawk is predictable there

and Palikka counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Palikka.
Hawk looking for a sweep. Not yet Hawk, not yet.
Hawk keeping moving, preventing Palikka from controlling successfully.

Palikka is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Palikka works over Hawk with some ground and pound from guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Palikka is posturing up here but Hawk has hold of an arm and he's gone for an armbar! Palikka tries to roll out but it's too tight and Palikka has to tap! Slick submission there by Hawk!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:59 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Thomas Hawk!
A relieved looking Thomas Hawk thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.