PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Franck Mia (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ville Virtanen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Virtanen is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Beat It. Franck Mia has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Mia
vs
Virtanen

160 cm
22
145 lbs
3 - 5 - 0

180 cm
18
145 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Experienced

BJJ White Belt
Dangerous knees
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Franck Mia!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Ville Virtanen!
The judges for this bout are Anni Minnemäki, Tarja Halkonen and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mia throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Virtanen swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Mia has a takedown stuffed.
Mia fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Virtanen looks to throw the jab but Mia is out of range.
Mia lands a right hook to the body.
Mia just misses with a punch to the body.
Mia misses with a two punch combination.
Virtanen throws a leg kick that misses.
Mia will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Mia throws a head kick that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Virtanen tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Mia paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Mia fails with the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Franck Mia. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Virtanen keeps the fight on the outside.
Virtanen swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Virtanen is looking to score with low kicks.
Mia shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Virtanen pinned against the cage. Virtanen gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Virtanen throws a sloppy head kick and Mia moves out of range easily.
Virtanen thows a body shot but no joy.

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.
Mia scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Virtanen bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Mia shoots in but Virtanen avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Mia throws a sloppy head kick
enabling Virtanen to counter with a crisp jab.
Mia is breathing heavily.
Virtanen with a nice cross.
Mia throws a hook but Virtanen avoids it easily.
Mia throws a head kick that misses.
Virtanen misses with a few strikes there.
Virtanen moves in looking to clinch but Mia pushes him off.
Virtanen uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Mia.
Mia tries to clinch up.
Franck Mia seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A combination from Virtanen does no damage.
Ville Virtanen is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
A combination from Mia does no damage.
Virtanen fails in his attempt to clinch.
Mia takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.

Virtanen has managed to clinch.
Virtanen fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Virtanen with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Virtanen landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
A knee to the head by Virtanen.

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

Virtanen darts in and clinches Mia up against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mia tries to pull guard but Virtanen won't allow it.
Virtanen landing knees to the head.
Mia is trying to break the clinch but Virtanen has him pressed against the cage.
Mia wants to get back to striking at distance but Virtanen won't allow it.
Virtanen landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Mia trying to land knees to the body.
Mia tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Virtanen just stands there and leans against the cage.
Mia is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Virtanen pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Virtanen connects with a knee to the head.

Virtanen manages to break the clinch.
Mia swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Virtanen counters with a good low kick that Mia was not able to check.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ville Virtanen dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Virtanen throws a nice inside leg kick.
Virtanen is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
A head kick misses from Mia.
A swing and a miss from Virtanen.

Virtanen closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Mia has had enough of the clinch but Virtanen keeps him there for the moment.
Mia has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Virtanen avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Mia tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Virtanen smiles and moves away.
Mia is looking to clinch.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Virtanen throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Virtanen avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Virtanen misses with a jab, cross combination.
Mia circles away from the clinch attempt.
Virtanen stuffs the takedown attempt from Mia. Mia gets slowly back to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Franck Mia. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Mia blocks the body kick.
Virtanen blocks a jab.
Virtanen tries to close the distance and clinch but Mia swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Virtanen has taken the fight to the clinch.
Mia tries for a takedown but Virtanen manages to get underhooks.
Virtanen unloads a knee to the mid-section. Mia lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.

That's two 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.
Mia tries to pull guard but Virtanen holds him up against the cage and eventually Mia drops back down to his feet.
Virtanen gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Mia.

Virtanen breaks the clinch.

Virtanen has taken the fight to the clinch.
Virtanen landing knees to the head.

Virtanen breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Mia throws a combination that misses
and Virtanen connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Virtanen thows a body shot but no joy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Virtanen thows a body shot but no joy.
Virtanen fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Virtanen tries to close the distance and clinch up but Mia swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Mia closes this distance looking for a takedown but Virtanen circles away.
Virtanen tries to clinch there but Mia circles away.
Mia keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Virtanen slips under a jab.
Mia throws a sloppy head kick and Virtanen moves out of range easily.
Virtanen throws a series of strikes that have Mia backpedaling.

It looks like Franck Mia has been cut.
Virtanen will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Virtanen circles away from the clinch attempt

and Virtanen counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Virtanen.

Virtanen pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Virtanen tries to clinch there but Mia circles away.
Mia throws a hook to the side of Virtanen's head but Virtanen sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Virtanen drops his hands momentarily and Mia takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Virtanen tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Virtanen circles away from the clinch attempt

and Virtanen counters by moving into the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ville Virtanen showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Franck Mia's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Mia throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Virtanen.
Mia misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Mia takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?

Mia scores a takedown into full mount!

Mia gets to his feet and calls his opponent to stand. Here come the fireworks!
Virtanen tries to clinch but Mia moves out of range.
Mia throws a right and a left that both miss.
Franck Mia is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Virtanen instigates a clinch.
Mia takes a knee right on the jaw!
Virtanen landing some nice looking knees to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Virtanen connects with a knee to the head.

Virtanen manages to break the clinch.
Mia throws a right hand that Virtanen ducks under and follows up with a left that Virtanen also avoids with ease.
Mia fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

Virtanen moves into the clinch.
Virtanen using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.

That's two 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.
Mia throws an elbow but it's blocked.

Virtanen escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
A swing and a miss from Virtanen.
Mia chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Virtanen can pounce on him.
Mia throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Virtanen.
Virtanen tries to clinch up.
Virtanen fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Mia on the side of the head.
Mia throws a lazy head kick
and Virtanen counters with a solid body kick.
Virtanen scores with a leg kick.
Virtanen misses with a body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mia closes the distance and clinches up with Virtanen, looking for a takedown. Mia pushes Virtanen against the cage but Virtanen circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Virtanen fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Virtanen tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Mia counters by clinching up.
Mia wants a takedown but no success here.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Franck Mia. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Mia tries to pull guard but Virtanen won't allow it.
Virtanen slows down the pace here.
Mia misses with an elbow strike.

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.
Mia trying to land knees to the body.

Virtanen escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Virtanen tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Mia counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Ville Virtanen seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Virtanen darts in trying to clinch

and Mia counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Virtanen!
Mia won't let Virtanen get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.
BOOM! Mia connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Franck Mia has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Ville Virtanen is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Mia looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Franck Mia showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Virtanen has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 28:29
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 28:29
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ville Virtanen!