PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Hiromichi Matsumoto (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jarppi Virne (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Virne is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Jeff van Dyck - Soldier's Chant. Jarppi Virne is staring across the cage at his opponent, tweaking his nipples.

Matsumoto
vs
Virne

224 cm
27
289 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

187 cm
44
262 lbs
23 - 37 - 1

Good wrestling
Lethal high kicks
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Heavy handed

Sun-Tzu

Victory! Sports Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Hiromichi Matsumoto!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 23 - 37 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Jarppi Virne!
The judges for this bout are Bruno Lombardi, Columbo Gatti and John Kavanagh.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Matsumoto misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Matsumoto feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Virnes jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Virne is looking to clinch but Matsumoto is avoiding it.
Matsumoto throws a sloppy head kick and Virne moves out of range easily.
Virne throws out a counter right but Matsumoto avoids it with no problem.
Matsumoto throws a head kick that misses.
Matsumoto throws a looping overhand right but Virne ducks down to avoid it.
Virne fails with an attempt to clinch.
Matsumoto throws a sloppy body shot
and Virne counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

Virne clinches with his opponent.

Virne breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Matsumoto throws a sloppy head kick and Virne moves out of range easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Virne moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.

Virne looking to score a takedown here. Matsumoto is defending well but Virne drives through and ends up in Matsumoto's guard.

Matsumoto wriggles free and stands up.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Virne goes for a double leg but Matsumoto avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Matsumoto continues to drive forward.

Matsumoto gets tackled into the cage by Virne. Virne maintains the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Virne lands with a right to the head.

Virne breaks from the clinch.
Virne tries to clinch but Matsumoto moves away
enabling Matsumoto to counter with a crisp jab.

Virne has taken the fight to the clinch.

Matsumoto's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Matsumoto tries a head kick but it misses.
Matsumoto avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Virne is looking to clinch but Matsumoto is avoiding it.
Virne is looking to clinch.

Matsumoto tries to keep at a distance but Virne has taken the fight into the clinch.
Matsumoto stalls.
Our sources have told us that Matsumoto has been working on his knees in the buildup to the fight.

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Virne slips a jab and a cross from Matsumoto.
Matsumoto chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Matsumoto cracks a nice hook into Virne's ribs.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Matsumoto moves into range and connects with a jab.
A nice inside leg kick there by Matsumoto. That's going to slow Virne down.
Virne looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Matsumoto turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Virne shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Matsumoto lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.

It looks like Jarppi Virne has been cut.
Virne dives in for a single leg takedown but Matsumoto sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Virne tries to close the distance and clinch but Matsumoto swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Matsumoto connects with a looping right hand.
Matsumoto lands a high kick!
Virne wants to clinch up but Matsumoto keeps it at a distance.
The crowd cheers as Matsumoto lands an impressive looking overhand right. Virne doesn't seem phased though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Matsumoto connects with a vicious head kick that knocks Virne to the floor! Matsumoto dives in looking for the finish!

Virne is rocked!
Virne is trying to stand back up but Matsumoto is controlling him
Virne is still in real trouble! Can Matsumoto finish him?
Matsumoto will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Virne wants to control but Matsumoto is keeping busy.
Virne seems to have recovered his senses.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Matsumoto thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Virne's head.
Virne regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Matsumoto.
Matsumoto would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Virne trying to control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Matsumoto wants to stand but Virne is controlling his posture from full guard.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Matsumoto lands a head kick. Virne smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Virne blocks a head kick by Matsumoto.
The fight stays on the outside here - Virne looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Matsumoto throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Virne keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Matsumoto avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
A counter left hand to the body from Matsumoto misses its target.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Virne closes the distance and pushes Matsumoto back into the cage.
Matsumoto throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Virnes head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hiromichi Matsumoto dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Jarppi Virne's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Virne tries to close the distance and clinch up but Matsumoto swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Virne gets a clinch.
Virne misses with the head strike.
Virne looking to slow down the pace here.
Virne stalling in the clinch but Matsumoto improves position.
Matsumoto takes a shot to the head.

Virne breaks from the clinch.

Virne clinches up against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Matsumoto letting Virne take a breather here.
Virne is struggling to control the position.
The crowd are getting on Virne's back here. They're not happy about his lack of aggression in the clinch.
Virne misses with a punch on the inside.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Matsumoto breaks from the clinch.
Virne tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Matsumoto paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Matsumoto throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Matsumoto misses with a double jab.
Matsumoto sets himself, and Virne steps forward looking for the clinch! Matsumoto avoids it this time.
Virne tries to clinch up but Matsumoto circles away and keeps his distance.
Hiromichi Matsumoto is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
A head kick misses from Matsumoto.
Virne moves in looking to clinch but Matsumoto pushes him off.
Matsumoto half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.

Virne shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Matsumoto manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Virne sitting in guard here, content to control.
Virne throws a big right hand that misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Matsumoto has control of Virne's left arm, preventing Virne from doing any damage.
Virne is looking to work some ground and pound but Matsumoto has wrist control.
Matsumoto is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Virne sitting in guard here, content to control.
Matsumoto controlling the position.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Virne moves in looking to clinch but Matsumoto pushes him off.
Matsumoto throws a right and a left that both miss.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Virne tries to clinch
and Matsumoto counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Virne keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Virne is looking to clinch.
Matsumoto swats away the attempt to clinch by Virne.
Virne takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Hiromichi Matsumoto is winning the standup battle so far.
Matsumoto slaps away a takedown attempt from Virne, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Virne tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Matsumoto manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Virne moves in looking to clinch but Matsumoto pushes him off.

Virne clinches with his opponent.
Virne misses with a hook from the clinch.
Matsumoto blocks a punch to the side of the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Virne wants a takedown but no success here.
A head punch on the inside from Virne fails to land.
Matsumoto is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Virne can do to turn this around?

Virne manages to break the clinch.
Virne tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Matsumoto misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Matsumoto misses with a double jab.
Virne doesn't manage to clinch there - Matsumoto circles away.
Virne tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Matsumoto counters with a head kick. That will keep Virne thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
This has been an exciting period of action!

Matsumoto sets himself and throws a head kick that knocks Virne to the ground! Matsumoto dives into full mount looking to finish!

That has opened up Jarppi Virne's cut even more.
Matsumoto thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
Virne has found himself in a tricky position here. He's been working his transitions in training so let's see if he can work his way out of it.
Virne wants to control but Matsumoto is having none of it.
Matsumoto scoring with strikes but Virne is staying in there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hiromichi Matsumoto dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Jarppi Virne's cut.
That's time! Matsumoto's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Matsumoto scores with the left hand. Virne knows he should have avoided that one.
Matsumoto lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
BOOM! Matsumoto lands a beautiful left hook that drops Virne. Virne tries to recover but Matsumoto is having none of it, landing more punishing shots from mount. One final crushing shot and Virne lies motionless on the canvas. The fight is over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:14 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Hiromichi Matsumoto!
An out of breath and clearly excited Hiromichi Matsumoto thanked Sun-Tzu for their help and support (and free stuff they sent him).