PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Pakeneva Janne (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bobby Pokka (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Janne
vs
Pokka

195 cm
25
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

178 cm
23
200 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Inexperienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Intelligent

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Pakeneva Janne!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Bobby Pokka!
The judges for this bout are Peter Branson, Santiago Holmes and Dirk Anderson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pokka is looking to clinch.
Pokka shoots in and drives through. Janne sprawls well.
Janne scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
A left lands for Janne.

Janne fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Pokka to the ground. Janne is now in Pokka's guard.
Janne slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Janne knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Pokka on the ground.

Pokka has his foot on Janne's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Janne works his way back into a safe position though.
Janne wants to control from the top but Pokka keeps moving.
Janne has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Janne controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Janne trying to control but Pokka is working from the bottom.
Janne throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pokka has control of Janne's left arm, preventing Janne from doing any damage.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.

Janne looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Janne wants to take a breather but Pokka is having none of it.

Pokka looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Janne working Pokka over with strikes.
Pokka is looking for a sweep. Janne is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Janne is thwarting Pokka's attempts to control the position.
Janne content to control rather than advance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Janne is trying to control. Pokka wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Janne will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Pokka regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Janne.
Pokka has momentary wrist control but Janne slips an elbow through the middle.
Janne loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Janne sitting in guard here, content to control.
Janne looking to sit in guard and control but Pokka gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Janne looking to hit a scissor sweep but Pokka is one step ahead there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pokka trying to control the position from guard on top but Janne is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Pokka passes into half guard.
Janne is trying to maintain the position but Pokka is very close to passing his half guard.
The fighters are battling for position here. Janne manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Pokka won't allow Janne to sweep him here.

Pokka stands up and waves to Janne to follow him.
Janne lands a jab to Pokka's midsection.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pokka walks into a jab.
Horrible takedown attempt by Pokka or perhaps it was just good defense by Janne, which made it look bad.
Pokka shoots for a double leg takedown but Janne sprawls well. He's pushed Pokka's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Pakeneva Janne has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bobby Pokka.
Pokka fails with a takedown attempt.
Janne shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Pokka pinned against the cage. Pokka gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Pokka looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
It looked like Janne wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Pokka looks winded!
Pokka misses with a takedown attempt - Janne sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pakeneva Janne dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

A left lands for Janne.
A big right from Pokka misses.
Pokka fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Janne avoids it really well and circles away.
Janne shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Pokka as he avoids it easily.
Janne throws a right and a left that both miss.
No luck for Pokka with that takedown attempt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Janne feints and as Pokka raises his hands in defense, Janne changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Janne is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Pokka can do to turn this around?
Pokka controlling the position.
Pokka keeping moving, preventing Janne from controlling successfully.
Janne looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Janne lands a couple of digs.
Janne slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Janne wants to stand but Pokka is controlling his posture from full guard.
Janne trying to control the position from guard on top but Pokka is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Janne is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.

Pokka had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Janne defends it easily.
Pokka trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Nice body kick there by Janne.
Pokka throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Pokka tries to clinch there but Janne circles away.

Janne shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Pokka manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Janne looking to sit in guard and control but Pokka gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Pokka slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pakeneva Janne overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Janne strikes from his own guard.
Pokka throws an elbow that misses. Janne uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Pokka's guard. Nice move by Janne!

Janne looking to sit in guard and control but Pokka gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Pokka slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Janne looking to hit a scissor sweep but Pokka is one step ahead there.
Janne keeping moving, preventing Pokka from controlling successfully.
Janne trying to keep a closed guard but Pokka is proving a slippery customer.
Janne throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Janne keeping moving, preventing Pokka from controlling successfully.
Janne wants to sweep but no luck.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pakeneva Janne dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Pokka gets a clinch.
Janne is looking to take this one to the mat.
Janne has Pokka pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Pokka manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Janne scores with a shot to the side of Pokka's head.
Janne lands an elbow inside.

Janne breaks the clinch.

Janne shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Pokka is trying to defend but Janne finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Janne in particular looking to stall.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Pokka is not content to let Janne control the position.
Janne wants to pass to mount but Pokka is defending the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pokka is trying to control but can't.

Pokka manages to escape and get back to his feet!
Pokka shoots in but Janne avoids the takedown attempt easily.

Pokka closes the distance and clinches.

Janne manages to break the clinch.
Janne stuffs the takedown.

Janne closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Pokka pulls Janne into guard.
Pokka takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Janne looking to pass the guard.
Janne lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Janne stays in close to Pokka's body and controls the position.
Pokka trying to keep a closed guard but Janne is proving a slippery customer.
Pokka might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Janne haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Janne wants to pass the guard but Pokka is keeping the position.
Pokka keeping moving, preventing Janne from controlling successfully.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Pokka blocks a jab.
Janne misses with a wild combination.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Janne tries to clinch there but Pokka circles away.
Janne swats away the attempt to clinch by Pokka.
Janne fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Pokka looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Janne scores with the left hand. Pokka knows he should have avoided that one.
Janne is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
Pokka shoots in but Janne avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Pakeneva Janne has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bobby Pokka.
Pokka ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Janne moves away.
Pokka is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Janne.
Janne 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.
Janne fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Pokka tries to clinch there but Janne circles away.
Pakeneva Janne is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Pokka.
Janne stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Janne wants it to stay on the feet.
Pakeneva Janne seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Janne feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Pokka trying to keep a closed guard but Janne is proving a slippery customer.
Janne looking to sit in guard and control but Pokka gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Pokka stays in close to Janne's body and controls the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Pakeneva Janne showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Janne 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 Peter Branson scores the fight 30:27
Judge Santiago Holmes scores the fight 30:27
Judge Dirk Anderson scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Pakeneva Janne!