PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ilmari Kuusi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Slade Phoenix (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Slade Phoenix has the eye of the tiger tonight.

Kuusi
vs
Phoenix

189 cm
26
255 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

198 cm
26
250 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Solid chin

Sully's Bar & Grill

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Ilmari Kuusi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Slade Phoenix!
The judges for this bout are Dirk Anderson, David Hoff and Daniel Franklin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

A momentary lapse in concentration from Phoenix enables Kuusi to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Phoenix manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Kuusi with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Kuusi scoring with punches to the head and body.
Kuusi working some strikes from top position.

Phoenix escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Kuusi gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Kuusi showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Phoenix has momentary wrist control but Kuusi slips an elbow through the middle.
Our spies down at at KING OF PAIN inform us that Phoenix has really been working on his submissions in the buildup to this fight. Will it pay off?
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Kuusi's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Kuusi stays in close to Phoenix's body and controls the position.
Phoenix is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Kuusi sitting in guard, not really doing much.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kuusi is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.

Phoenix escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Kuusi gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Phoenix not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Kuusi is stalling in the full guard.

Phoenix looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Kuusi passes into side control.

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.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Phoenix is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Kuusi working the ground and pound from side control.

Kuusi tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Kuusi has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Kuusi looks to be in better condition than last time we saw him fight. Obviously he's been working hard on his cardio.
Kuusi is working Phoenix over with some ground and pound from side control.

Kuusi working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Kuusi looks up at the clock and then as Phoenix takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Kuusi smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
A lull in the action here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Kuusi tries for a kimura but Phoenix is defending well.
Phoenix tries to control but end up mounted... ooooh, that's bad.
Kuusi sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Kuusi cracks Phoenix with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Kuusi looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Kuusi tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Kuusi lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kuusi landing shots from mount.
Kuusi breaks from Phoenix's wrist control and lands an elbow.

Phoenix is rocked!
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!
Kuusi controlling the pace for now.
Kuusi seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Phoenix for as long as he can get away with.
Kuusi punishing his opponent with strikes.

Kuusi working from mount. He moves in close and looks like he might be going for an arm triangle... He's hopped off to the side and he's transitioned into an Anaconda choke. Phoenix turning a nasty shade of purple. He's refusing to tap but he's gone! He's out! The ref rips Kuusi off and cradles Phoenix's limp body as Kuusi celebrates with his corner.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:59 of round 1, we have a winner by way of Submission (Anaconda Choke). Ilmari Kuusi!
During a confident post fight interview, Ilmari Kuusi thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.