PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Iikka Runnisto (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Halfdan Ragnarsson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Runnisto comes to the cage accompanied by Alta Pois - Sie sua näkköös!. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Runnisto
vs
Ragnarsson

182 cm
21
192 lbs
8 - 3 - 0

195 cm
28
210 lbs
13 - 4 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Dangerous knees
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the light heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Iikka Runnisto!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 13 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Halfdan Ragnarsson!
The judges for this bout are Roosa Järviläinen, Marco Blurström and Matti Vanhoillinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nice body punch from Runnisto.
Ragnarsson on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Runnisto scores with a hook.
Runnisto dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Good standup being displayed there by Runnisto as he connects with a hook.
Runnisto lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Runnisto uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Ragnarsson has time to react.

Ragnarsson moves into range and clinches up with Runnisto.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Ragnarsson just misses with a elbow thrown towards Runnisto's brow.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Runnisto avoids the elbow strike from Ragnarsson, against the cage.
Runnisto blocks an elbow strike.
Ragnarsson tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Runnisto avoids it.
Runnisto lands a hook that snaps the head of Ragnarsson backwards.
Ragnarsson misses with a hook to the ribs.
Runnisto wants to break free but Ragnarsson has control.
Ragnarsson missing with knees to the body.
Ragnarsson misses with an elbow strike.
Ragnarsson misses with some punches.
Runnisto blocking some punches.
Nice body punch from Runnisto.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Runnisto lands an uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Runnisto lands a left hand that snaps the head of Ragnarsson backwards.
Ragnarsson tries a knee to the head but Runnisto blocks it.

Runnisto breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Oooooh!!! Runnisto has knocked Ragnarsson down with a huge combo! Runnisto steps away and waves a wobbly Ragnarsson back to his feet! This one might not go much longer!
Halfdan Ragnarsson seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Runnisto lands a body shot.

Ragnarsson gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
I was talking to Runnisto's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Ragnarsson working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Runnisto blocks an elbow strike.
Ragnarsson blocks a body shot from Runnisto.
Runnisto avoiding damage as Ragnarsson throws knees to the body.
Runnisto takes an elbow to the forehead.
Runnisto blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Come on Runnisto - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Runnisto digs a right hand underneath Ragnarsson's ribcage. Ragnarsson let out a lung full of air as it connected.

Runnisto breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Runnisto scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Runnisto scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Ragnarsson doesn't seem bothered though.
Ragnarsson tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

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

Runnisto breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Ragnarsson looks to clinch
and Runnisto connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Ragnarsson is looking to clinch but Runnisto is avoiding it.
Runnisto lands a slapping body shot.
Ragnarsson tries to close the distance and clinch up but Runnisto swats him away and circles back towards the center.
It looked like Runnisto was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Ragnarsson.
Ragnarsson tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Runnisto counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

Ragnarsson rushes Runnisto and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Ragnarsson lands an elbow just above Runnisto 's eye.
Ragnarsson misses with a short punch on the inside.
Ragnarsson lands an elbow inside.
Runnisto working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Runnisto takes a shot to the head.
Ragnarsson connects with a knee to the head.
Ragnarsson misses with a hook to the ribs.
Ragnarsson is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Runnisto is defending well for now.
Ragnarsson managing to block the knees to the body from Runnisto.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Ragnarsson.
Ragnarsson comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ragnarsson tries to land knees in the clinch but Runnisto avoids the damage to the body.
Ragnarsson lands with a right to the head.
Runnisto managing to block the knees to the body from Ragnarsson.
A nice left hand lands by Runnisto.
Runnisto goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
A short body shot lands from Runnisto as the two fighters clinch.
Ragnarsson tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Ragnarsson throws an elbow that misses.
Runnisto is leaning against Ragnarsson and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Runnisto scores with an uppercut up the middle.

Runnisto's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Runnisto lands a right hook to the body.

Ragnarsson moves into the clinch.
Ragnarsson misses with a punch on the inside.
Ragnarsson throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Runnisto blocks it with crossed arms.
Runnisto lands a left hand that snaps the head of Ragnarsson backwards.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Runnisto breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Runnisto lands with a hook. Ragnarsson tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Ragnarsson wants to clinch but Runnisto slips to the side
and Runnisto cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Good shot there by Runnisto.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A shot to the liver by Runnisto. Beautiful body shot.

Ragnarsson clinches.
Ragnarsson lands a hook that snaps the head of Runnisto backwards.
Runnisto goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Ragnarsson prevents a body shot from Runnisto.
Runnisto lands with a short shot to the head.
Ragnarsson throws an elbow that misses.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Runnisto.
Runnisto works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Ragnarsson looks winded!
Runnisto working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Ragnarsson using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Runnisto has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Ragnarsson misses with a short punch on the inside.
Ragnarsson throws an elbow but it misses.
Good body shot from Runnisto.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Runnisto wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

Runnisto manages to break the clinch.
Runnisto cracks a nice hook into Ragnarsson's ribs.
Ragnarsson takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.

Ragnarsson clinches up with Runnisto and pushes him back against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Iikka Runnisto dominated that round.
That's time! Runnisto's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Ragnarsson takes one on the button.
Runnisto jabs Ragnarsson to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Runnisto tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Ragnarsson was well out of range. Poor timing from Runnisto.
Runnisto lands with a hook. Ragnarsson tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
A solid body kick from Runnisto.
Ragnarsson takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Ragnarsson tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Runnisto manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Ragnarsson rushes Runnisto and presses him up against the cage.
A head punch on the inside from Ragnarsson fails to land.
Runnisto avoids a wild elbow strike from Ragnarsson.

Runnisto pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Ragnarsson tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Runnisto counters with a right hand to the body.
Runnisto throws a wild body kick that Ragnarsson sees coming a mile off.
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!
Runnisto throws a body punch but Ragnarsson moves out of range.
Ragnarsson tries to close the distance and clinch but Runnisto swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Ragnarsson gets in close and instigates a clinch.
A short uppercut from Ragnarsson.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Runnisto escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Runnisto scores with a one two! Ragnarsson had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Runnisto listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
It really doesn't seem like the step up in weight is hurting Runnisto here at all. He's more than holding his own against the bigger man.
Ragnarsson takes one on the chin but keeps coming.

Ragnarsson is rocked!
Ragnarsson closes the distance but Runnisto moves to the side
and Runnisto counters with a big right hand! Oh Ragnarsson is in trouble here! Runnisto follows up with more strikes and that's it! The ref has stopped it!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:20 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Iikka Runnisto!
Iikka Runnisto retains his light heavyweight title!
Iikka Runnisto seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.