PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Pascal Letaivu (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mikel Buttesen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Buttesen's choice of entrance music: Svennebanan. Mikel Buttesen told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Letaivu
vs
Buttesen

170 cm
18
146 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

175 cm
27
145 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter fighter
Big right hand

BJJ Purple Belt
Good elbows
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Pascal Letaivu!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Mikel Buttesen!
The judges for this bout are Johanna Lukiainen, Arvi Lind and Anni Minnemäki.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Buttesen tries to clinch but Letaivu is having none of it.
Buttesen tries to clinch but Letaivu is having none of it.
An attempted straight right counter from Letaivu misses the target.
Buttesen fails in his attempt to clinch.
Buttesen tries to close the distance and clinch but Letaivu swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Letaivu avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Letaivu appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Buttesen tries to close the distance and clinch up but Letaivu swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Letaivu avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Buttesen wants to clinch.
Letaivu swung with a counter punch to the body but it didn't connect.
Buttesen tries to clinch up but Letaivu circles away and keeps his distance.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Buttesen is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Letaivu avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Buttesen tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Letaivu with a hook.
Letaivu circles away from the clinch attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Buttesen tries to clinch but Letaivu is having none of it.
Buttesen tries to clinch up.
Letaivu is looking for a counter combo.
Buttesen tries to clinch but Letaivu moves out of range.
Letaivu swung with a counter punch to the body but it didn't connect.
Buttesen tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Buttesen tries to close the distance and clinch but Letaivu swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Buttesen tries to close the distance and clinch but Letaivu swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Buttesen bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Buttesen tries to clinch but Letaivu is having none of it.
Letaivu circles away from the clinch attempt.
Letaivu works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Letaivu jabs Buttesen to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Letaivu swats away the attempt to clinch by Buttesen.
Letaivu fails to land with a series of punches.
Letaivu looks to land a right hand but Buttesen moved out of range.
Buttesen changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Letaivu keeps the fight on the outside.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Letaivu throws a right and a left that Buttesen avoids nicely.
It seemed like Buttesen was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Buttesen is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Mikel Buttesen seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Letaivu circles away from the clinch attempt.
Buttesen tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Letaivu manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Letaivu throws the left hand but Buttesen avoids the punch easily.
Letaivu swats away the attempt to clinch by Buttesen.
Buttesen tries to close the distance and clinch up but Letaivu swats him away and circles back towards the center.
A counter left hand to the body from Letaivu misses its target.
Letaivu circles away from the clinch attempt.
Letaivu was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Buttesen moves in looking to clinch but Letaivu pushes him off.
Buttesen slips under a jab.
Buttesen moves in looking to clinch but Letaivu pushes him off.
Letaivu was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Buttesen tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Letaivu paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Buttesen tries to close the distance and clinch but Letaivu swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Buttesen defending well as Letaivu loads up on a big left hand.
Buttesen tries to move into range but Letaivu moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
The fight stays on the outside here - Buttesen looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Buttesen tries to clinch but Letaivu moves out of range.
Letaivu keeps the fight on the outside.
Buttesen wants to clinch up but Letaivu keeps it at a distance.
An attempted straight right counter from Letaivu misses the target.
Buttesen keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Buttesen tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Buttesen moves in looking to clinch but Letaivu pushes him off.
Buttesen tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Letaivu manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Buttesen tries to close the distance and clinch but Letaivu swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Buttesen is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Buttesen tries to clinch up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Letaivu circles away from the clinch attempt.
Letaivu swung with a counter punch to the body but it didn't connect.
Buttesen keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
As Letaivu backs off Buttesen throws a huge counter combo but Letaivu manages to avoid it all.
Buttesen tries to clinch there but Letaivu circles away.
Buttesen takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
A looping hook to the body misses from Letaivu. Buttesen does a little dance to reset his feet.
Buttesen tries to clinch up.
It looked like Letaivu wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Buttesen tries to close the distance and clinch but Letaivu swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Letaivu is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Letaivu circles away from the clinch attempt.
Letaivu was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Buttesen wants to clinch.
Letaivu was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Buttesen avoids a punch combination nicely.
Buttesen wants to clinch up but Letaivu keeps it at a distance.
It looked like Letaivu wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Letaivu looks to land a right hand but Buttesen moved out of range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pascal Letaivu dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

The fight stays on the outside here - Buttesen looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
A looping hook to the body misses from Letaivu. Buttesen does a little dance to reset his feet.
Buttesen tries to close the distance and clinch but Letaivu swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Buttesen tries to close the distance and clinch up but Letaivu swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Buttesen moves in looking to clinch but Letaivu pushes him off.
Mikel Buttesen is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Buttesen tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Letaivu manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Both these guys seem content to just stand up and trade with eachother but Buttesen might want to think about changing up his gameplan a bit because over the course of the fight, Letaivu has got the better of the exchanges.
Buttesen tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Letaivu counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Buttesen tries to clinch up.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Buttesen tries to clinch up but Letaivu circles away and keeps his distance.
It looked like Letaivu wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Letaivu throws an overhand right that lands on Buttesen's shoulder, as Buttesen tries to avoid the shot.
Buttesen tries to clinch up but Letaivu circles away and keeps his distance.
Letaivu circles away from the clinch attempt.
Buttesen keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Letaivu throws a series of punches but Buttesen avoids them all with ease.
Letaivu ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Buttesen moves away.
Buttesen tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Letaivu manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Letaivu is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Buttesen can do to turn this around?
Buttesen is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Buttesen tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Letaivu manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Buttesen showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Letaivu.
Buttesen wants to clinch up but Letaivu keeps it at a distance.
Buttesen tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Letaivu throws a big counter combination but Buttesen scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.
Buttesen wants to clinch.
Buttesen dodges the punch combination from Letaivu.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Letaivu just misses with a punch to the body.
Buttesen drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Letaivu defends it well.
Buttesen tries to clinch there but Letaivu circles away.
Buttesen tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Letaivu manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Buttesen is looking to clinch but Letaivu is avoiding it.
Buttesen defending well as Letaivu loads up on a big left hand.
Buttesen is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
It looked like Letaivu wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Letaivu swats away the attempt to clinch by Buttesen.
Buttesen tries to clinch up but Letaivu circles away and keeps his distance.
The fight stays on the outside here - Buttesen looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Letaivu throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Buttesen moves out of range of the strikes.
Letaivu throws a body punch but Buttesen moves out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Letaivu swings and misses with a hook to the body.
The fight stays on the outside here - Buttesen looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Letaivu keeps the fight on the outside.
Buttesen doesn't manage to clinch there - Letaivu circles away.
Letaivu lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Buttesen backs up against the cage.
Buttesen moves in looking to clinch but Letaivu pushes him off.
Buttesen wants to clinch.
Buttesen staying out of range there.
Buttesen is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Buttesen tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Letaivu paws at him with a jab and circles away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Letaivu keeps the fight on the outside.
Letaivu misses with a jab, cross combination.
Pascal Letaivu is winning the standup battle so far.
Letaivu throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Buttesen tries to clinch there but Letaivu circles away.
Buttesen fails in his attempt to clinch.
It looked like Letaivu was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Buttesen.
Buttesen tries to clinch up but Letaivu circles away and keeps his distance.
The fight stays on the outside here - Buttesen looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Letaivu throws a hook to the side of Buttesen's head but Buttesen sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Letaivu misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Buttesen.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Buttesen tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Letaivu swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Buttesen tries to clinch there but Letaivu circles away.
Letaivu keeps the fight on the outside.
Letaivu is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Buttesen tries to clinch up but Letaivu circles away and keeps his distance.
It looked like Letaivu wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Buttesen tries to clinch up but Letaivu circles away and keeps his distance.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pascal Letaivu dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Buttesen fails with an attempt to clinch.
A combination from Letaivu does no damage.
Buttesen fails with an attempt to clinch.
Buttesen tries to clinch but Letaivu moves out of range.
Buttesen tries to close the distance and clinch but Letaivu swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Buttesen doesn't manage to clinch there - Letaivu circles away.
Letaivu avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Letaivu swings for the body but Buttesen moves out of range.
Letaivu avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Letaivu is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Buttesen tries to close the distance and clinch up but Letaivu swats him away and circles back towards the center.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Letaivu keeps the fight on the outside.
Letaivu circles away from the clinch attempt.
Buttesen tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Letaivu paws at him with a jab and circles away.
A counter left hand to the body from Letaivu misses its target.
Buttesen is looking to clinch.
Buttesen tries to clinch up but Letaivu circles away and keeps his distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Letaivu throws a one two combo.
Buttesen fails in his attempt to clinch.
Letaivu seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.
Buttesen tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Letaivu manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Letaivu throws a hook but Buttesen blocks it.
Buttesen closes the distance looking to clinch
and Letaivu counters with a right hand to the body.
Buttesen avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Buttesen tries to clinch up but Letaivu circles away and keeps his distance.
Buttesen tries to close the distance and clinch but Letaivu swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Letaivu missing with a left hand there. Buttesen was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Buttesen uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Letaivu.
Buttesen is looking to clinch.
It looked like Letaivu was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Buttesen.
Letaivu ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Buttesen moves away.
Letaivu missing with a left hand there. Buttesen was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Buttesen fails in his attempt to clinch.
Letaivu misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Buttesen.
Buttesen wants to clinch up but Letaivu keeps it at a distance.
Buttesen fails in his attempt to clinch.
Buttesen takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Buttesen tries to clinch but Letaivu moves out of range.
Letaivu swinging wildly here.
The fight stays on the outside here - Buttesen looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Buttesen tries to clinch up but Letaivu circles away and keeps his distance.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Letaivu avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Buttesen wants to clinch up but Letaivu keeps it at a distance.
Letaivu seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.
Letaivu scores with a nice head shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Buttesen tries to clinch but Letaivu moves out of range.
Letaivu throws a looping overhand right but Buttesen ducks down to avoid it.
Buttesen moves out of range of the strikes.
Buttesen is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Mikel Buttesen has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Buttesen tries to close the distance and clinch but Letaivu swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Buttesen tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Letaivu paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Letaivu throws a series of punches but Buttesen avoids them all with ease.
Buttesen uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Letaivu.
Letaivu will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Buttesen tries to clinch but Letaivu moves out of range.
Letaivu swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Buttesen is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Buttesen fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Buttesen wants to clinch.

Buttesen throws a left that rocks Letaivu and follows with a right that sends him tumbling to the canvas! Buttesen dives into side control, looking to finish! Can Letaivu regain composure!

Letaivu is rocked!

It looks like Pascal Letaivu has been cut.
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!
Buttesen working away.

Buttesen has hold of Letaivu's arm here. He's working for an Americana. It looks like he might have it! Letaivu tries to escape but he's just digging himself in deeper - Buttesen cranks the arm and Letaivu screams in pain! The ref makes a decision and ends the fight before the tap - no complains from Letaivu, who is just happy to have his arm attached to his body.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:47 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Americana). Mikel Buttesen!
Mikel Buttesen took to the mic after the fight and begged the organizational hierarchy for a shot at the title.