PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Pako Laine (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Joaquim Rapture (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Laine comes to the cage accompanied by Nikke Ankara - Värifilmi. Rapture has chosen For Heavy Metal we will die! as his entrance music. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Laine
vs
Rapture

174 cm
29
149 lbs
15 - 4 - 0

175 cm
32
150 lbs
26 - 13 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

BJJ Red Belt
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Perkele!

Hellbent
Lion Fightwear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the featherweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 15 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Pako Laine!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 26 - 13 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Joaquim Rapture!
The judges for this bout are Igor Prikhodko, Konstantin Menshow and Aleksei Zolotukhin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Laine fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Rapture checks it well.
Laine scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
A kick lands to the mid section there for Laine.
Rapture takes a head kick and keeps coming.

Rapture is rocked!
Rapture has done a lot of speed work in the buildup to this fight.
Nice body kick from Rapture.
Rapture is still on wobbly legs! Can Laine finish him?
Nice defenses there by Rapture.
Rapture seems to have recovered his senses.
Laine tries to score with a low kick but Rapture moves his leg out of the way.
Rapture tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Laine has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Rapture.
Laine throws a jab when Rapture was well out of range.
The crowd cheers as Laine lands an impressive looking overhand right. Rapture doesn't seem phased though.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Laine wants to clinch up but Rapture keeps it at a distance.
Laine throws a solid leg kick but Rapture takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Laine.
Rapture looks to land a right hand but Laine moved out of range.
Laine moves out of range as Rapture throws a body kick.
Rapture with a nice cross.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Laine wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Laine wants to clinch up but Rapture keeps it at a distance.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Laine crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Rapture - the referee stops the clock and Laine gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Rapture. Laine manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.

Rapture gets a double leg takedown into Laine's guard.
Rapture sitting in guard here, content to control.
Rapture is in close to Laine's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Rapture trying to control but Laine is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Laine throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Rapture wants to control from the top but Laine keeps moving.
Rapture connects with a couple of short punches.
Rapture preventing the sweep.
Rapture pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Laine is keeping the position for now.

Laine working for submissions but it's allowed Rapture to get to half guard.
Laine wants to control but Rapture is keeping busy and won't allow it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Rapture is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Rapture not doing much here.
Laine slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Rapture is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Rapture content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Laine keeping moving, preventing Rapture from controlling successfully.
Rapture is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Rapture might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Laine haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Pako Laine is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Rapture moves out of range of the body kick.
Rapture scores with a head kick.
Laine tries to clinch but Rapture is having none of it.

Laine darts in and clinches Rapture up against the cage.
Nice body punch from Rapture.
Laine crunches a lovely knee into Rapture's ribcage.
Rapture digs a right hand into Laine's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Laine's gas tank.
Laine doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Joaquim Rapture will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Rapture slips a straight right by Laine.
A thudding body kick lands there by Rapture!
Rapture scores with a jab to the body.
Rapture checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Rapture displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Rapture staying out of range there.
Laine moves out of range of the body kick from Rapture.
Both fighters circling a little - Rapture finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Rapture connects with a right hand. Laine shakes it off.

Rapture changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Laine looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Rapture has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Rapture wants to lay and pray for a moment but Laine keeps working.
Laine is looking for a sweep.
Rapture lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Laine down.
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.
Rapture landing a few strikes.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rapture in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
You can see the frustration on Laine's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Rapture is working Laine over with some ground and pound from side control.

Rapture tries for a kimura but Laine is defending well.
Rapture landing strikes.
Laine seems a little lost for a moment, as Rapture dominates the positioning.
Laine on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Rapture grinds an elbow into Laine's temple.
Laine tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Joaquim Rapture has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rapture scores with a couple of short elbows.

Rapture is working to tighten his grip on Laine's neck. He's isolated an arm and is working for an arm triangle. Laine has recognised the danger and is trying to turn with the submission but Rapture is really squeezing tight and eventually Laine passes out! Rapture breaks the hold and jumps onto the cage to celebrate! Submission of the night, I'd say!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:30 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Arm Triangle). Joaquim Rapture!
Joaquim Rapture is the new featherweight champion!
Joaquim Rapture tried to hype himself up post fight but didn't word it too well and it ended up with him sounding like a bit of a tool.