PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Onni Koski (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Keith Mendes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Koski
vs
Mendes

184 cm
26
185 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

200 cm
25
185 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

Decent wrestler
Solid boxing
Very strong

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Determined

King of Clothes

Amped Performance

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Onni Koski!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Keith Mendes!
The judges for this bout are Fedor Mirinova, Igor Prikhodko and Konstantin Menshow.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mendes connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.

It looks like Onni Koski has been cut.
Mendes lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Mendes looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Mendes tries to bum rush Koski with a series of wild strikes but Koski uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Mendes swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Koski has been working on his boxing with his coaches at Kung Fu Fighting Club ($299 entry fee) in the buildup to the fight.
Nice defenses there by Koski.
Mendes misses with a series of wild punches.
Mendes throws a right hand that misses

and Koski counters with a takedown into side control! That could mean trouble for Mendes!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Koski in side control lands a decent elbow.
Koski misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Koski tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Koski in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Koski is looking to take a break and control but Mendes is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Koski lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Mendes down.
Mendes parries the strikes from Koski easily there. Koski is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Mendes to escape.
Koski fails to land a wild elbow strike.
The strikes coming from Koski are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Mendes is not content to let Koski control the position.
Mendes wants to control but Koski postures up.
Mendes dodges the ground and pound from Koski.
Koski has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Koski fails to land a wild elbow strike.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Koski in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Koski looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Mendes is avoiding damage well.
Koski working the ground and pound but Mendes is defending the strikes.
Koski in side control, throwing shots but Mendes defends.
Koski fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Koski scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Mendes to see if he's OK.
Koski is looking to take a break and control but Mendes is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Koski in side control, throwing shots but Mendes defends.
Koski lands a nice forearm strike.
Koski looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Mendes is avoiding damage well.
Mendes taking a bit of punishment here - Koski scoring with strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mendes taking punishment in the form of punches.
Koski in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Koski working the body and head with strikes.
Koski throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Koski wants to control but Mendes is keeping him busy.
Mendes is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Koski has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Koski trying to control the action but Mendes is working from the bottom.
Sloppy strikes there by Koski.
Mendes tries to wriggle free to get back to his feet but he's given up his back! Oops.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Oooh a big shot gets through from Koski. Many more shots like that and the referee will have to think about stepping in!
Koski throwing sloppy strikes.
Koski scores with a nice shot to the head of his opponent. Mendes is looking for a way out.
Koski scores with strikes from the back.
Mendes is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Koski punches the canvas rather than the man.
Koski somehow managing to miss with a strike from the back.
Oooh a big shot gets through from Koski. Many more shots like that and the referee will have to think about stepping in!
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!
Koski misses with punches from the back.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Onni Koski dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Onni Koski's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Nice straight punches there by Mendes. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Mendes.

Koski closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Mendes did well to prevent Koski getting side control.
Koski sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Mendes defending well though.
Mendes keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Koski thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Koski throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Koski slips a nice elbow through Mendes's hands, connecting with Mendes's forehead.
Mendes really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Koski. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Koski winds up and cracks Mendes with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Mendes has managed to escape just enough to sneak back to his feet but Koski is on him like a limpet, forcing Mendes back against the cage.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Mendes prevents a takedown attempt there.
Koski lands on the inside with an uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Koski.
Koski stalling.
Koski misses with a hook to the ribs.
Koski displaying some good clinch control by pressing Mendes up against the cage.
Koski is trying to drag Mendes to the mat but Mendes just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Koski misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Mendes.
Koski scores with a nice hook to the head.

Koski wants the takedown. Mendes is fighting it off but Koski persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Mendes's guard against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Koski throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Mendes works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Koski throws a big right hand that misses.
Koski might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Koski with a flurry of punches that miss.
Koski loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Koski loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Koski throws a big right hand that misses.
Koski is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Mendes can do to turn this around?
Mendes has momentary wrist control but Koski slips an elbow through the middle.
Koski throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Mendes works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Mendes avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Mendes utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Koski throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Mendes works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Koski with a flurry of punches that miss.
Koski working some strikes from top position.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Mendes can do anything to dispel that myth.
Koski loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Koski passes Mendes's left leg - he's now in half guard.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Koski connects with a nice short shot to Mendes's temple.
Koski scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Koski wants to lay and pray for a moment but Mendes keeps working.
Mendes is trying to stand.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Mendes keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Koski wants to control but Mendes is keeping him busy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Onni Koski dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Onni Koski's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Mendes throws a body punch but Koski moves out of range.
Koski looks to score with a jab to the body but Mendes is just out of range.
Mendes looks to score with a jab to the body but Koski is just out of range.
Koski avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Mendes misses with a double jab

and Koski counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Koski.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Koski's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Mendes looking to hit a scissor sweep but Koski is one step ahead there.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Koski accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mendes can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Koski controls the pace.
Mendes working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Koski.
Koski looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Koski scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Koski throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Koski connects with a couple of short punches.
Koski stands up over Mendes, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Koski controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Koski throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Koski throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Mendes is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Koski is controlling him.
Koski throwing strikes but missing.
Koski connects with a couple of short punches.
Koski lands a couple of digs.
Koski working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Mendes's head.
Mendes utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Koski trying to control but Mendes is working from the bottom.
Koski connects with a couple of short punches.
Koski is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Mendes has momentary wrist control but Koski slips an elbow through the middle.

Mendes is rocked!
Koski missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Koski scoring with some ground and pound.
Mendes is still in real trouble! Can Koski finish him?
Koski chips away with some ground and pound.
Koski slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Koski working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Koski wants to control from the top but Mendes keeps moving.
Keith Mendes has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Mendes has momentary wrist control but Koski slips an elbow through the middle.
Koski cracks Mendes with a solid left hand.
Mendes utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Koski throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Mendes works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Mendes is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Koski is controlling him.
Mendes seems to have recovered his senses.
Koski throwing strikes but missing.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Mendes wants to get back to his feet but Koski passes into half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Onni Koski showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Koski, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 30:27
Judge Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 30:27
Judge Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Onni Koski!
Onni Koski took to the microphone after his victory and thanked his sponsors, King of Clothes for their support in the buildup to the fight.