PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Katsu Laoka (ranked 338 p4p, 49 weight class) and Ludvig Ericsson (ranked 272 p4p, 38 weight class). Laoka comes to the cage accompanied by The Bell Tolls. Ludvig Ericsson has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Laoka
vs
Ericsson

188 cm
38
205 lbs
30 - 15 - 5

186 cm
30
212 lbs
16 - 9 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Olympic wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

IniTech Nutrition
Urban Fighter

Red Light Coffeeshop
KAISER Nutrition - Q160

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 30 - 15 - 5, fighting out of Las Vegas, Katsu Laoka!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 16 - 9 - 0, fighting out of New York, Ludvig Ericsson!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Timothy Bukovac and Jack Bonds.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ericsson slips under a jab.
Ericsson with a nice cross.
Ericsson scoring well with a low kick there.
Ericsson fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Laoka tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Ericsson was well out of range. Poor timing from Laoka.
Ericsson cracks the inside of Laoka's front leg.
Laoka throws a leg kick that is checked

and Ericsson counters with a takedown into side control! That could mean trouble for Laoka!
Laoka is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.
Ericsson wants to lay and pray for a moment but Laoka keeps working.
Ericsson works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ericsson wants to control but Laoka is keeping him busy.
Laoka dodges the ground and pound from Ericsson.
Check out the look on Ericsson's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Laoka is not content to let Ericsson control the position.
Ericsson has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Laoka wants to get back to his feet but Ericsson drags him back down.
Ericsson trying to control the action but Laoka is working from the bottom.
Ericsson throwing strikes but Laoka manages to buck up and roll into a nice reversal - now he's on top in side control!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ericsson looks to move to half guard but instead Laoka has passed into mount! Damn!

Laoka is standing up, even though he is in mount.

Ericsson drives through and clinches with Laoka against the cage.
Ericsson scores with a nice hook to the head.
Ericsson blocks a punch to the side of the head.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Ericsson.
Laoka missing with knees to the body.
Laoka gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Ericsson.
Ericsson scores with a shot to the side of Laoka's head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Laoka swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Ericsson swings wildly with an uppercut but Laoka uses good head movement to avoid it.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Ericsson gets through Laoka's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Laoka tries to land a knee to the head but Ericsson blocks with his arms.
Ericsson stalling.
Ericsson is working for takedown but Laoka is calmly controlling the position for now.
Laoka throws a knee to the head but misses.
Laoka stops a takedown attempt from Ericsson.
Katsu Laoka has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ludvig Ericsson.
A head punch on the inside from Laoka fails to land.
Laoka swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Laoka swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Laoka is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Ericsson is keeping busy.
Laoka lands with a light punch inside.
Ericsson working aggressively here.
Stalling in the clinch from Ericsson.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Ericsson takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Laoka tries to throw a body punch but Ericsson avoids it by throwing Laoka back against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ericsson scores with a shot to the side of Laoka's head.
Laoka misses with a punch to the body.
Laoka throws a punch but it's blocked by Ericsson.
Laoka lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Laoka with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Ericsson cracks Laoka with a nice body shot.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Laoka tries to work over Ericsson's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Laoka stalling.
Ericsson tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Laoka goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Ericsson throws a punch but it's blocked by Laoka.
Laoka misses with a punch on the inside.
Ericsson working aggressively here.
Laoka lands a left hand.
Ericsson lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Ericsson working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Laoka is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Ericsson tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Laoka's elbow.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ludvig Ericsson dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Ericsson takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Laoka lands with a thumping leg kick.
Ericsson dips to his left and cracks Laoka with an uppercut!
Laoka ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Ericsson moves away.
Laoka throws a looping overhand right but Ericsson ducks down to avoid it.
Ericsson tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Laoka misses the shot to the body.
Laoka scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Laoka throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Ericsson sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Ericsson jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Laoka drops his hands momentarily and Ericsson takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A thudding body kick lands there by Ericsson!
Laoka tried to score with a low kick but Ericsson checks it.
Laoka catches Ericsson with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Ericsson throws a nice outside leg kick.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Laoka misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Ericsson.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Laoka on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Ericsson misses with a straight left.
Laoka misses with a right hand

and Ericsson counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Laoka avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Ericsson is looking to work some ground and pound but Laoka has wrist control.
Laoka keeping moving, preventing Ericsson from controlling successfully.
Laoka wants to stand but Ericsson is controlling the position.
Ericsson is looking to advance position but Laoka has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!

Ericsson tries to lock up and control but Laoka gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ericsson is working to get back to half guard.
Laoka avoids the attempt from Ericsson to control.

Laoka stands up from the dominant position. He obviously fancies his chances standing.
Laoka takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Laoka throws a shot from downtown. Ericsson moves away and avoids it.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
A jab from Laoka does it's job there.
Ericsson stuns Laoka with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Ericsson ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Laoka scores with a body shot.
Laoka jabs Ericsson right on the nose. Ericsson blinks but takes it well.
Ericsson fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Laoka manages to avoid it.
Laoka appeared to be looking to counter that last move with a leg kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Laoka misses with a straight right.
A nice side step and Ericsson releases a counter shot to the body, but it doesn't find it's home.
The fighters circling - Laoka throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Ericsson avoids the body shot from Laoka.
Ericsson connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Ericsson shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Laoka as he avoids it easily.
Ericsson goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Ericsson with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Laoka ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Ericsson moves away.
Laoka tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Ericsson was well out of range. Poor timing from Laoka.
Ericsson misses with a low kick.
Ericsson misses with a kick to the body.
A low kick from Laoka is predictable there

and Ericsson counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Laoka tries to kick Ericsson off but Ericsson keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

Laoka pushes Ericsson off and gets back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Ericsson scores with a punch to the head.
Laoka moves out of range as Ericsson throws a body kick.
A head kick by Laoka misses

and Ericsson counters with a single leg into guard. Laoka didn't expect that.

Laoka pushes Ericsson off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Ericsson.
Ericsson tries to land a front kick but Laoka steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Laoka throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Laoka takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Laoka checks a low kick from Ericsson.
Laoka works the jab nicely.
Ericsson closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Laoka keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Laoka lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Katsu Laoka seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Ericsson blocks a low kick nicely.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Katsu Laoka will probably get the nod.
That's time! Laoka's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Ericsson lands a nice shot to the body.
Ericsson throws a front kick aimed at Laoka's knee but Laoka avoids it well.
Laoka takes a jab right on the kisser.
Ericsson looks to land a combination. Laoka sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Ericsson misses the jab.
Laoka is looking to score with low kicks.
Laoka ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Ericsson goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Good exchange - Laoka coming out on top.
Laoka moves out of range as Ericsson strikes.
Laoka listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Laoka misses with a kick to the body

and Ericsson counters with a takedown into side control! That could mean trouble for Laoka!
Laoka tries to get back to his feet but has found himself mounted instead. Damn, that's gotta suck.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Laoka tries to buck Ericsson off but he can't manage it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ericsson looking to control and managing it successfully.
Laoka is trying to get back to his feet but can't.
Laoka blocking the ground and pound.
Ericsson throwing strikes here but Laoka is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Ericsson lands with some strikes.
Laoka avoids a series of strikes thrown by Ericsson.
Ericsson looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Ericsson postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Laoka looks a forlorn figure.
Ericsson working the ground and pound effectively.

Laoka is rocked!
We've been hearing good reports from Laoka's training camp. Apparently he has been rolling around with some good quality BJJ practitioners and has been sharpening his skills. Let's see if that has an impact on the fight today.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Oooh a big shot lands for Ericsson! Laoka is out! The ref dives in to save him from more punishment!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:27 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Strikes). Ludvig Ericsson!