PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Thomas Power (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Pascal Letaivu (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Fingers crossed for an exciting fight - I'm sure both fighters are looking for a nice under the table bonus!

Power
vs
Letaivu

168 cm
21
148 lbs
8 - 3 - 0

170 cm
21
146 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Heavy handed

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 8 - 3 - 0, fighting out of London, Thomas Power!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Pascal Letaivu!
The judges for this bout are Arvi Lind, Anni Minnemäki and Tarja Halkonen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Letaivu lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Letaivu misses with a straight right.
Jab, jab by Power - just one landing.
Power staying out of range there.
Power lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Letaivu just misses with a punch to the body.
Power throws a lazy uppercut
enabling Letaivu to counter with a crisp jab.
Power ducks under a wild hook from Letaivu.
Letaivu throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Power counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

Power rushes Letaivu and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Power fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
I was talking to Power's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Power misses with a punch on the inside.
Power lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Power misses with some punches.
Letaivu is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Power working aggressively here.
A hook to the body from Letaivu.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Power lands a shoulder strike.
A head punch on the inside from Power fails to land.
Power can't find room to land a body shot as Letaivu controls the action.
Letaivu working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Power throws a punch but it's blocked by Letaivu.
Letaivu tries to throw a body punch but Power avoids it by throwing Letaivu back against the cage.
Power has a couple of punches blocked by Letaivu.
Power misses with a punch to the body.
Power misses with a hook from the clinch.
A short uppercut from Power.
Power misses with a short punch on the inside.
Letaivu tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Letaivu misses with a hook from the clinch.
Power tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Letaivu's elbow.
Letaivu is trying to break free.
Stalling in the clinch from Letaivu.
A short body shot lands from Letaivu as the two fighters clinch.
Still in the clinch, Letaivu scores with a nice short uppercut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Letaivu.
Power misses with a short punch on the inside.
A nice left hand lands by Letaivu.
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!
Power swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Letaivu doesn't land with the attempted body shot.

Letaivu breaks the clinch.
Letaivu scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Letaivu misses with a looping left.
Letaivu pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Power tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Letaivu manages to circle out of the way.
Jab from Power.
Letaivu fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Power manages to avoid it.
Power scores with a nice right hand.
Thomas Power seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Letaivu throws a looping overhand right but Power ducks down to avoid it.
Good exchange - Power coming out on top.
Power moves into range and connects with a jab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Letaivu misses with a left hand
and Power counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Letaivu thinking.
Power ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
The fight stays on the outside here - Power looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Letaivu let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.
Power lands a nice looking body shot.
Letaivu throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Power fails with an attempt to clinch.
Letaivu takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Letaivu fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Power manages to avoid it.
Power defending well as Letaivu loads up on a big left hand.
Power misses with a straight right.
Power avoids a lazy jab quite easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Letaivu misses with a shot to the body
and Power counters with a nice uppercut.

Power has closed the distance and engaged Letaivu in a clinch.

Letaivu pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Letaivu with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Power to score with a decent uppercut.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Letaivu drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Letaivu keeps the fight on the outside.
Letaivu misses with a hook.
Power takes one on the button.
A shot to the liver by Letaivu. Beautiful body shot.
Letaivu dips to his left and cracks Power with an uppercut!
The crowd cheers as Letaivu lands an impressive looking overhand right. Power doesn't seem phased though.
A slow jab from Letaivu misses its intended target.
Power lands with an overhand left.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Thomas Power dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Letaivu misses with an uppercut. Power saw that one coming.
Power was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Power comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Power throws a big shot that misses.
Power keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Power bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Letaivu's head.
Power connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Power lands with a cross.
Power misses with a left hand
letting Letaivu counter with a right hand.
Letaivu circles away from the clinch attempt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Letaivu misses with a shot to the body

and Power counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Power.
Power cracks Letaivu with a nice body shot.
Power lands a shoulder strike.
Power misses with a punch to the body.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Power swings wildly with an uppercut but Letaivu uses good head movement to avoid it.
Thomas Power has scored more points in the clinch so far.

Power escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Letaivu takes a swing at Power's ribcage but misses.
Letaivu uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Power.
Power tries to clinch but Letaivu is having none of it.
Letaivu ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Power moves away.
Power lands a jab-cross combination.
Letaivu misses with a body shot.
Power tries to clinch up but Letaivu circles away and keeps his distance.
Thomas Power is winning the standup battle so far.
Power misses with a lunging right hand
and Power takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Letaivu throws a body shot but no joy.
Power throws an overhand right that lands on Letaivu's shoulder, as Letaivu tries to avoid the shot.
Power takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Letaivu takes a body punch but keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nice body punch from Letaivu.
We are yet to see a takedown attempt from Letaivu in the fight. On paper you would think he is the more dominant ground fighter so let's see if these unusual tactics pay off.
A big left from Letaivu misses.
Power throwing a counter right hand but Letaivu manages to avoid it.
A looping hook to the body misses from Letaivu. Power does a little dance to reset his feet.
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!
The fighters circling - Letaivu throws out the jab but it was never going to land.

Power has closed the distance and engaged Letaivu in a clinch.
Letaivu throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Power can't find room to land a body shot as Letaivu controls the action.
Letaivu is struggling to control the position.
Power swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Letaivu misses with a punch to the body.
Letaivu slowing the pace effectively.
Letaivu lands a hook to the side of the head.
Power throws a head punch that misses.
Power swings wildly with an uppercut but Letaivu uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Power comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Letaivu tries to break the clinch but Power is controlling the position.
Power has Letaivu pressed against the cage, preventing Letaivu from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Power doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Letaivu tries to work over Power's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.

Letaivu's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Power walks into a left hand.
Power slips a straight right by Letaivu.
Power fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Letaivu manages to avoid it.
Nice straight punches there by Letaivu. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Letaivu.
Power misses the shot to the body.
Letaivu avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Letaivu doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Power throws a hook to the side of Letaivu's head but Letaivu sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Letaivu looks to land a right hand but Power moved out of range.
Power swung with a counter punch to the body but it didn't connect.
Power 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 misses with a body punch
and Power counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Letaivu swats away the attempt to clinch by Power.
A swing and a miss from Power.
Power wants to clinch.
Letaivu throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Power counters with a stiff right hand.
Power fails in his attempt to clinch.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Letaivu circles away from the clinch attempt
and Letaivu counters with a left to the body.
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 Thomas Power will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Power takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Letaivu connects with a good right hand that stumbles Power. Power circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Power throws a good cross that connects.
Letaivu cracks Power with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Letaivu misses with an uppercut. Power saw that one coming.
A quick step to the side and Power tries to counter with a shot to the body but it doesn't connect.
Power uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Letaivu.
Power is trying to close the distance and clinch up, after that failed offence from Letaivu.
Power bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Power throws a body shot but no joy.
Letaivu takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Letaivu misses with a shot to the body
and Power counters with a straight right hand.
Power comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
A jab lands there for Letaivu.
Power 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.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Letaivu drops his hands momentarily and Power takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Letaivu misses with a looping left.
Letaivu throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Power sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Letaivu has a pretty nasty looking mouse under his right eye.
Power avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Nice defenses there by Letaivu.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Letaivu! But no joy.
Letaivu misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Power.
Letaivu takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Power fails in his attempt to clinch.
Power is looking to clinch.
Power connects with a single shot there.
Power wants to clinch
and Letaivu counters with a straight right hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Letaivu throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Power.
Power tries to clinch but Letaivu moves out of range.
Power misses with a jab to the body
and Letaivu counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Power tries to clinch there but Letaivu circles away.
Letaivu takes a swing at Power's ribcage but misses.
It looked like Power wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Power lands the left hand.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
A decent looking cross lands there for Power.
Power throws an overhand right that lands on Letaivu's shoulder, as Letaivu tries to avoid the shot.
A combination from Letaivu does no damage.
Letaivu takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Power gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Letaivu.
A looping hook to the body misses from Letaivu. Power does a little dance to reset his feet.
Letaivu takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fighters circling - Letaivu throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Letaivu takes one on the button.
Pascal Letaivu has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Power keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Letaivu.
Power appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Power scores with a decent looking hook.
Power catches Letaivu with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Power scores with a jab. Letaivu acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Letaivu fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Power slips a straight right by Letaivu.
Letaivu takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Power tries to clinch up but Letaivu circles away and keeps his distance.
It seemed like Letaivu was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Letaivu throws a hook to the side of Power's head but Power sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Thomas Power is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Letaivu misses with a wild body shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Power lands the left hand.
Letaivu loads up on a big right hand but Power slips the punch.
Power is looking to clinch but Letaivu is avoiding it.
Letaivu appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
Power tries to clinch up but Letaivu circles away and keeps his distance.
Letaivu lands with a good body shot.
Power paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Power ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Letaivu is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Power.
Decent striking displayed by Power there.
Letaivu throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Letaivu is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Letaivu misses with a body shot
and Power counters with a three punch combo that has Letaivu backing up. Letaivu nods at Power to acknowledge the strikes.

And that's the end of the fight!
Thomas Power showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Power has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Arvi Lind scores the fight 30:27
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 30:27
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Thomas Power!
An out of breath Thomas Power thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.