PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Seb Sha (ranked 1587 p4p, 226 weight class) and Lahden Linkki (ranked 1415 p4p, 205 weight class). Linkki has chosen Cypress Hill - Cuban Necktie 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.

Sha
vs
Linkki

187 cm
29
210 lbs
10 - 9 - 0

188 cm
25
220 lbs
10 - 2 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

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 10 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Seb Sha!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Lahden Linkki!
The judges for this bout are Yasuomi Hirokawa, Ren Mimura and Kenichi Hosakawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sha displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Linkki throws out the jab.
Sha lunges at Linkki with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Linkki's hand.
Linkki misses with a body shot.
Linkki misses with an uppercut.
Linkki misses with a body shot.
Sha looked to counter with a high kick but didn't commit.
A looping hook to the body misses from Linkki. Sha does a little dance to reset his feet.
Sha appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Linkki misses with a straight left.
Linkki misses with a wild body shot.
Linkki throws a poor cross that misses
and Sha counters with a stiff right hand.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Linkki will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Linkki misses with a body shot.
Sha swung with a counter punch to the body but it didn't connect.
Sha shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Linkki as he jumps to the side.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Linkki fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Linkki swings and misses with a hook to the body.
It looked like Sha was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Linkki on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Linkki misses with a body punch
enabling Sha to counter with a crisp jab.
Linkki uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Sha.
Linkki throws a hook but Sha avoids it easily.
Sha works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Linkki jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Linkki needs to keep his hands up - Sha had a free shot at his head there.
Linkki throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Sha sees it coming and avoids it easily.
The fighters circling - Linkki throws out the jab but it was never going to land.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sha slips a jab from Linkki.
It looked like Sha wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Sha drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Linkki misses with a right hand
and Sha counters with a straight right hand.
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!
A combination from Linkki does no damage.
Linkki misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Sha.
Linkki swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Sha lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Sha lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Sha shoots in but no luck this time.
Linkki throws the left hand but Sha avoids the punch easily.
Linkki misses with a body punch
and Sha counters with an outside leg kick.
Linkki thuds a left hand into Sha's body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nice defenses there by Sha.
Sha throws a big counter combination but Linkki scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.
Linkki rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Sha counters with a stiff right hand.
Linkki throws a right and a left that Sha avoids nicely.
An attempted straight right counter from Sha misses the target.
Lahden Linkki is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Linkki falls off balance throwing a combination
and Linkki takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
A left lands for Linkki.
Linkki misses with a hook
and Sha counters with a stiff right hand.
Linkki loads up on a big right hand but Sha slips the punch.
Linkki uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Sha.
Linkki throws a hook to the side of Sha's head but Sha sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Sha appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Sha takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Linkki looks to throw the jab but Sha is out of range.
Sha attempts a counter takedown but Linkki avoids it well and moves away.
Linkki throws a jab but it's blocked by Sha.
Sha swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
A cross from Linkki lands.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Linkki throws an overhand right that lands on Sha's shoulder, as Sha tries to avoid the shot.
Decent striking displayed by Sha there.
Linkki misses with a few strikes there.
Sha tries to score a power double leg takedown but Linkki sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Sha somewhat.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Seb Sha. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sha defending well as Linkki loads up on a big left hand.
Linkki misses with a straight left.
It looked like Sha wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Sha is really peppering his opponent's head with punches.
Linkki scores with a crisp jab that stopped Sha in his tracks.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Lahden Linkki will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Linkki fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Sha manages to avoid it.
A lazy left from Sha finds it's target.
Linkki throws a jab when Sha was well out of range.
Linkki misses the shot to the body.
Linkki thows a left - swing and a miss!
Sha looks to land a combination. Linkki sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Sha misses with a looping right.
Linkki throws out a loose jab but Sha uses good head movement to avoid it.
Sha is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Linkki displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Sha.
Linkki throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Sha counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Sha throws a one two combo.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Sha closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Linkki quickly recovers to half guard.
Linkki is trying to maintain the position but Sha is very close to passing his half guard.
We've been hearing good reports from Sha'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.
Sha trying to mount his opponent but Linkki defends it.
Linkki is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Sha lands with a punch from half guard.
Linkki has his hands clasped together around Sha's back. He's all about the action.
Linkki looks like he's trying to stand up.
Sha is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Sha prevents Linkki from improving his position.
Sha scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Linkki taking some punishment here, with Sha in his half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Linkki has his hands clasped together around Sha's back. He's all about the action.
Sha is nestled in close to Linkki, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Sha wants to control but Linkki is keeping him busy.
Sha is thwarting Linkki's attempts to control the position.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Sha in particular looking to stall.
Sha not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Linkki has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Sha is working away from the top position though.
Linkki has hold of Sha's hands but Sha slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
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!
Sha takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Linkki is looking for a sweep. Sha is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

Sha is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Linkki has managed to free his arm - good work.
Linkki wants to get back to full guard.
Sha 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.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Linkki wants to control but Sha is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Linkki is pressing down on Sha's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Sha content to stall in guard here.
Sha content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sha wants to pass the guard but Linkki is keeping the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Sha lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Linkki is trying to control the position but Sha postures up.
Sha trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Sha scoring with some ground and pound.
Sha landing some decent shots from guard.
Sha looking to pass the guard.
Sha prevents Linkki from getting back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Linkki looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Linkki trying to control the position here.
Linkki utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Sha lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

Linkki is rocked!
Sha postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Linkki is still in real trouble! Can Sha finish him?
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Sha's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Linkki really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Sha. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Linkki is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Sha arches his back and unloads with a massive left and a right! Linkki's eyes roll back into his head, he's out cold! The ref dives in to stop the fight - wow, they were hard shots!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:43 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Strikes). Seb Sha!
A very excited looking Seb Sha made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.
The defeated Lahden Linkki had this to say: 'That was fucking awesome! Can I go again?!'.