PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Salah Al Rashad (ranked 7090 p4p, 636 weight class) and Pertti Naulakko (ranked 5407 p4p, 549 weight class). Salah Al Rashad has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Al Rashad
vs
Naulakko

200 cm
21
265 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

180 cm
20
220 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Very quick

BJJ Purple Belt
World class boxer
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Salah Al Rashad!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Pertti Naulakko!
The judges for this bout are Dmitry Maklakov, Illya Tyunina and Konstantin Menshow.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Naulakko throws a right hand that Al Rashad ducks under and follows up with a left that Al Rashad also avoids with ease.
Al Rashad lands a glancing blow to the side of Naulakko's head.
Salah Al Rashad seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Al Rashad connects with a good right hand that stumbles Naulakko. Naulakko circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Naulakko listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Nice shot lands for Al Rashad.
Al Rashad ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Naulakko moves away.
Al Rashad throws a leg kick
and Naulakko counters with a straight right hand.
Naulakko keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Al Rashad looks to score with a jab to the body but Naulakko is just out of range.
Al Rashad misses with a wild body shot.
Al Rashad bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Naulakko's head.
Naulakko swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
It looked like Al Rashad was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Naulakko.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Al Rashad looks to score with a jab to the body but Naulakko is just out of range.
Al Rashad lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Al Rashad misses with a body shot.
Naulakko is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Al Rashad with a body shot.
Al Rashad misses with a shot to the body
and Naulakko connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Naulakko lands a nice shot that snaps Al Rashad's head back.
Al Rashad avoids the body shot from Naulakko.
Al Rashad throwing a counter right hand but Naulakko manages to avoid it.
Naulakko misses with an uppercut. Al Rashad saw that one coming.
Al Rashad throws a right hand that misses
and Naulakko counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Al Rashad is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Naulakko misses the jab.
Naulakko misses with a hook. Al Rashad ducked under it nicely.
A quick step to the side and Al Rashad tries to counter with a shot to the body but it doesn't connect.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Naulakko enables Al Rashad to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Naulakko manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Naulakko seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Naulakko tries to land a sweep but no joy.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Al Rashad in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Al Rashad trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Al Rashad wants to control from the top but Naulakko keeps moving.
Al Rashad scoring with some ground and pound.
Al Rashad is looking to work some ground and pound but Naulakko has wrist control.
Naulakko is trying to keep Al Rashad in close.
Al Rashad throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Naulakko working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Al Rashad.
Al Rashad is looking to work some ground and pound but Naulakko has wrist control.
Al Rashad with a flurry of punches that miss.
Al Rashad is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Naulakko stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Naulakko misses the jab.
Naulakko looks to throw the jab but Al Rashad is out of range.
Naulakko misses with a straight left.
Naulakko lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Naulakko keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Naulakko moves out of range of the strikes.
It seemed like Naulakko was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Naulakko works Al Rashad's body with a nice hook.
Al Rashad connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Naulakko momentarily.
Naulakko lands a jab.

Al Rashad shoots in and bounces Naulakko off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Al Rashad pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Naulakko is keeping the position for now.
Al Rashad in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Naulakko wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Pertti Naulakko will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Al Rashad lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Al Rashad swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Naulakko counters with a nice uppercut.
Al Rashad shoots in for a double leg but Naulakko sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
A countering left hand to the body from Naulakko misses.
Al Rashad ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
A big left from Naulakko misses.
Al Rashad slips under a jab from Naulakko.
Al Rashad throws a body shot but no joy.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Al Rashad shoots in looking for a takedown but Naulakko manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Al Rashad's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Al Rashad has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Al Rashad there as he acknowledges the shot.
Al Rashad swings for the body but Naulakko moves out of range.
Al Rashad misses with a hook to the body
enabling Naulakko to counter with a crisp jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A decent looking cross lands there for Naulakko.
Al Rashad misses with a hook. Naulakko ducked under it nicely.
Al Rashad misses with a body punch
and Naulakko cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Nice jab there from Al Rashad.
Al Rashad looks to score with a jab to the body but Naulakko is just out of range.
Naulakko lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Al Rashad throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Naulakko counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Al Rashad uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Naulakko.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Al Rashad is defended easily by Naulakko.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Salah Al Rashad. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Al Rashad showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Naulakko.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Al Rashad swings widly with a right hand
and Naulakko counters with a left to the body.
A leg kick checked by Naulakko.
Naulakko looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Naulakko might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
Naulakko changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Nice uppercut lands for Naulakko. That snapped Al Rashad's head back.
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!
Al Rashad thuds a left hand into Naulakko's body.
Decent striking displayed by Naulakko there.
Naulakko throws a shot to the body.
Naulakko fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Al Rashad closes the distance and clinches up with Naulakko, looking for a takedown. Al Rashad pushes Naulakko against the cage but Naulakko circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Al Rashad goes for a double leg but Naulakko avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Naulakko continues to drive forward.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Al Rashad throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Pertti Naulakko seems to be getting the better of the standup.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Al Rashad walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Pertti Naulakko is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Al Rashad misses with a hook
enabling Naulakko to counter with a crisp jab.
Al Rashad shoots in but Naulakko avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Naulakko throws a hook but Al Rashad avoids it easily.
Al Rashad is looking to wear down Naulakko with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Al Rashad misses with a wild body shot.
Al Rashad misses with a hook

and Naulakko counters with a crisp one two that drops Al Rashad! Naulakko thinks about following him to the mat for a moment but instead steps back and waves Al Rashad to his feet! Al Rashad is in big trouble!

Al Rashad is rocked!
Al Rashad throws a poor cross that misses
and Naulakko counters with a massive hook, right on the button! He's out cold! Damn, that was naaaaaasty! Hopefully he'll be OK.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:43 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Pertti Naulakko!