PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Pekka Pouta (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Paul Richards Jr (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Pouta
vs
Richards Jr

185 cm
19
195 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

190 cm
18
188 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Self confident

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Tends to cut

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Pekka Pouta!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Paul Richards Jr!
The judges for this bout are Shirou Masuda, Sosuke Kotani and Yasuomi Hirokawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Pouta shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Richards Jr's guard.
Pouta tries to free his leg and advance position but Richards Jr is retaining full guard.
Richards Jr wants to sweep here but Pouta controlling him for the moment.

Pouta drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Richards Jr manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Pouta has Richards Jr in his guard.
Pouta has a closed guard, preventing Richards Jr from standing up.

Pouta working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Richards Jr doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Richards Jr manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

Pouta had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Richards Jr is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Pouta Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Richards Jr's back instead.

Pouta looking for the RNC.

Pouta looking for the choke but no joy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Richards Jr tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Pouta is breathing heavily.

Pouta is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Richards Jr has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Richards Jr!
Richards Jr pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Pouta is keeping the position for now.
Richards Jr wants to control from the top but Pouta keeps moving.

The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Pouta throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Richards Jr passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Pouta is looking to regain half guard here but Richards Jr keeps moving and retains side control.
Richards Jr wants to stand but Pouta has his arm trapped.
Pouta manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.

Pouta is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Richards Jr pulls his head out easily.
Pouta tries to get to full guard but Richards Jr has control of the leg.

Pouta actively working from the bottom here.
Pouta trying to get back to full guard but Richards Jr takes advantage of the position and moves to full mount!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Richards Jr prevents Pouta from getting the reversal.
Pouta is trying to reverse the position but instead Richards Jr has taken his back - oops!
Pouta breaks Richards Jr's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
Pouta trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Richards Jr manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!

Pouta looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Pouta tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Pouta keeping moving, preventing Richards Jr from controlling successfully.

Pouta is looking for a triangle but Richards Jr pushes his legs off easily.

Pouta throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Pouta throws his legs up looking for a submission but Richards Jr uses it to pass to side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pouta gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Pouta wants to improve his position but Richards Jr is controlling well.
Pouta moves into full guard.

Pouta has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Richards Jr can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

Pouta looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

Pouta looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Pouta lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Richards Jr!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pekka Pouta dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Richards Jr rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Pouta moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

Pouta scores a takedown into full mount!

Pouta goes for an armbar but he's not got it… Richards Jr turns into him and now he's in Pouta's guard.

Pouta is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Richards Jr has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Pouta is proving hard to escape from.

Pouta working for a triangle but Richards Jr defends it easily.
Richards Jr passes Pouta's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pouta is looking to improve his position.
Richards Jr tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Pouta.
Pouta wants to get back to full guard.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Pouta moves into full guard.
Pouta bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Richards Jr's guard.

Pouta thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

Pouta thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Pouta passes into half guard.

Pouta is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Pouta is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

Richards Jr looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

Pouta is trying to work for a kimura. He's got his hands clasped together - this could be trouble! No, Richards Jr has managed to free his arm - good work.
Richards Jr is looking to escape.
Pouta wants to pass to mount but Richards Jr is defending the position.
Richards Jr tries to get to full guard but Pouta has control of the leg.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Pouta tries to clinch but Richards Jr moves out of range.
Pouta misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Richards Jr scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Pouta is looking to clinch.

Pouta gets a takedown into half guard.

Pouta seems to be working for a kimura but Richards Jr defends the submission attempt.
Pouta passes to side control.

Pouta tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

Pouta wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Richards Jr, who protects the arm well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Pouta is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Richards Jr has escaped the position, nice work there.
Richards Jr throws a couple of punches but he's in a bad position and they don't land.
Richards Jr is trying to improve his position.

Pouta is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Richards Jr knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

Pouta tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Pouta has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

Pouta thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pekka Pouta dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Pouta drives through with a takedown into guard.
Richards Jr is trying to keep Pouta in close.

Pouta drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Richards Jr manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Pouta has Richards Jr in his guard.
Pouta wants to sweep here but Richards Jr controlling him for the moment.

Pouta is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Richards Jr pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Pouta is keeping the position for now.

Pouta is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Richards Jr stopping the sweep attempt from Pouta.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Pouta has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Richards Jr can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Pouta looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Richards Jr puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Richards Jr is keen to just control but Pouta is a slippery customer.

Pouta looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Richards Jr wants to stand up but Pouta is controlling the position.
Pouta slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

Pouta throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Pouta throws his legs up looking for a submission but Richards Jr uses it to pass to side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Richards Jr is looking to take a break and control but Pouta is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Pouta regains half guard.
Pouta manages to get to full guard.

Pouta looking for a guillotine here but Richards Jr defends easily.
Pouta tries to land a sweep but no joy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Pouta is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Richards Jr passes Pouta's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Pouta moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Pouta manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Richards Jr manages to get himself to full guard.

Pouta drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Richards Jr dives on top into guard.
Pouta looking for a sweep. Not yet Pouta, not yet.
Pouta manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Richards Jr manages to get himself to full guard.

Pouta drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Richards Jr manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Pouta has Richards Jr in his guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Richards Jr trying to control the action but Pouta just sinks the hooks in.

Pouta working for a choke but Richards Jr is defending well.

Pouta looking for the choke but no joy.
Paul Richards Jr has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Richards Jr showing good submission defense here.

Pouta has his hand under the chin of his opponent looking for the choke. He's nearly got it! This one could be all over! But no, Richards Jr has freed his hand and lives to survive another… well, another couple of seconds at least!

And that's the end of the fight!
Pekka Pouta showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Pouta, 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 Shirou Masuda scores the fight 30:27
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 30:27
Judge Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Pekka Pouta!