PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Liam Donnelly (ranked 342 p4p, 36 weight class) and Pako Laine (ranked 243 p4p, 25 weight class). Laine has chosen Nikke Ankara - Värifilmi as his entrance music. Rumors backstage are that the fighters have been paid to keep it standing but we know that would never happen in MMA!

Donnelly
vs
Laine

173 cm
33
146 lbs
32 - 18 - 1

174 cm
33
146 lbs
20 - 8 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Excellent grappler
World class boxer
Granite chin

Aspire Clothing
Bullet Proof System

Aspire Clothing

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 32 - 18 - 1, fighting out of Amsterdam, Liam Donnelly!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 20 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Pako Laine!
The judges for this bout are James Glass, Colin Fotheringham and Paul Tew.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Laine scores with a leg kick.
Pako Laine seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Laine tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Donnelly paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Donnelly was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
Laine misses the jab.
Laine throws a lazy right hand but Donnelly sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Laine.
Donnelly looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Laine motions for Donnelly to come forward. Laine throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.

Laine manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Donnelly on his heels. He'll look to pass Donnelly's guard now, I'm sure.

Laine postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Donnelly is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Laine, into his guard.

Donnelly got a little sloppy there for a moment and Laine has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Donnelly has managed to get both his arms back between Laine's legs - danger averted.
Donnelly stopping the sweep attempt from Laine.
Donnelly landing with the ground and pound.
Donnelly showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Donnelly trying to control but Laine is working from the bottom.
Donnelly pushes down on Laine's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Laine is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Donnelly seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Donnelly lands strikes from half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Donnelly is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Laine doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Donnelly.
Laine is concentrating on defense, preventing Donnelly from advancing position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Laine looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Laine slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Donnelly works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Laine wants to improve his position but Donnelly is controlling well.
Laine is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Laine taking some punishment here, with Donnelly in his half guard.
Donnelly passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Laine!
Donnelly breaks from Laine's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Donnelly 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.
Donnelly landing strikes from the mount.
Laine taking shots to the head.
Laine can't escape the position.
Donnelly lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Laine is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Laine is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Laine tries to hold on but Donnelly pushes him away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Laine working to try and regain half guard.
Donnelly working Laine over with strikes here.
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!
Donnelly controlling his opponent.
Donnelly tries to control but Laine wriggling away.
Donnelly looking to finish Laine with some ground and pound. This is bad for Laine!
Laine is working to get back to half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Donnelly can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Laine is looking to escape.
Laine is desperately trying to improve his position but Donnelly has a good base and remains in mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Liam Donnelly dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Donnelly keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Laine.
Laine walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Donnelly checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Donnelly throws a shot from downtown. Laine moves away and avoids it.
Laine waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Donnelly.
Donnelly is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Laine steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Donnelly.
Laine lands a jab to Donnelly's midsection.
The fight stays on the outside here - Donnelly looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Laine tries to clinch but Donnelly moves out of range.
Donnelly lands with a nice body punch.
Laine takes one to the side of the head.

It looks like Pako Laine has been cut.
Laine misses with a looping right.
Donnelly tried to counter with a leg kick but Laine avoided it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Laine feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Donnellys jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!

Laine has Donnelly up against the cage in a clinch.
Laine using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Donnelly has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Donnelly tries to throw a body punch but Laine avoids it by throwing Donnelly back against the cage.
Donnelly throws a punch but it's blocked by Laine.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Donnelly's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Donnelly lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Laine backwards.
Donnelly misses with a punch to the body.
Donnelly blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Donnelly swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Donnelly digs a right hand underneath Laine's ribcage. Laine let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Donnelly lands with a right to the head.
Donnelly tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Donnelly lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Laine backwards.
Laine tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Laine lands a left hand.
Donnelly lands a left hand that snaps the head of Laine backwards.
Donnelly digs a right hand underneath Laine's ribcage. Laine let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Donnelly misses with a punch on the inside.
Donnelly jumps guard but Laine turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Donnelly misses with a punch to the body.
Donnelly lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
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!
Donnelly misses with the head strike.
Donnelly lands with a short shot to the head.
Donnelly blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Donnelly misses with a hook from the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Donnelly misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Laine blocking some punches.
Donnelly misses with a body punch.
Donnelly blocks an uppercut.
Laine scores with a shoulder strike.
Donnelly is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Laine can do to turn this around?
A short right from Donnelly on the inside.
Donnelly goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Donnelly misses with a hook to the ribs.
Donnelly blocks an uppercut.
Laine gets through Donnelly's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Laine has Donnelly pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Donnelly manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Donnelly blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Laine struggles to land a body shot inside as Donnelly controls his hands.
Donnelly misses with a shot to the kidneys.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Donnelly.
Laine lands with a short shot to the head.
Liam Donnelly has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Laine throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Donnelly blocks it with crossed arms.
Donnelly misses with a shot to the kidneys.
A shot in the inside from Donnelly.
Laine lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Donnelly backwards.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Donnelly misses with the head strike.
Donnelly tries a body shot but Laine blocks it.
Donnelly misses with some punches.
Laine misses with some punches.
Donnelly swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Donnelly tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Donnelly lands a hook to the side of the head.
Laine lands with a short shot to the head.
Donnelly misses with a punch to the body.
Donnelly lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Donnelly blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Donnelly tries to pull guard but Laine forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Donnelly blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Laine blocks a body shot from Donnelly.

Laine is trying to trip Donnelly. He has hold of a leg but Donnelly is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Laine persists though and gets the takedown into guard.

Donnelly working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Laine doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Laine manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Laine stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Donnelly swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
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!
Donnelly is trying to control the position from the bottom.

Laine is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Donnelly is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Donnelly has escaped and now he's on top!

Donnelly controlling from the top position.
Laine keeping full guard, as Donnelly tries to pass.
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 Liam Donnelly will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Pako Laine's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Laine drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Laine looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Donnelly is avoiding damage well.
Donnelly gets back to half guard.
Donnelly is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Donnelly trying to control here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Donnelly is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Laine pulls his head out easily.

Laine has hold of the far side arm. He's working for the Kimura, can Donnelly defend it? Laine steps over the head and cranks it - Donnelly is tapping out! That was textbook stuff right there - nice submission victory for Laine!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:57 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Pako Laine!
Pako Laine tried to hype himself up post fight but didn't word it too well and it ended up with him sounding like a bit of a tool.