PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Cormac McCarthy (ranked 4567 p4p, 0 weight class) and Keijo Kekluttaja (ranked 24281 p4p, 0 weight class). Both these guys have solid standup skills and neither is particularly fantastic on the ground, so let's hope for a nice standup war!

McCarthy
vs
Kekluttaja

175 cm
22
160 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

177 cm
19
160 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Great elbows
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Cormac McCarthy!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Keijo Kekluttaja!
The judges for this bout are Marco Blurström, Arvi Lind and Matti Vanhoillinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A swing and a miss from McCarthy.
McCarthy moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
McCarthy sizes up Kekluttaja with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Kekluttaja misses with a hook
and McCarthy counters with an outside leg kick.
Kekluttaja ducks under a wild hook from McCarthy.
McCarthy connects with a solid leg kick.
McCarthy throws a body punch but Kekluttaja moves out of range.
McCarthy lands a nice hook to Kekluttaja's body. Kekluttaja takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Kekluttaja moves forwards but McCarthy connects with a nice, crisp jab.
A kick lands to the mid section there for McCarthy.
Kekluttaja tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
A decent looking cross lands there for Kekluttaja.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
McCarthy ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Kekluttaja moves away.
Kekluttaja stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from McCarthy.
McCarthy lands a jab to the head.
McCarthy motions for Kekluttaja to come forward. McCarthy throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Kekluttaja throws a hook to the side of McCarthy's head but McCarthy sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kekluttaja misses with a straight left.
McCarthy fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Kekluttaja throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Kekluttaja looks to score with a jab to the body but McCarthy is just out of range.
It looked like McCarthy wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Kekluttaja slips a jab and a cross from McCarthy.
Kekluttaja is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.
McCarthy tests Kekluttaja's chin there with a solid looking shot.
A nice leg kick lands there from McCarthy.
Kekluttaja lands a head kick. McCarthy smiles back at him and beckons him forward.

Kekluttaja closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Kekluttaja has McCarthy pushed against the cage.
McCarthy lands a left hand that snaps the head of Kekluttaja backwards.
Kekluttaja will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning McCarthy up against the cage.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Kekluttaja as McCarthy tries to tie him up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Kekluttaja breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Kekluttaja scores with the left hand. McCarthy knows he should have avoided that one.
This has been an exciting period of action!
McCarthy scores with a punch to the head.
McCarthy avoids a punch combination nicely.
Kekluttaja misses with a hook
and McCarthy makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
McCarthy misses with a body punch
enabling Kekluttaja to counter with a crisp jab.
Kekluttaja walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Kekluttaja keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from McCarthy.
Kekluttaja takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
McCarthy takes a swing at Kekluttaja's ribcage but misses.
Kekluttaja gets cracked there but stands up to it.
A nice leg kick lands there from McCarthy.

Kekluttaja drives through and clinches with McCarthy against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
McCarthy can't find room to land a body shot as Kekluttaja controls the action.
I was talking to McCarthy's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
McCarthy taking a breather.
McCarthy lands a shoulder strike.
McCarthy lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
McCarthy wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Kekluttaja trying to stall but McCarthy improves his position.
McCarthy throws a head punch that misses.
McCarthy lands a nice uppercut.

McCarthy pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
McCarthy cracks Kekluttaja with a right hand to the side of the head.
Kekluttaja jabs McCarthy to the body, keeping him at a distance.
McCarthy with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Kekluttaja to score with a decent uppercut.
McCarthy lands a jab to the nose.
A jab from McCarthy does it's job there.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Kekluttaja is looking to clinch.
Kekluttaja on the wrong end of a nice hook.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kekluttaja connects with a good right hand that stumbles McCarthy. McCarthy circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Good work by Kekluttaja as he checks the leg kick.
Kekluttaja throws a counter combo.
Kekluttaja on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Kekluttaja keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Kekluttaja is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.
Kekluttaja tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
McCarthy digs a good hook to Kekluttaja's body.

Kekluttaja clinches.

Kekluttaja breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Kekluttaja has closed the distance and engaged McCarthy in a clinch.
McCarthy dodges an elbow strike from Kekluttaja.
A shot in the inside from McCarthy.
Kekluttaja misses with an elbow over the top.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
McCarthy throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Kekluttajas head.
McCarthy tries to break free but Kekluttaja pushes him back against the cage.
Kekluttaja creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through McCarthy's defenses.
McCarthy dodges an elbow strike from Kekluttaja.
McCarthy working some nice short punches in the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Cormac McCarthy dominated that round.
That's time! McCarthy's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

McCarthy wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.

Kekluttaja has managed to clinch.
Kekluttaja's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Kekluttaja being controlled against the cage.
Kekluttaja throws an elbow that misses.
Kekluttaja misses with an elbow over the top.
Kekluttaja lands an elbow just above McCarthy 's eye.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Kekluttaja holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Kekluttaja pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
McCarthy blocks the elbow strike.
McCarthy struggles to land a body shot inside as Kekluttaja controls his hands.

McCarthy manages to break the clinch.
McCarthy swats away the attempt to clinch by Kekluttaja.

That's one minute gone in the round.
McCarthy tests Kekluttaja's chin there with a solid looking shot.
McCarthy is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
McCarthy fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
McCarthy fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Kekluttaja manages to avoid it.
McCarthy smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Kekluttaja is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
McCarthy was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
Kekluttaja throws a body punch but McCarthy moves out of range.
Kekluttaja misses the shot to the body.
McCarthy scores with the left hand. Kekluttaja knows he should have avoided that one.
McCarthy moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.

It looks like Keijo Kekluttaja has been cut.
Kekluttaja takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
McCarthy lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
McCarthy keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
McCarthy fires out a quick counter leg kick but Kekluttaja just manages to avoid it.
McCarthy bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Kekluttaja's head backwards.
McCarthy defending well as Kekluttaja loads up on a big left hand.
Kekluttaja throws a combination that misses
and McCarthy counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Kekluttaja takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Kekluttaja scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
McCarthy fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Kekluttaja is out of range.
Kekluttaja walks into a straight right hand from McCarthy.
McCarthy connects with a crisp jab.

Kekluttaja is rocked!
Cormac McCarthy seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Kekluttaja looks up at the clock. Bad move! McCarthy lands a right hand from hell, dropping Kekluttaja. McCarthy pounces and finishes the fight with a flurry of punches and elbows.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:42 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Cormac McCarthy!
Cormac McCarthy decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.