PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Ashley Sharp (ranked 5834 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mika Imonen (ranked 6151 p4p, 0 weight class). Imonen has chosen Another One bites the Dust as his entrance music. Mika Imonen has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Sharp
vs
Imonen

210 cm
18
193 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

188 cm
18
185 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Ashley Sharp!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Mika Imonen!
The judges for this bout are Aleksandr Martynov, Dmitry Maklakov and Valeri Chadov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Imonen tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Sharp paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Sharp appears to be looking for a counter takedown.

Imonen clinches.
Sharp stalls.

Imonen manages to break the clinch.
Sharp steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Imonen.

Imonen closes the distance and pushes Sharp back into the cage.

Imonen breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Imonen fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Sharp sprawls well initially but Imonen persists and gets the takedown into half guard.

Imonen stands up from half guard.
Imonen wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Imonen closes the distance looking to clinch

and Sharp counters with a single leg into guard. Imonen didn't expect that.

Imonen pushes Sharp off and gets back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Imonen wants to clinch up but Sharp keeps it at a distance.

Sharp closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Imonen did well to prevent Sharp getting side control.

Imonen kicks Sharp off and gets back to his feet.
Imonen tries to clinch there but Sharp circles away.
Sharp feinted with a counter takedown.
Imonen connects with an inside leg kick.

Imonen moves into the clinch.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Sharp on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

Imonen breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Sharp tries to keep at a distance but Imonen has taken the fight into the clinch.

Imonen escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Sharp circles away from the clinch attempt
and Sharp counters with a two punch combo.
Imonen looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Imonen misses with a takedown attempt - Sharp sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Imonen moves into the clinch.

Imonen breaks the clinch.

Imonen clinches up with Sharp and pushes him back against the cage.

Imonen escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Imonen tries to clinch up.
Sharp is looking to counter the offense by Imonen and move into the clinch.
Sharp darts in looking for a takedown but Imonen gets double underhooks and turns Sharp into the cage.
Imonen lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Sharp throws a right and a left that both miss.
It seemed like Imonen was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Imonen shoots in looking for a takedown but Sharp manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Imonen's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.

Imonen clinches up against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Imonen breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Imonen tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Sharp paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Sharp ducks under a wild hook from Imonen.
It looked like Sharp was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Imonen tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Imonen instigates a clinch.
Imonen tries for a takedown but Sharp manages to get underhooks.
Ashley Sharp has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mika Imonen.
Sharp jumps guard but Imonen stands there with Sharp around his waist. Sharp gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Imonen drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Sharp's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!

Imonen breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Sharp is trying hard to land a takedown here. Imonen sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Sharp really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sharp circles away from the clinch attempt
and Sharp counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.

Imonen closes the distance and clinches.
A frustrated look appears on Imonen's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Sharp has Imonen pressed against the cage, preventing Imonen from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
A bit of stalling here from Sharp.

Imonen manages to break the clinch.
Imonen fails with an attempt to clinch.
Sharp half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Imonen has a takedown stuffed.

Imonen clinches up against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mika Imonen dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Imonen has Sharp up against the cage in a clinch.

Imonen breaks the clinch.

Sharp gets the takedown into side control.
Imonen is trying to get back to his feet.
Imonen avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Sharp.
Imonen is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Sharp is controlling him well.

Imonen throws his opponent off and manages to get back to his feet! Nicely done!
Imonen tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Sharp counters with a nice uppercut.
Sharp closes this distance looking for a takedown but Imonen circles away.
Imonen has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Imonen clinches up against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sharp changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Imonen fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Imonen lands a jab to Sharp's midsection.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Imonen feints and then winds up with a huge right hand that connects perfectly and sends Sharp sprawling to the canvas! Sharp rolls over backwards and springs off the cage and manages to regain his footing - how acrobatic! Oh, he's still wobbly - can Imonen finish him?!

Sharp is rocked!

It looks like Ashley Sharp has been cut.

Imonen gets a big slam - oh, Sharp is out! Sharp is out! That's a nasty KO!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:32 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Slam). Mika Imonen!
During a confident post fight interview, Mika Imonen thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.