PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Vova Klimov (ranked 1390 p4p, 186 weight class) and Lauri Pekkarinen (ranked 1348 p4p, 183 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Klimov
vs
Pekkarinen

181 cm
32
203 lbs
24 - 17 - 0

188 cm
34
193 lbs
22 - 12 - 2

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Granite chin

Urban Fighter

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 24 - 17 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Vova Klimov!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 22 - 12 - 2, fighting out of Los Angeles, Lauri Pekkarinen!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, Timothy Bukovac and Don Winkell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Klimov misses with a body shot.
A little jabbing left from Pekkarinen on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Klimov throws a body shot but no joy.
Klimov misses with a hook. Pekkarinen ducked under it nicely.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Pekkarinen! But no joy.
A looping hook to the body misses from Klimov. Pekkarinen does a little dance to reset his feet.
Pekkarinen connects with a single shot there.
Pekkarinen scores with a punch to the head.
Pekkarinen takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Klimov just misses with a punch to the body.
Pekkarinen throws out a loose jab but Klimov uses good head movement to avoid it.
Klimov throws a body shot but no joy.
Pekkarinen looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Pekkarinen misses with a head kick.
Pekkarinen takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Klimov throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Klimov getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Pekkarinen uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pekkarinen swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Pekkarinen smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
A big right from Klimov misses.
A looping hook to the body misses from Klimov. Pekkarinen does a little dance to reset his feet.
Vova Klimov is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Pekkarinen lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Pekkarinen throws the kick towards the body but Klimov avoids it.
Klimov scores with a crisp jab that stopped Pekkarinen in his tracks.

It looks like Lauri Pekkarinen has been cut.
Pekkarinen keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Klimov.
Pekkarinen throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Pekkarinen.
Klimov is looking to counter punch.
Pekkarinen changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Klimov throws out a loose jab but Pekkarinen uses good head movement to avoid it.
Pekkarinen let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.
Pekkarinen has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Pekkarinen fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Klimov manages to avoid it.
Pekkarinen cracks Klimov with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Klimov bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Pekkarinen's head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Klimov throws a nice looking combination but Pekkarinen bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Pekkarinen throws a head kick but Klimov moves out of range.
Klimov checks a leg kick.
A jab from Pekkarinen misses.
Vova Klimov seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Klimov instigates a clinch.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Klimov.
Klimov will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Pekkarinen up against the cage.
Klimov lands with a short shot to the head.
Klimov scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Klimov misses with a punch to the body.
Klimov blocking some punches.
Nice elbow from Klimov.
Pekkarinen letting Klimov take a breather here.
Klimov misses with a hook from the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Klimov lands a hook that snaps the head of Pekkarinen backwards.
Pekkarinen tries a body shot but Klimov blocks it.
Pekkarinen tries to stall but Klimov uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Klimov lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Pekkarinen backwards.
Klimov tries to work over Pekkarinen's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Klimov creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Pekkarinen has been looking to improve his clinch game in recent weeks. Klimov seems to have the measure of him in the clinch so far, so let's see if Pekkarinen can turn it around.
Klimov scores with a hook to the body.
Pekkarinen lands a left hand that snaps the head of Klimov backwards.
Pekkarinen misses with a shot to the kidneys.
A nice left hand lands by Pekkarinen.
Good body shot from Klimov.
Pekkarinen misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Pekkarinen has a couple of punches blocked by Klimov.
Klimov tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Pekkarinen's elbow.
Klimov misses with an elbow over the top.
Pekkarinen throws a head punch that misses.
Pekkarinen misses with a punch to the body.
Pekkarinen wants a takedown.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A left hand lands to the body for Pekkarinen.
Pekkarinen blocks an uppercut.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Pekkarinen.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Pekkarinen lands with a short shot to the head.
Pekkarinen gets through Klimov's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Klimov just misses with a elbow thrown towards Pekkarinen's brow.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Klimov.
Klimov struggles to land a body shot inside as Pekkarinen controls his hands.
Pekkarinen lands a hook that snaps the head of Klimov backwards.
Pekkarinen blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

Pekkarinen works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Pekkarinen stopping the sweep attempt from Klimov.
Klimov wants to stand and escape but Pekkarinen is having none of it.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Klimov holds on and takes a little breather.
Klimov is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Vova Klimov will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Lauri Pekkarinen's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Pekkarinen slips a straight right by Klimov.
Pekkarinen lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Klimov misses with a shot to the body
and Pekkarinen counters with a straight right hand.
Pekkarinen tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Klimov checks the leg kick.
Klimov checks a leg kick.
Pekkarinen tries to score with a low kick but Klimov moves his leg out of the way.
Pekkarinen misses with a low kick.
Pekkarinen avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Klimov checks a leg kick nicely.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Klimov wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Klimov slips a jab and a cross from Pekkarinen.
Klimov swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Pekkarinen counters with a straight right hand.
Pekkarinen takes a swing at Klimov's ribcage but misses.
Pekkarinen uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Klimov.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Klimov has closed the distance and engaged Pekkarinen in a clinch.
Pekkarinen tries to throw a body punch but Klimov avoids it by throwing Pekkarinen back against the cage.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Pekkarinen.
Klimov lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
A right hand to the body from Pekkarinen.
A body shot lands from Klimov.
Klimov tries to work over Pekkarinen's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Klimov will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Pekkarinen up against the cage.
Pekkarinen struggles to land a body shot inside as Klimov controls his hands.
Klimov lands a body shot.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Klimov as Pekkarinen tries to tie him up.
Klimov throws a punch but it's blocked by Pekkarinen.
Pekkarinen misses with a hook from the clinch.
Pekkarinen tries to work over Klimov's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pekkarinen tries to work over Klimov's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Klimov lands with a short shot to the head.
Klimov lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Klimov lands with a left to the head.
Klimov prevents a body shot from Pekkarinen.
Pekkarinen is working for takedown but Klimov is calmly controlling the position for now.
Pekkarinen lands a nice shot to the body.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Pekkarinen working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
A head punch on the inside from Klimov fails to land.
Pekkarinen is trying to stall.
Klimov misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Klimov digs a right hand into Pekkarinen's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Pekkarinen's gas tank.
Klimov tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Pekkarinen's elbow.
Pekkarinen misses with a punch on the inside.
Klimov misses with a short punch on the inside.
Pekkarinen trying to control the position but instead, Klimov has worked for underhooks and has pushed Pekkarinen into the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Klimov throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Pekkarinens head.
Pekkarinen is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Pekkarinen misses with a hook from the clinch.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Klimov as Pekkarinen tries to tie him up.
Stalling in the clinch from Klimov.
Pekkarinen lands a nice shot to the body.
Klimov misses with a punch to the body.
Klimov throws a head punch that misses.
Vova Klimov has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Pekkarinen lands a right hand that snaps the head of Klimov backwards.

Pekkarinen's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Klimov gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Pekkarinen.
Klimov throws an overhand right that lands on Pekkarinen's shoulder, as Pekkarinen tries to avoid the shot.
Pekkarinen moves out of range as Klimov strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pekkarinen moves out of range as Klimov strikes.
Pekkarinen scores with a sloppy right hand. Klimov should have avoided that one.
Pekkarinen lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Klimov takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
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!
A big left from Pekkarinen misses.
Pekkarinen scores with a sloppy right hand. Klimov should have avoided that one.
Klimov swings for the body but Pekkarinen moves out of range.
Pekkarinen steps in looking to clinch after the strikes miss from Klimov.
Klimov lands a jab-cross combination.
A big right from Klimov misses.
Klimov scores with a jab.
Klimov misses the shot to the body.
Pekkarinen steps in looking to counter with the mid kick but it doesn't connect.
Klimov lands with a hook. Pekkarinen tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Pekkarinen takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Lauri Pekkarinen seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Pekkarinen thuds a left hand into Klimov's body.
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 Vova Klimov will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Lauri Pekkarinen's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Klimov misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Pekkarinen.
A slow jab from Klimov misses its intended target.
Decent striking displayed by Klimov there.
Klimov looks to throw the jab but Pekkarinen is out of range.
Pekkarinen staying out of range there.
Klimov misses the shot to the body.
Klimov misses with an uppercut
and Pekkarinen counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Klimov slips under a jab.
Both fighters circling a little - Pekkarinen finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
The fighters circling - Klimov throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Pekkarinen changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Klimov jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Pekkarinen missing with a left hand there. Klimov was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Klimov is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Pekkarinen throws a hook but Klimov blocks it.
Klimov misses with an uppercut. Pekkarinen saw that one coming.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pekkarinen does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Klimov checks a low kick from Pekkarinen.
Klimov checks a leg kick.
Klimov was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
A cross from Pekkarinen lands.
Klimov slips under a jab.
A little feinted left hand from Klimov on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Klimov throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Klimov misses with a hook to the body
and Pekkarinen counters with a leg kick.
Pekkarinen connects with a leg kick. Klimov looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Klimov checks a low kick from Pekkarinen.
Klimov blocks a jab.
Klimov's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Klimov duly obliges.
Klimov misses with an uppercut. Pekkarinen saw that one coming.
Pekkarinen scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Pekkarinen tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Klimov was well out of range. Poor timing from Pekkarinen.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Klimov tests Pekkarinen's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Klimov misses with a hook. Pekkarinen ducked under it nicely.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Pekkarinen just misses with a punch to the body.
Pekkarinen lands a right hook to the body.

Pekkarinen gets tackled into the cage by Klimov. Klimov maintains the clinch.
Klimov blocks a body shot from Pekkarinen.
Pekkarinen looking for a takedown.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Klimov.
Pekkarinen swings wildly with an uppercut but Klimov uses good head movement to avoid it.
Klimov lands an elbow just above Pekkarinen 's eye.
Pekkarinen swings wildly with an uppercut but Klimov uses good head movement to avoid it.
Pekkarinen lands an uppercut.
Klimov gets through Pekkarinen's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Klimov scores with a shoulder strike.
Klimov lands a left hand that snaps the head of Pekkarinen backwards.
Pekkarinen scores with a shoulder strike.
Klimov misses with some punches.
Pekkarinen is looking for a takedown.
Vova Klimov is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Pekkarinen tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Pekkarinen tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Pekkarinen goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Pekkarinen misses with a body punch.
Lauri Pekkarinen has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Pekkarinen tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Klimov throws an elbow but it's blocked.
A right handed body shot lands from Pekkarinen.
Pekkarinen tries a body shot but Klimov blocks it.
Klimov struggles to land a body shot inside as Pekkarinen controls his hands.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pekkarinen is trying to break the clinch but Klimov is controlling him.
Klimov blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Klimov blocks an uppercut.
Pekkarinen leaning his opponent against the cage.
Klimov lands with a right to the head.

That has opened up Lauri Pekkarinen's cut even more.
Klimov lands an elbow just above Pekkarinen 's eye.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Pekkarinen.
A short body shot lands from Klimov as the two fighters clinch.
Pekkarinen misses with a punch on the inside.
Pekkarinen is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Pekkarinen trying to stall but Klimov improves his position.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Vova Klimov.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Klimov, 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 Jack Bonds scores the fight 30:27
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 30:29
Judge Don Winkell scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Vova Klimov!
During a confident post fight interview, Vova Klimov thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.