PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between HL Mencken (ranked 423 p4p, 1337 weight class) and Jesse Karhu (ranked 59 p4p, 158 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Mencken
vs
Karhu

195 cm
40
261
39 - 15 - 0

213 cm
26
265
12 - 8 - 1

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Very quick

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Granite chin

Ma Balls Is Hot Clothing

MKFC

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 39 - 15 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, HL Mencken!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 8 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Jesse Karhu!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Shimada, Yuuki Gou and Shigeki Fujiwara.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Donk. Karhu catches Mencken right on the button with a cross.
Karhu pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Karhu walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.

It looks like Jesse Karhu has been cut.
Mencken has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Karhu loads up on a big right hand but Mencken slips the punch.
Mencken slips a jab from Karhu.
Karhu lands with a right hand.
Mencken looks to throw the jab but Karhu is out of range.
Karhu misses with a two punch combination.
Mencken scores with a spinning back kick!
A telegraphed right hand from Mencken misses the target.
Jesse Karhu seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A telegraphed right hand from Karhu misses the target.
Karhu throws a shot to the body.
Karhu swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Karhu scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Mencken doesn't seem bothered though.
Karhu scores with a jab to the jaw.
Mencken ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Karhu moves away.
Karhu fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Mencken throws a looping overhand right but Karhu ducks down to avoid it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mencken misses with a hook. Karhu ducked under it nicely.
Karhu scores with a body shot.
Mencken gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Karhu.
Karhu is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Mencken swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Karhu's corner calls for a 1-2. Karhu obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Karhu has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.
Karhu throws an off balance right hand
and Mencken counters with a body kick that stops Karhu in his tracks momentarily.
Mencken thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Karhu if he has to take too many more of those.
Karhu looks winded!
Karhu moves out of range as Mencken throws a body kick.
Karhu throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Mencken sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Mencken swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Karhu now looks to counter with a shot at the body.
Karhu throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Mencken is looking to counter with a body kick.
Karhu listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Mencken misses the shot to the body.
Mencken has been working on his boxing with his coaches at Power Shark Gym in the buildup to the fight.
Karhu uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Mencken.
Mencken takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Karhu lands a body shot.
Karhu throws a nice looking combination but Mencken bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Karhu punishes Mencken's body with a nice straight punch.
Mencken connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Mencken throws a big shot that misses.
Karhu throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Karhu darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Karhu connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Mencken misses with a hook.
Mencken fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Mencken fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Karhu checks it well.
A combination from Karhu does no damage.
Karhu misses with a hook. Mencken ducked under it nicely.
Mencken thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Karhu if he has to take too many more of those.
Karhu has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Karhu avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Karhu bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Mencken's head backwards.
Karhu misses with a body punch
and Mencken counters with a stiff right hand.
Mencken moves out of range as Karhu strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Karhu scores with a hook.
Karhu moves out of range of the body kick from Mencken.
Karhu moves out of range of the body kick.
Karhu lands a slapping body shot.
Karhu throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Mencken stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Karhu pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
An attempted straight right counter from Mencken misses the target.
Jab, jab by Karhu - just one landing.
Mencken is looking to chop away at Karhu's legs.
Karhu looks to throw the jab but Mencken is out of range.
Karhu dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Jab by Karhu.
Mencken takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Mencken misses with a right hand
and Karhu counters with a nice uppercut.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Karhu throws a looping overhand right but Mencken ducks down to avoid it.
Mencken throwing a counter right hand but Karhu manages to avoid it.
Mencken throws a sloppy head kick and Karhu moves out of range easily.
Karhu is landing a lot of head punches in this opening round! Mencken had better start moving his head a bit unless he wants his face to turn into pâté.
Karhu stalks Mencken and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Mencken's face. Mencken staggers backwards, shaken.
A shot to the liver by Karhu. Beautiful body shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Karhu moves out of range as Mencken throws a body kick.
Karhu misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Mencken.
Mencken throws a body shot but no joy.
Mencken is looking to land body kicks.
Mencken misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Karhu.
A shot to the body from Mencken misses
and Karhu counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Karhu clobbers Mencken with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Mencken misses with a straight right.
Karhu lands a two punch combo.

It looks like HL Mencken has been cut.
Mencken throws a head kick that Karhu semi-blocks.
Mencken tries a head kick but it misses.
Karhu throws out a loose jab but Mencken uses good head movement to avoid it.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Karhu scores with a nice right hand.
Karhu works Mencken's body with a nice hook.
Karhu stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Karhu works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jesse Karhu dominated that round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Mencken scores with a kick to the midsection.
Mencken ducks under a wild hook from Karhu.
Mencken looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Mencken avoids the body shot from Karhu.
Karhu takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.

That has opened up Jesse Karhu's cut even more.
Karhu keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Mencken.
Mencken on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Karhu misses with a straight left.
Mencken thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Karhu if he has to take too many more of those.
Karhu lands with an uppercut that bounces Mencken off the cage and back into range.
Karhu has developed a nice purple lump on his ribcage, as a result of some heavy body kicks from Mencken.
Karhu sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Mencken blocks a jab.
Mencken moves out of range of the strikes.
Karhu is breathing heavily.
Karhu throws a body shot but no joy.
Mencken throws a right hand that Karhu ducks under and follows up with a left that Karhu also avoids with ease.
Mencken doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
A lazy left from Mencken finds it's target.
Karhu thuds his right hand into Mencken's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Karhu lands with a nice body punch.
Mencken moves out of range of the strikes.
Mencken throwing a counter right hand but Karhu manages to avoid it.
Mencken fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Karhu checks it well.
Mencken tries to land a front kick but Karhu steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Karhu fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Karhu ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Mencken moves away.
Mencken scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Karhu misses with a hook.
Mencken is looking to counter with a body kick.
Karhu throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Karhu misses with a right hand
and Mencken counters with a stiff right hand.
Karhu throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Mencken counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Jesse Karhu seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Mencken fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Karhu misses with a wild body shot.
Mencken lands with an overhand left.

The cut above Jesse Karhu's eye is starting to cause him problems now.
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!
Mencken lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Karhu fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mencken takes one to the chin there.
Mencken takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Karhu has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Mencken misses with a body punch
enabling Karhu to counter with a crisp jab.
Karhu getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Karhu throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Karhu scores with a nice strike.
Mencken misses with an uppercut. Karhu saw that one coming.
Mencken throws an overhand right that lands on Karhu's shoulder, as Karhu tries to avoid the shot.
Karhu throws a predictable looking body shot
and Mencken cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Mencken steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Karhu.
Mencken is looking to counter punch.
Mencken throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
Karhu ducks under a wild hook from Mencken.
Karhu throws a body shot but no joy.
Karhu just misses with a punch to the body.
Karhu misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Mencken.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mencken takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Karhu, as that shot connected.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Mencken paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
A left and a right from Karhu both land. Nice combination.
Karhu takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Mencken has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Karhu misses the shot to the body.
Mencken throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Mencken throws out a token jab with nothing on it.

Mencken cracks Karhu with a big right hand that sends him to the floor! Karhu looks wobbly but he's sprung back up to his feet straight away… can Mencken finish him?

Karhu is rocked!

Jesse Karhu's cut is absolute horrible now. This looks like something out of a horror film with blood covering both fighters.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Mencken lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Karhu is still on wobbly legs! Can Mencken finish him?
Karhu has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Mencken.
Mencken feints with a left and delivers a massive head kick! Karhu collapses like a ragdoll! Game over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:48 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Head Kick). HL Mencken!
HL Mencken retains his heavyweight title!
An out of breath HL Mencken thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.