PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Gustav Harakka (ranked 4807 p4p, 6116 weight class) and Bel Bel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Harakka
vs
Bel

183 cm
18
177
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
18
180
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Gustav Harakka!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Bel Bel!
The judges for this bout are Dmitry Maklakov, Valeri Chadov and Illya Tyunina.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Harakka lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Bel shoots in but Harakka avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Harakka with a nice calf kick.
Harakka scores with a kick to the midsection.

Bel has managed to clinch.
Bel throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Harakka blocks it with crossed arms.
Harakka can't break the clinch.
Harakka wants to break the clinch but can't.

Harakka breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Harakka scoring well with a low kick there.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Bel throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Harakka was covering up waiting for the punch and Bel finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Harakka is looking to stand back up... there's a bit of a scramble and Bel dives into side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The referee asks Bel politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Bel prefers to stall for the moment though.
Bel working away.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.
Bel throws an elbow but Harakka slips to the side and avoids it well.
Harakka dodges the ground and pound from Bel.
Bel controls the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Bel decides to stand up, so the ref orders Harakka to his feet.
Bel wants to clinch
and Harakka counters with a head kick.
Bel shoots in for a double leg but Harakka sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Harakka half committed to a counter leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Harakka is looking to slow Bel down with leg kicks.
A low kick lands for Harakka.
Harakka delivers a nice body kick.
Harakka throws a quick inside leg kick.

Bel closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Bel manages to break the clinch.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Harakka throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Bel jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Harakka feinted there with a counter leg kick.
Harakka moves out of range of the body kick from Bel.
It appears Harakka was looking to counter with a kick there.
Bel takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Harakka with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Harakka throws a head kick that Bel semi-blocks.
A thudding body kick lands there by Harakka!
Bel misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bel with a lazy takedown attempt
and Harakka finishes the little exchange by landing a big kick to the body.
Gustav Harakka has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bel Bel.
Harakka scores with a push kick.
Bel misses with a few strikes there.
Bel has developed a nice purple lump on his ribcage, as a result of some heavy body kicks from Harakka.
Harakka thuds his shin into the meat of Bel's side.
Bel tries to clinch but Harakka moves away
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Bel takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Harakka pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Harakka throws a quick inside leg kick.
Harakka fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Bel has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Harakka lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Bel shoots in and drives through. Harakka sprawls well.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Harakka enables Bel to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Harakka manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Harakka is looking to stand back up... there's a bit of a scramble and Bel dives into side control.
Bel looks winded!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Bel tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Harakka is looking for a sweep.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.

Bel decides to stand up, so the ref orders Harakka to his feet.
Harakka turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Harakka connects with a leg kick.
Bel's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Harakka throws a nice inside leg kick.
Harakka lands with a thumping leg kick.
Bel Bel is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Bel takes a kick to the side of the head.
Bel misses with a takedown attempt - Harakka sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Harakka fakes the leg kick and cracks Bel in the body.
Harakka connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Harakka throws a quick inside leg kick.
Bel tries to clinch there but Harakka circles away.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Bel crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Harakka - the referee stops the clock and Bel gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Harakka. Bel manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
Harakka throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harakka lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Bel moves in looking to clinch but Harakka pushes him off.
Harakka quickly followed up with a counter body kick but doesn't connect.
Harakka misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Harakka misses with a body kick.
Bel is looking for the big counter here.
Bel checks a leg kick nicely.
Bel is looking for the big counter here.
Harakka fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Bel fails to land the takedown.
As Bel backs away, Harakka returns fire with a leg kick that just misses.
Bel on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.

Bel drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.

Bel is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Harakka knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Bel Bel has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Harakka tries to get back to his feet but has found himself mounted instead. Damn, that's gotta suck.
Harakka is working to get back to half guard.
Harakka is trying to stand but he's just given Bel his back.
This has been an exciting period of action!
What can Harakka do to escape this position? He's going to have to figure it out pretty quick if he wants to stay in the fight!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Bel patiently working for the choke. Which fighter will keep their nerve here?
Harakka knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Bel on the ground.
Bel really has the hooks in deep now - there seems like no escape for Harakka.
Bel keeps control of the position as Harakka tries to break free.
Bel gets his hands free as Harakka looks to control.

Bel is staying calm and holding on to the back position, whilst working on a rear naked choke. Harakka is defending well though. Bel let's go of the attempt for now.
Bel has good solid back control here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Harakka trying to control the action but Bel just sinks the hooks in.
Bel is controlling his opponent, waiting for an opportunity to finish.
Harakka is defending well here and trying to improve his position.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Harakka is very frustrated here, being controlled quite effectively by Bel.
Harakka is trying to get back to his feet but Bel has full control of the position and if anything, Harakka has just worked his way into a worse spot.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gustav Harakka dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Harakka scores with a kick to the midsection.
Harakka throws a body kick that misses.
Harakka scores with a push kick.
Harakka is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Bel can do to turn this around?
Harakka tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Bel is able to avoid easily.
A solid body kick from Harakka.
Harakka throws a nice inside leg kick.
Bel misses with the combination.
Bel gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Harakka counters with a flying knee. Nice.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Harakka misses with a body kick.
Harakka moves out of the way of the counter high kick fromBel.
Bel tries to close the distance and clinch but Harakka swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Harakka throws the kick towards the body but Bel avoids it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bel fails with the takedown
and Harakka counters with a flying knee. Nice.

Harakka gets tackled into the cage by Bel. Bel maintains the clinch.
Harakka can't break the clinch.
Harakka tries to break the clinch but Bel is controlling the position.

Harakka breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Bel misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Harakka connects with a solid leg kick.
Harakka throws a nice head kick!

Bel forces Harakka back against the cage and clinches.
Harakka is trying to stall.
Harakka wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Bel has him pressed against the cage.
Harakka can't break the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bel is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Harakka to keep the fight standing.
Gustav Harakka has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bel Bel.
Harakka trying to control the position but instead, Bel has worked for underhooks and has pushed Harakka into the cage.
Harakka wants to get back to striking at distance but Bel won't allow it.
Harakka can't break the clinch.
Harakka wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Bel prevents Harakka from breaking the clinch.

Bel escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Harakka connects with a solid leg kick.
Gustav Harakka is winning the standup battle so far.
Harakka tries to land a front kick but Bel steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Bel misses with a takedown attempt - Harakka sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Harakka is looking to slow Bel down with leg kicks.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harakka lands a nice leg kick that just misses Bel's sensitive parts.
A bone on bone clash there as Bel blocks the leg kick.
Bel on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Bel goes for a double leg but Harakka avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Harakka continues to drive forward.
Bel tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Harakka swivels and escapes.
Bel takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Bel throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Harakka's waist but Harakka gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Bel off to one side.
Harakka lands a nice looking kick to the body. Bel takes a step back to recover.
Bel has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Harakka.
A nice inside leg kick there by Harakka. That's going to slow Bel down.
Harakka connects with an inside leg kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Harakka looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Bel shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Harakka as he jumps to the side.
Harakka appeared to be looking to counter that last move with a leg kick.
Harakka plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Harakka lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Harakka moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Gustav Harakka is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Harakka feints and then cracks Bel's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Bel down.
Harakka lands with a kick to the ribs.
Harakka connects with a leg kick.
Bel tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Bel Bel has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Harakka lands with a slapping head kick.

And that's the end of the fight!
Gustav Harakka showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Harakka, 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 Dmitry Maklakov scores the fight 30:27
Judge Valeri Chadov scores the fight 30:27
Judge Illya Tyunina scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Gustav Harakka!
A very excited looking Gustav Harakka made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.