PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Gustav Harakka (ranked 1150 p4p, 792 weight class) and Eric Brooks (ranked 169 p4p, 114 weight class). Both these fighters are unbeaten, so somebody's 0 has got to go!Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Harakka
vs
Brooks

183 cm
21
177
5 - 0 - 0

180 cm
21
175
5 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Lethal high kicks
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

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 5 - 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 5 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Eric Brooks!
The judges for this bout are Topper Green, Damien Edna and Ron Honeybunn.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Brooks connects with a crisp jab.
Harakka misses with a head kick.
Harakka throws a low kick but Brooks avoids it.
Brooks avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Brooks tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Harakka bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Harakka throws a lazy uppercut
and Brooks counters with a straight right hand.
Harakka checks a low kick from Brooks.
Brooks on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Harakka lands with a straight right. Brooks didn't see that one coming.
Harakka throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
A slapping leg kick lands for Harakka.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Harakka turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Harakka throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Brooks counters with a straight right hand.
Harakka moves out of range of the strikes.
Harakka throws a leg kick
and Brooks counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Harakka comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Brooks punishes Harakka's body with a nice straight punch.
Gustav Harakka seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Harakka rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Brooks counters with a straight right hand.
Harakka rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Brooks makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Harakka darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Brooks bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Brooks wants to counter with a clinch but Harakka pushes him away.
Harakka misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Brooks.
Harakka sets himself, and Brooks steps forward looking for the clinch! Harakka avoids it this time.
Brooks avoids the head kick by Harakka.
Brooks is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Brooks ducks under a wild hook from Harakka.
Harakka throws a lazy uppercut
and Brooks counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Harakka fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Brooks checks it well.
Brooks wants to counter the offense by Harakka and move into the clinch position.
Brooks on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Brooks staying out of range there.
Brooks tries a quick counter leg kick but Harakka is wise to it.
A low kick lands for Harakka.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Harakka works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Brooks uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Harakka.
Harakka takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Brooks uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Harakka.
Brooks throws a counter combo.
Harakka's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Brooks connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Harakka scrambles back to his feet.
Harakka pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Brooks has been working his punching technique in the buildup to the fight and it appears to be paying off.
Brooks tries to land a leg kick but Harakka saw it coming and moves away.

Harakka forces Brooks back against the cage and clinches.
A short left from Brooks.
Harakka pushes Brooks back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Brooks working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Harakka lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Harakka swings wildly with an uppercut but Brooks uses good head movement to avoid it.
Harakka lands a nice uppercut.
Harakka tries a body shot but Brooks blocks it.
Harakka lands with a short shot to the head.
Harakka blocks a body shot from Brooks.
Brooks struggles to land a body shot inside as Harakka controls his hands.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Brooks swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Harakka misses with some punches.
Brooks working aggressively here.
Brooks tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Brooks misses with some punches.
Brooks misses with a punch on the inside.
Harakka blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Harakka misses with some punches.
Harakka lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Brooks or not.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Harakka creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Brooks misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Brooks prevents a body shot from Harakka.
A right handed body shot lands from Brooks.
Brooks misses with the head strike.
Brooks throws a punch but it's blocked by Harakka.
Brooks tries to work over Harakka's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Harakka doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Harakka.
Brooks lands a hook that snaps the head of Harakka backwards.
Harakka throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Harakka scores with a nice hook to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Brooks swings wildly with an uppercut but Harakka uses good head movement to avoid it.
I was talking to Harakka's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Harakka lands with a right to the head.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Brooks blocks a body shot from Harakka.

Brooks breaks from the clinch.
Harakka throws a leg kick
and Brooks makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. Harakka really felt that one!
Harakka cracks Brooks with a right hand to the side of the head.
Harakka scores with a kick to the body.
Harakka delivers a nice body kick.
Brooks ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Harakka moves away.
Harakka throws a head kick but Brooks moves out of range.
The fighters circle momentarily. Brooks darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Brooks tries to clinch but Harakka moves out of range.
A counter left hand to the body from Harakka misses its target.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Brooks checks the leg kick.
Brooks connects with a leg kick.
Brooks blocks the body kick.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Gustav Harakka dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Harakka pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Brooks follows through with a counter body kick but it doesn't land.
Harakka with a nice calf kick.
A big right from Harakka misses.
Brooks wants to counter with a clinch but Harakka pushes him away.
Brooks looks to land a right hand but Harakka moved out of range.
Harakka throwing a counter right hand but Brooks manages to avoid it.
Brooks delivers a nice body kick.
Brooks is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Brooks swings widly with a right hand
and Harakka counters with a stiff right hand.
Brooks walks forward, straight into a front kick from Harakka.
Harakka cracks a nice hook into Brooks's ribs.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Harakka slips a jab from Brooks.
Harakka looks to score with a jab to the body but Brooks is just out of range.
Harakka wants to slow Brooks down by chopping away at his legs.
Harakka throws a chopping leg kick but Brooks manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Brooks throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harakka connects with a solid leg kick.
Harakka throws an off balance right hand
and Brooks counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Harakka throws a looping overhand right but Brooks ducks down to avoid it.
Brooks gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Harakka.
Harakka throws a hook to the side of Brooks's head but Brooks sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
A jab lands there for Harakka.
Harakka works the jab nicely.
Harakka jabbing away but nothing is landing.
A slow jab from Brooks misses its intended target.
Harakka scores with the left hand. Brooks knows he should have avoided that one.
Harakka ducks under a wild hook from Brooks.
Brooks checks a leg kick nicely.
Brooks goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Gustav Harakka is winning the standup battle so far.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Harakka keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.

Brooks is rocked!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Harakka lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Brooks is still on wobbly legs! Can Harakka finish him?
Harakka fakes a right and follows up with a big left that drops Brooks to one knee - oooooh, he's wobbly! Brooks looks to clinch but Harakka throws him off and pummels him into the canvas! Brooks taps out under the strikes! The fight is over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:09 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Strikes). Gustav Harakka!
A relieved looking Gustav Harakka thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.