PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Seth Mansour (ranked 5707 p4p, 5457 weight class) and Tom Korppila (ranked 600 p4p, 583 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.

Mansour
vs
Korppila

201 cm
20
185
3 - 0 - 0

180 cm
20
195
0 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Heavy handed

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 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Seth Mansour!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Tom Korppila!
The judges for this bout are John Kavanagh, Lou da Vinci and Bruno Lombardi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mansour misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Korppila.
Korppila misses with a right hand
and Mansour counters with a nice uppercut.
Mansour slips a straight right by Korppila.
It looked like Mansour was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Korppila with a nice cross.
Korppila takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
We've been told by Mansour's head coaches at CT that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.
Mansour thows a left - swing and a miss!
Korppila tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Korppila shoots and misses
and Mansour connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Mansour swinging wildly here.
Mansour lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.

Mansour gets caught flat footed, as Korppila shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Korppila keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Mansour's head.
Korppila stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Mansour swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Korppila in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Korppila slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Korppila throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Mansour is not content to let Korppila control the position.
Mansour regains half guard, as Korppila was trying to land strikes.
Korppila thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Mansour's head.
Korppila thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Korppila trying to advance position but Mansour counters by regaining guard.
Korppila throws a big right hand that misses.
Korppila wants to control from the top but Mansour keeps moving.
Mansour avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Mansour avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Korppila stopping the sweep attempt from Mansour.
Korppila content to stall in guard here.
Korppila throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Mansour works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Tom Korppila will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare each other down, ready to get back to the action.

Mansour scores with a nice strike.
Mansour throws a hook but Korppila avoids it easily.
Good shot there by Mansour.

Korppila scores with a takedown into Mansour's guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Korppila in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Mansour keeping moving, preventing Korppila from controlling successfully.
Korppila is looking to work some ground and pound but Mansour has wrist control.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Korppila throwing strikes from guard but Mansour blocks nicely.
Korppila is fighting to break Mansour's control of his arms but Mansour is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Tom Korppila has got the better of the ground game so far.
Mansour utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Korppila slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Korppila working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Korppila passes into half guard.
Mansour is trying to get back to full guard.

Korppila seems to be trying to get a kimura but instead Mansour has recovered full guard.
Mansour will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Korppila stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Mansour swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Korppila trying to control but Mansour is working from the bottom.
Korppila postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Korppila wants to control from the top but Mansour keeps moving.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Korppila with a poor takedown
and Mansour counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Mansour ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Korppila moves away.
Mansour lands a glancing blow to the side of Korppila's head.
Mansour fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Seth Mansour will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Korppila manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Mansour on his heels. He'll look to pass Mansour's guard now, I'm sure.
Korppila landing some decent shots from guard.
Mansour has momentary wrist control but Korppila slips an elbow through the middle.
Mansour looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Mansour looking to control.
Korppila lands a couple of digs.
Korppila throws a strike but Mansour rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Mansour postures up.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Korppila isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Mansour stacks Korppila on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Mansour!
Korppila trying his best to control but Mansour has mounted him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Korppila tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Korppila slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Korppila wants to control but Mansour is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Korppila slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Mansour content to stall in guard here.
Korppila is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Korppila working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Korppila is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Korppila misses with a head shot. Mansour uses the momentum to regain guard.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Korppila accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Mansour controlling Korppila's posture.
Korppila in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Mansour keeping moving, preventing Korppila from controlling successfully.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tom Korppila comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Korppila has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 John Kavanagh scores the fight 29:29
Judge Lou da Vinci scores the fight 28:30
Judge Bruno Lombardi scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Tom Korppila!