PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Justin Kulina (ranked 2530 p4p, 2274 weight class) and Robert Helpmann (ranked 343 p4p, 308 weight class). Kulina comes to the cage accompanied by Tool - Schism. Justin Kulina has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Kulina
vs
Helpmann

184 cm
27
171
10 - 8 - 0

184 cm
26
180
5 - 4 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Granite chin

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Paddy's Enhancing Drugs (160Q)

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 10 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Justin Kulina!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 4 - 0, fighting out of London, Robert Helpmann!
The judges for this bout are Johanna Lukiainen, Anni Minnemäki and Matti Vanhoillinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Helpmann gets tackled into the cage by Kulina. Kulina maintains the clinch.
Helpmann misses with the head strike.
Helpmann tries to throw a body punch but Kulina avoids it by throwing Helpmann back against the cage.
Helpmann fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Helpmann tries a body shot but Kulina blocks it.

Kulina pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Kulina connects with a solid leg kick.
Kulina darts in looking for a takedown but Helpmann gets double underhooks and turns Kulina into the cage.
Kulina has a couple of punches blocked by Helpmann.

Kulina decides to pull guard.
Kulina is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Kulina is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Helpmann defends well.

Helpmann stands and steps away. Kulina gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kulina tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Kulina clobbers Helpmann with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Helpmann paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.

It looks like Justin Kulina has been cut.
Kulina misses with a low kick.
Nice sprawl there from Helpmann as Kulina shoots in.
Kulina tries to clinch there but Helpmann circles away.
A little jabbing left from Helpmann on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Kulina moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Helpmann takes a swing at Kulina's ribcage but misses.
Kulina attempts a counter takedown but Helpmann avoids it well and moves away.
Kulina fails with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Justin Kulina. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Kulina defending well as Helpmann loads up on a big left hand.
Kulina defending well as Helpmann loads up on a big left hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A head kick misses from Kulina.
Helpmann doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Kulina!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Kulina slips a jab from Helpmann.
Helpmann uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Kulina.
Helpmann scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Helpmann swats away the attempt to clinch by Kulina.
Kulina misses with a few strikes there.

Kulina manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Helpmann on his heels. He'll look to pass Helpmann's guard now, I'm sure.

Helpmann pushes Kulina off and scrambles back to his feet.
Kulina is looking to clinch.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Helpmann, as that shot connected.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Kulina!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nice takedown defense from Helpmann. No joy for Kulina on that attempt.
Kulina fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Helpmann displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Kulina.
Kulina takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Kulina is trying hard to land a takedown here. Helpmann sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Helpmann lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Helpmann misses with a looping left.
Helpmann throws a series of punches but Kulina moves out of range.
Helpmann avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Kulina fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kulina tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Helpmann listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.

Justin Kulina's cut is getting worse.
Robert Helpmann is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Helpmann takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Kulina tries for a takedown but Helpmann circles away easily
and Helpmann cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
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!
Kulina throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Nice takedown defense from Helpmann. No joy for Kulina on that attempt.
Kulina slips under a jab.
A head kick misses from Kulina.
Kulina moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Kulina displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Helpmann throws out the jab.
Helpmann has tried to improve his agility in the runup to this fight.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Helpmann enables Kulina to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Helpmann manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Helpmann keeping full guard, as Kulina tries to pass.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Robert Helpmann dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Justin Kulina's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Helpmann fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Kulina throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Nice defenses there by Kulina.
Ooooh, nice body kick lands from Kulina. Helpmann shrugs it off though.
Helpmann fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
A slow jab from Helpmann misses its intended target.
Kulina moves out of range of the strikes.
Helpmann throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Helpmann throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Justin Kulina seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Kulina moves into range and clinches up with Helpmann.

Kulina's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
A slapping leg kick lands for Kulina.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Helpmann ducks under a wild hook from Kulina.
Kulina fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Kulina misses with a takedown attempt - Helpmann sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Kulina wants to clinch up but Helpmann keeps it at a distance.
Kulina throws a leg kick which misses Helpmann's front leg but catches the back leg as Helpmann tries to avoid it.
The fighters circling - Helpmann throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Kulina fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Helpmann avoids it really well and circles away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Justin Kulina. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Kulina fails with a takedown attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A jab from Helpmann finds it's way through Kulina's defenses.
Helpmann misses with a right hand
and Kulina counters with a nice uppercut.
Kulina throws a sloppy head kick
and Helpmann connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Helpmann missing with a left hand there. Kulina was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Kulina misses with a wild body shot.
Helpmann throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Kulina ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Helpmann looks to land a right hand but Kulina moved out of range.
Helpmann misses with a wild body shot.
Kulina half committed to a counter leg kick.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Helpmann rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Kulina counters with a right hand to the body.
Kulina bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Kulina gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Helpmann lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Kulina lands an uppercut.

Kulina's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Kulina moves out of range of the strikes.
Kulina bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Helpmann throws a body shot but no joy.
Helpmann lands with a cross.
Kulina tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Helpmann paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Kulina keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Helpmann defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Kulina.
A countering left hand to the body from Helpmann misses.
Kulina tries to close the distance and clinch but Helpmann swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Helpmann misses with a straight left.
Helpmann with a nice cross.
Kulina tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Kulina closes the distance and pushes Helpmann back into the cage.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Helpmann lands a left hand that snaps the head of Kulina backwards.

Kulina pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Helpmann avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Helpmann let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Kulina fails with a takedown attempt.
Helpmann now looks to counter with a shot at the body.
Helpmann ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Kulina goes for a double leg but Helpmann avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Helpmann continues to drive forward.
Helpmann looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Helpmann swings away with an uppercut that misses.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Robert Helpmann showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Justin Kulina's cut.
That's time! Kulina's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Helpmann throws a hook but Kulina avoids it easily.
Kulina went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
Kulina chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Helpmann scores with a nice head shot.
Kulina is looking to clinch.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Helpmann! But no joy.
Helpmann swats away the attempt to clinch by Kulina.
Kulina dives in and grabs Helpmann's left leg, looking for a takedown. Helpmann pushes down on Kulina's head and hops out.
Helpmann just misses with a punch to the body.
Kulina shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Helpmann counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

Kulina is rocked!
Kulina gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Helpmann counters with a big right hand! Oh Kulina is in trouble here! Helpmann follows up with more strikes and that's it! The ref has stopped it!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:53 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Robert Helpmann!
An out of breath Robert Helpmann thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.