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PBP Commentary |
Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Zaid Al Balushi (ranked 31 p4p, 123 weight class) and Artturi Reinikainen (ranked 6 p4p, 21 weight class). Reinikainen is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Viimeinen päivä. Fingers crossed for an exciting fight - I'm sure both fighters are looking for a nice under the table bonus!
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| 180 cm
33
155
21 - 6 - 1 |
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188 cm
35
162
28 - 17 - 3 |
Good wrestling
World class MT
Insanely flexible |
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Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank |
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Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 21 - 6 - 1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Zaid Al Balushi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 28 - 17 - 3, fighting out of Amsterdam, Artturi Reinikainen!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Jack Bonds and Percy O'Donnell.
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Al Balushi throws a body kick, spinning off balance
and Reinikainen counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Reinikainen trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Reinikainen tries to free his leg and advance position but Al Balushi is retaining full guard.
Reinikainen throws a big right hand that misses.
Al Balushi pulls Reinikainen in close to prevent any damage.
Reinikainen throwing strikes but missing.
Reinikainen throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Reinikainen throwing strikes but missing.
Reinikainen stopping the sweep attempt from Al Balushi.
Reinikainen loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Reinikainen is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Reinikainen throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Al Balushi works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Al Balushi can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Reinikainen controls the pace.
Reinikainen throwing strikes but missing.
Reinikainen throws a big elbow that misses.
Reinikainen keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Al Balushi's head.
Reinikainen throwing strikes from guard but Al Balushi blocks nicely.
Al Balushi not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Reinikainen preventing the sweep.
Al Balushi has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Reinikainen has passed into side control.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Reinikainen in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Al Balushi tries to bench press Reinikainen off him but Reinikainen keeps the position.
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.
Reinikainen is looking to take a break and control but Al Balushi is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Reinikainen misses with the ground and pound.
Reinikainen misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Reinikainen laying and praying for a moment but Al Balushi takes advantage and regains half guard.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Reinikainen is trying to control. Al Balushi wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Reinikainen lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Reinikainen seems to be looking for submissions.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Al Balushi has hold of Reinikainen's hands but Reinikainen slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Reinikainen missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Al Balushi avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Reinikainen.
Reinikainen missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Reinikainen seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Al Balushi does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Reinikainen throwing shots but Al Balushi is blocking nicely.
Reinikainen sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Al Balushi defending well though.
Reinikainen missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Reinikainen misses with a head shot. Al Balushi uses the momentum to regain guard.
Reinikainen stands up over Al Balushi, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Al Balushi avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Reinikainen loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Al Balushi being controlled here, momentarily.
Reinikainen missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.
Artturi Reinikainen dominated that round.
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.
Reinikainen throws a lazy uppercut
and Al Balushi counters with a nice leg kick.
Al Balushi scores with a leg kick.
Reinikainen with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Al Balushi to score with a decent uppercut.
A lazy left from Reinikainen finds it's target.
Al Balushi slips a straight right by Reinikainen.
Al Balushi looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Al Balushi lands a leg kick that knocks Reinikainen off balance momentarily.
Reinikainen scores with a crisp jab that stopped Al Balushi in his tracks.
Al Balushi misses with a body kick.
Reinikainen avoids the head kick by Al Balushi.
Reinikainen gets a takedown into half guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Well, if Reinikainen is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Reinikainen throwing shots but Al Balushi is blocking nicely.
Reinikainen throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Reinikainen working the head and body with strikes.
Al Balushi keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Reinikainen not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Reinikainen is keen to just control but Al Balushi is a slippery customer.
Reinikainen missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Reinikainen is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Reinikainen thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Al Balushi's head.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Reinikainen throws a big elbow that misses, also allowing Al Balushi to regain full guard.
Reinikainen missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Reinikainen postures up in Al Balushi's guard and throws a big left but Al Balushi blocks it.
Reinikainen wants to control from the top but Al Balushi keeps moving.
Reinikainen landing with the ground and pound.
Reinikainen advances to half guard.
Al Balushi is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Reinikainen scores with a couple of nice shots.
Reinikainen looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Al Balushi trying to control from the bottom.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Reinikainen lands a nice short elbow.
Reinikainen is looking to take a break and control but Al Balushi is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Reinikainen thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Al Balushi's head.
Reinikainen wants to take a breather but Al Balushi is having none of it.
Reinikainen throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
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.
Well, if Reinikainen is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Al Balushi regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Reinikainen.
Reinikainen trying to control the position from guard on top but Al Balushi is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Reinikainen throwing strikes but missing.
Reinikainen working some strikes from top position.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Reinikainen throws a big right hand that misses.
Reinikainen trying to control the position from guard on top but Al Balushi is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.
Artturi Reinikainen showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Al Balushi's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!
Reinikainen looking to score a takedown here. Al Balushi is defending well but Reinikainen drives through and ends up in Al Balushi's guard.
Reinikainen stays in close to Al Balushi's body and controls the position.
Reinikainen trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Reinikainen wants to control from the top but Al Balushi keeps moving.
Reinikainen in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Reinikainen trying to control the position from guard on top but Al Balushi is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Reinikainen working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Reinikainen not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Reinikainen lands a nice leg kick that just misses Al Balushi's sensitive parts.
Reinikainen misses the jab.
Reinikainen scores with a nice head shot.
Artturi Reinikainen seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Al Balushi throws a body punch but Reinikainen moves out of range.
Reinikainen throws a body shot but no joy.
Reinikainen swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Good leg kick by Al Balushi.
Reinikainen throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Jab, jab by Reinikainen - just one landing.
Reinikainen connects with a body shot that sends Al Balushi's belly button to the back.
Reinikainen pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Reinikainen throws a lazy uppercut
and Al Balushi counters with an outside leg kick.
Zaid Al Balushi has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
That's two minutes gone in the round.
A swing and a miss from Reinikainen.
Reinikainen fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Al Balushi has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
A slow jab from Reinikainen misses its intended target.
Reinikainen shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Reinikainen showed some decent athleticism there.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Reinikainen drops an elbow to the side of Al Balushi's head.
Reinikainen 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.
Reinikainen winds up and cracks Al Balushi with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Reinikainen missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Al Balushi slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Reinikainen trying to control the position from guard on top but Al Balushi is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Reinikainen 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.
Artturi Reinikainen has got the better of the ground game so far.
Reinikainen throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Al Balushi works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Reinikainen's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Reinikainen wants to control from the top but Al Balushi keeps moving.
Reinikainen pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Al Balushi is keeping the position for now.
Reinikainen drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Al Balushi dives on top into guard.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Reinikainen is trying to keep Al Balushi in close.
Reinikainen has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Reinikainen working for submissions but it's allowed Al Balushi to get to half guard.
Al Balushi content to control rather than advance.
Reinikainen is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Al Balushi pulls his head out easily.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Reinikainen is looking to improve his position.
And that's the end of the fight!
Artturi Reinikainen comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Reinikainen has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Don Winkell scores the fight 27:30
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 27:30
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 27:30
In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Artturi Reinikainen!
Artturi Reinikainen decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.
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| S |
C
A |
G |
S |
C
B |
G |
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S |
C |
G |
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energy
A | B |
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hype
A | B |
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pop
A | B |
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mgr
A | B |
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FIGHT
RATING
31% |
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