PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Lusmu Kutvonen (ranked 24 p4p, 86 weight class) and Braynas Hlervu (ranked 1 p4p, 4 weight class). Hlervu has chosen Bring Me The Horizon - Can You Feel My Heart (Jeris Johnson Remix) as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. 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?

Kutvonen
vs
Hlervu

170 cm
35
140
29 - 15 - 2

168 cm
39
137
30 - 16 - 0

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Olympic wrestler
World class boxer
Granite chin

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Paddy's Enhancing Drugs (160Q)

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Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the bantamweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 29 - 15 - 2, fighting out of Helsinki, Lusmu Kutvonen!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 30 - 16 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Braynas Hlervu!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, Don Winkell and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kutvonen misses with a double jab
and Hlervu counters with a nice uppercut.
A punch lands to the side of Hlervu 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Kutvonen will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Hlervu looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Kutvonen shoots in looking for a takedown but Hlervu manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Kutvonen's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Nice shot by Kutvonen.
Kutvonen throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Hlervu! But no joy.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kutvonen scores with a jab. Hlervu acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Kutvonen throws a nice looking combination but Hlervu bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Hlervu looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Kutvonen ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Hlervu moves away.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Hlervu! But no joy.
Kutvonen shoots in for a takedown but Hlervu shows good takedown defense.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hlervu jabs at Kutvonen's body.
Kutvonen scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Kutvonen ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Hlervu moves away.
Kutvonen dives in for a single leg takedown but Hlervu sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Hlervu swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Lusmu Kutvonen. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Hlervu breaks the clinch.
Nice straight punches there by Kutvonen. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Kutvonen.
Hlervu throws a half hearted mid kick.
A big left from Kutvonen misses.
Kutvonen scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Kutvonen waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Hlervu.
Sloppy strikes from Kutvonen. Those never looked like landing.
Kutvonen shoots and misses
and Hlervu counters with an inside leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hlervu takes a jab right on the kisser.
A big left from Kutvonen misses.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Hlervu bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Kutvonen changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Hlervu tries to avoid it but Kutvonen manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Hlervu to the ground. Hlervu escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Kutvonen takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Kutvonen throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Kutvonen ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Hlervu moves away.
Lusmu Kutvonen seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Hlervu misses with a body shot.
Kutvonen moves out of range of the body kick from Hlervu.
Kutvonen throws a shot to the body.
Kutvonen connects with the punch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kutvonen fails to land the takedown.
Hlervu follows through with a counter body kick but it doesn't land.
Kutvonen misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Kutvonen ducks under a wild hook from Hlervu.
Kutvonen ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Kutvonen lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Kutvonen.

Kutvonen gets a takedown into half guard.
Hlervu tries to kick Kutvonen off but Kutvonen keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kutvonen trying to control from half guard but Hlervu is working away.
Kutvonen prevents Hlervu from standing back up.
Both fighters have adopted an aggressive gameplan on the ground!

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Kutvonen scores with a shot to the body.

Kutvonen looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Hlervu!
Hlervu tries to get back to his feet but has found himself mounted instead. Damn, that's gotta suck.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
This has been an exciting period of action!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Kutvonen content just to control the position here.
Hlervu really wants to buck Kutvonen off and get back to his feet.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

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

Hlervu takes a jab right on the kisser.
Kutvonen shoots in for a double leg but Hlervu sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Hlervu only half commits to the counter leg kick.
Hlervu takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Kutvonen misses the shot to the body.
Kutvonen takes one on the button.
Hlervu throws a poor cross that misses
and Kutvonen counters with a stiff right hand.
Kutvonen fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Hlervu manages to avoid it.
Kutvonen fails to land with a series of punches.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nice body punch from Kutvonen.
Kutvonen bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Hlervu's head.
Kutvonen looks to score with a jab to the body but Hlervu is just out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kutvonen lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Kutvonen scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Kutvonen misses with a body shot
and Hlervu counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Hlervu walks into a left hand.
Kutvonen throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Kutvonen throws a lazy uppercut
and Hlervu cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Kutvonen cracks Hlervu with a good jab.
Kutvonen throws an overhand right that lands on Hlervu's shoulder, as Hlervu tries to avoid the shot.
Hlervu stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Hlervu wants it to stay on the feet.

Kutvonen shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Hlervu is trying to defend but Kutvonen finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
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!
Hlervu is trying to stand up here but Kutvonen is controlling him well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kutvonen is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Hlervu can do to turn this around?
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Kutvonen lands a nice short elbow.
Hlervu looks like he's trying to stand up.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Kutvonen seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Hlervu does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

Hlervu kicks Kutvonen off and gets back to his feet.
Kutvonen's jab looks to have found its range, popping Hlervu under the eye.

Kutvonen fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Hlervu sprawls well initially but Kutvonen persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Kutvonen is nestled in close to Hlervu, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Hlervu is in trouble now - Kutvonen has advanced to mount!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kutvonen won't let Hlervu get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.
Kutvonen scores with a couple of good head shots there.
You get the feeling that Hlervu really doesn't like being in this position too much.
Kutvonen is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Hlervu can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Kutvonen lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Kutvonen unloading with bombs!
Hlervu wants to try and get back to his feet.
Kutvonen lands with some strikes.
Hlervu wants to get back to his feet.
Lusmu Kutvonen overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Kutvonen tries to control but Hlervu wriggling away.
Kutvonen landing strikes, looking to finish!
Kutvonen has improved his flexibility recently so we will have to see if he can use that to his advantage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hlervu is trying to get back to his feet but can't.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Kutvonen looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Hlervu's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.
Hlervu is squirming around, avoiding Kutvonen's attempts to control the action.
The referee warns Hlervu that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Kutvonen in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Hlervu is trying to get back to his feet but can't.
Kutvonen fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Kutvonen connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Hlervu tries to buck Kutvonen off but he can't manage it.
Hlervu in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Hlervu is trying to stand.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

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

Hlervu with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Kutvonen to score with a decent uppercut.
Lusmu Kutvonen is winning the standup battle so far.
Kutvonen tries for a takedown but Hlervu circles away easily
and Hlervu counters with a nice uppercut.
Kutvonen lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Hlervu circles away quickly and effectively.
Kutvonen throws a big shot that misses.
Kutvonen misses with a hook
and Hlervu counters with a stiff right hand.
Kutvonen jabs at Hlervu's body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kutvonen throws a hook but Hlervu avoids it easily.
Hlervu looks to land a left hand but Kutvonen moved out of range nicely.
Kutvonen darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Kutvonen fails to land with a series of punches.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kutvonen misses with a takedown attempt
and Hlervu makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Hlervu throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Kutvonen with a lazy takedown attempt
and Hlervu counters with a straight right hand.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Lusmu Kutvonen. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Kutvonen misses with a double jab.
Hlervu follows through with a counter body kick but it doesn't land.

Kutvonen feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.

Hlervu scrambles and gets back to his feet.
Kutvonen uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Hlervu.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Hlervu takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Hlervu uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Kutvonen.
Hlervu looks like he wanted to counter with a high kick but didn't throw it.
Kutvonen throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Hlervu.
Hlervu swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hlervu ducks right into an uppercut from Kutvonen.
Kutvonen shoots in for a takedown but Hlervu shows good takedown defense.
Kutvonen fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Hlervu avoids it really well and circles away.
Hlervu flicks out a counter leg kick but Kutvonen steps away.
Hlervu on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Kutvonen swings for the body but Hlervu moves out of range.
Hlervu misses the jab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A shot to the liver by Kutvonen. Beautiful body shot.
Kutvonen connects with a body shot.
Kutvonen throws a big shot that misses.
A shot to the body from Kutvonen misses
and Hlervu counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Hlervu keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Hlervu throws out a counter right but Kutvonen avoids it with no problem.
Hlervu throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Kutvonen shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Hlervu defends it nicely.
Hlervu displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Kutvonen.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kutvonen misses with a hook
enabling Hlervu to counter with a crisp jab.
Hlervu takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Kutvonen looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Hlervu is fending him off so far but Kutvonen persists. Nope, Hlervu circles away and we're back to standing.
Hlervu steps in looking to counter with the mid kick but it doesn't connect.
and Hlervu counters with a massive uppercut that badly hurts Kutvonen! He's just covering up as Hlervu starts to tee off till the referee steps in and stops the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:34 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Braynas Hlervu!
Braynas Hlervu is the new bantamweight champion!
A victorious Braynas Hlervu thanked his army of followers in his post fight interview, telling people to make sure they follow him on Twitter.
In defeat, Lusmu Kutvonen stepped up to the mic, saying 'Suattaa vituttaa tai olla vituttamatta. Vuan tiältä myö tullaan, oottakeepa vuan!'.