PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Keith Kenneth Ferkingstad (ranked 625 p4p, 1441 weight class) and Michael Aalto (ranked 47 p4p, 100 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Ferkingstad might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Try That In A Small Town. Michael Aalto struggled to make weight for this fight. He only made it down to 147.9lbs at the first attempt and had to take the additional two hours to make the official bout weight. Let's see how much it's taken out of him. 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.

Ferkingstad
vs
Aalto

175 cm
34
156
25 - 20 - 0

177 cm
35
157
25 - 23 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Olympic wrestler
World class boxer
Granite chin

Conviction
Conquer

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 25 - 20 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Keith Kenneth Ferkingstad!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 25 - 23 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Michael Aalto!
The judges for this bout are Yuuki Gou, Shigeki Sano and Sosuke Kotani.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ferkingstad fakes the leg kick and cracks Aalto in the body.
Aalto blocks a leg kick.

Aalto looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
The fighters are battling for position here. Ferkingstad manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Aalto trying to control the position from guard on top but Ferkingstad is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Ferkingstad wants to sweep here but Aalto controlling him for the moment.
Ferkingstad is pulling down on Aalto's head. It's preventing any offense from Aalto, at least for the moment.
Ferkingstad is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Aalto looking for submissions off his back.
Aalto looks winded!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Aalto has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Ferkingstad is working away from the top position though.
Ferkingstad tries to pass to full mount but Aalto defends it.
Ferkingstad is working hard here to advance position.
Ferkingstad is figuring out what he wants to do next.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
The fighters are battling for position here. Aalto manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Ferkingstad looking to pass the guard.
Aalto wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Ferkingstad is now in half guard.
Aalto wants to get back to full guard but Ferkingstad has passed into side control.
Ferkingstad tries to advance to mount but Aalto denies him.
Aalto is trying to improve his position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Ferkingstad advances to mount.
Ferkingstad controlling his opponent.

That's four 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.
Ferkingstad avoids the attempt from Aalto to control.
Ferkingstad controlling the position easily from mount.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Ferkingstad's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Keith Kenneth Ferkingstad 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.

Ferkingstad moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.

It looks like Michael Aalto has been cut.
Ferkingstad fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Aalto.
Ferkingstad tries to clinch up.

Ferkingstad closes the distance and clinches.
Aalto tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Ferkingstad's elbow.
Ferkingstad pushes Aalto back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
A short right from Ferkingstad on the inside.
Aalto has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Ferkingstad is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Aalto can do to turn this around?
Ferkingstad lands a body punch in the clinch.
I was talking to Ferkingstad's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Aalto tries for a takedown but Ferkingstad manages to get underhooks.
Ferkingstad misses with a punch on the inside.
Ferkingstad dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Aalto swings away with an uppercut that misses.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Ferkingstad takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Ferkingstad's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Aalto is breathing heavily.
Aalto misses with the head strike.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ferkingstad blocking some punches.
Ferkingstad lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Ferkingstad scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Ferkingstad lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Aalto wants a takedown but no success here.
Ferkingstad lands a nice shot to the body.
Ferkingstad lands a shoulder strike.
Ferkingstad's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Ferkingstad lands a nice shot to the body.
Ferkingstad lands with a short shot to the head.
Ferkingstad scores with an uppercut up the middle.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Ferkingstad.
A nice right hand lands inside from Ferkingstad.
This has been an exciting period of action!
A short body shot lands from Ferkingstad as the two fighters clinch.
Ferkingstad lands a right hand that snaps the head of Aalto backwards.
Ferkingstad lands a body shot in the clinch.
Ferkingstad lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Aalto backwards.

Aalto is rocked!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ferkingstad lands an uppercut.
Aalto is still on wobbly legs! Can Ferkingstad finish him?
Ferkingstad working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Ferkingstad lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Ferkingstad displaying some good clinch control by pressing Aalto up against the cage.
Ferkingstad lands with a short head shot on the inside.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Ferkingstad.
Ferkingstad creates a bit of space for himself and rocks Aalto with a big uppercut! Aalto tries to clinch up but Ferkingstad pushes him back against the cage and lands another monster strike that crumples Aalto to the mat! Aalto covers up and Ferkingstad unloads with more strikes until the referee steps in to end the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:32 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Punches). Keith Kenneth Ferkingstad!
Keith Kenneth Ferkingstad thanked the fans post fight for their support.