PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Buddah Joe (ranked 1286 p4p, 1970 weight class) and Sepi Pulkkinen (ranked 77 p4p, 123 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Joe
vs
Pulkkinen

150 cm
27
300
14 - 8 - 0

225 cm
41
319
35 - 20 - 0

Good wrestling
Dangerous knees
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

KOMBAT KLOTHING

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 14 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Buddah Joe!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 35 - 20 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Sepi Pulkkinen!
The judges for this bout are Jeff Smith, Ryoma Takatsuka and Roger Salmon.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Joe instigates a clinch.
Joe with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Pulkkinen stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.

Pulkkinen's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Joe checks a low kick from Pulkkinen.
Joe changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Pulkkinen swats away the attempt to clinch by Joe.
Joe looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.

Joe moves into range and clinches up with Pulkkinen.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Joe jumps guard but Pulkkinen stands there with Joe around his waist. Joe gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.

Pulkkinen breaks from the clinch.
Pulkkinen connects with a nice looking jab.
Joe keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Pulkkinen.
Joe changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Joe tries to close the distance and clinch up but Pulkkinen swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Sloppy strikes from Pulkkinen. Those never looked like landing.
Joe looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Pulkkinen misses with a jab to the body

and Joe counters by moving into the clinch.
Pulkkinen misses with a body punch.
Joe missing with knees to the body.

Pulkkinen's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Joe takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Joe tries to counter by clinching up but Pulkkinen breaks away and moves out of range.
Pulkkinen throws a hook but Joe blocks it.
Joe takes one to the chin there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Joe closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
The referee is keeping an eye on Joe - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Joe tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Joe tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Pulkkinen avoids it.
Joe misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Pulkkinen.
Joe stalling.
Joe slows down the pace here.
Joe gets a warning from the ref for wasting time.
Pulkkinen looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Joe tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Pulkkinen avoids it.
Pulkkinen avoiding damage as Joe throws knees to the body.
Joe throws a knee to the head but misses.
Joe prevents a body shot from Pulkkinen.
Pulkkinen scores with a shoulder strike.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Joe has the Thai clinch. He lands a big knee to the head and Pulkkinen goes down! Joe dives on top of him - Pulkkinen manages to get guard.

It looks like Sepi Pulkkinen has been cut.
Pulkkinen is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Joe slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Joe being controlled here momentarily.
Joe trying to control the position from guard on top but Pulkkinen is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Joe is really struggling to control Pulkkinen but he's trying to hold on to the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Pulkkinen can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Joe controls the pace.
Joe trying to control but Pulkkinen is working from the bottom.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Pulkkinen looking for a sweep. Not yet Pulkkinen, not yet.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.

Joe shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Joe showed some decent athleticism there.
Joe is keen to just control but Pulkkinen is a slippery customer.

Joe 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.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Buddah Joe dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Sepi Pulkkinen's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Joe closes the distance and clinches.
Joe with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Joe is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Pulkkinen gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.

Pulkkinen pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Pulkkinen misses the jab.
Joe is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pulkkinen throws a combination. Joe tries to block but a couple of punches get through.

Joe drives through with a takedown into guard.
We've been informed that Pulkkinen has been working hard on his conditioning in the buildup to the fight.
Pulkkinen has Joe pulled in close to control his posture.
Pulkkinen looking to hit a scissor sweep but Joe is one step ahead there.
Joe might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Pulkkinen trying to control the position here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Joe trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Pulkkinen being controlled here, momentarily.
Joe looking to pass the guard.
Pulkkinen is controlling Joe's posture.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Joe with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Joe sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Joe pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Pulkkinen is keeping the position for now.
Pulkkinen trying to control the position.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

Joe drives through with a takedown into Pulkkinen's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Pulkkinen is adopting a defensive guard.
Pulkkinen lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Joe looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

Joe escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Pulkkinen gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Joe is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Joe had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Pulkkinen defends it easily.
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 Buddah Joe will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Sepi Pulkkinen's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Joe tries to clinch but Pulkkinen is having none of it.
Pulkkinen swings widly with a right hand

and Joe counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Joe is looking to work some ground and pound but Pulkkinen has wrist control.
Joe stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Pulkkinen swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Joe throws an elbow that misses. Pulkkinen uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Joe's guard. Nice move by Pulkkinen!

Joe throws some shots to the body, keeping his opponent honest.
Buddah Joe overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Joe looking to control but Pulkkinen passes into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Joe is trying to control but can't.
Joe tries to get to full guard but Pulkkinen has control of the leg.
Joe wants to control the action here but instead Pulkkinen manages to pass to full mount!
Joe is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Joe really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Joe is working hard here to advance position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Joe tries to lock up and control but Pulkkinen gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Pulkkinen sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Joe tries to hold on but Pulkkinen pushes him away.
Joe slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pulkkinen is thwarting Joe's attempts to control the position.
Joe is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Pulkkinen is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Sepi Pulkkinen has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Joe moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Joe wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Pulkkinen is now in half guard.

Joe looking for submissions off his back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Pulkkinen missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Pulkkinen thows a huge punch but Joe dodges it nicely.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Sepi Pulkkinen is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Joe shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Pulkkinen defends it nicely.

And that's the end of the fight!
Sepi Pulkkinen comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Joe has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Jeff Smith scores the fight 29:28
Judge Ryoma Takatsuka scores the fight 29:28
Judge Roger Salmon scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Buddah Joe!