PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Jim Lingfield (ranked 779 p4p, 717 weight class) and Kulma Rauta (ranked 112 p4p, 102 weight class). The atmosphere really building for this one as we go over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Lingfield
vs
Rauta

178 cm
28
175
14 - 7 - 0

190 cm
25
185
9 - 2 - 1

Great wrestler
Basic striking
Very quick

Good wrestler
World class MT
Granite chin

Conviction

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 14 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Jim Lingfield!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 2 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Kulma Rauta!
The judges for this bout are Aafke Stam, Paul Aken and Albert Achterberg.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Lingfield moves in looking to clinch but Rauta pushes him off.
Rauta with a jab.
A cross from Rauta lands.
Rauta throws the left hand but Lingfield avoids the punch easily.
Lingfield appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Jim Lingfield seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Lingfield clinches up against the cage.
Lingfield looking for a takedown.
Lingfield tries for a takedown. No joy.

Rauta escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Lingfield is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Rauta is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Rauta swings and misses with a hook to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lingfield throws a big shot that misses.
Rauta looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Lingfield takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Lingfield missing with a left hand there. Rauta was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Lingfield throws an off balance right hand
and Rauta counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lingfield shoots in and drives through. Rauta sprawls well.
Rauta has been working on his striking defense in training and it's paying off as Lingfield is landing a low percentage of strikes.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jim Lingfield. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Lingfield drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Lingfield takes a jab right on the kisser.

Rauta lands a big right hand that sends Lingfield crashing to the mat! Rauta stays standing though and waves Lingfield back to his feet!

Lingfield is rocked!
Lingfield defending well as Rauta loads up on a big left hand.
Lingfield feinted with a counter takedown.
Oh Lingfield is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Lingfield closes this distance looking for a takedown but Rauta circles away.
Lingfield seems to have got his legs back now.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
No joy there for Rauta, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Rauta ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Lingfield ducks under a wild hook from Rauta.
Lingfield feinted with a counter takedown.
Rauta is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Lingfield.
Lingfield attempts a counter takedown but Rauta avoids it well and moves away.
Rauta swings for the body but Lingfield moves out of range.
Nice uppercut there from Rauta.
Rauta misses the jab.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nice takedown defense from Rauta. No joy for Lingfield on that attempt.
Lingfield throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Rauta has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Rauta shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Rauta leaves Lingfield with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.

Lingfield closes the distance and pushes Rauta back into the cage.
Lingfield is looking for a takedown.
Rauta struggles to land a body shot inside as Lingfield controls his hands.
A short left from Rauta.
Lingfield has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Rauta avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Good body shot from Rauta.
Nice body punch from Rauta.
Lingfield drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Rauta gets the underhooks and prevents it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Rauta escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Lingfield takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Lingfield tries to close the distance and clinch up but Rauta swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Rauta scoring well with a low kick there.
Rauta with a hook.
Rauta avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Rauta fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Rauta sizes up Lingfield with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Lingfield tries to clinch but Rauta is having none of it.
Nice cross by Rauta.
Rauta throws a hook to the side of Lingfield's head but Lingfield sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Lingfield takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lingfield tries to clinch but Rauta moves away
and Rauta counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
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!
Lingfield chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Rauta can pounce on him.
Rauta misses with a right hand

and Lingfield counters with a nice double leg into side control. Rauta won't be happy with that.
Rauta is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Lingfield content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
Rauta is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.
Rauta is looking to slip a leg under and get half guard but Lingfield is one step ahead and moves to full mount!
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Kulma Rauta dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Lingfield tries to clinch but fails miserably
letting Rauta counter with a right hand.
Lingfield misses with a right hand
and Rauta counters with a nice low kick that buckles Lingfield's knee momentarily.

Lingfield rushes Rauta and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Rauta fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Lingfield goes for a takedown attempt but Rauta pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Lingfield takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Lingfield shoots in but no luck this time.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lingfield ducks under a wild hook from Rauta.
Rauta waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Lingfield.
Lingfield throwing a counter right hand but Rauta manages to avoid it.
Lingfield moves away from the strike by Rauta.
Rauta lands a really nice looking cross but Lingfield seems unphased.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nice cross by Rauta.
Lingfield tries to clinch there but Rauta circles away.
Nice body kick from Rauta.
Rauta is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Lingfield.
Rauta lands a nice leg kick that just misses Lingfield's sensitive parts.
Lingfield misses the shot to the body.
Rauta throws a nice inside leg kick.
Lingfield has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Lingfield there as he acknowledges the shot.
Rauta connects with an inside leg kick.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Lingfield is defended easily by Rauta.
Rauta throws out a counter right but Lingfield avoids it with no problem.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jim Lingfield. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lingfield takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Rauta lands a jab to the head.
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!
Rauta keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Rauta scores with a jab.
Lingfield takes a swing at Rauta's ribcage but misses.
A jab from Rauta finds it's way through Lingfield's defenses.
Lingfield walks into a straight right hand from Rauta.
Lingfield is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Lingfield connects with a good right hand that stumbles Rauta. Rauta circles away out of range and recomposes himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lingfield misses with a looping left.
Thud! ouch! good body kick from Rauta - that will leave a mark!
A jab from Rauta finds it's way through Lingfield's defenses.
Rauta misses the jab.
Lingfield tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Rauta defends well and Lingfield ends up having to push Rauta into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Lingfield tries for a takedown. No joy.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Rauta.
Rauta tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
I was talking to Lingfield's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Rauta lands with a right to the head.
Lingfield is really struggling to find his range with his punches. Rauta's reach advantage is clearly causing him problems.

Rauta manages to break the clinch.
Kulma Rauta seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Rauta lands a glancing blow to the side of Lingfield's head.
Rauta takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Rauta scores with a nice right hand.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rauta drops Lingfield with a straight left! Oh this is bad for Lingfield! Rauta dives in and starts dropping bombs - the referee has no choice but to step in and save him!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:08 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Kulma Rauta!
A relieved looking Kulma Rauta thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.