PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Miko Laaksonen (ranked 4123 p4p, 4248 weight class) and Prince King (ranked 0 p4p, 449 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Laaksonen
vs
King

183 cm
18
175
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
18
170
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Determined

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Miko Laaksonen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Prince King!
The judges for this bout are Johanna Lukiainen, Marco Blurström and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
King shoots in looking for a takedown but Laaksonen manages to keep the fight standing, pushing King's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Laaksonen will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
King shoots in looking for a takedown. Laaksonen tries to sprawl out of it but King keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Laaksonen manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
King takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
King tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Laaksonen paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Laaksonen works over King's head and body with a nice combination.
King swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
As King looks to move away, Laaksonen throws a big counter combo but King just gets out of the way.
King has a takedown stuffed.
Laaksonen went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
Miko Laaksonen has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Prince King.

That's one minute gone in the round.
King looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

Laaksonen fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with King, pushing him back against the cage.

Laaksonen wants the takedown. King is fighting it off but Laaksonen persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in King's guard against the cage.
Laaksonen is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
King looking to control.
Laaksonen has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Laaksonen throws a strike but King rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

King wants to pass the guard but Laaksonen is keeping the position.
Laaksonen has a closed guard, preventing King from standing up.
King wants to control from the top but Laaksonen keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

King drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and King jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

Laaksonen working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. King doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. King manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
King throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
King throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
King with a flurry of punches that miss.
Laaksonen will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Laaksonen is controlling King's posture.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Laaksonen uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before King has time to react.

Laaksonen gets a clinch.
Laaksonen jumps guard but King stands there with Laaksonen around his waist. Laaksonen gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.

Laaksonen escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Laaksonen scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Laaksonen fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. King looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
King takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Laaksonen throws a lazy uppercut
and King counters with a head kick. That will keep Laaksonen thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Laaksonen throws a nice looking combination but King bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
King fails with a takedown attempt.
King looks winded!
King looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Laaksonen breaks the clinch.
Laaksonen lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Laaksonen.
A punch combination from Laaksonen misses.
King fails with a takedown attempt.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Miko Laaksonen dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

King shoots in for a takedown but Laaksonen shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Prince King seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
King is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Laaksonen looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for King!

Laaksonen is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. King knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

Laaksonen stands up and we're back to a striking position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
No joy there for King, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Laaksonen appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Laaksonen lands with a nice body punch.
King doesn't manage to clinch there - Laaksonen circles away.
It looked like Laaksonen was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from King.
Laaksonen went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
Laaksonen stuffs the takedown attempt from King. King gets slowly back to his feet.
King is breathing heavily.
King wants to clinch up but Laaksonen keeps it at a distance.
King with a poor takedown
letting Laaksonen counter with a right hand.
Miko Laaksonen has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Prince King.
King wants to slow Laaksonen down by chopping away at his legs.
It looked like Laaksonen wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
King is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Laaksonen feints a jab promting King to slip. Laaksonen then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. King slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Laaksonen misses with the combination.
Laaksonen throws a series of punches but King avoids them all with ease.
Laaksonen is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that King can do to turn this around?
Laaksonen shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. King eats them both and turns towards Laaksonen to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Laaksonen moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
King fails with an attempt to clinch.
Laaksonen throws a series of punches but King moves out of range.
King throws the kick towards the body but Laaksonen avoids it.

Laaksonen moves into range and clinches up with King.

Laaksonen pulls guard effortlessly.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Laaksonen looking to hit a scissor sweep but King is one step ahead there.
King stops Laaksonen from standing up.
Laaksonen has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
King postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Laaksonen is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
King won't allow Laaksonen to sweep him here.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
King misses with a double jab
and Laaksonen counters with a three punch combo that has King backing up. King nods at Laaksonen to acknowledge the strikes.
King shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Laaksonen pinned against the cage. Laaksonen gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Sloppy strikes from Laaksonen. Those never looked like landing.

Laaksonen gets a clinch.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Miko Laaksonen dominated that second round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

King gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
King shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Laaksonen as he avoids it easily.
Laaksonen throws a big counter combination but King scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.
Laaksonen keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
King is looking to clinch.
King tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Laaksonen manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Jab by Laaksonen.
King shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Miko Laaksonen has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Prince King.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Laaksonen scores with a crisp jab that stopped King in his tracks.
Laaksonen scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
King takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
King takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Laaksonen keeps the fight on the outside.
Laaksonen throwing a counter right hand but King manages to avoid it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
King dives in for a single leg takedown but Laaksonen sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Laaksonen stuffs the takedown.
Laaksonen connects with a single shot there.

Laaksonen moves into the clinch successfully.
Laaksonen crunches a lovely knee into King's ribcage.

Laaksonen jumps into guard, dragging King to the mat.
Laaksonen trying to control the position here.
Laaksonen has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Laaksonen wants to get back to his feet but King is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Laaksonen looking for a sweep. Not yet Laaksonen, not yet.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Laaksonen holds on and takes a little breather.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters, thinking about a standup.
King trying to control the position from guard on top but Laaksonen is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Laaksonen goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Laaksonen scores with a jab to the body.
Laaksonen misses with a two punch combination.
King swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
King bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
King misses with the body kick
and Laaksonen counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

Laaksonen has taken the fight to the clinch.

Laaksonen is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. King can't fight it off and eventually Laaksonen manages to take the fight to the floor. King looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Laaksonen controlling from the top position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Laaksonen stands and steps away. King gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
King is looking to clinch.

Laaksonen scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Laaksonen wants to pass the guard but King is defending well.
Laaksonen knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for King on the ground.
Laaksonen prevents King from improving his position.
Laaksonen is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.

And that's the end of the fight!
Miko Laaksonen showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Laaksonen has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight for Miko Laaksonen!
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight for Miko Laaksonen!
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight for Miko Laaksonen!

Miko Laaksonen wins by unanimous decision!