PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Joao Goulart (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ilkka Laitinen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Goulart comes to the cage accompanied by Shaggy - Mr. Boombastic. The fight MMA fans around the world have waited their entire lives for!

Goulart
vs
Laitinen

168 cm
23
165 lbs
5 - 3 - 0

177 cm
20
164 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

aKua

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Joao Goulart!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Ilkka Laitinen!
The judges for this bout are Tarja Halkonen, Marco Blurström and Matti Vanhoillinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Goulart takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Laitinen swats away the attempt to clinch by Goulart.
Goulart tries to clinch there but Laitinen circles away.
Goulart defending well as Laitinen loads up on a big left hand.
Joao Goulart seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Goulart blocks a jab.
A jab from Laitinen finds it's way through Goulart's defenses.
Laitinen misses with a hook.
Goulart takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Laitinen throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Goulart sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Goulart fails with an attempt to clinch.
Laitinen lands with an uppercut that bounces Goulart off the cage and back into rage.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Goulart throws a leg kick that misses.
Goulart fails with an attempt to clinch.
A swing and a miss from Laitinen.

Laitinen gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Goulart controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Goulart postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Laitinen wants to sweep here but Goulart controlling him for the moment.
Laitinen pulls Goulart in close to prevent any damage.
Goulart pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Laitinen is keeping the position for now.

That's two 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.
Laitinen has his hands on Goulart's head, controlling the position.
Goulart trying to control the position from guard on top but Laitinen is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Goulart tries to free his leg and advance position but Laitinen is retaining full guard.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Goulart steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Laitinen.
Laitinen waving his hands out infront of him, looking to distract Goulart.
Laitinen might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
Goulart moves in looking to clinch but Laitinen pushes him off.
Laitinen misses with a straight right.
Laitinen pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Goulart takes a swing at Laitinen's ribcage but misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Goulart tries to close the distance and clinch up but Laitinen swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Laitinen throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Goulart sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Laitinen avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Laitinen misses the jab.
Laitinen misses with a looping right.
Laitinen swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Goulart moves out of range as Laitinen strikes.
Laitinen throws a good cross that connects.
Goulart keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Laitinen.
Goulart tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Laitinen paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Laitinen missing with a left hand there. Goulart was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
A big left from Laitinen misses.
Goulart shoots in for a takedown but Laitinen shows good takedown defense.
Goulart uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Laitinen.

Goulart takes the fight into the clinch.
Goulart blocking some punches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Goulart scores with a hook to the body.
Goulart with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Laitinen wants to get back to striking at distance but Goulart won't allow it.
Goulart throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Goulart has Laitinen pushed against the cage.
Laitinen on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Goulart is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Laitinen misses with a hook from the clinch.
Laitinen working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Goulart lands an elbow inside.
Laitinen fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Goulart tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Laitinen avoids it.
Goulart comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Laitinen throws a punch but it's blocked by Goulart.
Goulart makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Laitinen misses with some punches.
Goulart unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Goulart can't find room to land a body shot as Laitinen controls the action.
Goulart pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ilkka Laitinen dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Goulart tries to clinch up but Laitinen circles away and keeps his distance.

Goulart shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Laitinen is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Goulart won't allow Laitinen to sweep him here.
Goulart landing with the ground and pound.
Goulart passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Laitinen is looking to regain half guard here but Goulart keeps moving and retains side control.
Laitinen can't do much from the bottom here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Goulart throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Laitinen can do anything to dispel that myth.
Goulart working away.
Laitinen manages to work his way to half guard, despite Goulart's best efforts.
Goulart trying to control from half guard but Laitinen is working away.
Goulart is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Laitinen is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Good exchange - Laitinen coming out on top.
Goulart slips under a jab.

That's two 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.
Goulart on the wrong end of a nice hook.

It looks like Joao Goulart has been cut.
Laitinen clobbers Goulart with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Laitinen circles away from the clinch attempt.
Laitinen listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Laitinen scores with a punch to the head.

Goulart is rocked!
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
A jab from Laitinen misses.
Laitinen throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Goulart displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Laitinen throws out the jab.
Laitinen throws a jab when Goulart was well out of range.
Laitinen circles away from the clinch attempt.
Goulart defending well as Laitinen loads up on a big left hand.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Goulart.
Ilkka Laitinen is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Nice jab there from Laitinen.
Goulart dodges the punch combination from Laitinen.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Laitinen misses with a straight right.
Laitinen stuffs the takedown attempt from Goulart. Goulart gets slowly back to his feet.
Laitinen pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Laitinen misses with a looping right.
Goulart walks into a left hand.
Goulart uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Laitinen.
Joao Goulart is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Laitinen throws an overhand right that lands on Goulart's shoulder, as Goulart tries to avoid the shot.
Goulart tries to clinch but Laitinen is having none of it.
Goulart moves out of range as Laitinen strikes.
A telegraphed right hand from Laitinen misses the target.
Goulart misses with a body kick.
Goulart fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Joao Goulart. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Goulart uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Laitinen.
Ilkka Laitinen seems to be getting the better of the standup.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Laitinen misses with a straight right.
Laitinen throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Goulart moves out of range as Laitinen strikes.
Laitinen will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

Goulart has Laitinen up against the cage in a clinch.
Laitinen looking to stall.
Goulart lands a damaging elbow.
Laitinen pushes Goulart back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Goulart blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Goulart scores a nice knee to the body.
Goulart wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Goulart holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Laitinen'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.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ilkka Laitinen showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Joao Goulart's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Goulart shoots for a takedown but Laitinen saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Laitinen scores with the left hand. Goulart knows he should have avoided that one.
Laitinen lunges at Goulart with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Goulart's hand.

Goulart fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Laitinen, pushing him back against the cage.
Goulart is trying to drag Laitinen to the mat but Laitinen just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Laitinen is trying to stall.
Goulart's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Goulart throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Goulart trying to control the position but instead, Laitinen has worked for underhooks and has pushed Goulart into the cage.
Goulart blocks an uppercut.
Laitinen blocks an uppercut.

Laitinen breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Laitinen cracks Goulart with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Goulart is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Goulart with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Laitinen to score with a decent uppercut.
Oh Goulart is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Goulart staying out of range there.
Goulart seems to have got his legs back now.
Laitinen fakes a right and follows up with a big left that drops Goulart to one knee - oooooh, he's wobbly! Goulart looks to clinch but Laitinen throws him off and pummels him into the canvas! Goulart taps out under the strikes! The fight is over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:24 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Strikes). Ilkka Laitinen!