PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Kumi Nauha (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mike Lee (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Nauha has a slight injury, which hopefully won't affect the fight too much. Kumi Nauha has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Nauha
vs
Lee

185 cm
18
205 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

205 cm
18
205 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Kumi Nauha!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Mike Lee!
The judges for this bout are Tarja Halkonen, Anni Minnemäki and Johanna Lukiainen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Lee fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Nauha avoids it really well and circles away.
Lee looks for a takedown but Nauha sprawls well.
Lee shoots in looking for a takedown. Nauha tries to sprawl out of it but Lee keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Nauha manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Kumi Nauha has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mike Lee.
A head kick misses from Lee.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lee tries to close the distance and clinch but Nauha swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Lee changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Nauha tries to avoid it but Lee manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Nauha to the ground. Nauha escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Nauha stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Nauha wants it to stay on the feet.
Nauha takes a kick to the side of the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Lee sets himself and throws a head kick that knocks Nauha to the ground! Lee dives into full mount looking to finish!
Nauha is breathing heavily.

Lee looking to secure an arm triangle but Nauha defends it well.
Lee looking to ground and pound but Nauha is blocking nicely.
Lee looking to control but Nauha is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Nauha is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

Lee has control of Nauha's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Nauha regains control of the situation pretty easily.
Nauha is looking to get to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Lee wants to finish this one by submission but Nauha is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Lee.
Lee in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Nauha tries to reverse the position but Lee maintains control.
Lee looking to control but Nauha is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Lee dominating with strikes here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lee tries to control but Nauha wriggling away.
Nauha can't escape the position.

Lee looking for a guillotine from mount but Nauha is having none of it.

Lee with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.

Lee is working for a guillotine from mount but Nauha frees his head quite easily.
Nauha tries to improve his position but instead Lee has taken his back!
Lee is throwing punches to the body, looking to soften Nauha up.
Lee really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Nauha. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Lee tries to keep control of the position but Nauha is staying busy.
Nauha is really stuck here.
Lee missing with strikes from the back.
Nauha just trying to survive but Lee is wriggling into a better position, looking to finish.
Lee is landing with strikes from the back.
Watch the back of the head! Comes the shout from the referee towards Lee.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Nauha is keeping busy.
Nauha can't escape the position.
Oooh a big shot gets through from Lee. Many more shots like that and the referee will have to think about stepping in!
Nauha tries to break free.
Nauha is working hard here to advance position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mike Lee dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Kumi Nauha's cut.
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.

Lee shoots in for a takedown but Nauha shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
The fight stays on the outside here - Lee looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Lee shoots in and drives through. Nauha sprawls well.
Lee shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Kumi Nauha has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mike Lee.
Nauha defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Lee.
Nauha stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Nauha wants it to stay on the feet.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lee misses with a takedown attempt - Nauha sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Nauha connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Lee momentarily.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A looping hook to the body misses from Lee. Nauha does a little dance to reset his feet.
Lee is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

Nauha is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Lee's half guard.
Lee wants to control but Nauha is keeping busy.

Nauha is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Lee sees it coming and defends easily.

Nauha is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Lee is trying to maintain the position but Nauha is very close to passing his half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.

Lee looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

Nauha is working for a submission of some sort.
Lee tries to get to full guard but Nauha has control of the leg.
Nauha is thwarting Lee's attempts to control the position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Lee gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Nauha counters with a nice double leg into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lee looks like he's trying to stand up.

Nauha is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Lee defends it well.
Nauha seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Lee does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Nauha seems to be working for a kimura but Lee defends the submission attempt.
Lee trying to control from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Lee keeping control of the position.

Lee looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Lee tries for a takedown but Nauha circles away easily

and Nauha counters with a takedown into side control.

Nauha thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Lee is trying to improve his position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kumi Nauha dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Kumi Nauha's cut.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Lee misses with a takedown

and Nauha counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Lee!

Nauha jumps to the side looking to secure the arm triangle…. Ooooh, that looks tight… Lee is gargling but he's managed to escape! Nice work there by Lee and Nauha has given up the dominant position trying to land that submission.
Lee can't do much from the bottom here.

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

Nauha is trying to get an arm triangle but Lee is defending well.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Nauha tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

Nauha is trying to get an arm triangle but Lee is defending well.
Lee gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Lee gets full guard.
Lee looking to control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Nauha drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Lee dives on top into guard.
Lee throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Nauha works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Lee tries to free his leg and advance position but Nauha is retaining full guard.
Lee trying to stand up but can't free himself from Nauha's guard.

Nauha has an active guard here but Lee has managed to pass into half guard.
Lee wants to control but Nauha is keeping him busy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Nauha looking for submissions off his back.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Lee fails with the takedown.
Lee tries to clinch but Nauha moves out of range.
The fight stays on the outside here - Lee looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Lee shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Nauha but Nauha pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Kumi Nauha has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mike Lee.
Lee shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.

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.
Lee with a poor takedown

and Nauha counters with a nice double leg into half guard.

Nauha in half guard on the top. He's looking for a kimura... He's got it locked and he's managed to free his trapped foot. Lee tries to escape but it's on too tight and he has to tap! Great BJJ skills there from Nauha!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:38 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Kumi Nauha!