PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between James Dille (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Hessu Hopo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). James Dille has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Dille
vs
Hopo

199 cm
28
283 lbs
12 - 7 - 0

185 cm
22
275 lbs
8 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Very quick

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, James Dille!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Hessu Hopo!
The judges for this bout are Johanna Lukiainen, Marco Blurström and Matti Vanhoillinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Dille lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.

It looks like Hessu Hopo has been cut.
Dille lands a jab to the nose.
A nice combination there by Dille.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Dille throws a combination that misses

and Hopo counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Hopo.

Dille is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Hopo defends well.

Dille looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Dille has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Hopo can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

Dille is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

Dille is looking for a triangle here but Hopo uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
Dille tries to improve position but can't.
Hopo is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Dille will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dille is looking to reverse the position.
Hopo scores with a couple of short elbows.
Dille is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Hopo off and has taken his back!
Hopo breaks Dille's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hopo lands a couple of digs.
Hopo is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.

Dille looking for a guillotine here but Hopo defends easily.

Dille is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Dille is breathing heavily.
Hopo trying to control the position from guard on top but Dille is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Dille is looking for a triangle but Hopo pushes his legs off easily.
Hopo slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.

Dille is looking for a triangle but Hopo pushes his legs off easily.

Dille looking for a guillotine here but Hopo defends easily.

Dille is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Hopo with a nice head shot there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hopo passes Dille's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Hopo is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Hopo controlling the action here.
Dille tries to get to full guard but Hopo has control of the leg.

Dille looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Hopo controlling the action here.
Let's hope that Hopo has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hopo moves nicely into side control.
Dille tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Hopo wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Dille is trying to escape the position but Hopo is controlling the position.
Dille is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Hopo working the head and body with strikes.
Hopo is looking to advance position but Dille won't allow it.
Hopo controlling the pace.
Dille is looking to get full guard. It looks like he might be successful but at the last minute Hopo jumps into side control!
Dille is not content to let Hopo control the position.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Dille is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Hopo remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hessu Hopo dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Hessu Hopo's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Dille misses with a hook to the body

and Hopo counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Hopo wants to lay and pray for a moment but Dille keeps working.
Hopo is nestled in close to Dille, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Dille tries to roll over but Hopo keeps him under control.
Hessu Hopo has got the better of the ground game so far.
Nice strikes from Hopo there.
Hopo tries to pass the half guard into mount. Dille knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

Dille looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

Dille is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Hopo pulls his head out easily.
Hopo trying to mount his opponent but Dille defends it.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Dille is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Hopo pulls his head out easily.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Hopo lands a nice short elbow.
Dille gets back to full guard.

Dille looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Hopo passes into half guard.
Hopo tries to pass the half guard into mount. Dille knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Hopo is trying to control. Dille wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Hopo in particular looking to stall.

Dille is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Hopo pulls his head out easily.
Hopo controlling the action here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Dille is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Hopo pulls his head out easily.
Hopo stalling.

Dille actively working from the bottom here.
Dille gets full guard.

Dille has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Hopo can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Dille has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Hopo can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

Dille looking for a guillotine here but Hopo defends easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hopo trying to control but Dille is working from the bottom.

Dille is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Hopo defends well.

Dille throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Hopo escapes and throws Dille's legs to the side, diving into side control!
Hopo lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Dille down.
Hopo is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.
Hopo in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dille is looking to regain half guard here but Hopo keeps moving and retains side control.
Hopo is putting a hurting on Dille here, landing some big shots from side control.
Dille is working to avoid the ground and pound but Hopo connects with a decent elbow.
Dille is looking to regain half guard here but Hopo keeps moving and retains side control.
Dille is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Hopo wants to control but Dille is keeping him busy.
Dille is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Hopo controlling the action here.
Hopo lands with a punch from half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hessu Hopo showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Hessu Hopo's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get 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.

Hopo drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Dille tries to improve position but can't.
Dille manages to work his way to half guard, despite Hopo's best efforts.
Well, if Hopo is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.

Dille looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Hopo working over Dille with some ground and pound. Dille looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.

Dille looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Hopo moves nicely into side control.
Dille is looking to regain half guard here but Hopo keeps moving and retains side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dille is not content to let Hopo control the position.
Dille regains half guard.
Hopo content to control rather than advance.
Hopo works his way into full mount!
Dille is trying to escape the mount.
Hopo controlling from the full mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hopo with the ground and pound from mount.
Dille working to try and regain half guard.
Hopo lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Hopo scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Dille?
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Dille really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Hopo loads up on a couple of big shots to the head that have Dille scrambling to escape. He can't get free though and several more unanswered shots from Hopo land to the head. The referee has no choice but to stop the fight. Hopo stands and salutes the crowd.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:57 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Hessu Hopo!