PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Tommi Kaleva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Skyler Nelson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Kaleva comes to the cage accompanied by Fort Minor - Remember The Name. Nelson comes into a darkened arena with his song building. One kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Kaleva
vs
Nelson

165 cm
21
150 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

180 cm
27
145 lbs
6 - 5 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Tommi Kaleva!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Skyler Nelson!
The judges for this bout are Tarja Halkonen, Marco Blurström and Johanna Lukiainen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A head kick misses from Kaleva.
Kaleva tries to score a power double leg takedown but Nelson sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Kaleva somewhat.
Nelson shoots in for a takedown but Kaleva shows good takedown defense.
Kaleva shoots in looking for a takedown. Nelson tries to sprawl out of it but Kaleva keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Nelson manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Kaleva looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Nelson is fending him off so far but Kaleva persists. Nope, Nelson circles away and we're back to standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tommi Kaleva. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Kaleva misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Nelson shoots and misses

and Kaleva counters with a nice double leg into side control. Nelson won't be happy with that.
Kaleva trying to control the position but Nelson is working away.
Nelson pushes Kaleva away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Kaleva gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Nelson dodges the ground and pound from Kaleva.

Kaleva decides to stand up, so the ref orders Nelson to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kaleva displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Nelson.
Nelson swats away the attempt to clinch by Kaleva.

Nelson darts in and clinches Kaleva up against the cage.

Nelson pulls guard.

Kaleva gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Kaleva shoots in for a takedown but Nelson shows good takedown defense.
Nelson tries for a takedown but Kaleva circles away easily

and Kaleva counters with a single leg into guard. Nelson didn't expect that.
Nelson looks gassed!

Nelson is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Kaleva defends well.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Nelson keeping moving, preventing Kaleva from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kaleva is looking to work some ground and pound but Nelson has wrist control.
Nelson lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Kaleva!
Kaleva is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.
Kaleva sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Nelson trying to control the pace.
Kaleva wants to get back to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nelson is keen to just control but Kaleva is a slippery customer.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Kaleva is looking to improve his position.
Nelson is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
The fighters are battling for position here. Kaleva manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

Kaleva looks to be working for a triangle here. Oh, it looks like he might have it! Nelson has picked Kaleva up and slammed him! Kaleva can't keep hold of the triangle and Nelson manages to pass to side control!
Nelson in side control, just content to control the action for now.
Kaleva looks to move to half guard but instead Nelson has passed into mount! Damn!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nelson controlling from mount.
Kaleva tries to lock up and control but Nelson gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Nelson is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Kaleva can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Kaleva might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Kaleva is trying desperately to improve position.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Nelson raining down shots from the mount!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tommi Kaleva 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.

Nelson shoots in but Kaleva avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Kaleva defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Nelson.
Nelson swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

Nelson rushes Kaleva and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Nelson gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Kaleva wants to stand back up but Nelson manages to pass into side control.
Tommi Kaleva overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Kaleva regains half guard.
Kaleva desperately trying to maintain half guard.
Kaleva wants to improve his position but Nelson is controlling well.
Nelson is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Kaleva moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Kaleva is trying to hold Nelson in close to prevent damage but Nelson has managed to pass into half guard.
Nelson moves into full mount! Kaleva won't be happy about that!
Nelson can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Kaleva is looking to escape.
Kaleva working to try and regain half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kaleva wants to control but Nelson is having none of it.
Nelson scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Kaleva?
Kaleva really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Nelson thowing shots but they're missing.
Kaleva is trying to escape the mount.
Kaleva is working hard here to advance position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kaleva tries to hold on but Nelson postures up.
Kaleva is trying to escape the mount.
Nelson putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Kaleva regains half guard.
Nelson has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Nelson landing punches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nelson fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Nelson scoring with strikes but Kaleva is staying in there.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Kaleva keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Kaleva is bucking up trying to escape but Nelson cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Kaleva squirming around on the bottom, looking to escape.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Nelson prevents Kaleva from getting the reversal.
Kaleva tries to lock up and control but Nelson gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.

Nelson has hold of Kaleva's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Kaleva manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Skyler Nelson showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! And we move into the final round!

Nelson shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Kaleva sprawls well. Kaleva wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Nelson gets slowly back to his feet.
Kaleva closes this distance looking for a takedown but Nelson circles away.

Nelson clinches up with Kaleva and pushes him back against the cage.

Nelson manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.

Nelson looking for a guillotine here but Kaleva defends easily.
Kaleva chips away with some ground and pound.
Kaleva wants to control from the top but Nelson keeps moving.
Nelson takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kaleva postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Nelson keeping moving, preventing Kaleva from controlling successfully.
Kaleva works over Nelson with some ground and pound from guard.
Nelson keeping moving, preventing Kaleva from controlling successfully.
Nelson working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Kaleva.
Kaleva stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Nelson swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kaleva trying to control but Nelson is working from the bottom.

Nelson looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Kaleva passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Kaleva is looking to take a break and control but Nelson is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Nelson on the wrong end of some ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nelson is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Kaleva works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Nelson is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Kaleva asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Kaleva trying to control the action but Nelson is working from the bottom.
Nelson gives up the full mount - oops, sloppy defensive grappling there!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kaleva controlling from the full mount.
Nelson tries to reverse the position but Kaleva maintains control.
Nelson tries to control Kaleva's body but Kaleva pushes him off. Nelson squirms to his side and now Kaleva has his back!
Watch the back of the head! Comes the shout from the referee towards Kaleva.
Kaleva is punishing Nelson with strikes - can he finish him?!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Nelson is taking damage to the body and head.

Nelson fending off the submission attempt from Kaleva.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tommi Kaleva showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Kaleva has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 29:28
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 29:28
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tommi Kaleva!