PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Esa Tikkanen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Johnny Caj (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Esa Tikkanen is staring across the cage at his opponent, tweaking his nipples... Tweaking his own nipples that is.

Tikkanen
vs
Caj

150 cm
19
135 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

155 cm
22
130 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

Good takedowns
Brawler
Self confident

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Likes ground

Attliction Inc. - badass sold out last night....

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Esa Tikkanen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Johnny Caj!
The judges for this bout are Sosuke Kotani, Kenichi Hosakawa and Shigeki Sano.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Tikkanen doesn't manage to clinch there - Caj circles away.
Caj slips under a jab.
Caj keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
A jab from Tikkanen misses.
Caj tries to clinch but Tikkanen moves out of range.
Tikkanen thows a body shot but no joy.
Caj checks a low kick from Tikkanen.

Tikkanen scores a takedown into full mount!
Tikkanen takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Caj tries to hold on but Tikkanen pushes him away.
Caj is working to get back to half guard.
Tikkanen looking to control and managing it successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Caj tries to hold on but Tikkanen postures up.
Caj is in all sorts of trouble here.
Tikkanen takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Tikkanen has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
Caj wants to hold on but Tikkanen pushes him away.

Tikkanen is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Caj has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Caj!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

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.
Tikkanen is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Tikkanen has Caj pulled in close to control his posture.
Tikkanen controls Caj momentarily but Caj frees himself.

Tikkanen looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

Caj decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Tikkanen, up you get!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Tikkanen closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Caj manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Caj flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Tikkanen controlling the pace.
Tikkanen wants to pass to mount but Caj is defending the position.
Tikkanen is breathing heavily.
Caj is trying to get back to full guard.
Caj punching from the bottom.
Tikkanen tries to pass the half guard into mount. Caj knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Tikkanen is trying to work for a kimura. He's got his hands clasped together - this could be trouble! No, Caj has managed to free his arm - good work.
Caj makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Caj.
Caj is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Caj being controlled here, momentarily.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Tikkanen postures up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Esa Tikkanen dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Tikkanen looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Caj!
Tikkanen controlling from mount.
Caj tries to hold on but Tikkanen pushes him away.
Tikkanen controlling from mount.
Caj is looking to get to half guard.
Tikkanen controlling from mount.
Tikkanen seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Caj for as long as he can get away with.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tikkanen lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Caj hang on?
Caj is bucking up trying to escape but Tikkanen cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Caj regains half guard.
Caj is breathing heavily.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Caj is looking to get back to full guard here but Tikkanen has managed to pass to side control instead.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tikkanen content just to control the position here.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Esa Tikkanen just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Tikkanen pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Tikkanen scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Caj being controlled for a moment.
Tikkanen scoring with punches from side control.
Tikkanen advances nicely into full mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tikkanen controlling from mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Tikkanen's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Esa Tikkanen just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Caj is looking to clinch.
Tikkanen tries to clinch there but Caj circles away.
Tikkanen tries to clinch up.
Tikkanen throws a half hearted mid kick.

Tikkanen looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Tikkanen forces his way into half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Esa Tikkanen dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Caj tries to clinch but Tikkanen moves out of range.
Tikkanen swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Tikkanen is looking to score with low kicks.
Caj lands with a nice body kick.
Tikkanen looks to land a right hand but Caj moved out of range.

Tikkanen looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Caj!
Tikkanen controlling from mount.
Tikkanen wants to control the pace but Caj is squirming around nicely.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tikkanen has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Caj's face.
Tikkanen controlling from mount.
Caj tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Caj is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Tikkanen controlling from the full mount.
Caj is wriggling around trying to escape.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Caj sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Tikkanen looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.

Caj is defending against the submission attempts here by Tikkanen.
Tikkanen trying to advance position but Caj counters by regaining guard.
Caj keeping full guard, as Tikkanen tries to pass.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tikkanen is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Caj wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Tikkanen is now in half guard.
Caj holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.
Tikkanen with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Tikkanen blocks the strikes from Caj.

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.
Tikkanen controlling the action here.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Esa Tikkanen just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.

Tikkanen changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Caj looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Caj taking punishment in the form of punches.
Caj is trying to get back to half guard.
Caj trying his best to control but Tikkanen has mounted him.
Caj keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Tikkanen trying to control but Caj is having none of it.
Caj is looking to get to half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Esa Tikkanen showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Tikkanen, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 30:27
Judge Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 30:27
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Esa Tikkanen!