PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Olli Jokinen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Armas Kuusisto (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Jokinen comes to the cage accompanied by Prodigy - Poison. Kuusisto is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: System of a down - Chop Suey. 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.

Jokinen
vs
Kuusisto

183 cm
32
185 lbs
26 - 8 - 1

179 cm
31
192 lbs
20 - 6 - 1

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Lethal high kicks
Good gas tank

Milwaukee's Best 159's - $75
SPARTA FIGHTWARE-GTI

Conviction

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 26 - 8 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Olli Jokinen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 20 - 6 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Armas Kuusisto!
The judges for this bout are Fedor Mirinova, Viktor Lagutenko and Aleksei Zolotukhin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Jokinen looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Kuusisto throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Jokinen lands with an uppercut that bounces Kuusisto off the cage and back into range.
Jokinen avoids the body shot from Kuusisto.
A jab from Kuusisto finds it's way through Jokinen's defenses.
Jokinen throws a left and a right that both miss
and Kuusisto counters with an outside leg kick.

Kuusisto drives through with a takedown into Jokinen's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Kuusisto looking to pass the guard.
Jokinen looking for a sweep. Not yet Jokinen, not yet.
Jokinen is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Kuusisto tries to free his leg and advance position but Jokinen is retaining full guard.
Jokinen is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Kuusisto wants to control from the top but Jokinen keeps moving.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jokinen is looking to sweep but instead, Kuusisto has passed into half guard.

Kuusisto is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Kuusisto throwing shots but Jokinen is blocking nicely.
Kuusisto is trying to control the action in half guard but Jokinen is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Jokinen slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Kuusisto is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Jokinen is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Jokinen controlling the pace.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kuusisto desperately trying to maintain half guard.
Kuusisto is trying to get back to full guard.
Jokinen keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Kuusisto is looking to improve his position.
Jokinen content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!

We're going to have a standup here because Olli Jokinen wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Kuusisto throws a low kick but Jokinen avoids it.
Kuusisto throws a half hearted mid kick.
Jokinen fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Kuusisto has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Jokinen forces Kuusisto back against the cage and clinches.
Jokinen lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Kuusisto stalling in the clinch but Jokinen improves position.
Knees in the clinch landing for Jokinen.
Kuusisto is trying to break the clinch but Jokinen is controlling him.
Jokinen pushes Kuusisto back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Jokinen misses with an elbow strike.
Jokinen with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Kuusisto tries to land a knee to the head but Jokinen blocks with his arms.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Jokinen misses with a body punch.
A right handed body shot lands from Jokinen.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Jokinen lands a nice elbow from the clinch.

It looks like Armas Kuusisto has been cut.
Jokinen lands an elbow that stopped Kuusisto in his tracks for a moment.
Kuusisto lands a right hand.
Jokinen gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Jokinen blocks a body shot from Kuusisto.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Jokinen as Kuusisto tries to tie him up.
Kuusisto struggles to land a body shot inside as Jokinen controls his hands.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Jokinen gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Kuusisto.
Jokinen lands a nice knee to the body.
Jokinen with a knee to the head.
A left hand lands to the body for Jokinen.
Kuusisto is trying to stall.
Jokinen is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Kuusisto is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Kuusisto misses with some punches.
Jokinen landing some nice looking knees to the body.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Jokinen throws an elbow but it misses.
Kuusisto managing to block the knees to the body from Jokinen.
Kuusisto tries for a takedown but Jokinen manages to get underhooks.
Kuusisto lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Jokinen softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Olli Jokinen dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Armas Kuusisto's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Kuusisto throws a body kick the misses
and Jokinen makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Kuusisto throws a body punch but Jokinen moves out of range.
Kuusisto swings for the body but Jokinen moves out of range.
Jokinen checks a low kick from Kuusisto.
Kuusisto throws a leg kick which misses Jokinen's front leg but catches the back leg as Jokinen tries to avoid it.
Armas Kuusisto seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Jokinen lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Jokinen.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Jokinen.
Kuusisto stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Jokinen.
Jokinen's jab looks to have found its range, popping Kuusisto under the eye.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Kuusisto attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Kuusisto takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Jokinen blocks a head kick by Kuusisto.
Kuusisto tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Jokinen swivels and escapes.
Jokinen throws a nice outside leg kick.
Jokinen misses with a body kick.
Olli Jokinen is winning the standup battle so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kuusisto chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Jokinen can pounce on him.

Jokinen has managed to clinch.
Jokinen comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Jokinen throws a knee to the head but misses.
Jokinen lands a knee to the head.
Jokinen misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Kuusisto.
Jokinen tries to land knees in the clinch but Kuusisto avoids the damage to the body.
Kuusisto avoiding damage as Jokinen throws knees to the body.
Kuusisto is trying to stall.
Jokinen creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Kuusisto's defenses.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Kuusisto wants to break the clinch but can't.
Kuusisto avoids a wild elbow strike from Jokinen.
Kuusisto is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Nice body punch from Jokinen.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Jokinen is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Kuusisto is defending well for now.
Kuusisto is looking to take this one to the mat.
Kuusisto misses with a punch on the inside.
Kuusisto managing to block the knees to the body from Jokinen.
Kuusisto tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Jokinen's elbow.
Jokinen throws an elbow but it misses.
Jokinen lands an elbow inside that Kuusisto shrugs off.

That has opened up Armas Kuusisto's cut even more.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Kuusisto is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Jokinen gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Olli Jokinen has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Armas Kuusisto.
Kuusisto tries to pull guard but Jokinen holds him up against the cage and eventually Kuusisto drops back down to his feet.
Jokinen lands an uppercut.

Kuusisto's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Kuusisto takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Jokinen slaps away a takedown attempt from Kuusisto, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Kuusisto wants to slow Jokinen down by chopping away at his legs.
Kuusisto steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Jokinen. That one must have hurt.
Kuusisto is breathing heavily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jokinen sizes up Kuusisto with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Kuusisto swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Kuusisto throws out a leg kick but Jokinen moves out of range and Kuusisto only half commits.
Kuusisto takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Jokinen lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Kuusisto thows a leg kick but Jokinen checks it
and Kuusisto takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
A low kick from Kuusisto misses
and Jokinen counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Kuusisto is lucky that one didn't land flush.

The cut above Armas Kuusisto's eye is starting to cause him problems now.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Kuusisto fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Jokinen avoids it really well and circles away.
Jokinen scores with a push kick.
Jokinen lands a nice looking kick to the body. Kuusisto takes a step back to recover.
Kuusisto takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Kuusisto misses with a wild body shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kuusisto throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Jokinen fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Jokinen avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Kuusisto looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Jokinen plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!

Armas Kuusisto's cut is absolute horrible now. This looks like something out of a horror film with blood covering both fighters.
Jokinen throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Jokinen feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Kuusisto's calf.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Jokinen.
Jokinen feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Kuusisto's calf.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
A slapping body kick lands there for Jokinen.
Jokinen scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Jokinen connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Kuusisto misses with a straight left.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Olli Jokinen dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Armas Kuusisto's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Kuusisto takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Jokinen staying out of range there.
Nice sprawl there from Jokinen as Kuusisto shoots in.
Kuusisto misses with a kick to the body.
Kuusisto thows a body shot but no joy.
A combination from Kuusisto does no damage.
Jokinen with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Kuusisto takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Kuusisto takes a head kick and keeps coming.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Kuusisto takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Decent striking displayed by Jokinen there.

The referee calls the doctor in to look at Armas Kuusisto's cut. Oh no, the doctor has called an end to the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:51 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Cut). Olli Jokinen!
During a confident post fight interview, Olli Jokinen thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.