PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Mikko Neva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gomi Bakanori (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Bakanori has chosen Robinson as his entrance music. Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Neva
vs
Bakanori

176 cm
18
160 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

172 cm
21
155 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Good in bed

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Powerful

CEC Nutrition Q159 (*$75*)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Mikko Neva!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Gomi Bakanori!
The judges for this bout are Tarja Halkonen, Anni Minnemäki and Roosa Järviläinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Bakanori thuds a left hand into Neva's body.
Bakanori lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Bakanori scores with the left hand. Neva knows he should have avoided that one.
Bakanori throws a hook to the side of Neva's head but Neva sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.

Bakanori waves his right hand out in front of him, looking to distract Neva. Oh, he's unloaded a beast of a left hand - it worked! He's dropped Neva to the canvas! Can he finish him!?

Neva is rocked!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Neva had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Bakanori defends it easily.
Oh Neva is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!

Bakanori drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Neva dives on top into guard.
Bakanori looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Neva seems to have got his legs back now.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Neva accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Bakanori really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Neva. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Bakanori trying to control the position here.
Neva slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Bakanori is looking to regain half guard here but Neva keeps moving and retains side control.

Neva tries for a kimura but Bakanori is defending well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bakanori wants to control but Neva postures up.
Bakanori is looking to regain half guard here but Neva keeps moving and retains side control.

Neva decides to stand back up. Neva steps back and let's Bakanori get back to his feet.
Bakanori fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Bakanori lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Neva fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Bakanori avoids it really well and circles away.
Neva moves out of range as Bakanori strikes.
Neva avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Bakanori closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Bakanori misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Neva gets a takedown into half guard.
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!
Neva trying to control the action but Bakanori is working from the bottom.
Bakanori is controlling Neva's trapped leg to prevent Neva from advancing to side control.
Neva trying to control from half guard but Bakanori is working away.
Bakanori works his way to full guard. Good work.
Bakanori 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.
Bakanori is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Bakanori is controlling Neva's posture.
Bakanori is trying to control the position from the bottom.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Neva is trying hard to land a takedown here. Bakanori sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bakanori displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Neva.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mikko Neva. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Bakanori slaps away a takedown attempt from Neva, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Nice takedown defense from Bakanori. No joy for Neva on that attempt.
Neva on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Neva has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Bakanori finds it's way round the side to connect with Neva's head.
Neva shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Bakanori pinned against the cage. Bakanori gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Neva is breathing heavily.

Bakanori catches Neva napping and connects with a big right hand that sends Neva to the canvas!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Bakanori has gone for a leg lock! Neva slips out almost immediately though and dives into Bakanori's guard.
Bakanori trying to control the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Bakanori looking for a guillotine here but Neva defends easily.
Neva postures up.
Bakanori tries to land a sweep but no joy.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Neva trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

Neva postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Bakanori is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Neva, into his guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gomi Bakanori dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Neva drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Neva walks straight into a right hand from Bakanori - that's dropped him! Bakanori jumps into mount and starts pounding away - can he finish?! More strikes go undefended and the referee has to dive in to save Neva from any more punishment! Neva complains about the stoppage but falls over as he tries to stand back up, so it was clearly a good stoppage.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:23 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Punches). Gomi Bakanori!
After winning the bout, Gomi Bakanori thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.