PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Kublai Congo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Antti Sokka (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Congo comes to the cage accompanied by Lil' Jamal - Genetic For Terror. Sokka has chosen Black Sun Aeon - Core of Winter as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Kublai Congo has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Congo
vs
Sokka

179 cm
28
199 lbs
21 - 10 - 0

185 cm
29
188 lbs
19 - 10 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

ADCC Champion
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

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 21 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Kublai Congo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 19 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Antti Sokka!
The judges for this bout are Roosa Järviläinen, Marco Blurström and Tarja Halkonen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sokka checks a low kick from Congo.
Congo cracks Sokka with an open hand slap.
A big right from Congo misses.
Sokka looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Congo connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Sokka walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Congo checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Sokka finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Congo is looking to chop away at Sokka's legs.
Congo throws a big shot that misses.
Congo stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Congo wants it to stay on the feet.
Congo throws a leg kick which misses Sokka's front leg but catches the back leg as Sokka tries to avoid it.
A shot to the body from Congo misses
and Sokka cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Congo misses the body punch
and Sokka counters with a low kick, right behind Congo 's knee.
Congo misses with a body shot
and Sokka counters with a thumping low kick.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Sokka on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Congo throws a hook but Sokka avoids it easily.
Sokka uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Congo.
Congo misses with a double jab
and Sokka counters with a low kick, right behind Congo 's knee.
Sokka misses with a leg kick

and Congo counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Congo.
Sokka keeping moving, preventing Congo from controlling successfully.
Sokka wants to sweep but no luck.
Sokka has his hands on Congo's head, controlling the position.
Congo is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Congo trying to control but Sokka is working from the bottom.
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!
Congo stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Sokka swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Congo throws a strike but Sokka rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Congo holds on and takes a little breather.
Sokka trying to control the position from guard on top but Congo is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sokka trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Congo manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!
Congo trying to control but Sokka is working from the bottom.
Sokka trying to keep a closed guard but Congo is proving a slippery customer.
Sokka keeping moving, preventing Congo from controlling successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Sokka throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Sokka keeping moving, preventing Congo from controlling successfully.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Sokka holds on and takes a little breather.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Kublai Congo.
Congo misses with an uppercut
and Sokka counters with a nice kick to the body.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Sokka on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Congo is looking to slow Sokka down with leg kicks.
Sokka uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Congo.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kublai Congo dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Congo throws a big shot that misses.
Congo throws a nice looking combination but Sokka bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Congo lands a really nice looking cross but Sokka seems unphased.
Congo has a takedown stuffed.
Congo ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Congo is looking to land body kicks.
Congo connects with a body shot that sends Sokka's belly button to the back.
Congo misses with a hook. Sokka ducked under it nicely.
Congo connects with the punch.
Sokka throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Congo ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Sokka moves away.
Sokka slips a jab and a cross from Congo.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sokka shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Congo as he avoids it easily.
Nice body kick from Sokka.
Jab, jab by Congo - just one landing.
Congo listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Kublai Congo seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Congo throws a jab but it's blocked by Sokka.
Crunch! Sokka slams his shin into Congo's torso.
Congo throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Sokka's waist but Sokka gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Congo off to one side.

Congo gets caught flat footed, as Sokka shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Sokka wants to pass the guard but Congo is keeping the position.
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!
Congo wants to sweep here but Sokka controlling him for the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sokka looking to pass the guard.
Sokka throws a big elbow that misses.
Congo keeping full guard, as Sokka tries to pass.
Congo looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Sokka pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Congo is keeping the position for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Sokka trying to control the position from guard on top but Congo is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Congo thows a body shot but no joy.
Kublai Congo is winning the standup battle so far.
Sokka throws a quick inside leg kick.
Congo fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Sokka manages to avoid it.
Congo misses with a lunging right hand
and Sokka connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Congo misses with an uppercut. Sokka saw that one coming.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Sokka enables Congo to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Sokka manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Congo has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Congo pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Sokka is keeping the position for now.
Sokka is trying to keep Congo in close.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Congo trying to control but Sokka is working from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Sokka has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Congo is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Sokka.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Congo throws an elbow but Sokka slips to the side and avoids it well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Kublai Congo will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Congo throws a body punch but Sokka moves out of range.
Horrible takedown by Sokka or perhaps it was just good defense by Congo which made him look bad.
Congo tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Sokka swivels and escapes.
Congo fails with the takedown.
Congo misses with a left hand
and Sokka counters with a low kick, right behind Congo 's knee.
Sokka fails to land the takedown.
Congo throws a lazy right hand but Sokka sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Sokka shoots for a takedown but Congo saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Kublai Congo has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Antti Sokka.
Congo swings for the body but Sokka moves out of range.
Sokka tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Congo misses with a wild combination.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Congo ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Sokka moves away.
Sokka shoots in and drives through. Congo sprawls well.
Sokka tries to clinch up but Congo circles away and keeps his distance.
Congo missing with a left hand there. Sokka was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Sokka keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Congo.
Sokka shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Congo sprawls well. Congo wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Sokka gets slowly back to his feet.
Congo has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Sokka.
A shot to the body from Congo misses
and Sokka finishes the little exchange by landing a big kick to the body.
Congo tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Antti Sokka has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sokka shoots in for a takedown but Congo shows good takedown defense.
Congo throws a leg kick but Sokka checks it.
Sokka tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Congo misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Sokka.
Sokka ducks under a wild hook from Congo.
Sokka looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
A lazy left from Congo finds it's target.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Sokka attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Sokka checks a low kick from Congo.
Congo tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Sokka was well out of range. Poor timing from Congo.
Sokka clobbers Congo with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Congo lands a head shot.
Congo will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Congo is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Sokka.
A combination from Congo does no damage.
Congo lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Sokka shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Congo pinned against the cage. Congo gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Congo is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Congo throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Congo throws a hook but Sokka avoids it easily.
Congo swings and misses with a hook to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Congo connects with a body shot that sends Sokka's belly button to the back.
Kublai Congo is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Congo cracks Sokka with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Congo throws a body punch but Sokka moves out of range.
Sokka throws a leg kick but Congo checks it.
Congo checks the leg kick.
Congo jabbing away but nothing is landing.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Sokka.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Congo tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Sokka swivels and escapes.
A nice inside leg kick there by Congo. That's going to slow Sokka down.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Congo tries for a takedown but Sokka sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Congo smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Congo blocks a head kick by Sokka.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Antti Sokka.
Well Congo has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 30:28
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 30:27
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Kublai Congo!