PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Anti Hero (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jaska Raatikainen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Hero might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Dj Nosferatu - When Angels Cry. Raatikainen has chosen Are you dead yet as his entrance music. I'm sure you'll be fascinated to know that I was talking to some pointless Z list celebrity before the fight and he thought that Jaska Raatikainen was going to win. Let's see if he was right.

Hero
vs
Raatikainen

165 cm
19
140 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

162 cm
19
145 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Great elbows
Cuts easily

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

TFP Graphics - Pit Inc

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Anti Hero!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Jaska Raatikainen!
The judges for this bout are Marco Blurström, Roosa Järviläinen and Johanna Lukiainen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Raatikainen looks to score with a jab to the body but Hero is just out of range.
Hero throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Raatikainen moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
A looping hook to the body misses from Hero. Raatikainen does a little dance to reset his feet.
Raatikainen thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Hero if he has to take too many more of those.
Raatikainen connects with a solid leg kick.
Raatikainen staying out of range there.
Raatikainen takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Hero leaves Raatikainen with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Hero misses with a head kick.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Raatikainen scores with a kick to the body.
Hero throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Raatikainen stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Hero misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Raatikainen.
Raatikainen throws a leg kick which misses Hero's front leg but catches the back leg as Hero tries to avoid it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hero slips a jab and a cross from Raatikainen.
Hero clobbers Raatikainen with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Hero takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Raatikainen lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.
Hero throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Anti Hero is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Raatikainen fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
A punch lands to the side of Raatikainen 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Raatikainen fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Hero looks for the body kick but Raatikainen saw that one coming.
Raatikainen drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Raatikainen misses with a series of wild punches.
Hero misses with an uppercut. Raatikainen saw that one coming.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Raatikainen avoids the head kick by Hero.
Raatikainen wants to land a leg kick but Hero is out of range.
Hero checks a leg kick.
Hero takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Raatikainen connects with a solid leg kick.
Raatikainen misses with a kick to the body.
Hero waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Raatikainen.
Anti Hero seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Raatikainen scores with a leg kick.
Raatikainen ducks right into an uppercut from Hero.
Hero throws a jab when Raatikainen was well out of range.
The fighters circling - Hero throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Raatikainen throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hero misses with a low kick.
Hero misses with an attempted mid kick.
Hero misses with a looping right.
Raatikainen tried to score with a low kick but Hero checks it.
Raatikainen misses with a low kick.
Raatikainen misses with a body kick.
Raatikainen misses with a leg kick
and Hero counters with a body kick.
Raatikainen throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Raatikainen throws a leg kick but Hero moved away.
Raatikainen slips under a jab.
Hero misses with an uppercut
and Raatikainen counters with a nice body kick.
Hero lands a head kick!
Hero blocks a head kick by Raatikainen.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hero throws a head kick that misses
and Raatikainen counters with a thumping low kick.
Raatikainen avoids the body shot from Hero.
Hero misses with a body shot
and Raatikainen counters with a slapping leg kick.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Raatikainen throws a half hearted mid kick.
Hero scoring well with a low kick there.
Raatikainen attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Raatikainen explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.
Hero will be looking to protect his midsection after taking some solid kicks to the body.
Raatikainen throws out a leg kick but Hero moves out of range and Raatikainen only half commits.
Raatikainen misses with an attempted mid kick.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Raatikainen uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Hero.
Raatikainen tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Hero fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Raatikainen has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jaska Raatikainen dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Raatikainen lets loose with a powerful body kick. Hero will feel that in the morning.
Hero has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Raatikainen.
Hero lands with a nice body punch.
That kick from Raatikainen tenderised Hero's leg. Hero is trying to keep his angry face on.
Raatikainen tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Raatikainen slips a jab from Hero.
Raatikainen uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Hero.
Raatikainen keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Raatikainen throws a wild body kick that Hero sees coming a mile off.
Raatikainen shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Hero checks a low kick from Raatikainen.
Good work by Hero as he checks the leg kick.
Hero throws a sloppy body shot
and Raatikainen counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Hero is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Hero is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A solid leg kick lands there for Raatikainen.
Hero ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Raatikainen moves away.
Hero blocks a head kick by Raatikainen.
Hero goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Raatikainen throws a nice inside leg kick.
Raatikainen tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Hero goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Raatikainen takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Raatikainen is looking to land body kicks.
Hero misses with a wild body shot.
Raatikainen throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Raatikainen lands a nice leg kick that just misses Hero's sensitive parts.
Raatikainen attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Raatikainen throws a sloppy head kick and Hero moves out of range easily.
Raatikainen tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Hero throws a sloppy head kick
and Raatikainen connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Hero avoids a kick to the body.
Hero tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Raatikainen lands with a thumping leg kick.
Jaska Raatikainen seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Hero tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Raatikainen was well out of range. Poor timing from Hero.
Hero moves out of range of the strikes.
Hero throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Hero misses the shot to the body.
Raatikainen fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Hero manages to avoid it.
Hero throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Raatikainen sees it coming and avoids it easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
An inside leg kick from Raatikainen misses.
Hero misses with the combination.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Raatikainen.
Hero throws a right and a left that Raatikainen avoids nicely.
Crunch! Hero slams his shin into Raatikainen's torso.
Raatikainen throws a body kick that misses.
Raatikainen scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Raatikainen lands with a slapping head kick.

It looks like Anti Hero has been cut.
Both fighters circling a little - Raatikainen finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Raatikainen throws a head kick that misses.
Hero throws a head kick that misses
and Raatikainen counters with a leg kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hero swings for the body but Raatikainen moves out of range.
Hero's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Raatikainen connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Hero scrambles back to his feet.
Hero swings and misses with a hook to the body.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Hero misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Hero stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Raatikainen.
Hero checks a leg kick.
Hero throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Raatikainen moves out of range of the body kick.
Raatikainen avoids the head kick by Hero.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Raatikainen misses with a low kick.
Raatikainen feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Hero's calf.
Hero scores with a head kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jaska Raatikainen showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Anti Hero's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Raatikainen misses with a low kick.
Raatikainen dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Hero. That did some damage!
Raatikainen looks to land a body kick but Hero moved away.
Hero misses with a straight right.
Hero throws a predictable looking body shot
and Raatikainen counters with a slapping leg kick.
Hero misses with a wild body shot.
Raatikainen dives in and grabs Hero's left leg, looking for a takedown. Hero pushes down on Raatikainen's head and hops out.
Raatikainen will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Raatikainen goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Hero fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Raatikainen misses with a hook to the body
and Hero counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Hero looks to land a body kick but Raatikainen moved away.
Raatikainen swings and misses with a hook to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Raatikainen thows a leg kick but Hero checks it
and Hero makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. Raatikainen really felt that one!
Raatikainen misses with a takedown attempt - Hero sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Raatikainen takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Hero lands a nice shot to the body.
Raatikainen is looking to land body kicks.
Hero blocks a head kick by Raatikainen.
Raatikainen looks to land a body kick but Hero moved away.
Hero misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Raatikainen throws a front kick that sends Hero stumbling back into the cage.
Hero throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Raatikainen tries to bum rush Hero with a series of wild strikes but Hero uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Hero takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hero throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Hero is looking to land body kicks.
Hero looks to score with a jab to the body but Raatikainen is just out of range.
Raatikainen looks for the body kick but Hero saw that one coming.
Hero avoids the head kick by Raatikainen.
Hero throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Hero throws a chopping leg kick but Raatikainen manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Hero throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Raatikainen lands with a shot to the body.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Raatikainen chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Raatikainen lands with a slapping head kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Raatikainen misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Raatikainen pivots, looking for a leg kick but Hero is out of range and Raatikainen settles back down.
Raatikainen lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Raatikainen throws an overhand right that lands on Hero's shoulder, as Hero tries to avoid the shot.
Hero tries a head kick but it misses.
Raatikainen fakes the leg kick and cracks Hero in the body.
Raatikainen displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Hero throws out the jab.
Good leg kick by Hero there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Hero sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Raatikainen steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Hero.
Hero stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Raatikainen.
Hero misses the body punch
and Raatikainen counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Hero thinking.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hero misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Raatikainen.
Hero throws a body punch but Raatikainen moves out of range.
Raatikainen connects with an inside leg kick.
Hero takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Raatikainen feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Hero's calf.
Anti Hero has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Hero misses with a body punch
and Raatikainen counters with a straight right hand.
Hero misses with a straight right.
Good exchange - Raatikainen coming out on top.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Hero chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Raatikainen can pounce on him.
Hero scores with a jab to the head.
Hero misses with a body punch
and Raatikainen counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jaska Raatikainen comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Raatikainen has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Marco Blurström scores the fight 27:30
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 27:30
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jaska Raatikainen!
An out of breath Jaska Raatikainen thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.