PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Rami Ilotalo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jon Thorsen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Jon Thorsen is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Ilotalo
vs
Thorsen

165 cm
18
159 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

168 cm
22
165 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Self confident

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Determined

Dark Knight Design
Dark Knight Design

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 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Rami Ilotalo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Jon Thorsen!
The judges for this bout are Matti Vanhoillinen, Johanna Lukiainen and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Ilotalo scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Ilotalo working to pass to mount. He's got his hand pressing down on Thorsen's thigh. Thorsen counters though and makes it back to full guard.
Thorsen preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Ilotalo postures up in Thorsen's guard and throws a big left but Thorsen blocks it.
Ilotalo in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Ilotalo accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Ilotalo controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Ilotalo throws a strike but Thorsen rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Thorsen gets to his feet. Ilotalo looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!

Ilotalo drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Ilotalo thows a big elbow that misses.
Ilotalo pushing down on Thorsen's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Ilotalo lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Ilotalo winds up and cracks Thorsen with a swinging punch to the side of the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ilotalo looks to land a strike but Thorsen avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
Ilotalo throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Thorsen works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Ilotalo is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Ilotalo trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

Ilotalo stands up and waves to Thorsen to follow him.

Ilotalo feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Thorsen working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Ilotalo.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ilotalo landing with the ground and pound.
Ilotalo working some strikes from top position.

Ilotalo gets to his feet - Thorsen follows without any prompting.
Thorsen tries to clinch but Ilotalo is having none of it.
Thorsen looks gassed!

Thorsen gets caught flat footed, as Ilotalo shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Ilotalo is stalling in the full guard.

Ilotalo stands and steps away. Thorsen gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ilotalo shoots in looking for a takedown. Thorsen tries to sprawl out of it but Ilotalo keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Thorsen manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Thorsen stuffs the takedown attempt from Ilotalo. Ilotalo gets slowly back to his feet.
Thorsen lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.

Ilotalo scores with a takedown into Thorsen's guard.
Ilotalo with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Thorsen avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rami Ilotalo dominated that round.
That's time! Ilotalo's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Ilotalo closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Ilotalo lands in his opponent's guard.
Ilotalo wants to control from the top but Thorsen keeps moving.

Ilotalo gets to his feet - Thorsen follows without any prompting.

Ilotalo closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Thorsen on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Ilotalo looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Thorsen with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Thorsen is breathing heavily.
Ilotalo landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ilotalo takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Thorsen is not content to let Ilotalo control the position.
Ilotalo is looking for the mount but instead finds himself back in full guard.
Ilotalo trying to control the position from guard on top but Thorsen is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Ilotalo working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Thorsen's head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.

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

Ilotalo closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Ilotalo works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Thorsen is working to avoid the ground and pound but Ilotalo connects with a decent elbow.
Ilotalo moves into full mount!
Thorsen wants to try and get back to his feet.
A nice elbow there by Ilotalo.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ilotalo dominating with strikes here.
Ilotalo landing shots from mount.
Ilotalo unloads with some shots from mount but Thorsen bucks and avoids them well.
Ilotalo lands with some strikes.
Ilotalo landing punches.
Ilotalo fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Ilotalo wants to control the pace but Thorsen is squirming around nicely.
Ilotalo scores with a couple of good head shots there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ilotalo connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Rami Ilotalo overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Ilotalo landing strikes, looking to finish!
Ilotalo with shots to the head and body - Thorsen looks very uncomfortable down there.
Ilotalo scoring with strikes but Thorsen is staying in there.

Thorsen is rocked!
Ilotalo working the ground and pound effectively.
Thorsen is still in real trouble! Can Ilotalo finish him?
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
A nice elbow there by Ilotalo.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rami Ilotalo dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Ilotalo closes the distance and clinches up with Thorsen, looking for a takedown. Ilotalo pushes Thorsen against the cage but Thorsen circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Thorsen seems to have recovered his senses.
The fighters circling - Ilotalo throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Thorsen doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Ilotalo counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Thorsen's guard now.
Ilotalo lands a couple of elbows.
Thorsen has momentary wrist control but Ilotalo slips an elbow through the middle.
Ilotalo is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Ilotalo is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Thorsen can do to turn this around?
Ilotalo advances position into side control!
Thorsen takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Ilotalo stands up and we're back to a striking position.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Ilotalo scores a takedown into full mount!
Ilotalo in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Thorsen should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
Ilotalo with the ground and pound from mount.
Ilotalo unloading with bombs!
Ilotalo lands a big shot there that rocks Thorsen but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Ilotalo fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Thorsen is working to get back to half guard.
Ilotalo scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Ilotalo pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Ilotalo is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Thorsen takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Ilotalo unloading with bombs!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Ilotalo lands a nice shot to the head.
Thorsen wants to control but Ilotalo is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ilotalo cracks Thorsen with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Ilotalo tries to control but Thorsen wriggling away.
Ilotalo with good strikes from the mount here!
Ilotalo lands with some strikes.
Ilotalo is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Thorsen can't stay in a position like this for much longer.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The referee warns Thorsen that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Ilotalo connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Ilotalo breaks from Thorsen's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Ilotalo is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Thorsen can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Thorsen in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Ilotalo breaks from Thorsen's wrist control and lands an elbow.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Ilotalo scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Jon Thorsen has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Ilotalo cracks Thorsen with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rami Ilotalo showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Ilotalo, 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 Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 30:25
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 30:25
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 30:25

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rami Ilotalo!