PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Rikki Tavarius (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Andrus Laane (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Tavarius kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is It Dont Come Easy. Laane comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Akon - Never Gonna Get It kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! This should be fireworks!

Tavarius
vs
Laane

186 cm
33
201 lbs
19 - 16 - 0

193 cm
26
191 lbs
7 - 14 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Very quick

Good wrestler
World class 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 19 - 16 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Rikki Tavarius!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 14 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Andrus Laane!
The judges for this bout are Tatsuya Matsuyama, Hirohito Nitta and Shigeki Fujiwara.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Laane's corner calls for a 1-2. Laane obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.

Tavarius gets a double leg takedown into Laane's guard.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Tavarius wants to control from the top but Laane keeps moving.
Laane wants to stand but Tavarius is controlling the position.
Tavarius is standing up over Laane. Laane looks to escape but Tavarius dives into side control.
Laane tries to wriggle free to get back to his feet but he's given up his back! Oops.
Laane is trying to get back to his feet but he's not managed it yet.
Tavarius is controlling the position but Laane somehow manages to roll and ends up with half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Laane wants to get back to his feet.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Laane can do anything to dispel that myth.
Tavarius wants to take a breather but Laane is having none of it.
Laane is trying to stand.
Tavarius not doing much here.
Laane is trying to stand up here but Tavarius is controlling him well.
Tavarius is looking to advance position but Laane won't allow it.
Laane looks like he's trying to stand up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tavarius with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Rikki Tavarius.
Laane lands a nice looking body shot.
Tavarius dodges the punch combination from Laane.
Tavarius takes a swing at Laane's ribcage but misses.
Tavarius uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Laane.
Andrus Laane seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Laane rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Tavarius moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Sloppy strikes from Laane. Those never looked like landing.
Laane doesn't manage to clinch there - Tavarius circles away.
Tavarius tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Laane swivels and escapes.
Tavarius throws a body punch but Laane moves out of range.
Tavarius throws a looping overhand right but Laane ducks down to avoid it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Laane just misses with a punch to the body.
Tavarius shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Laane defends it nicely.
Laane throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Laane walks into a stiff left hand from Tavarius.
Tavarius avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
A big left from Tavarius misses.
The fighters circling - Laane throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Laane tries to clinch but Tavarius is having none of it.
Laane wants to clinch but Tavarius slips to the side

so Tavarius counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Laane wants to stand but Tavarius is controlling the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Laane is looking to stand back up... there's a bit of a scramble and Tavarius dives into side control.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Laane pushes Tavarius away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Tavarius gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Tavarius just content to control the position.
Tavarius wants to lay and pray for a moment but Laane keeps working.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Laane tries to get back to his feet but has found himself mounted instead. Damn, that's gotta suck.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Rikki Tavarius will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Tavarius scores with a leg kick.
Laane misses with a wild combination.
Laane throws a series of punches but Tavarius avoids them all with ease.
Laane throws a leg kick

so Tavarius counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Laane is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Laane is looking to stand back up but Tavarius counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Laane.
Laane is trying to stand back up but Tavarius is controlling him

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tavarius wants to take a breather but Laane is having none of it.
Laane felt the need to train up his defensive grappling in the buildup to the fight. Presumably he was expecting to be in a difficult position like this, so let's see if he can get out of it.
Laane wants to get back to his feet.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.

We're going to have a standup here because Rikki Tavarius wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Laane misses with a jab, cross combination.
Laane lets loose with a powerful body kick. Tavarius will feel that in the morning.
Laane looks to clinch

and Tavarius counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Tavarius trying to control the position from guard on top but Laane is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Tavarius is really struggling to control Laane but he's trying to hold on to the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
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!
Laane wants to stand and escape but Tavarius is having none of it.
Laane is using up a lot of energy trying to get back to his feet. Perhaps he should improve his position first.
Laane keeping moving, preventing Tavarius from controlling successfully.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Rikki Tavarius just wasn't active enough.
Laane's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Tavarius connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Laane scrambles back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Laane takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Laane misses with a combination

and Tavarius decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Laane's guard.
Tavarius is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Rikki Tavarius overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Laane wants to stand and escape but Tavarius is having none of it.
Tavarius trying to control the position from guard on top but Laane is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Tavarius content to stall in guard here.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Rikki Tavarius wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Tavarius keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Laane misses with a hook.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tavarius throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Laane throws the left hand but Tavarius avoids the punch easily.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Laane rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Tavarius moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Tavarius avoids the head kick by Laane.
Tavarius jabs Laane to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Laane lands an overhand right.
Tavarius circles away from the clinch attempt.
Laane throws a push kick but Tavarius slaps the foot to one side.
Laane misses with a straight left.
Laane slips under a jab.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Laane pushes Tavarius up against the cage in a clinch.
Laane is trying to break the clinch but Tavarius is controlling him.
Tavarius working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Tavarius lands a hook that snaps the head of Laane backwards.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rikki Tavarius dominated that second round.
That's time! Tavarius's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. And we move into the final round!

Laane misses with a series of wild punches.
Laane is looking to clinch but Tavarius is avoiding it.
Tavarius avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Laane throws a combination that misses

and Tavarius counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Tavarius.
Laane wants to stand but Tavarius is controlling the position.

Laane is scooting his butt against the cage and has managed to get back to his feet. Tavarius presses him back against the cage, presumably looking to take the fight back to the mat.
Laane looking to slow down the pace here.
A shot in the inside from Tavarius.
Laane is trying to stall.
Laane is looking to break free of the clinch but Tavarius has double underhooks.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Laane breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
A jab from Tavarius finds it's way through Laane's defenses.

Laane is rocked!
Laane misses with the combination.
Laane is still on wobbly legs! Can Tavarius finish him?
Laane throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Tavarius counters with a nice double leg into side control. Laane won't be happy with that.
Laane takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Tavarius in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Tavarius lands some shots froms side control.
Tavarius controls the position.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Tavarius tries to move into full mount but can't pass Laane's legs.
Tavarius controls the position.
Laane is pushing Tavarius's head away, looking to escape. Tavarius manages to hold on to the position though.
Laane bucks up and tries to throw Tavarius off but instead Tavarius has got his back!
A helpless look comes across Laane 's face. He knows he's trapped as Tavarius lands a series of unanswered strikes. The ref steps in to stop the fight and this one is in the books!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:59 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Rikki Tavarius!
Rikki Tavarius thanked the fans post fight for their support.