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PBP Commentary |
Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Sami Saari (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mark Whitehope (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both these guys have solid standup skills and neither is particularly fantastic on the ground, so let's hope for a nice standup war!
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| 170 cm
22
177 lbs
9 - 4 - 0 |
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179 cm
22
184 lbs
6 - 4 - 0 |
BJJ Purple Belt
World class boxer
Cardio machine |
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Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank |
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Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of
9 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Sami Saari!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of
6 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Mark Whitehope!
The judges for this bout are Saam Ante, Aafke Stam and Paul Aken.
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Saari fails with an attempt to clinch.
Whitehope tries to close the distance and clinch but Saari swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Saari misses with a few strikes there.
Whitehope keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Saari.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Saari listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Whitehope missing with a left hand there. Saari was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Whitehope tries to keep at a distance but Saari has taken the fight into the clinch.
Whitehope tries to score a body lock takedown but Saari shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Saari gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Whitehope.
Saari gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Whitehope.
Sami Saari has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mark Whitehope.
Whitehope breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Saari stuns Whitehope with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Saari jabs at Whitehope's body.
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!
A cross from Saari lands.
Saari fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Whitehope is looking to clinch.
Whitehope misses with a straight left.
Saari tries to close the distance and clinch but Whitehope swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
That's one minute gone in the round.
A swing and a miss from Saari.
Whitehope fails with an attempt to clinch.
Whitehope needs to keep his hands up - Saari had a free shot at his head there.
Whitehope uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Saari.
Saari connects with a right hand. Whitehope shakes it off.
Saari avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Whitehope has closed the distance and engaged Saari in a clinch.
Saari lands a shoulder strike.
Whitehope goes for a takedown attempt but Saari pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Saari swings for the body but Whitehope moves out of range.
Saari lands a glancing blow to the side of Whitehope's head.
Whitehope showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Saari.
Whitehope with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Saari to score with a decent uppercut.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Whitehope uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Saari.
Whitehope tries to bum rush Saari with a series of wild strikes but Saari uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Sloppy strikes from Saari. Those never looked like landing.
Whitehope tries to clinch but Saari is having none of it.
Saari moves out of range of the strikes.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Saari throws a right hand that misses
and Whitehope counters with an outside leg kick.
Whitehope throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Whitehope keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Saari throws a shot from downtown. Whitehope moves away and avoids it.
Whitehope tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Saari paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Whitehope wants to clinch.
Saari fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Whitehope manages to avoid it.
Saari misses the shot to the body.
Saari tries to clinch there but Whitehope circles away.
Saari looks to score with a jab to the body but Whitehope is just out of range.
Whitehope moves into the clinch successfully.
Saari misses with a short punch on the inside.
Whitehope has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Saari avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Whitehope drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Saari gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Whitehope stalls.
Whitehope gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Saari utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Whitehope must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Whitehope won't allow Saari to sweep him here.
Saari keeping moving, preventing Whitehope from controlling successfully.
Saari manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Whitehope manages to get himself to full guard.
Saari in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Saari forces his way into half guard.
Saari trying to mount his opponent but Whitehope defends it.
Whitehope tries to roll over but Saari keeps him under control.
Saari takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Saari is trying to control the action in half guard but Whitehope is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Whitehope looks like he's trying to stand up.
Whitehope 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.
Whitehope tries to get to full guard but Saari has control of the leg.
Saari is looking to take a break and control but Whitehope is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Sami Saari has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Saari feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Whitehopes jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Saari throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Whitehope is looking to clinch.
Whitehope looks to throw the jab but Saari is out of range.
Whitehope throws a nice looking combination but Saari bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Saari swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Whitehope throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Whitehope tries to clinch but Saari moves out of range.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Whitehope misses with a wild combination.
Whitehope misses with a series of wild punches.
Whitehope scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.
Sami Saari dominated that round.
That's time! Saari's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.
Nice shot lands for Saari.
Good standup being displayed there by Saari as he connects with a hook.
Saari thows a body shot but no joy.
Whitehope walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Saari scores with a jab to the jaw.
Saari lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Whitehope circles away quickly and effectively.
Whitehope rushes Saari and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Saari working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
It looks like Mark Whitehope has been cut.
Saari scores with a nice hook to the head.
Whitehope is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Saari pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Saari misses with a short punch on the inside.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Saari wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Whitehope has him pressed against the cage.
Whitehope tries for a takedown. No joy.
Whitehope lands an elbow inside that Saari shrugs off.
It looks like Sami Saari has been cut.
Saari is looking to control Whitehope's arms but Whitehope gets an underhook and turns him. Now Saari has his back to the cage.
Whitehope is trying to drag Saari to the mat but Saari just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Sami Saari has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mark Whitehope.
Saari misses with a punch on the inside.
Good body shot from Saari.
Saari doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
That's one minute gone in the round.
A right hand to the body from Saari.
Whitehope is breathing heavily.
Saari taking a breather.
Whitehope lands an uppercut.
Saari is trying to break the clinch but Whitehope is controlling him.
Whitehope drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Sami Saari has scored more points in the clinch so far.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Saari creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Saari blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Whitehope.
Whitehope is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. Saari can't fight it off and eventually Whitehope manages to take the fight to the floor. Saari looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Saari controls Whitehope momentarily but Whitehope frees himself.
Whitehope stops Saari from standing up.
Whitehope postures up in Saari's guard and throws a big left but Saari blocks it.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Saari wants to sweep but no luck.
Saari has his hands on Whitehope's head, controlling the position.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Whitehope postures up.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
The ref stands the fighters back up. Sami Saari wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Saari moves into the clinch.
Saari throws a head punch that misses.
Whitehope tries for a takedown. No joy.
Saari working aggressively here.
Whitehope is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Saari gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Saari lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Saari.
Whitehope blocking some punches.
Saari prevents the takedown attempt.
Saari lands an uppercut.
Saari lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Saari is leaning against Whitehope and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Whitehope has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Saari avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Saari's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Saari fails to land with a series of punches.
Saari tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Whitehope throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Saari misses with a body shot.
The fight stays on the outside here - Saari looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Saari throws a series of punches but Whitehope avoids them all with ease.
Saari connects with a good right hand that stumbles Whitehope. Whitehope circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Saari fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Whitehope, pushing him back against the cage.
Whitehope wants a takedown but no success here.
Saari wants to stall.
A right hook to the body lands for Saari.
Saari lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Whitehope backwards.
Saari is trying to maintain a safe position but Whitehope gets an underhook and turns Saari into the cage.
Whitehope tries for a takedown. No joy.
A short left from Saari.
Whitehope is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Saari pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Saari misses with a hook from the clinch.
Whitehope wants to break free but Saari has control.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Saari prevents the takedown attempt.
Whitehope tries to throw a body punch but Saari avoids it by throwing Whitehope back against the cage.
Saari lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Saari lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Whitehope is rocked!
Saari lands a right hand.
Whitehope is still on wobbly legs! Can Saari finish him?
Saari lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Whitehope's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Saari lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Saari is looking to control Whitehope's arms but Whitehope gets an underhook and turns him. Now Saari has his back to the cage.
Saari tries to throw a body punch but Whitehope avoids it by throwing Saari back against the cage.
Saari cracks Whitehope with a nice body shot.
Saari's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Saari throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
BOOM! Saari lands a beautiful left hook that drops Whitehope. Whitehope tries to recover but Saari is having none of it, landing more punishing shots from mount. One final crushing shot and Whitehope lies motionless on the canvas. The fight is over!
Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:39 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Sami Saari!
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| S |
C
A |
G |
S |
C
B |
G |
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S |
C |
G |
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energy
A | B |
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hype
A | B |
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pop
A | B |
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mgr
A | B |
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FIGHT
RATING
61% |
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