PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Keijo Richards (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Pekka Lipponen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Richards comes to the cage accompanied by Rolling Stones - Paint It Black. Lipponen has chosen Rainbow - Man on the Silver Mountain as his entrance music. Keijo Richards has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Richards
vs
Lipponen

210 cm
36
265 lbs
19 - 15 - 0

191 cm
35
272 lbs
25 - 15 - 1

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Excellent grappler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 19 - 15 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Keijo Richards!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 25 - 15 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Pekka Lipponen!
The judges for this bout are Matti Vanhoillinen, Roosa Järviläinen and Marco Blurström.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Richards lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Lipponen circles away quickly and effectively.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Lipponen.
Lipponen fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Richards.
Richards throws a right hand that misses
and Lipponen counters with a left to the body.
Richards lands with a kick to the temple. Lipponen shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"

It looks like Pekka Lipponen has been cut.
Lipponen scores with a crisp jab that stopped Richards in his tracks.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Lipponen checks a leg kick.
Richards thows a body kick. Lipponen tries to catch it but that hurt him.
Richards throws a solid leg kick but Lipponen takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Richards.

Lipponen shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Richards's guard.
Richards wants to stand but Lipponen is controlling the position.
Lipponen missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Richards working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Lipponen.
Richards pulls Lipponen in close to prevent any damage.
Lipponen passes into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Richards is trying is best to control the position here.
Lipponen wants to get back to his feet.
Richards is trying to stand back up but Lipponen is controlling him
Richards is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Lipponen's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Lipponen's back!
Richards throwing sloppy strikes.
Lipponen breaks Richards's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Richards wants to sweep here but Lipponen controlling him for the moment.
Richards is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Lipponen is controlling him.
Lipponen postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Richards is trying to control the position but Lipponen postures up.
Lipponen has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Lipponen stops Richards from standing up.
Richards looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Richards is working hard here to advance position.

Richards looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Richards managing to control the position.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Lipponen tries to free his leg and advance position but Richards is retaining full guard.
We've been hearing good reports from Richards's training camp. Apparently he has been rolling around with some good quality BJJ practitioners and has been sharpening his skills. Let's see if that has an impact on the fight today.
Richards trying to control the position.

Lipponen is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Richards is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Lipponen pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Richards is keeping the position for now.
Lipponen controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Lipponen looking to pass the guard.
Richards can't keep his opponent in guard - Lipponen advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Richards is looking to control Lipponen's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Richards avoid being mounted?
Lipponen passes to full mount!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Richards tries to lock up and control but Lipponen gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Lipponen scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Richards?
Richards is trying desperately to improve position.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Richards wants to try and get back to his feet.
Richards wants to hold on but Lipponen pushes him away.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Lipponen prevents Richards from getting the reversal.
Lipponen working the ground and pound effectively.
Richards is wriggling around trying to escape.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Pekka Lipponen will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Pekka Lipponen's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Richards avoids the body shot from Lipponen.
Lipponen on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
No joy there for Lipponen, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Richards throws a sloppy head kick and Lipponen moves out of range easily.
A jab from Richards misses.
Lipponen blocks the body kick.
Richards throws a head kick but Lipponen moves out of range.
Lipponen bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Richards tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Lipponen checks the leg kick nicely there.
Richards walks into a stiff left hand from Lipponen.

Richards is rocked!
Richards is holding his hands too far apart here. Lipponen throws a hard, straight punch right down the pipe and BOOM! Richards is out! That punch landed square on the jaw - what a shot!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:46 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Pekka Lipponen!
After the big win, Pekka Lipponen made sure to do all the important stuff like thanking his sponsors Perkele! and telling the interviewer how much he loves him.