PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Alexander Kuoppala (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Manu Tuilagi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Kuoppala's entrance music is Children of Bodom - Warheart. A fine choice. Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Kuoppala
vs
Tuilagi

181 cm
25
183 lbs
8 - 5 - 0

174 cm
26
175 lbs
14 - 6 - 0

Good wrestling
Great elbows
Granite chin

Excellent grappler
Good kicks
Good gas tank

Milwaukee's Best 160

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 8 - 5 - 0, fighting out of New York, Alexander Kuoppala!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 14 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Manu Tuilagi!
The judges for this bout are Lou da Vinci, Jorge Garcia and Eddie Farnsworth.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A lazy body kick from Kuoppala

and Tuilagi counters by moving into the clinch.
Tuilagi tries to stall but Kuoppala uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Kuoppala is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Kuoppala tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Kuoppala wants to break free but Tuilagi has control.
Tuilagi stalling against the cage.
Kuoppala is pushing Tuilagi up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Kuoppala gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Kuoppala lands with a short punch from the clinch.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Kuoppala takes a knee right on the jaw!
Tuilagi has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Kuoppala is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.

Tuilagi manages to break the clinch.
Tuilagi misses with a takedown attempt - Kuoppala sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kuoppala cracks Tuilagi with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Tuilagi throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Kuoppala misses with a low kick.
Tuilagi avoids a punch combination nicely.
Alexander Kuoppala seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Kuoppala throws a leg kick but Tuilagi sees it coming and moves out of range.
Kuoppala throws a low kick but Tuilagi avoids it.
Tuilagi throws a low kick but Kuoppala moves out of range easily.

Tuilagi fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Kuoppala to the ground. Tuilagi is now in Kuoppala's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kuoppala being controlled here, momentarily.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Tuilagi looking to sit in guard and control but Kuoppala gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Tuilagi pulls Kuoppala in close to prevent any damage.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Tuilagi wants to sweep here but Kuoppala controlling him for the moment.
Kuoppala stays in close to Tuilagi's body and controls the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tuilagi wants to control but Kuoppala passes easily into half guard.
The fighters are battling for position here. Tuilagi manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Tuilagi controls Kuoppala momentarily but Kuoppala frees himself.
Tuilagi is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kuoppala passes into half guard under a barage of strikes.
Tuilagi is trying to maintain the position but Kuoppala is very close to passing his half guard.
Kuoppala moves into side control, avoiding the strikes from Tuilagi.
Kuoppala is looking to take a break and control but Tuilagi is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Tuilagi is looking to reverse the position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Kuoppala controlling the position from side mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Manu Tuilagi dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Tuilagi throws a leg kick but Kuoppala checks it.
Tuilagi checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Tuilagi is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Kuoppala.
Tuilagi looks to throw a body kick
and Kuoppala counters with an outside leg kick.
Tuilagi tries to land a front kick but Kuoppala steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Tuilagi walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Tuilagi misses with a hook.
Kuoppala fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Tuilagi looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Tuilagi.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tuilagi just misses with a punch to the body.
Tuilagi checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Kuoppala connects with a crisp jab.
Tuilagi keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Kuoppala.
Tuilagi tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Tuilagi lands a nice leg kick that just misses Kuoppala's sensitive parts.
Tuilagi scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Kuoppala misses with a wild body shot.
Alexander Kuoppala is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Kuoppala fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Tuilagi misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A jab from Kuoppala misses.
Kuoppala misses with a looping left.
The fighters circling - Kuoppala throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Tuilagi takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Kuoppala wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Tuilagi throws a right hand that misses
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
A low kick from Kuoppala misses

and Tuilagi counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Tuilagi is just content to waste time from the top position. Kuoppala takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.
Tuilagi stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Kuoppala swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tuilagi wants to control from the top but Kuoppala keeps moving.
Tuilagi stopping the sweep attempt from Kuoppala.
Tuilagi stays in close to Kuoppala's body and controls the position.
Tuilagi throws an elbow that misses. Kuoppala uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Tuilagi's guard. Nice move by Kuoppala!
Manu Tuilagi has got the better of the ground game so far.
Tuilagi is trying to keep Kuoppala in close.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tuilagi is adopting a defensive guard.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
We've been hearing that Kuoppala has been drilling a lot of ground and pound in training, so let's see if he get the finish.
Tuilagi looking to hit a scissor sweep but Kuoppala is one step ahead there.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Manu Tuilagi hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Kuoppala misses with a few strikes there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Manu Tuilagi will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Kuoppala misses with a hook. Tuilagi ducked under it nicely.
Tuilagi throws a jab when Kuoppala was well out of range.
Kuoppala slaps away a takedown attempt from Tuilagi, before circling back to the center of the mat.
A head kick misses from Tuilagi.
Tuilagi avoids the body shot from Kuoppala.
Kuoppala swings for the body but Tuilagi moves out of range.
Tuilagi shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Tuilagi smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Tuilagi misses with a hook to the body
and Kuoppala counters with a good, hard body kick but Tuilagi shrugs it off.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kuoppala throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Tuilagi blocks the body kick.
Tuilagi takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Kuoppala lands a nice shot to the body.
Tuilagi slips a jab and a cross from Kuoppala.
A big left from Kuoppala misses.
Kuoppala closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Kuoppala throws a body punch but Tuilagi moves out of range.
Kuoppala checks a low kick from Tuilagi.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Tuilagi.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tuilagi misses with a shot to the body
and Tuilagi takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
A nice inside leg kick there by Kuoppala. That's going to slow Tuilagi down.

Kuoppala gets caught napping as Tuilagi dives in and scores a takedown. Kuoppala manages to retain guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Tuilagi won't allow Kuoppala to sweep him here.
Tuilagi wants to control from the top but Kuoppala keeps moving.
Kuoppala wants to sweep here but Tuilagi controlling him for the moment.
Tuilagi postures up in Kuoppala's guard and throws a big left but Kuoppala blocks it.
Kuoppala is pulling down on Tuilagi's head to control his posture.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kuoppala is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Alexander Kuoppala has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Tuilagi postures up in Kuoppala's guard and throws a big left but Kuoppala blocks it.
Tuilagi working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Tuilagi won't allow Kuoppala to sweep him here.
Kuoppala preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kuoppala looking to hit a scissor sweep but Tuilagi is one step ahead there.
Tuilagi sitting in guard here, content to control.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Kuoppala throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Manu Tuilagi is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Tuilagi tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Kuoppala defends well and Tuilagi ends up having to push Kuoppala into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Alexander Kuoppala has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Manu Tuilagi.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Kuoppala avoiding damage as Tuilagi throws knees to the body.
Tuilagi drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Kuoppala gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Kuoppala misses with a hook to the ribs.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Alexander Kuoppala.
I think Tuilagi has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Lou da Vinci scores the fight 28:29
Judge Jorge Garcia scores the fight 28:29
Judge Eddie Farnsworth scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Manu Tuilagi!
Manu Tuilagi made sure to mention his sponsor, Jazzify in his post fight interview.