PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Solomon Burke (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kenneth Williams (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Burke comes into the arena with Discoboys - I came for you blaring out of the sound system. The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Burke
vs
Williams

188 cm
19
192 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

183 cm
19
195 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

Crippler's Corner

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 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Solomon Burke!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Kenneth Williams!
The judges for this bout are Roosa Järviläinen, Arvi Lind and Marco Blurström.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Burke throws a head kick that misses.
Burke lands a head kick. Williams smiles back at him and beckons him forward.

It looks like Kenneth Williams has been cut.

Williams looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Burke!
Williams can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Burke is looking to escape.

Williams with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Williams landing strikes from the mount.
Williams wants to take Burke's back but he can't do it this time.
Burke is trying to escape the mount.
Williams trying to control but Burke is having none of it.
Williams dominating with strikes here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Williams putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Burke working to try and regain half guard.

Williams swings around for an armbar but it's a sloppy attempt and Burke is now in Williams's guard. A big mistake from Williams there, giving up the dominant position!

Burke is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Williams is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Williams has escaped and now he's on top!
Burke tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Williams advances position into side control!
Williams has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for Burke!

Williams goes for an armbar but he's not got it… Burke turns into him and now he's in Williams's guard.

Burke 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 two minutes gone in the round.
Williams trying to control the position.
Williams keeping full guard, as Burke tries to pass.
Williams is trying to keep Burke in close.
Burke trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

Williams throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Williams keeping moving, preventing Burke from controlling successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Burke goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Burke connects with a high kick.
Burke misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Burke lands a head kick!
Burke lands a jab-cross combination.
Burke lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Williams feints and as Burke raises his hands in defense, Williams changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Williams looks gassed!
Williams pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Burke is keeping the position for now.
Williams loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

Burke looking for a guillotine here but Williams defends easily.
Williams passes Burke's left leg - he's now in half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Williams working Burke over with strikes.
Williams seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Burke does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Burke has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Williams is working away from the top position though.
Burke punching from the bottom.

Williams is working for a kimura but Burke is defending it quite comfortably.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Burke tries to get to full guard but Williams has control of the leg.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Burke is working hard here to advance position.

Williams is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
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 Solomon Burke will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Kenneth Williams's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Burke avoids the head kick by Williams.
Williams avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Williams keeps the fight on the outside.
Burke tries to clinch there but Williams circles away.
Burke checks the leg kick.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Burke, right into the meat.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Williams.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Burke throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Williams's head.
Burke is looking to clinch but Williams is avoiding it.
Williams sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Williams takes a kick to the side of the head.

That has opened up Kenneth Williams's cut even more.
Williams is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Burke scores with a head kick.

The cut above Kenneth Williams's eye is starting to cause him problems now.
A head kick misses from Burke.
Burke lands a high kick to the side of Williams's head that stuns him and send him tumbling down to the canvas! Burke dives into guard, looking to finish.

Williams is rocked!
Burke works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Williams is still in real trouble! Can Burke finish him?
Williams is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Williams seems to have recovered his senses.

Burke is working for a kimura but Williams is defending it quite comfortably.

Burke is looking for a kimura here.
Burke throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Burke thows a big elbow that misses, also allowing Williams to regain full guard.
Burke throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

Williams has his foot on Burke's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Burke works his way back into a safe position though.
Burke tries to free his leg and advance position but Williams is retaining full guard.
Burke advances position into side control!
Williams is looking to reverse the position.
Burke is looking to take a break and control but Williams is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Williams is looking to reverse the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Burke doesn't succeed with the takedown

so Williams counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.

Burke has an active guard here but Williams has managed to pass into half guard.
Burke is refusing to be controlled, as Williams sits in half guard.
Burke wants to control but Williams passes into side.
Burke is trying to get back to half guard.
Kenneth Williams has got the better of the ground game so far.
Burke is not content to let Williams control the position.
Burke managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Williams.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Burke manages to get back to half guard.
Williams missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

Burke actively working from the bottom here.
Williams moves into full mount! Burke won't be happy about that!
Burke is working to get back to half guard.

Williams is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Burke has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Burke!
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Burke drops back looking for a leg! Williams is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Williams manages to kick Burke off! Burke jumps back into Williams's guard.
Williams trying to strike off his back.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Solomon Burke dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Kenneth Williams's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Burke misses with a head kick.
Williams takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Burke tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Williams paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Burke ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Williams moves away.
Burke fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Burke changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Williams tries to avoid it but Burke manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Williams to the ground. Williams escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Burke.
Burke tries for a takedown but Williams sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Solomon Burke. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Burke tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
A head kick misses from Burke.
Burke misses with a body kick.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Williams fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Burke fails in his attempt to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Burke scores with a spinning back kick!
Williams looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Williams shoots for a takedown but Burke saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Nice body kick there by Burke.
Burke pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Burke tries to land a body kick

and Williams counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Burke's guard now.
Burke tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Burke looking to control but Williams passes into half guard.
Burke is looking to improve his position.
Williams works his foot free and advances to mount.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Williams is dominating on the ground here - he's now on his opponent's back, looking to sink in the hooks. Burke is in real trouble.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Williams looking for the RNC.
Williams controlling well, preventing Burke from escaping the position.
Burke trying to control the hands but Williams breaks the grip.
Burke is in bad spot here.

Williams working for a RNC but it's not happening just yet.
Williams is hanging on to Burke's back as he tries to escape.
Williams avoiding Burke 's attempts to control his hands.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Burke rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.
Burke wants to improve his position but Williams is controlling well.
Burke wants to control but Williams is keeping busy and won't allow it.

Williams is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Burke wants to get back to full guard.
Burke is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Williams's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Williams's back!

Burke is working hard for the rear naked choke here.
Williams turns into Burke and is now in his guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Burke throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Williams wants to control from the top but Burke keeps moving.
Burke avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

Burke had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Williams is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Burke Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Williams's back instead.
Burke throws strikes from the back but Williams rolls nicely and manages to end up in full guard. Nice work by Williams.
Kenneth Williams has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Williams manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Burke manages to get himself to full guard.
Williams trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Solomon Burke is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Williams in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Kenneth Williams.
I think Burke has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 28:29
Judge Arvi Lind scores the fight 28:29
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Kenneth Williams!