PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Drei Silker (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rokki Kukko (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rokki Kukko is staring across the cage at his opponent, tweaking his nipples.

Silker
vs
Kukko

183 cm
25
178 lbs
10 - 3 - 0

176 cm
34
171 lbs
25 - 21 - 3

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Excellent grappler
World class boxer
Granite chin

Aspire Clothing

Voodoo Nutrition
Zenith Nutrition (160q/225$)

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 10 - 3 - 0, fighting out of New York, Drei Silker!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 25 - 21 - 3, fighting out of Los Angeles, Rokki Kukko!
The judges for this bout are Donald Grub, Colin Fotheringham and Phil Schofield.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Silker lands with a thumping leg kick.
Kukko moves out of range of the strikes.
Kukko thumps Silker with a low kick.
Silker on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Silker throws a nice head kick!
Kukko displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Silker throws out the jab.
Silker moves out of range as Kukko strikes.
Silker gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Silker shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Kukko eats them both and turns towards Silker to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Silker has been working on his boxing with his coaches at The Butcher's Block in the buildup to the fight.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Silker closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Kukko missing with a left hand there. Silker was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Kukko takes one to the side of the head.
Silker throws a body shot but no joy.
Kukko avoids a punch combination nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kukko looks for a takedown but Silker sprawls well.
Silker scoring well with a low kick there.

Kukko drives through with a takedown into Silker's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Kukko wants to control from the top but Silker keeps moving.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Kukko accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Kukko throwing strikes from guard but Silker blocks nicely.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Kukko working his ground and pound in the gym. He isn't landing a great percentage of his ground strikes so far though.
Silker keeping moving, preventing Kukko from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silker working a defensive guard here.

Kukko avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Kukko content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Silker has Kukko pulled in close to control his posture.
Kukko has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

Silker is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Kukko loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Kukko wants to control from the top but Silker keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Kukko throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Silker works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Kukko with a flurry of punches that miss.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Kukko takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
An inside leg kick lands from Silker.
Silker throws a nice inside leg kick.
Silker lands a front kick.
Nice shot by Silker.
Kukko takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Kukko tries to clinch there but Silker circles away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Silker throws a shot from downtown. Kukko moves away and avoids it.
Silker staying out of range there.
Kukko misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Silker.
Kukko throws a shot from downtown. Silker moves away and avoids it.
Silker tries to score with a low kick but Kukko moves his leg out of the way.
Jab by Silker.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Kukko misses with a hook.
Kukko tries to score with a low kick but Silker moves his leg out of the way.
Silker is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Kukko doesn't manage to clinch there - Silker circles away.
Kukko connects with a good right hand that stumbles Silker. Silker circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Silker lands a nice leg kick that just misses Kukko's sensitive parts.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Drei Silker dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Kukko lands a nice hook to Silker's body. Silker takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Kukko moves out of range of the body kick from Silker.
Kukko drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Silker defends it well.
Kukko throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Silker looked to counter that last move with a leg kick but didn't pull the trigger.
Silker throws a body kick, spinning off balance

and Kukko counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Kukko.
Kukko stays in close to Silker's body and controls the position.

Silker looking for a guillotine here but Kukko defends easily.
Silker working a defensive guard here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kukko postures up in Silker's guard and throws a big left but Silker blocks it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Silker controls Kukko momentarily but Kukko frees himself.
Kukko trying to control but Silker is working from the bottom.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.

Silker has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Kukko is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Silker.
Kukko postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Silker regains half guard there - taking advantage of Kukko's attempt to lay and pray for a moment.
Kukko is taking a breather. Silker says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Kukko is thwarting Silker's attempts to control the position.
Kukko seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Silker does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Kukko looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Silker with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Kukko working Silker over with strikes.
Silker wants to control but Kukko is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Kukko perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Silker is not content to let Kukko control the position.
Kukko trying to control from Silker's half guard. Silker has other ideas though and has regained full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kukko tries to free his leg and advance position but Silker is retaining full guard.
Kukko trying to move into half guard but instead Silker has managed to sweep!

Kukko is trying to keep Silker in close.
Kukko wants to sweep here but Silker controlling him for the moment.
Kukko controls Silker momentarily but Silker frees himself.
Silker lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Silker in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Silker throwing strikes from guard but Kukko blocks nicely.
Silker in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Silker throws a big elbow that misses.
Silker trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Kukko manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Silker manages to get himself to full guard.

Silker working a defensive guard here.
Rokki Kukko has got the better of the ground game so far.

Silker looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Silker keeping moving, preventing Kukko from controlling successfully.
Kukko working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rokki Kukko showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

The fighters circle momentarily. Silker darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Silker loads up on a big right hand but Kukko slips the punch.
Silker throws a good cross that connects.
Silker walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Sloppy strikes from Kukko. Those never looked like landing.
An attempted straight right counter from Silker misses the target.
Thud! ouch! good body kick from Silker - that will leave a mark!
Kukko loads up on a big right hand but Silker slips the punch.
A solid leg kick lands there for Silker.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Silker connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Kukko's hands.
Silker lands a jab.
Silker thuds a left hand into Kukko's body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kukko misses with a low kick.
Silker connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Silker is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Kukko can do to turn this around?
Silker throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Kukko on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Silker. Silker obviously looking to wear him down.
Silker with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Drei Silker is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Kukko on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Kukko slips under a jab.
Sloppy strikes from Silker. Those never looked like landing.
Kukko cracks Silker with a good jab.
Silker looks to land a left hand but Kukko moved out of range nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Silker scores with a three punch combo!
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!
Silker just misses with a punch to the body.
Kukko throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Silker is looking for a counter combo.
Silker swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Silker throws a wild body kick that Kukko sees coming a mile off.
Kukko checks a leg kick.
Silker wants to clinch

and Kukko counters with a single leg into guard. Silker didn't expect that.

Silker is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Silker is trying to keep Kukko in close.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kukko trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Silker keeping moving, preventing Kukko from controlling successfully.

Silker working for submissions but it's allowed Kukko to get to half guard.
Kukko is pressing down on Silker's thigh, looking to free his foot. Silker is holding on for now.
Kukko is taking a breather. Silker says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Kukko throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Kukko prevents Silker from improving his position.
Silker manages to get to full guard.
Kukko stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Silker swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Silker escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Kukko gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

Silker is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Kukko is aware though and is defending well.
Kukko throws a big right hand that misses.

And that's the end of the fight!
Drei Silker showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Silker 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 Donald Grub scores the fight 29:28
Judge Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 29:28
Judge Phil Schofield scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Drei Silker!