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PBP Commentary |
Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Pako Laine (ranked 56 p4p, 6 weight class) and Jolly Leg Byrd (ranked 125 p4p, 13 weight class). Laine comes to the cage accompanied by Nikke Ankara - Värifilmi. The atmosphere really building for this one as we go over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!
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| 174 cm
34
146 lbs
25 - 10 - 0 |
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172 cm
35
149 lbs
29 - 13 - 2 |
Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Insanely flexible |
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Olympic wrestler
World class boxer
Granite chin |
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Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of
25 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Pako Laine!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of
29 - 13 - 2, fighting out of Los Angeles, Jolly Leg Byrd!
The judges for this bout are , Timothy Bukovac and Don Winkell.
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Laine closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Byrd quickly recovers to half guard.
Byrd is refusing to be controlled, as Laine sits in half guard.
Byrd is trying is best to control the position here.
Laine is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Byrd doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Laine.
Byrd trying to control from the bottom.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Byrd keeping control of the position.
Laine thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Laine is looking to take a break and control but Byrd is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Byrd has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Laine is working away from the top position though.
Byrd is controlling Laine's trapped leg to prevent Laine from advancing to side control.
Laine throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Byrd keeping hold of Laine's head, controlling as best he can.
Byrd wants to control but Laine is keeping busy.
The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Byrd connects with a good right hand that stumbles Laine. Laine circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Byrd pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Byrd is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Laine.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Laine checks a leg kick.
It looked like Laine wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Laine lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Byrd tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Laine has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Laine there as he acknowledges the shot.
Byrd throws a chopping leg kick but Laine manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Byrd throws a body punch but Laine moves out of range.
Byrd is looking to slow Laine down with leg kicks.
Laine throws an off balance right hand
and Byrd counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Byrd lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Laine throws a lazy right hand but Byrd sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Laine tries to clinch but Byrd is having none of it.
Laine scores with a jab. Byrd acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Laine throws a lazy right hand but Byrd sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Byrd throws a leg kick but Laine sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Byrd shoots in looking for a takedown but Laine manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Byrd's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
It looked like Laine wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Laine closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Byrd's guard.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Laine is fighting to break Byrd's control of his arms but Byrd is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Byrd trying to control the position.
Laine postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Byrd has been taking part in the yoga sessions down at Team Alpha Midget. Presumably he's going to look for a slick submission... Or maybe he's looking to avoid one.
Laine looking to pass the guard.
Byrd is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Laine missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Byrd has his hands on Laine's head, controlling the position.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Laine throws a quick inside leg kick.
Byrd throws a big shot that misses.
Laine takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
An inside leg kick from Byrd misses.
Byrd ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Nice shot by Laine.
Laine gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Laine fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Byrd on the side of the head.
Laine looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Laine shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Byrd misses with an attempted mid kick.
Byrd cracks a nice hook into Laine's ribs.
Laine missing with a left hand there. Byrd was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Byrd looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Byrd blocks the body kick.
Laine moves into range and connects with a jab.
Byrd lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.
Pako Laine dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!
Byrd throws a shot from downtown. Laine moves away and avoids it.
Byrd misses with a low kick.
The fight moves into the clinch position.
Laine scores with a nice hook to the head.
Byrd lands a hook that snaps the head of Laine backwards.
A body shot lands from Byrd.
Laine lands a left hand.
Laine blocking some punches.
Laine lands with a light punch inside.
Laine swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Laine scores with a nice hook to the head.
Byrd misses with a punch to the body.
Byrd trying to stall but Laine improves his position.
Laine blocks an uppercut.
I was talking to Laine's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Byrd misses with a punch on the inside.
Byrd lands with a short shot to the head.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Laine tries to pull guard but Byrd holds him up against the cage and eventually Laine drops back down to his feet.
Laine tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Laine landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Laine lands a right hand that snaps the head of Byrd backwards.
Byrd lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Laine backwards.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Laine looking to throw knees to the head but Byrd is blocking nicely.
Laine tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Byrd gets through Laine's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Laine lands a good knee to the midsection. Byrd won't want to take too many of those.
Byrd swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Laine missing with knees to the body.
Byrd lands with a light punch inside.
Laine blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Laine tries to pull guard but Byrd holds him up against the cage and eventually Laine drops back down to his feet.
Byrd lands with a right to the head.
A head punch on the inside from Byrd fails to land.
Byrd misses with a body punch.
Byrd is trying to stall.
Laine lands a nice uppercut.
Byrd on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Byrd decides to pull guard.
Byrd seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Byrd is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Byrd working a defensive guard but Laine passes into half guard.
Byrd has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Laine is working away from the top position though.
Byrd moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Byrd looking to control.
Laine tries to free his leg and advance position but Byrd is retaining full guard.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Laine loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Laine trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Byrd is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Byrd looking to control.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Byrd has Laine pulled in close to control his posture.
The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Laine sizes up Byrd with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Byrd lands a nice hook to Laine's body. Laine takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Byrd closes the distance and clinches.
Laine lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Byrd misses with a hook to the ribs.
A short right from Laine.
Byrd blocks a punch to the side of the head.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Byrd is trying to maintain a safe position but Laine gets an underhook and turns Byrd into the cage.
Byrd swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Laine prevents a body shot from Byrd.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Byrd takes a knee right on the jaw!
A short uppercut from Laine.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Laine.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Laine misses with a punch on the inside.
Byrd lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Laine misses with a body punch.
Laine digs a right hand underneath Byrd's ribcage. Byrd let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Laine with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Laine jumps guard but Byrd stands there with Laine around his waist. Laine gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Pako Laine. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A right hand to the body from Byrd.
Byrd has a couple of punches blocked by Laine.
Laine tries to land knees in the clinch but Byrd avoids the damage to the body.
Laine lands with a right to the head.
Laine pulls Byrd into guard.
Laine keeping moving, preventing Byrd from controlling successfully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.
Pako Laine dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!
Byrd has taken the fight to the clinch.
A head punch on the inside from Byrd fails to land.
Byrd goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Byrd tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Byrd misses with some punches.
Pako Laine has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Knees to the body from Laine.
Laine tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Byrd smiles and moves away.
Laine on the wrong end of a nice hook.
A slow jab from Laine misses its intended target.
Laine throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
A nice side step and Byrd releases a counter shot to the body, but it doesn't find it's home.
Byrd keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Laine takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Laine scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Laine throws a leg kick but Byrd sees it coming and checks it nicely.
A swing and a miss from Byrd.
Decent striking displayed by Byrd there.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Laine closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Byrd did well to prevent Laine getting side control.
Laine is just content to waste time from the top position. Byrd takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.
Laine throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Byrd works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Pako Laine overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Byrd can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Laine controls the pace.
Byrd managing to control the position.
Jolly Leg Byrd has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Byrd working for a triangle but Laine defends it easily.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Laine being controlled here momentarily.
Byrd has an active guard here but Laine has managed to pass into half guard.
Byrd is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Byrd trying to control but Laine postures up.
Laine is looking to advance position but Byrd won't allow it.
Laine is trying to control. Byrd wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Laine seems to be looking for submissions.
Byrd preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.
Byrd wants to control but Laine is keeping busy and won't allow it.
The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Laine clinches up with Byrd and pushes him back against the cage.
Byrd goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Laine working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Laine misses with a hook to the ribs.
Byrd is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Byrd lands with a short shot to the head.
Laine trying to land knees to the body.
Laine tries to land knees in the clinch but Byrd avoids the damage to the body.
Laine lands a nice knee to the body.
Byrd has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Laine uses from the top position.
Byrd is pulling down on Laine's head to control his posture.
Laine trying to control but Byrd is working from the bottom.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
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 Pako Laine.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Laine, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 30:27
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 30:27
Judge Don Winkell scores the fight 30:27
In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Pako Laine!
In his post fight interview, Pako Laine started talking himself up. Luckily his charisma kept the crowd on side and gave him a good reception.
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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
48% |
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