PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Naama Kala (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Henrik Penttila (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Penttila's choice of entrance music: Go to Sleep. Naama Kala has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Kala
vs
Penttila

188 cm
21
186 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

176 cm
18
195 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Inexperienced

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 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Naama Kala!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Henrik Penttila!
The judges for this bout are Marco Blurström, Johanna Lukiainen and Tarja Halkonen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Kala shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Kala tries to pass the half guard into mount. Penttila knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Penttila avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Kala.
Penttila is trying to control but can't.
Penttila scrambles, trying to get to his feet, but Kala manages to mount him!
Penttila is squirming around, avoiding Kala's attempts to control the action.
Penttila is looking to improve his position but Kala isn't that keen on the idea.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Penttila is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Kala trying to control but Penttila is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Penttila takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Penttila wants to improve position but instead he's given up his back.
Kala controls the position.
Penttila rolls, trying to escape but Kala keeps control of the position.

Kala is working for the rear naked choke. He has one arm under the chin but Penttila has hold of the other arm. A bit of a stalemate here.
Penttila holding both Kala 's hands and preventing any damage.
Kala keeps control of the position easily here as Penttila tries to buck him off.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kala avoiding Penttila 's attempts to control his hands.
Penttila rolls, trying to escape but Kala keeps control of the position.
Penttila turns into Kala and is now in his guard.
Kala wants to sweep but no luck.
Kala on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Kala tries to get out of the position.
Kala looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Penttila postures up in Kala's guard and throws a big left but Kala blocks it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Penttila stopping the sweep attempt from Kala.
Penttila throws and elbow that misses. Kala uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Penttila's guard. Nice move by Kala!
Penttila is trying to control the position but Kala postures up.
Penttila wants to get back to his feet but Kala is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Kala's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Kala tries to free his leg and advance position but Penttila is retaining full guard.
Penttila wants to sweep but no luck.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Kala shoots in but Penttila avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Kala is breathing heavily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Penttila tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Kala paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Penttila misses with a takedown

and Kala counters by moving into the clinch.
Penttila drops down looking for an ankle pick but Kala pulls his leg out and moves away.

Kala scores with a takedown into Penttila's guard.
Penttila manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Penttila avoids the attempt from Kala to control.
Penttila putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Penttila with a poor takedown
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Penttila misses with a takedown

and Kala counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Penttila misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Kala seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Kala seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Penttila does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Kala passes to full mount!
Kala landing shots from mount.
Kala controlling from the full mount.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Penttila can't escape the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kala trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Penttila is trying desperately to improve position.
Penttila is trying to reverse the position but instead Kala has taken his back - oops!
Penttila can't escape the position.
Kala lands shots from the back.
Penttila is really stuck here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Kala controls the action.
Kala seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Penttila for as long as he can get away with.
Kala controlling well, preventing Penttila from escaping the position.
Kala is riding his opponent, not letting Penttila buck him off.
Penttila breaks Kala's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
Penttila tries to free his leg and advance position but Kala is retaining full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Penttila in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Kala knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Penttila on the ground.
Penttila throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Kala works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Kala is adopting a defensive guard.
Kala trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!

Kala is looking for a triangle here but Penttila uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
Kala tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Kala takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Kala takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Penttila wants to control but Kala is keeping him busy.
Penttila is chipping away with strikes.
Penttila working the ground and pound.
Naama Kala overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
An elbow from Penttila crashes against the mat.
Penttila wants to control but Kala is keeping him busy.
Kala is looking to regain half guard here but Penttila keeps moving and retains side control.
Check out the look on Penttila's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Naama Kala dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Kala fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Kala shoots for a double leg takedown but Penttila sprawls well. He's pushed Kala's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Nice sprawl there from Penttila as Kala shoots in.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Naama Kala. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Penttila fails with the takedown

and Kala counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Kala.
Penttila keeping full guard, as Kala tries to pass.
Penttila thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Kala stopping the sweep attempt from Penttila.
Kala has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Kala trying to control but Penttila is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Penttila 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.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Kala accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Penttila striking off his back but it's not causing Kala any problems.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Penttila fails with a takedown attempt.
Kala has a takedown stuffed.

Kala shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Kala was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Penttila is squirming around, avoiding Kala's attempts to control the action.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Penttila really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Penttila wants to control but Kala is having none of it.
Kala looking to control but Penttila is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Kala putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Penttila is trying desperately to improve position.
Kala wants to control the pace but Penttila is squirming around nicely.
Penttila has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Penttila is wriggling around trying to escape.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A nice elbow there by Kala.
Kala with good strikes from the mount here!
Penttila is looking to get to half guard.
Penttila is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Penttila flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.
Kala looking to control but Penttila is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Kala looking to control and managing it successfully.
Penttila is wriggling around trying to escape.

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.
Penttila sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Kala is looking to take a break and control but Penttila is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Kala will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Penttila is looking to get back to full guard here but Kala has managed to pass to side control instead.
Penttila wants to hold on but Kala pushes him away.
Henrik Penttila has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Kala sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Kala has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Penttila's face.

And that's the end of the fight!
Naama Kala showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Kala, 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 Marco Blurström scores the fight 30:27
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 30:27
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Naama Kala!