PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Luka Perovic (ranked 2139 p4p, 231 weight class) and Harri Haaparanta (ranked 1412 p4p, 165 weight class). Harri Haaparanta has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Luka Perovic's chin.

Perovic
vs
Haaparanta

170 cm
24
150 lbs
4 - 4 - 0

181 cm
24
157 lbs
8 - 5 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Granite chin

Fenrir Fightgear - Anno 2013

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 4 - 4 - 0, fighting out of London, Luka Perovic!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Harri Haaparanta!
The judges for this bout are Phil Schofield, Steven Brown and Chris Edwards.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Perovic misses with a hook.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Haaparanta, right into the meat.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
With the fighters up against the cage, Haaparanta throws an elbow but misses.
Perovic tries to break the clinch but Haaparanta is controlling the position.
Haaparanta lands a damaging elbow.

It looks like Luka Perovic has been cut.
A nice right hand lands inside from Perovic.
Haaparanta blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

Perovic breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Perovic circles away from the clinch attempt.
Perovic throws a big shot that misses.

Haaparanta clinches up against the cage.

Perovic's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Haaparanta instigates a clinch.
Haaparanta tries to land a knee to the head but Perovic blocks with his arms.
Perovic is looking to break free of the clinch but Haaparanta has double underhooks.
Perovic stalls.
A short uppercut from Perovic.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Perovic's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
A short uppercut from Perovic.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Haaparanta with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Haaparanta throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Perovic blocks it with crossed arms.

Perovic manages to break the clinch.
Perovic wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Haaparanta tries to clinch up.
Perovic looks to score with a jab to the body but Haaparanta is just out of range.
Perovic scores with a jab.

Haaparanta gets a clinch.
Perovic wants to break the clinch but can't.
Perovic lands with a light punch inside.
I was talking to Perovic's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Haaparanta connects with a knee to the head.
Perovic is looking to break free of the clinch but Haaparanta has double underhooks.
A head punch on the inside from Perovic fails to land.
Haaparanta throws an elbow that misses.
Perovic tries to break the clinch but Haaparanta is controlling the position.
Haaparanta lands a knee to the head.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Perovic goes for a takedown attempt but Haaparanta pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Haaparanta tries to close the distance and clinch but Perovic swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Haaparanta moves in looking to clinch but Perovic pushes him off.
Haaparanta has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.

Haaparanta gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Haaparanta throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Perovic blocks it with crossed arms.

Perovic's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Haaparanta pushes Perovic up against the cage in a clinch.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Haaparanta creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Haaparanta missing with knees to the body.
Perovic lands with a short head shot on the inside.

Perovic breaks the clinch.

Haaparanta takes the fight into the clinch.

Perovic pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Haaparanta pushes Perovic up against the cage in a clinch.
Perovic misses with a hook from the clinch.

Perovic pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Haaparanta slips under a jab.
Haaparanta tries to clinch but Perovic moves out of range.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Haaparanta doesn't manage to clinch there - Perovic circles away.
Perovic tries to move into range but Haaparanta moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Perovic misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Haaparanta.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Haaparanta tries to clinch there but Perovic circles away.
Haaparanta wants to clinch up but Perovic keeps it at a distance.
Perovic misses with a series of wild punches.
Perovic is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Haaparanta.
Haaparanta moves away from the strike by Perovic.
Haaparanta looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Harri Haaparanta is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Perovic cracks Haaparanta with an open hand slap.
Haaparanta tries to clinch but fails miserably
enabling Perovic to counter with a crisp jab.
Haaparanta tries to close the distance and clinch up but Perovic swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Perovic drops down looking for a counter takedown but Haaparanta sprawls and moves away.
Haaparanta on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Perovic fails to land the takedown.
Perovic misses with a looping right.
Perovic backing away here, and Haaparanta unleashes a leg kick that just misses.
Haaparanta moves in looking to clinch but Perovic pushes him off.

Haaparanta clinches with his opponent.
Haaparanta with an attempt at a knee that misses.

Perovic gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Haaparanta is defending against the submission attempts here by Perovic.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Perovic thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

Perovic is looking for a kimura here.
Perovic takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.

Perovic is trying to work for a kimura but Haaparanta is defending well.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Perovic seems to be looking for submissions.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Luka Perovic dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Luka Perovic's cut.
That's time! Perovic's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Haaparanta takes the fight into the clinch.
Haaparanta using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Perovic has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Haaparanta tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Haaparanta gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Haaparanta with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Perovic misses with a hook to the ribs.
Perovic blocks an uppercut.
Perovic tries a body shot but Haaparanta blocks it.
Perovic dodges an elbow strike from Haaparanta.
Haaparanta pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.

Perovic gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Haaparanta is looking to get back to is feet but Perovic passes into side control.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Perovic is looking to take a break and control but Haaparanta is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
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!

Perovic goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Haaparanta has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Perovic but great work by Haaparanta.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Perovic is trying to improve his position.
Haaparanta tries to get to his feet but he's trapped momentarily.
Perovic wants to control but Haaparanta postures up.
Perovic is looking for a sweep.
Perovic wants to control but Haaparanta postures up.
Perovic is looking for a sweep.
Perovic manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Perovic wants to get back to full guard.
Perovic keeping control of the position.
Perovic is looking for a sweep. Haaparanta is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Perovic is working hard here to advance position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Perovic regains full guard. Nicely done.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Perovic looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Perovic is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Haaparanta wanted to stand there but Perovic had control of the position.
Luka Perovic overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Haaparanta looking to pass the guard.
Perovic working a defensive guard here.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Haaparanta tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Perovic paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Haaparanta has Perovic up against the cage in a clinch.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Perovic creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Haaparanta throws a knee to the head but misses.
Haaparanta with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Haaparanta throws a knee to the head but misses.
Harri Haaparanta seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Perovic lands a nice shot to the body.
Haaparanta tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Haaparanta is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Perovic is defending well for now.
Perovic lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Perovic doesn't land with the attempted body shot.

Perovic jumps into guard, dragging Haaparanta to the mat.

Haaparanta is posturing up here but Perovic has hold of an arm and he's gone for an armbar! Haaparanta tries to roll out but it's too tight and Haaparanta has to tap! Slick submission there by Perovic!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:49 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Luka Perovic!
Luka Perovic very nearly forgot to thank Ma Balls Is Hot Clothing amongst all the excitement of his win but just as the interview came to a close, he screamed their name. Hopefully he'll get a few nice freebies in the mail as a thank you.