PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between James Penn (ranked 3012 p4p, 2516 weight class) and Manu Ahonen (ranked 418 p4p, 367 weight class). Penn comes to the cage accompanied by Everything in its right place. Manu Ahonen is staring across the cage at his opponent, tweaking his nipples.

Penn
vs
Ahonen

181 cm
44
185
27 - 19 - 2

182 cm
38
170
18 - 15 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Excellent grappler
World class MT
Granite chin

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 27 - 19 - 2, fighting out of Los Angeles, James Penn!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 18 - 15 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Manu Ahonen!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Timothy Bukovac and Percy O'Donnell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Penn misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Ahonen throws a counter combo.
The fighters circle momentarily. Ahonen darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Penn looks to land a left hand but Ahonen moved out of range nicely.
Ahonen throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Penn on the side of the head.
Ahonen fails to land with a series of punches.
Penn swings widly with a right hand
and Ahonen counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Penn doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Penn misses with a body kick.
Ahonen takes a jab right on the kisser.
Penn takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Ahonen swings away with a body shot that misses
and Penn counters with a lovely straight right hand!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Penn walks into a left hand.
Penn moves away from the strike by Ahonen.
A head kick misses from Ahonen.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ahonen darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Penn fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Ahonen manages to avoid it.
Manu Ahonen seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A left lands for Ahonen.
Ahonen misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Penn counters with a straight right hand.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Penn.
Ahonen loads up on a big right hand but Penn slips the punch.
A combination from Penn does no damage.
Ahonen doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Ahonen keeps Penn at a distance using the push kick.
Penn waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Ahonen.
Penn swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Ahonen counters with a good low kick that Penn was not able to check.
Ahonen goes for a double leg but Penn avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Penn continues to drive forward.
Ahonen is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Ahonen throws a sloppy head kick and Penn moves out of range easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Penn takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.

Ahonen dives in and scores a takedown into Penn's guard.
Ahonen distracts Penn with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Penn utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Ahonen wants to control from the top but Penn keeps moving.

Ahonen 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.

Penn looking for subs off his back but Ahonen has passed one foot through into half guard.
Penn is refusing to be controlled, as Ahonen sits in half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ahonen thows a huge punch but Penn dodges it nicely.
Penn punching from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Ahonen missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

Ahonen is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Penn sees it coming and defends easily.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Ahonen lands a nice short elbow.
Ahonen is looking to advance position but Penn won't allow it.
Ahonen sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Penn defending well though.

That's four 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.
Ahonen passes the guard and advances to mount!
Ahonen working away from the top, dropping strikes.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Penn is looking to get to half guard.
Ahonen cracks Penn with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Ahonen connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Ahonen raining down shots from the mount!
Penn is trying desperately to improve position.
Ahonen landing punches.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Manu Ahonen dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Penn with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Ahonen to score with a decent uppercut.

Penn feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Ahonen 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.
Ahonen keeping moving, preventing Penn from controlling successfully.
Ahonen has his hands on Penn's head, controlling the position.
Penn advances position into side control!
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Penn working the ground and pound from side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ahonen struggling a bit here.
Ahonen is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Penn's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Ahonen wants to control but Penn passes into side.
Penn trying to control the position but Ahonen is working away.
Ahonen tries to improve position but can't.
Penn wants to control but Ahonen is keeping him busy.
Ahonen being controlled for a moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Ahonen gets back to half guard.
Ahonen trying to control from the bottom.
Penn missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Ahonen is trying to control but Penn manages to pass to mount!
Penn connects with a couple of good shots from mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ahonen gets back to half guard.
Ahonen is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Penn wants to control but Ahonen is keeping him busy.
Penn tries to pass to full mount but Ahonen defends it.
Ahonen tries to roll over but Penn keeps him under control.
Ahonen wants to control but Penn is keeping busy and won't allow it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Penn is trying to control the action in half guard but Ahonen is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Ahonen wants to get back to full guard.
Ahonen is looking to control Penn's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Ahonen avoid being mounted?
Penn prevents Ahonen from improving his position.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Penn seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Ahonen does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Ahonen ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
A little jabbing left from Ahonen on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Ahonen throws a nice outside leg kick.
Nice body punch from Ahonen.
Penn ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Ahonen moves away.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Ahonen! But no joy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Penn throws a lazy uppercut
letting Ahonen counter with a right hand.
Nice uppercut lands for Ahonen. That snapped Penn's head back.
Ahonen misses with a body kick.
Ahonen shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Penn as he avoids it easily.
Ahonen cracks a nice hook into Penn's ribs.
Penn misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Ahonen throws an ugly left hook that misses
enabling Penn to counter with a crisp jab.
Ahonen scores with a head kick.
Ahonen misses with an uppercut. Penn saw that one coming.
Penn throws a quick counter kick to the body but Ahonen avoids it.
Ahonen on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Ahonen bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Penn's head backwards.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Ahonen throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Penn was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
Manu Ahonen seems to be getting the better of the standup.
A jab lands there for Ahonen.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Penn takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Ahonen scores with the left hand. Penn knows he should have avoided that one.
Ahonen cracks Penn with a right hand to the side of the head.
Penn jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Penn slips a straight right by Ahonen.
Ahonen misses with a two punch combination.
Ahonen fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Penn has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Penn.
Penn moves forwards but Ahonen connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Penn tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Ahonen was well out of range. Poor timing from Penn.
Penn misses with an uppercut
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
A slow jab from Ahonen misses its intended target.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Penn throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
It seemed like Ahonen was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Ahonen moves away from the strike by Penn.
A head kick by Penn misses
and Ahonen counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Penn lands a nice hook to Ahonen's body. Ahonen takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Penn throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Ahonen looks to score with a jab to the body but Penn is just out of range.
Good leg kick by Ahonen.
Ahonen lands a head shot.
Ahonen tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Penn defends well and Ahonen ends up having to push Penn into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Ahonen lands a glancing blow to the side of Penn's head.
Ahonen defending well as Penn loads up on a big left hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ahonen thumps Penn with a low kick.
Ahonen misses with a hook
and Penn counters with a straight right hand.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Ahonen is defended easily by Penn.
An attempted straight right counter from Penn misses the target.
James Penn has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Manu Ahonen.
Ahonen takes a swing at Penn's ribcage but misses.

Penn scores with a takedown into Ahonen's guard.
Ahonen trying to keep a closed guard but Penn is proving a slippery customer.
Penn trying to control but Ahonen is working from the bottom.
Ahonen bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Penn's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Penn controls Ahonen momentarily but Ahonen frees himself.
Ahonen throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Penn works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Ahonen has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Penn looking for a sweep. Not yet Penn, not yet.
Penn is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Ahonen throwing strikes from guard but Penn blocks nicely.
Ahonen missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Ahonen working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Penn trying to keep a closed guard but Ahonen is proving a slippery customer.

And that's the end of the fight!
Manu Ahonen comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Ahonen has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Don Winkell scores the fight 28:29
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 28:29
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Manu Ahonen!