PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Mono Loco (ranked 1997 p4p, 3235 weight class) and Pascal Letaivu (ranked 198 p4p, 309 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Loco
vs
Letaivu

168 cm
35
152
15 - 18 - 0

170 cm
38
148
26 - 18 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Brawler
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Glomco Nutrition

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 15 - 18 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Mono Loco!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 26 - 18 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Pascal Letaivu!
The judges for this bout are Albert Achterberg, Radbod Blank and Daniel Blasius.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Loco looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Letaivu!

Loco is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Letaivu knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Loco trying to control the position but Letaivu is working away.
Letaivu keeps Loco under control for a moment.
Loco is looking to take a break and control but Letaivu is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Loco is pausing for a moment. What's he doing? It looks like he's clearing his nose. Oh dude! He's shot a load of snot all down Letaivu's shoulder. That is not cool.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Loco is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Letaivu knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Letaivu struggling a bit here.

Loco tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Loco has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Letaivu bucks up and tries to throw Loco off but instead Loco has got his back!
Letaivu looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.
Letaivu is trying to avoid being dragged into an even worse position than he's already in but Loco is staying active.
Loco looks to be in better condition than last time we saw him fight. Obviously he's been working hard on his cardio.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Loco is looking to finish the fight by rear naked choke. Letaivu knows exactly what he's got planned though, so he's defending well. Maybe a few strikes would soften Letaivu for a finish.
Letaivu trying to control the hands but Loco breaks the grip.
Loco biding his time, looking for the opening.
Letaivu trying to control but he's just got himself in more trouble.
Letaivu controlling the position well but he knows he's in a bad spot.

Loco looking for the choke from the back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Letaivu is keeping busy.
Loco controlling from the back.

Loco looking to break Letaivu's wrist control so he can sink in the choke. Letaivu remaining controlled and patient though - he really has to keep calm otherwise Loco will wrap this one up with the rear naked choke!
Loco has the hooks sunk in and you can see the will to fight slowly draining out of Letaivu's body.

Loco is working for the rear naked choke. He has one arm under the chin but Letaivu has hold of the other arm. A bit of a stalemate here.
Loco struggling to keep hold of the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Letaivu trying to control the hands but Loco won't let him.

Loco working for a RNC but it's not happening just yet.
Letaivu is in a world of trouble here. He's outmatched on the ground here and he'd better get Loco off his back sharpish unless he wants to be submitted.
You know, I was talking to some of our celebrities at ringside tonight and they were split right down the middle on who was going to win this fight.
Letaivu just trying to survive but Loco is wriggling into a better position, looking to finish.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Letaivu fending off the submission attempt from Loco.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

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

Letaivu misses with a looping right.
Letaivu misses with an uppercut.

Loco feints and as Letaivu raises his hands in defense, Loco changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Letaivu controlling Loco's posture.
Letaivu being controlled here, momentarily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Loco 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.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Loco stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Letaivu swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Letaivu keeping moving, preventing Loco from controlling successfully.
Loco advances position into side control!
The ground and pound from Loco seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Letaivu seems a little lost for a moment, as Loco dominates the positioning.
Letaivu is trying to control Loco's posture but Loco avoids it.
Loco is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Letaivu can do to turn this around?

Loco looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Loco wants to lay and pray for a moment but Letaivu keeps working.
Loco taking a breather here.
Letaivu is trying to improve his position.
Loco trying to control the action but Letaivu is working from the bottom.
Letaivu wants to control but Loco postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Letaivu is not content to let Loco control the position.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Loco looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Pascal Letaivu seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Letaivu throws out a loose jab but Loco uses good head movement to avoid it.
Pascal Letaivu is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Loco shoots and misses
and Letaivu makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Loco takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Mono Loco is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Loco looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Letaivu!
Loco working away.
Loco taking a breather here.

Loco is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Letaivu is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Letaivu struggling a bit here.
Letaivu holds on to Loco's head and controls the position momentarily.
Letaivu struggling a bit here.

Loco tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Loco has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Letaivu can't do much from the bottom here.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Mono Loco dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Loco shoots in but Letaivu avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Letaivu throws a shot from downtown. Loco moves away and avoids it.
Letaivu misses with a jab, cross combination.
Letaivu throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

Letaivu gets caught flat footed, as Loco shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Loco sitting in guard, not really doing much.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Letaivu wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Loco trying to control but Letaivu is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Letaivu trying to control the position here.
Loco wants to control from the top but Letaivu keeps moving.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Loco controls from within his opponent's guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Loco shoots and misses
letting Letaivu counter with a right hand.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Loco.
Letaivu looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mono Loco. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's two 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.
Loco keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Loco takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Donk. Letaivu catches Loco right on the button with a cross.
Pascal Letaivu has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Letaivu catches Loco with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!

Loco bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Loco wants to lay and pray for a moment but Letaivu keeps working.
Loco in side control, throwing shots but Letaivu defends.
Letaivu wants to control but Loco postures up.
Loco trying to control the action but Letaivu is working from the bottom.
Letaivu wants to control but Loco postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Loco looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Loco wants to control but Letaivu is keeping him busy.
Letaivu is being controlled here.
Loco working away.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

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.
Letaivu stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Letaivu wants it to stay on the feet.
Loco shoots in for a takedown but Letaivu shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Letaivu is looking for the big counter here.
Loco takes one to the chin there.
Letaivu throws a looping overhand right but Loco ducks down to avoid it.
Loco drops down looking for a counter takedown but Letaivu sprawls and moves away.
Nice uppercut lands for Letaivu. That snapped Loco's head back.
Loco shoots in for a takedown but Letaivu shows good takedown defense.
Letaivu throws a jab when Loco was well out of range.
Loco avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Loco dives in for a single leg takedown but Letaivu sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Loco wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Loco's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!

Loco works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.

Letaivu has his foot on Loco's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Loco works his way back into a safe position though.

And that's the end of the fight!
Pascal Letaivu comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Loco 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 Albert Achterberg scores the fight 29:28
Judge Radbod Blank scores the fight 29:28
Judge Daniel Blasius scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mono Loco!
During a confident post fight interview, Mono Loco thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.