PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Jonathan Marx (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Otto Wille Kuusinen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Marx comes to the cage accompanied by Ramstein - Du Hast. The crowd seem to be enjoying Kuusinen's choice of entrance music: Agit Prop - Olen kommunisti. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Marx
vs
Wille Kuusinen

165 cm
18
141 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

170 cm
18
143 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Intelligent

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Inexperienced

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Jonathan Marx!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Otto Wille Kuusinen!
The judges for this bout are John Roberts, Columbo Gatti and Jonathan Paton.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Marx throws a head kick that misses.

Marx looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Kuusinen!
Kuusinen is looking to improve his position but Marx isn't that keen on the idea.
Kuusinen sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.

Kuusinen is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Marx pulls his head out easily.
Kuusinen is trying to get back to full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kuusinen wants to control but Marx is keeping busy.
Marx is trying to control the action in half guard but Kuusinen is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Marx stalling.

That's two 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.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Kuusinen avoids a punch combination nicely.
Marx tries a head kick but it misses.
Marx throws a head kick that misses.
Kuusinen moves in looking to clinch but Marx pushes him off.
Kuusinen avoids the head kick by Marx.
Kuusinen throws a head kick that misses.
Marx finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
A head kick misses from Marx.
Kuusinen tries to clinch but Marx is having none of it.
A head kick by Marx misses

and Kuusinen counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Marx!
Marx is breathing heavily.

Kuusinen is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Marx can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Kuusinen looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Marx is squirming around, avoiding Kuusinen's attempts to control the action.

That's four 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.
Kuusinen lands with some strikes.
Kuusinen trying to control but he's not successful this time.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Marx wants to hold on but Kuusinen pushes him away.
Marx wants to improve position but instead he's given up his back.

Marx defends a rear naked choke attempt by controlling one of Kuusinen's arms.

Kuusinen is working for the rear naked choke. He has one arm under the chin but Marx has hold of the other arm. A bit of a stalemate here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Otto Wille Kuusinen dominated that round.
That's time! Marx's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Marx throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Kuusinen's head.
Marx tries to land a front kick but Kuusinen steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Kuusinen circles away from the clinch attempt.
Marx throws a head kick that misses.
Jonathan Marx seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Kuusinen tries to close the distance and clinch but Marx swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
A good leg kick by Marx.
Marx wants to clinch

and Kuusinen holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Kuusinen tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Kuusinen misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Marx has Kuusinen pressed against the cage.
Marx is pressed up against the cage. Kuusinen has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Marx down to the mat. Marx avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Kuusinen is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kuusinen fails to land the takedown.
Jonathan Marx has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Otto Wille Kuusinen.
Marx tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Marx scoring well with a low kick there.
Marx pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Kuusinen tries to clinch there but Marx circles away.
Kuusinen blocks a head kick by Marx.
Marx scoring well with a low kick there.
Marx throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Marx misses with a head kick.
Kuusinen avoids the head kick by Marx.
Marx throws a sloppy head kick and Kuusinen moves out of range easily.
Kuusinen will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

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.

Kuusinen gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Kuusinen is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Marx wants to stall.
Marx throws a knee to the head but misses.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Kuusinen.
Kuusinen holding his opponent close, against the cage.
The crowd are getting on Kuusinen's back here. They're not happy about his lack of aggression in the clinch.

Marx breaks from the clinch.
Marx throws a head kick but Kuusinen moves out of range.
Kuusinen doesn't manage to clinch there - Marx circles away.
Marx throws a head kick but Kuusinen moves out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kuusinen tries to clinch there but Marx circles away.

Kuusinen rushes Marx and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Marx looking to throw knees to the head but Kuusinen is blocking nicely.
Kuusinen is struggling to control the position.
Kuusinen looking to stall.
Marx throws an elbow but it misses.
Marx is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Marx is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.

Kuusinen jumps guard.
Kuusinen is trying to control the position but Marx postures up.

Kuusinen is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kuusinen not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

Marx avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

Kuusinen working for a triangle but Marx defends it easily.
Kuusinen bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Marx's guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Otto Wille Kuusinen showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Kuusinen takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Kuusinen blocks a head kick by Marx.
Marx throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Kuusinen shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Kuusinen tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Kuusinen blocks a head kick by Marx.

Kuusinen closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Marx connects with a nasty looking knee right to Kuusinen's face.
Marx tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kuusinen avoiding damage as Marx throws knees to the body.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Kuusinen.
Marx using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Kuusinen has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kuusinen trying to control the position but instead, Marx has worked for underhooks and has pushed Kuusinen into the cage.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Marx tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Kuusinen taking a breather.
Kuusinen blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Kuusinen is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Otto Wille Kuusinen.
Kuusinen throws a half hearted mid kick.
Marx misses with a head kick.

That's two 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.
Kuusinen tries to clinch up.
Marx tries a head kick but it misses.
Kuusinen shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Marx counters with a head kick. That will keep Kuusinen thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
Kuusinen tries to clinch but Marx is having none of it.
Kuusinen slips under a jab from Marx.
Marx tries a head kick but it misses.

Marx tries to keep at a distance but Kuusinen has taken the fight into the clinch.
Kuusinen is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Marx is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Kuusinen is keeping busy.
Kuusinen avoiding damage as Marx throws knees to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marx misses with a knee strike.
The is referee keeping an eye on Kuusinen - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Kuusinen looking to stall.

Kuusinen jumps into guard, dragging Marx to the mat.
Marx has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Kuusinen is proving hard to escape from.

Kuusinen looking to try and escape his hips here, looking for a submission. It looks like he's going for a triangle but Marx is defending well. Kuusinen quickly switches to an armbar and extends the arm! Marx has no choice but to tap, to a very quick submission! Wow, that was lightning fast! Kuusinen celebrates on the cage, with the crowd.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:52 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Otto Wille Kuusinen!