PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Paavo Talvela (ranked 419 p4p, 454 weight class) and Spider Monkey (ranked 58 p4p, 62 weight class). Talvela's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, For Heavy Metal we will die!. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Talvela
vs
Monkey

178 cm
29
175
15 - 4 - 0

187 cm
29
170
15 - 8 - 1

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Cardio machine

BJJ Red Belt
World class MT
Granite chin

Bondi MMA 🏝️

Hoarse Pills
Bondi MMA 🏝️

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 15 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Paavo Talvela!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 8 - 1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Spider Monkey!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Cesar, Alexandre Firmino and Thiago Cunha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A swing and a miss from Monkey.
Monkey keeps the fight on the outside.
Monkey throws a leg kick but Talvela checks it.
Monkey misses with a body shot.
A little feinted left hand from Talvela on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Monkey swings widly with a right hand
letting Talvela counter with a right hand.
Monkey lands a really nice looking cross but Talvela seems unphased.
Talvela has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Monkey.

Talvela scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Talvela working the head with strikes.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Monkey is looking for a sweep.
Monkey takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.

Talvela looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Monkey struggling a bit here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Talvela has knee on belly and moves into mount.
Talvela with the ground and pound from mount.
Monkey avoids a strike by Talvela and manages to complete a very nice reversal in the process, to end up in Talvela's guard! Fantastic escape!
Monkey trying to control the position from guard on top but Talvela is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Monkey won't allow Talvela to sweep him here.

Talvela escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Monkey gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Talvela is trying to control the position but Monkey postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Monkey wants to pass the guard but Talvela is keeping the position.
Talvela being controlled here, momentarily.
Monkey trying to control the position from guard on top but Talvela is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Talvela looks to be working for a triangle here. Oh, it looks like he might have it! Monkey has picked Talvela up and slammed him! Talvela can't keep hold of the triangle and Monkey manages to pass to side control!
Talvela is trying to improve his position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Monkey is looking to take a break and control but Talvela is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Talvela is looking to reverse the position.
Monkey staying calm.
Monkey is looking to take a break and control but Talvela is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Monkey tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

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.
Talvela is looking to reverse the position.
Monkey trying to control the action but Talvela is working from the bottom.
Talvela is looking to reverse the position.
Monkey in side control, just content to control the action for now.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Monkey is continuing to stall.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Paavo Talvela will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

A nice leg kick lands there from Monkey.
Talvela connects with a nice looking jab.
Monkey gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Talvela.
Monkey takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Talvela uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Monkey.
Talvela swings widly with a right hand
and Monkey counters with a stiff right hand.
Monkey pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Talvela checks a low kick from Monkey.
Monkey misses with a looping right.
Talvela lands a nice leg kick that just misses Monkey's sensitive parts.
Monkey throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Talvela sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Monkey tries to land a body kick

and Talvela counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Talvela.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Talvela postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Monkey controls Talvela momentarily but Talvela frees himself.
Monkey keeping full guard, as Talvela tries to pass.
Monkey controls Talvela momentarily but Talvela frees himself.
Talvela is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Monkey keeping full guard, as Talvela tries to pass.
Talvela lands a couple of digs.

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.
Talvela loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Monkey seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Talvela pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Monkey is keeping the position for now.
Talvela postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Talvela in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Monkey looking to control.
Monkey looking for a sweep. Not yet Monkey, not yet.
Monkey controls Talvela momentarily but Talvela frees himself.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Spider Monkey seems to be getting the better of the standup.

Monkey gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Talvela pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Monkey is keeping the position for now.
Talvela wants to control from the top but Monkey keeps moving.
Talvela postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Talvela throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Talvela throws a big elbow that misses.
Talvela trying to control the position from guard on top but Monkey is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Talvela looking to sit in guard and control but Monkey gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Monkey showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Talvela can't keep his opponent in guard - Monkey advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Talvela wants to get back to full guard.
Talvela slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Monkey trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Talvela is trying to keep Monkey in close.
Monkey stopping the sweep attempt from Talvela.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Paavo Talvela dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Monkey tries to clinch there but Talvela circles away.
Talvela checks the leg kick nicely there.
Talvela throwing a counter right hand but Monkey manages to avoid it.
Jab, jab by Monkey - just one landing.
Monkey scores with a nice strike.
We are yet to see a takedown attempt from Monkey in the fight. On paper you would think he is the more dominant ground fighter so let's see if these unusual tactics pay off.
Monkey wants to land a leg kick but Talvela is out of range.
Talvela lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.

Talvela closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Monkey tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Monkey tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Talvela's elbow.
Monkey lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Talvela has Monkey pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Talvela pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Monkey tumbling to the mat - Talvela dives into Monkey's guard.
Paavo Talvela overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Monkey utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Monkey 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.
Monkey utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Talvela looking to sit in guard and control but Monkey gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Talvela being controlled here, momentarily.
Monkey stopping the sweep attempt from Talvela.
Talvela wants to improve his position but instead Monkey has moved into half guard.
Monkey trying to mount his opponent but Talvela defends it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Talvela trying to control but Monkey postures up.

Talvela looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Monkey is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Talvela trying to control here.

Talvela actively working from the bottom here.
Monkey is trying to control. Talvela wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Monkey is pressing down on Talvela's thigh, looking to free his foot. Talvela is holding on for now.
Talvela is looking for a sweep. Monkey is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Monkey is trying to control the action in half guard but Talvela is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Monkey dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Talvela. That did some damage!
Monkey lands a nice looking kick to the body. Talvela takes a step back to recover.

Talvela changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Monkey looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Monkey takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Monkey dodges the ground and pound from Talvela.
Monkey tries to bench press Talvela off him but Talvela keeps the position.
Talvela scores with a couple of short elbows.
Monkey avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Talvela.
Monkey is looking to slip a leg under and get half guard but Talvela is one step ahead and moves to full mount!
Talvela throws some wild stikes that Monkey manages to avoid easily.
Talvela trying to control but he's not successful this time.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Monkey is in all sorts of trouble here.
Spider Monkey has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Paavo Talvela.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Talvela, 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 Daniel Cesar scores the fight 30:27
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 30:27
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Paavo Talvela!
A very excited looking Paavo Talvela made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.