PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Rannanjarvi Antti (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Risto Ruskea (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Antti comes to the cage accompanied by Eminem- Go To Sleep. Ruskea has chosen SMC Hoodrats as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Antti
vs
Ruskea

185 cm
22
190 lbs
7 - 5 - 0

180 cm
24
188 lbs
6 - 6 - 1

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent elbows
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Rannanjarvi Antti!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 6 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Risto Ruskea!
The judges for this bout are Marco Blurström, Tarja Halkonen and Arvi Lind.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ruskea avoids the head kick by Antti.
Ruskea fails to land the takedown.
Antti throws a right and a left that Ruskea avoids nicely.

Ruskea closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Antti to the mat! Antti manages to get full guard.
Ruskea throws and elbow that misses. Antti uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Ruskea's guard. Nice move by Antti!
Ruskea wants to stand and escape but Antti is having none of it.
Antti wants to get up but he can't break Ruskea's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Ruskea tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Ruskea looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

Antti got a little sloppy there for a moment and Ruskea has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Antti has managed to get both his arms back between Ruskea's legs - danger averted.
Antti slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Ruskea has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

Ruskea had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Antti is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Ruskea Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Antti's back instead.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Ruskea misses with punches from the back.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Antti holding both Ruskea 's hands and preventing any damage.
Antti covering up well and avoiding damage.
Antti looking to stop the rear naked choke attempt by controlling the hands.

Ruskea looking for the RNC.
Ruskea looks gassed!
Antti has the hand control, trying to stop the rear naked choke.
Ruskea is trying to control but Antti is trying to escape here - he's now mounted.

That's two 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.
Antti tries to buck Ruskea off but he can't manage it.

Ruskea looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Ruskea looking to control but Antti is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

Ruskea working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Antti is trying to stand.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Ruskea trying to control but Antti is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ruskea won't let Antti get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.
Ruskea punching from mount but Antti doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Ruskea breaks from Antti's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Antti's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.
Ruskea looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Ruskea lands a big shot there that rocks Antti but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Antti's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.
Ruskea throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
Antti is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Ruskea can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Antti is looking to escape.
Antti is really trying hard to get back to his feet.
Ruskea with a couple of short strikes.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Ruskea cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!

Ruskea is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Antti can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Ruskea thowing shots but they're missing.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Ruskea tries to control but Antti wriggling away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Risto Ruskea dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Antti tries to work over Ruskea's front leg with a kick but Ruskea checks it.
Rannanjarvi Antti seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Ruskea circles away from the clinch attempt.
Ruskea throws a head kick that misses.
Antti throws a looping overhand right but Ruskea ducks down to avoid it.

Ruskea closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Antti wants to get back to his feet.
Ruskea scores with a couple of good hammerfists.

Ruskea is working for a submission of some sort.

Ruskea is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Antti is just riding it out for now. Ruskea eventually gives up the hold.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Antti wants to get back to his feet.
Nice strikes from Ruskea there.

Antti kicks Ruskea off and gets back to his feet.
Ruskea throws a head kick that misses.
Ruskea thuds a left hand into Antti's body.
Antti will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Ruskea fails with a takedown attempt.
Antti throws a head kick that misses

and Ruskea counters by moving into the clinch.
Ruskea is looking to break free of the clinch but Antti has double underhooks.
Antti is trying to break free.
Antti is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Antti pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Ruskea throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Antti lands a head kick. Ruskea smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Ruskea misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Rannanjarvi Antti is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Antti throws a predictable looking body shot

and Ruskea counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Ruskea.

Antti escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Ruskea keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Antti.
Antti thows a leg kick but Ruskea checks it

and Ruskea counters with a shoot takedown. Antti fights it but they end up in guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ruskea trying to control the position from guard on top but Antti is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Ruskea stops Antti from standing up.

Ruskea drops back for a leg here. A bit of a high risk move... He's looking for a kneebar by the looks of things. Now both of them are looking for submissions. Ruskea seems to have locked his on tight now - Antti screams in pain and taps out furiously! It certainly was a high risk move but it's paid off for Ruskea, as he picks up the win!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:41 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kneebar). Risto Ruskea!