PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between nerkki Hononen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Hans Gruber (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Well, I have no idea who's going to take this one!

Hononen
vs
Gruber

180 cm
18
180 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

180 cm
21
193 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Tends to cut

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, nerkki Hononen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Hans Gruber!
The judges for this bout are Matti Vanhoillinen, Roosa Järviläinen and Johanna Lukiainen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Gruber fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Hononen sprawls well initially but Gruber persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gruber not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Gruber prevents Hononen from improving his position.
Hononen is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Gruber scores with a couple of nice shots.
Hononen wants to control but Gruber is keeping busy.
Hononen wants to get back to his feet.
Gruber is stalling here. Hononen is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Gruber seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Hononen has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
Gruber holds on to Hononen's head and controls the position momentarily.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hononen is looking to take a break and control but Gruber is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hononen working away.
Gruber is not content to let Hononen control the position.
Gruber is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Hononen's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Hononen is looking to advance position but Gruber won't allow it.
Gruber is looking for a sweep. Hononen is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Hononen is pressing down on Gruber's thigh, looking to free his foot. Gruber is holding on for now.

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.
Gruber keeping hold of Hononen's head, controlling as best he can.
Hononen sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Hononen wants to lay and pray for a moment but Gruber keeps working.
Hononen is really struggling to control Gruber but he's trying to hold on to the position.
Gruber is trying to stand back up but Hononen is controlling him

That's three minutes gone in the round.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Gruber closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Gruber manages to break the clinch.

Gruber rushes Hononen and presses him up against the cage.
Gruber tries for a takedown but Hononen manages to get underhooks.
Gruber lands an elbow that stopped Hononen in his tracks for a moment.

Gruber pulls guard.
Gruber is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Gruber is trying to control the position but Hononen postures up.
Hononen being controlled here momentarily.
Gruber is trying to keep Hononen in close.
Hononen is breathing heavily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Gruber holds on and takes a little breather.
Gruber 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.
Hononen won't allow Gruber to get back to his feet.
Hononen passes into half guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Gruber wants to get back to full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hans Gruber 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.

Gruber throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Hononen was covering up waiting for the punch and Gruber finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Gruber won't allow Hononen to sweep him here.
Gruber trying to control the position from guard on top but Hononen is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Gruber drops back, looking for a kneebar! Hononen looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Hononen looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Hononen!
Gruber isn't going anywhere.
Hononen is looking to take a break and control but Gruber is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gruber tries to improve position but can't.
You can see the frustration on Gruber's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Gruber isn't going anywhere.
Hononen wants to lay and pray for a moment but Gruber keeps working.

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.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Gruber closes the distance and clinches.
Hononen changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Gruber fights it off and pushes away nicely.

Gruber throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Hononen was covering up waiting for the punch and Gruber finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Gruber looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gruber passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Hononen can't do much from the bottom here.

Gruber has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.

Gruber has managed to clinch.

Gruber pulls guard effortlessly.

Gruber pushes Hononen off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Gruber scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Hononen is looking to reverse the position.
Gruber controlling from side mount.
Hononen is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
You can see the frustration on Hononen's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Gruber advances to full mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hans Gruber showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Gruber has managed to clinch.
Hononen drops down looking for an ankle pick but Gruber pulls his leg out and moves away.

Gruber closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Gruber working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Hononen is staying active underneath Gruber, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hononen makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Hononen.
Hononen wants to stand and escape but Gruber is having none of it.
Gruber working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Gruber must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Gruber keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Hononen's head.
Hononen wants to stand up but Gruber is controlling him.
Gruber wants to control from the top but Hononen keeps moving.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Hononen doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Gruber counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Hans Gruber has got the better of the ground game so far.
Hononen looking to control.
Gruber wants to control from the top but Hononen keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hononen can't keep his opponent in guard - Gruber advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Hononen trying to control but Gruber postures up.
Hononen is in trouble now - Gruber has advanced to mount!
Hononen is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Hononen is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Gruber is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Hononen is in a bad position, trying to hold on for dear life but he is really struggling to maintain any sort of control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gruber controlling the pace for now.
Gruber is landing with some decent strikes but Hononen is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Hononen working to try and regain half guard.
Hononen is squirming around, avoiding Gruber's attempts to control the action.
Gruber lands a big elbow.
Gruber cracks Hononen with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.

That's four 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.

Gruber swings around for an armbar but it's a sloppy attempt and Hononen is now in Gruber's guard. A big mistake from Gruber there, giving up the dominant position!
Hononen won't allow Gruber to sweep him here.
Gruber trying to control the position here.
Hononen trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Hans Gruber is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Gruber looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
nerkki Hononen has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Hononen postures up in Gruber's guard and throws a big left but Gruber blocks it.

And that's the end of the fight!
Hans Gruber comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Gruber 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 Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 27:30
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 27:30
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Hans Gruber!