PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Rasmus Johansson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Lieto Koskinen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Johansson kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genuis that is Diablo - The Preacher. Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Johansson
vs
Koskinen

167 cm
18
148 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

170 cm
22
150 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Rasmus Johansson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Lieto Koskinen!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The fight stays on the outside here - Koskinen looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Koskinen tries to close the distance and clinch up but Johansson swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Koskinen is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Koskinen tries to close the distance and clinch up but Johansson swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Koskinen is looking to clinch.
Koskinen tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Koskinen tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Koskinen tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Koskinen doesn't manage to clinch there - Johansson circles away.
Koskinen doesn't manage to clinch there - Johansson circles away.
Koskinen is looking to clinch but Johansson is avoiding it.
A right-left combo lands from Koskinen.
Koskinen doesn't manage to clinch there - Johansson circles away.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Koskinen tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Johansson paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Johansson scores a takedown into full mount!
Koskinen is squirming around, avoiding Johansson's attempts to control the action.
Johansson throws some wild stikes that Koskinen manages to avoid easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Johansson wants to finish this one by submission but Koskinen is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Johansson.
Koskinen blocking the ground and pound.
Johansson landing punches.
Johansson is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Johansson throwing strikes here but Koskinen is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Koskinen is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Johansson looking to finish Koskinen with some ground and pound. This is bad for Koskinen!

Koskinen is rocked!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Johansson throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
Koskinen blocking the ground and pound.
Koskinen looks gassed!
Johansson putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Koskinen takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Johansson misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Johansson thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
Koskinen wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Johansson.
Johansson with the ground and pound from mount.
Johansson sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Johansson goes for an armbar but Koskinen turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from Koskinen.
Koskinen is looking to stand up but Johansson won't let him.
Johansson tries to strike from the bottom.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Johansson controls Koskinen momentarily but Koskinen frees himself.
Johansson looking to hit a scissor sweep but Koskinen is one step ahead there.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Johansson trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!

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.
Johansson manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Johansson controlling from the full mount.
Koskinen is in a horrible position here. Johansson smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rasmus Johansson dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Johansson shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Johansson throws a big right hand that misses.
Johansson is stalling in the full guard.
Johansson tries to free his leg and advance position but Koskinen is retaining full guard.
Koskinen has momentary wrist control but Johansson slips an elbow through the middle.
Johansson stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Koskinen swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Johansson postures up in Koskinen's guard and throws a big left but Koskinen blocks it.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Johansson trying to control the position from guard on top but Koskinen is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johansson pushing down on Koskinen's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Johansson not landing any meaningful shots this time.

Johansson is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Koskinen won't allow Johansson to pass to mount.
Johansson passes the guard and advances to mount!
Johansson sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

That's two 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.
Johansson punching from mount but Koskinen doing a good job of avoiding damage.
A nice elbow there by Johansson.
Johansson throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Koskinen because Johansson loaded up on that one.
Johansson wants to control the pace but Koskinen is squirming around nicely.
Johansson landing strikes from the mount and Koskinen is in trouble!
Koskinen is still in real trouble! Can Johansson finish him?
Johansson controlling the position easily from mount.
Koskinen seems to have recovered his senses.
Koskinen is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Koskinen really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Johansson. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Johansson dominating with strikes here.
Johansson misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Johansson throwing strikes here but Koskinen is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.

Johansson looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Koskinen is really trying hard to get back to his feet.
Johansson tries to control but Koskinen wriggling away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Johansson looking to finish with strikes here!
Johansson throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Koskinen because Johansson loaded up on that one.
Koskinen holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Johansson tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
Rasmus Johansson overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Johansson looking to finish with strikes here!
Johansson misses with a head shot.
Koskinen wants to use the ropes to get back to his feet here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rasmus Johansson dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Koskinen tries to clinch but Johansson is having none of it.
Johansson fails to land the takedown.
Lieto Koskinen is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Koskinen is looking to clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Koskinen looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Koskinen tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Johansson paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Koskinen doesn't manage to clinch there - Johansson circles away.
The fight stays on the outside here - Koskinen looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Koskinen fails in his attempt to clinch.
Johansson fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Johansson takes a head kick and shrugs it off.

Johansson changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Koskinen looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Johansson has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Johansson throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Koskinen takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Johansson lands a nice forearm strike.
Johansson controlling the position from side mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Johansson in side control, working for a kimura. He's got hold of an arm and he's torquing it... Koskinen is tapping! That's the end of the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:20 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Rasmus Johansson!