PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Keke Ikonen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Vasara Markku (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ikonen's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Conan the Barbarian. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Ikonen
vs
Markku

180 cm
25
196 lbs
7 - 4 - 0

185 cm
24
185 lbs
5 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
KO power

Dangerous GnP
Counter striker
Powerful

Umbrella Corporation - Q159 Recov/Muscle

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 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Keke Ikonen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Vasara Markku!
The judges for this bout are Tarja Halkonen, Johanna Lukiainen and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ikonen misses with a takedown attempt - Markku sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Ikonen tries to clinch there but Markku circles away.
Ikonen throws a lazy right hand but Markku sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.

Markku shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Markku controlling the action here.
Ikonen is looking to improve his position.
Markku thows a huge punch but Ikonen dodges it nicely.
Markku moves nicely into side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ikonen being controlled for a moment.
Ikonen is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Markku is controlling him well.
Markku working the ground and pound but Ikonen is defending the strikes.
Markku landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Ikonen tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Markku wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Ikonen defending against the ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Markku landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Markku throws an elbow but Ikonen slips to the side and avoids it well.
Markku is looking to take a break and control but Ikonen is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Markku throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Markku is staying tight to Ikonen's torso, preventing him from escaping.
Markku creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Markku landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Ikonen tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Markku wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Markku wants to lay and pray for a moment but Ikonen keeps working.
Sloppy strikes there by Markku.
A lull in the action here as Markku stalls from top position.
Markku working the ground and pound but Ikonen is defending the strikes.
An elbow from Markku crashes against the mat.

That's four 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.
Markku working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Markku controls the position.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Markku shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Ikonen napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Ikonen seems a little lost for a moment, as Markku dominates the positioning.
Markku working the ground and pound but Ikonen is defending the strikes.
Markku working the strikes but Ikonen uses the opportunity to regain half guard.
Ground and pound from Markku.
Ikonen trying to keep hold of his opponent's head but Markku manages to pass to mount!
Markku raining down shots from the mount!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vasara Markku dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Markku decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Ikonen is staying active underneath Markku, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Markku controlling the pace.
Markku missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Markku is looking to take a break and control but Ikonen is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Markku not doing much here.
Let's hope that Markku has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Markku looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Markku is controlling the pace.
Markku moves nicely into side control.

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.
Sloppy strikes there by Markku.
Markku throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Markku working the ground and pound from side control.
Markku creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Ikonen defending against the ground and pound.
You can see the frustration on Ikonen's face as Markku controls the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ikonen takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Markku wants to lay and pray for a moment but Ikonen keeps working.
Markku is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Ikonen will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.

Despite being in the dominant position, Vasara Markku just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Ikonen fails with the takedown

and Markku counters with a nice double leg into side control. Ikonen won't be happy with that.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Markku wants to control but Ikonen is keeping him busy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ikonen on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Markku lands a nice forearm strike.
Markku cracks Ikonen with a big right hand but Ikonen just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Markku wants to control but Ikonen is keeping him busy.

Markku decides to take the fight back to the feet.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Decent striking displayed by Markku there.
Markku uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Ikonen.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vasara Markku showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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. This is the final round!

Markku scores with a hook.
Markku ducks under a wild hook from Ikonen.
Markku with a jab.
Ikonen gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Markku counters with a single leg into guard. Ikonen didn't expect that.
Markku in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Markku wants to control from the top but Ikonen keeps moving.
Markku might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Ikonen kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Markku throws a big right hand that misses.
Markku content to stall in guard here.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Markku missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Markku trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Markku misses with a body shot.
Ikonen fails with the takedown

and Markku counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Markku is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ikonen keeping full guard, as Markku tries to pass.
Markku trying to control but Ikonen is working from the bottom.
Markku postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Ikonen is controlling Markku's posture.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ikonen keeping moving, preventing Markku from controlling successfully.
Markku scoring with punches to the head and body.
Ikonen trying to keep a closed guard but Markku is proving a slippery customer.
Markku showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Keke Ikonen has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Markku wants to pass the guard but Ikonen is keeping the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Markku passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Ikonen is not content to let Markku control the position.
Ikonen is trying to get back to half guard.
Ikonen takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.

And that's the end of the fight!
Vasara Markku comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Markku 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 Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 26:30
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 26:30
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Vasara Markku!