PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Juha Tappio (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gerald Davis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Tappio's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Kari Tapio - Juna kulkee vaan. The crowd seem to be enjoying Davis's choice of entrance music: Mama Said Knock You Out. Gerald Davis will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Tappio
vs
Davis

180 cm
21
165 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

200 cm
22
165 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Brawler
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Juha Tappio!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Gerald Davis!
The judges for this bout are Anni Minnemäki, Johanna Lukiainen and Matti Vanhoillinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Davis keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Tappio fails with a takedown attempt.

Tappio looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Tappio misses with a head shot. Davis uses the momentum to regain guard.
Tappio trying to control the position from guard on top but Davis is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Tappio is looking to work some ground and pound but Davis has wrist control.
Tappio with a flurry of punches that miss.
Davis wants to stand but Tappio is controlling the position.
Tappio trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Tappio wants to control from the top but Davis keeps moving.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Tappio closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Davis to the mat! Davis manages to get full guard.
Davis wants to stand but Tappio is controlling the position.
Tappio with a flurry of punches that miss.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Davis utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Tappio loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Tappio tries to free his leg and advance position but Davis is retaining full guard.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Tappio accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Davis is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Tappio trying to control the position from guard on top but Davis is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Tappio scoring with some ground and pound.
Tappio throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Davis tries to bum rush Tappio with a series of wild strikes but Tappio uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Davis displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Tappio.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Juha Tappio. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Davis misses with a series of wild punches.
Gerald Davis is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Tappio throws a series of punches but Davis avoids them all with ease.
Tappio lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Tappio.

It looks like Gerald Davis has been cut.
Tappio shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Davis pinned against the cage. Davis gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Davis misses with a jab, cross combination.
Tappio throws out a loose jab but Davis uses good head movement to avoid it.
Tappio looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Tappio is breathing heavily.
Davis moves out of range of the strikes.
Davis displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Tappio.
Tappio misses with a jab, cross combination.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jab from Davis.
Davis looks to land a combination but Tappio avoids it well.
Tappio fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Davis takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Davis throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Davis misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Tappio on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Tappio shoots in and drives through. Davis sprawls well.
Davis throws a right and a left that both miss.
No luck for Tappio with that takedown attempt.
Davis looks to land a combination but Tappio avoids it well.
Left hook, right uppercut from Davis.
Davis wants to clinch.
Davis misses with a jab, cross combination.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tappio throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

Tappio shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Davis manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Davis has momentary wrist control but Tappio slips an elbow through the middle.
Tappio trying to control the position from guard on top but Davis is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Tappio sitting in guard here, content to control.
Davis is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Tappio is controlling him.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Davis pushes Tappio off and gets back to his feet.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Tappio changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Davis tries to avoid it but Tappio manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Davis to the ground. Davis escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Juha Tappio dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Gerald Davis's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Tappio fails with a takedown attempt.
Tappio dives in and grabs Davis's left leg, looking for a takedown. Davis pushes down on Tappio's head and hops out.
Davis works over Tappio's head and body with a nice combination.

Tappio shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Davis's guard.
Davis working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Tappio.
Tappio seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Tappio might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Tappio prevents Davis from getting back to his feet.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Tappio throwing strikes but missing.
Davis utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Tappio 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.
Tappio scoring with punches to the head and body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tappio is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Davis working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Tappio.
Tappio trying to control the position from guard on top but Davis is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Tappio shoots for a takedown but Davis saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Juha Tappio. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Davis throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Tappio.
Davis stalks Tappio and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Tappio's face. Tappio staggers backwards, shaken.
Tappio shoots in looking for a takedown. Davis tries to sprawl out of it but Tappio keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Davis manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Davis misses with a double jab.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tappio tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Davis swivels and escapes.
Davis is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Tappio fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Davis avoids it really well and circles away.
Davis scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Tappio closes the distance and clinches up with Davis, looking for a takedown. Tappio pushes Davis against the cage but Davis circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Davis scores with a one two! Tappio had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Davis swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Davis tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Tappio paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Davis stuffs the takedown attempt from Tappio. Tappio gets slowly back to his feet.
Davis throws a nice looking combination but Tappio bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Davis goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Davis lands a two punch combo.

Tappio bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Davis wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The strikes coming from Tappio are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Tappio lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Davis down.
Tappio landing strikes.
Tappio taking a breather here.
Tappio scoring with punches from side control.
Tappio throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Davis pushes Tappio away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Tappio gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Davis managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Tappio.
Tappio scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Davis to see if he's OK.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tappio taking a breather here.
Davis wants to get back to his feet.
Tappio is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.
Tappio cracks Davis with an elbow. That is naaassty.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.
Davis takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Tappio cracks Davis with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Tappio scores with a couple of short elbows.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Juha Tappio dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Gerald Davis's cut.
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!

Tappio shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Tappio missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Tappio throwing shots but Davis is blocking nicely.
Davis is trying to stand back up but Tappio is controlling him
Tappio controlling the action here.
Tappio lands strikes from half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Tappio takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Tappio takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Davis looks like he's trying to stand up.
Davis takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Tappio is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tappio drops an elbow to the side of Davis's head.
Tappio takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Tappio throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Davis is trying to stand.
Tappio is controlling the pace.
Tappio lands strikes from half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Davis pushes Tappio off looking to stand but Tappio dives back in and keeps control.
Tappio not doing much here.
Tappio throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Tappio trying to control from half guard but Davis is working away.
Tappio with the ground and pound but Davis uses the opportunity to regain guard.
Davis utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Tappio slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tappio wants to control from the top but Davis keeps moving.
Gerald Davis has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Tappio fails with a takedown attempt.

Tappio closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Davis to the mat! Davis manages to get full guard.
Tappio wants to control from the top but Davis keeps moving.
Davis wants to stand but Tappio is controlling the position.
Davis keeping moving, preventing Tappio from controlling successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Davis utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Tappio postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Tappio content to stall in guard here.
Tappio wants to control from the top but Davis keeps moving.
Tappio in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Davis misses with a double jab
and Tappio counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

And that's the end of the fight!
Juha Tappio showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Tappio, 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 Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 30:27
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 30:27
Judge Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 29:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Juha Tappio!