PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Jonas Galdikas (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tomi Rajala (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rajala has chosen For Whom the Bell Tolls as his entrance music. Well, I have no idea who's going to take this one!

Galdikas
vs
Rajala

185 cm
20
200 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

180 cm
26
195 lbs
12 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Powerful

Battalion Athletics

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 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Jonas Galdikas!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 5 - 0, fighting out of London, Tomi Rajala!
The judges for this bout are Sam Margolis, Chris Edwards and Richard Clark.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rajala throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Rajala changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Galdikas tries to avoid it but Rajala manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Galdikas to the ground. Galdikas escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Rajala uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Galdikas.
Galdikas looks to score with a jab to the body but Rajala is just out of range.
Galdikas lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Rajala circles away quickly and effectively.
Galdikas ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Galdikas lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Galdikas swings for the body but Rajala moves out of range.
Galdikas fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Rajala looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Rajala misses the shot to the body.
Galdikas steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Rajala.
Galdikas misses with an uppercut.
Galdikas takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Rajala throws a jab but it's blocked by Galdikas.
Rajala throws a hook but Galdikas blocks it.

Rajala clinches with his opponent.
Galdikas lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Rajala backwards.
Rajala is pushing Galdikas up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Galdikas avoiding damage as Rajala throws knees to the body.
Galdikas pushes Rajala back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Rajala tries for a takedown. No joy.
Rajala has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Galdikas avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Jonas Galdikas has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Tomi Rajala.

Galdikas is trying to trip Rajala. He has hold of a leg but Rajala is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Galdikas persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Galdikas throws a big right hand that misses.
Rajala is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Galdikas stopping the sweep attempt from Rajala.
Rajala is controlling Galdikas's posture.
Galdikas 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.
Rajala looking for a sweep. Not yet Rajala, not yet.
Galdikas throwing strikes from guard but Rajala blocks nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Galdikas throwing strikes but missing.
Galdikas wants to control from the top but Rajala keeps moving.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Rajala slips a jab from Galdikas.
Galdikas keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.

Galdikas feints and as Rajala raises his hands in defense, Galdikas changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Galdikas looking to pass the guard.
Rajala is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Galdikas scores with a decent looking elbow strike.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Galdikas slips nicely into half guard.
Galdikas is trying to control the action in half guard but Rajala is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Galdikas connects with a nice short shot to Rajala's temple.
Galdikas trying to control from half guard but Rajala is working away.
Galdikas is trying to advance to mount but he's lost his balance and Rajala reverses the position - he's now on top in Galdikas's guard.
Rajala trying to control the position from guard on top but Galdikas is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's four 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.
Galdikas looking to control.
Rajala thows a big elbow that misses.
Galdikas preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Rajala throws a big right hand that misses.
Galdikas keeping moving, preventing Rajala from controlling successfully.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Rajala fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Galdikas manages to avoid it.
Rajala shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Galdikas as he jumps to the side.
Rajala misses with a jab to the body
and Galdikas connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rajala doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jonas Galdikas dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Galdikas just misses with a punch to the body.
Rajala misses with the combination.
Galdikas takes a swing at Rajala's ribcage but misses.
Rajala misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Galdikas.
Tomi Rajala seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Galdikas digs a good hook to Rajala's body.
Rajala lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Rajala misses with a looping right.
Rajala ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Rajala swinging wildly here.
Rajala ducks under a wild hook from Galdikas.
Rajala keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Galdikas.
Galdikas missing with a left hand there. Rajala was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Galdikas ducks under a wild hook from Rajala.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rajala ducks under a wild hook from Galdikas.
Rajala staying out of range there.

Rajala shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Galdikas manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Rajala throwing strikes but missing.
Rajala slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Galdikas tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Rajala is looking to take a break and control but Galdikas is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rajala throwing strikes but Galdikas manages to buck up and roll into a nice reversal - now he's on top in side control!
Rajala struggling a bit here.
Rajala manages to get back to half guard.
Galdikas is keen to just control but Rajala is a slippery customer.
Galdikas with the ground and pound but Rajala uses the opportunity to regain guard.
Galdikas lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Galdikas works a leg free and moves into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rajala is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Galdikas passes to full mount!
Galdikas wants to control the pace but Rajala is squirming around nicely.
Rajala is looking to improve his position but Galdikas isn't that keen on the idea.
Galdikas working Rajala over with strikes here.
Rajala tries to get back to half guard but can't.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Rajala regains half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rajala gets full guard.
Rajala is trying to keep Galdikas in close.
Rajala is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
Rajala wants to sweep but no luck.

Galdikas postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Rajala is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Galdikas, into his guard.
Galdikas is adopting a defensive guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Tomi Rajala will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Galdikas misses with a series of wild punches.
Galdikas avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Nice sprawl there from Galdikas as Rajala shoots in.
Galdikas cracks Rajala with an open hand slap.
Galdikas misses with an uppercut.
Rajala throws a lazy right hand but Galdikas sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Rajala throws a body punch but Galdikas moves out of range.
Rajala thows a body shot but no joy.
A looping hook to the body misses from Galdikas. Rajala does a little dance to reset his feet.
Galdikas pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Galdikas looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Rajala throws a sloppy body shot
and Galdikas counters with a lovely straight right hand!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Galdikas keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Rajala takes a jab right on the kisser.
Rajala misses with a straight right.
Galdikas darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Rajala shoots in for a takedown but Galdikas shows good takedown defense.
Rajala moves out of range of the strikes.
Jab from Galdikas.

Rajala shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Galdikas's guard.
Galdikas keeping moving, preventing Rajala from controlling successfully.
Galdikas trying to control the position here.
Rajala must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Rajala trying to control the position from guard on top but Galdikas is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rajala is fighting to break Galdikas's control of his arms but Galdikas is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Rajala is working Galdikas over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Rajala missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Galdikas working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Rajala.

Rajala is sitting in close to Galdikas's body. Galdikas has gone for a guillotine from the bottom. Oh damn, that looks pretty tight! Rajala is panicking - it looks like this one could be all over! Yes, Rajala is tapping! That was a very nice submission by Galdikas.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:29 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Guillotine). Jonas Galdikas!