PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Yosuke Kanehara (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kaspar Uusnurm (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Uusnurm has chosen Lord of war as his entrance music. Yosuke Kanehara had real problems making weight for this fight. After initially coming in at 156.8lbs, he had two hours to make the official fight weight. He made it but it will have taken a lot out of him to cut those extra few pounds. Kaspar Uusnurm is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Kanehara
vs
Uusnurm

170 cm
25
165 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

178 cm
20
155 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Yosuke Kanehara!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Kaspar Uusnurm!
The judges for this bout are Arvi Lind, Ben Zyskovitsi and Tarja Halkonen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kanehara keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Kanehara doesn't manage to clinch there - Uusnurm circles away.
Kanehara throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Kanehara dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Kanehara throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Uusnurm.
Uusnurm looks for a takedown but Kanehara sprawls well.
Kanehara finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Kanehara looks to score with a jab to the body but Uusnurm is just out of range.

Kanehara throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Uusnurm was covering up waiting for the punch and Kanehara finishes the takedown easily into guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Kanehara stopping the sweep attempt from Uusnurm.
Uusnurm is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kanehara slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

Uusnurm throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Uusnurm not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

Uusnurm is looking for a triangle but Kanehara pushes his legs off easily.
Uusnurm is trying to control the position but Kanehara postures up.
Kanehara with a nice head shot there.
Uusnurm 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.
Kanehara looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

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.
Uusnurm is pulling down on Kanehara's head to control his posture.
Kanehara preventing the sweep.
Kanehara wants to stand but Uusnurm is controlling his posture from full guard.
Uusnurm controls Kanehara momentarily but Kanehara frees himself.
Uusnurm looks gassed!

We're going to have a standup here because Yosuke Kanehara wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.

Kanehara closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Uusnurm quickly recovers to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kanehara is thwarting Uusnurm's attempts to control the position.
Kanehara throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Kanehara trying to control the action but Uusnurm is working from the bottom.
Uusnurm gets back to full guard.
Kanehara wants to stand but Uusnurm is controlling his posture from full guard.
Uusnurm wants to sweep but no luck.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Uusnurm looking to control.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Kanehara scores with a takedown into Uusnurm's guard.
Uusnurm controls Kanehara momentarily but Kanehara frees himself.
Uusnurm looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Uusnurm pulls Kanehara in close to prevent any damage.
Uusnurm is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yosuke Kanehara 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.

Kanehara will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Uusnurm doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Kanehara counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Kanehara wants to lay and pray for a moment but Uusnurm keeps working.
Uusnurm wants to get back to his feet.
Kanehara tries to pass the half guard into mount. Uusnurm knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Kanehara tries to stand but his arm is trapped.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Kanehara seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Uusnurm has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Kanehara is working away from the top position though.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Yosuke Kanehara wasn't doing enough on the ground.

Uusnurm drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Uusnurm accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Uusnurm stops Kanehara from standing up.
Uusnurm slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Kanehara wants to get back to his feet but Uusnurm is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Uusnurm trying to control but Kanehara is working from the bottom.
Uusnurm stops Kanehara from standing up.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Uusnurm distracts Kanehara with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Kanehara on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Kanehara tries to get out of the position.
Uusnurm pushes down on Kanehara's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Uusnurm seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Kanehara does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Uusnurm takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Uusnurm wants to take a breather but Kanehara is having none of it.
Uusnurm prevents Kanehara from standing back up.
Uusnurm is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Kanehara!
Uusnurm postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Kanehara looks a forlorn figure.
Kanehara squirming around on the bottom, looking to escape.
Uusnurm raining down shots from the mount!
Uusnurm has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Kanehara's face.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Uusnurm is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Kanehara can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Uusnurm postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Kanehara looks a forlorn figure.
Kanehara is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.
Uusnurm lands a big elbow.
Uusnurm lands a big shot there that rocks Kanehara but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kaspar Uusnurm showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Kanehara shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Uusnurm counters by moving into the clinch.
Kanehara wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Uusnurm wants a takedown but no success here.
Uusnurm drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Kanehara gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Kanehara wants a takedown.
Kanehara prevents the takedown attempt.
Yosuke Kanehara has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Kaspar Uusnurm.
Kanehara gets underhooks to prevent Uusnurm's takedown attempt.
Uusnurm stalls.
Kanehara looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kanehara looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

Uusnurm wants the takedown. Kanehara is fighting it off but Uusnurm persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Kanehara's guard against the cage.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Kanehara keeping moving, preventing Uusnurm from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Uusnurm postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Kanehara is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Uusnurm, into his guard.
Uusnurm pulls Kanehara in close to prevent any damage.
Kanehara won't allow Uusnurm to sweep him here.
Kanehara sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Uusnurm is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Uusnurm trying to control from half guard but Kanehara is working away.
Uusnurm stalling away here and it's allowed Kanehara to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Kanehara wants to stand and escape but Uusnurm is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Uusnurm trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Uusnurm wants to control from the top but Kanehara keeps moving.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Uusnurm looking to pass the guard.
Uusnurm trying to control but Kanehara is working from the bottom.
Uusnurm stops Kanehara from standing up.
Kanehara has momentary wrist control but Uusnurm slips an elbow through the middle.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Uusnurm trying to control but Kanehara is working from the bottom.
Kanehara is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Yosuke Kanehara overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Uusnurm trying to control the position from guard on top but Kanehara is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Kaspar Uusnurm wasn't active enough on the ground.
Uusnurm fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Kanehara avoids it really well and circles away.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Kanehara looks to land a combination but Uusnurm avoids it well.

And that's the end of the fight!
Kaspar Uusnurm comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Uusnurm has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Arvi Lind scores the fight 28:29
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 28:29
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kaspar Uusnurm!