PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Craig Penn (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tatjaana Rakopaljaana (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rakopaljaana is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by jare&VilleGalle ft. Heikki Kuula - Nelisilmä . These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Penn
vs
Rakopaljaana

175 cm
24
155 lbs
4 - 4 - 1

171 cm
25
155 lbs
6 - 6 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Solid boxing
Granite chin

ADCC Champion
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

Crashforce Nutrition

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 4 - 4 - 1, fighting out of Hilo, Craig Penn!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Tatjaana Rakopaljaana!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rakopaljaana has his takedown stuffed
and Penn counters with a straight right hand.
Rakopaljaana throws a combination that misses
and Penn cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Rakopaljaana tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Penn paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Penn takes the fight into the clinch.
Rakopaljaana dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Penn can't get the takedown.
Rakopaljaana manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Rakopaljaana doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Penn takes a shot to the head.
Rakopaljaana avoiding damage.
Penn tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Rakopaljaana just stands there and leans against the cage.

Penn gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
Rakopaljaana is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Rakopaljaana trying to keep a closed guard but Penn is proving a slippery customer.

Penn thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Penn won't allow Rakopaljaana to sweep him here.
Penn has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Rakopaljaana looking to control.
Penn trying to control the position from guard on top but Rakopaljaana is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Rakopaljaana throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Penn sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Penn shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

so Rakopaljaana counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Craig Penn. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Penn keeping moving, preventing Rakopaljaana from controlling successfully.

Rakopaljaana stands up and waves to Penn to follow him.
Tatjaana Rakopaljaana seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rakopaljaana tries to clinch up but Penn circles away and keeps his distance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Penn.
Rakopaljaana connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Penn tries to clinch up but Rakopaljaana circles away and keeps his distance.
Penn will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Rakopaljaana dodges the punch combination from Penn.

Rakopaljaana has closed the distance and engaged Penn in a clinch.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Penn wants a takedown.
Rakopaljaana lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Rakopaljaana lands a body shot in the clinch.
Penn tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Rakopaljaana smiles and moves away.
Penn tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Rakopaljaana swivels and escapes.
Penn is breathing heavily.

Rakopaljaana clinches.
Rakopaljaana tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Rakopaljaana has Penn pressed against the cage.
Rakopaljaana lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rakopaljaana has a couple of punches blocked by Penn.
Penn letting Rakopaljaana take a breather here.
Penn tries to pull guard but Rakopaljaana holds him up against the cage and eventually Penn drops back down to his feet.
Penn stalls.

Rakopaljaana has clasped his hands together around Penn's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.

Rakopaljaana is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Penn is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Rakopaljaana landing strikes.
Rakopaljaana working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Rakopaljaana landing strikes.
Penn gets back to half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Penn is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Rakopaljaana's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Rakopaljaana's back!
Rakopaljaana has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Penn misses with a punch to the head.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Rakopaljaana rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.
Penn trying to pass the guard but Rakopaljaana defending well.
Rakopaljaana works his way to full guard. Good work.
Penn throws a strike but Rakopaljaana rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Rakopaljaana slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Rakopaljaana is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tatjaana Rakopaljaana dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Penn is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Craig Penn is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Rakopaljaana tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Penn manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Penn tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Penn takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Penn.
Rakopaljaana wants to clinch.

Rakopaljaana gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
A bit of stalling here from Rakopaljaana.
Rakopaljaana goes for a takedown in the clinch but Penn prevents it.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.

Rakopaljaana gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Rakopaljaana works his foot free and advances to mount.
Penn is trying desperately to improve position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Penn wants to control but Rakopaljaana is having none of it.
Rakopaljaana lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Penn hang on?
Penn tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Rakopaljaana is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Rakopaljaana lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Rakopaljaana working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Rakopaljaana with a couple of short strikes.
Penn manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Rakopaljaana works his way into side control.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Rakopaljaana wants to control but Penn is keeping him busy.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rakopaljaana working away.

Rakopaljaana tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Rakopaljaana has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
The strikes coming from Rakopaljaana are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Rakopaljaana working the head and body with strikes.
Penn tries to bench press Rakopaljaana off him but Rakopaljaana keeps the position.
Penn taking punishment in the form of punches.
Penn struggling a bit here.
Rakopaljaana trying to control the action but Penn is working from the bottom.
Penn is trying to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Penn wants to control but Rakopaljaana postures up.
Rakopaljaana remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
Rakopaljaana working away.
Rakopaljaana trying to control the action but Penn is working from the bottom.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Rakopaljaana working the head with strikes.
Rakopaljaana lands a few punches from side control.
Penn wants to control but Rakopaljaana postures up.
Penn is not content to let Rakopaljaana control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Penn can't do much from the bottom here.
Rakopaljaana works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Rakopaljaana scoring with punches from side control.
Penn is trying to get back to half guard.

Rakopaljaana tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Check out the look on Rakopaljaana's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tatjaana Rakopaljaana showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Penn fails in his attempt to clinch.
Penn tries to clinch up.
Penn tries to clinch
and Rakopaljaana counters with a series of strikes. Penn will be more careful next time no doubt.
Rakopaljaana tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Penn paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Rakopaljaana throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Penn is defended easily by Rakopaljaana.
Rakopaljaana throws an ugly left hook that misses

and Penn counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Rakopaljaana's guard now.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rakopaljaana looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Rakopaljaana working for a triangle but Penn defends it easily.
Rakopaljaana has his hands on Penn's head, controlling the position.
Rakopaljaana controls Penn momentarily but Penn frees himself.
Penn trying to control but Rakopaljaana is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rakopaljaana bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Penn's guard.
Penn looking to hit a scissor sweep but Rakopaljaana is one step ahead there.

Rakopaljaana drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Penn manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Rakopaljaana has Penn in his guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Rakopaljaana is pulling down on Penn's head. It's preventing any offense from Penn, at least for the moment.
Penn trying to control but Rakopaljaana is working from the bottom.
Rakopaljaana manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rakopaljaana unloading with bombs!
Penn working to try and regain half guard.
Rakopaljaana lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.

Rakopaljaana is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Penn has managed to escape the submission attempt.
Penn looking to escape from mount but he's given up his back!
Tatjaana Rakopaljaana has got the better of the ground game so far.
Rakopaljaana has the hooks in. Penn is trying to push off one leg but he has to do so cautiously to avoid being submitted.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Penn covers up after taking a massive shot to the side of the head.
Penn just trying to survive but Rakopaljaana is wriggling into a better position, looking to finish.

Penn is displaying good submission defense - not really looking in danger of submitting to the rear naked choke at the moment. That could change in an instant of course if Rakopaljaana gets his way!

Penn won't enjoy being in this position. Rakopaljaana looking for the choke. Oh... he's slipped the arm under the neck - Penn is tapping - it's over boys! Rakopaljaana picks up the submission victory!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:31 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Tatjaana Rakopaljaana!