PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Riku Rauta (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Miksu Rupunen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rauta comes to the cage accompanied by Judas Priest - Hard as Iron. Rupunen has chosen Johnny Cash - God's Gonna Cut You Down as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Riku Rauta could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Miksu Rupunen's chin.

Rauta
vs
Rupunen

187 cm
22
208 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

185 cm
19
205 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Good knees
Intelligent

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Likes ground

Lava

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Riku Rauta!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Miksu Rupunen!
The judges for this bout are Johanna Lukiainen, Roosa Järviläinen and Tarja Halkonen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rupunen is looking to clinch but Rauta is avoiding it.
Rauta looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Rupunen is fending him off so far but Rauta persists. Nope, Rupunen circles away and we're back to standing.
Rupunen tries to clinch but Rauta is having none of it.
Rauta tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Rupunen paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Rauta tries to keep at a distance but Rupunen has taken the fight into the clinch.
Rupunen is trying to break the clinch but Rauta has him pressed against the cage.
Rupunen stalling in the clinch but Rauta improves position.
Rauta throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Rupunen blocks it with crossed arms.
Rauta lands an elbow inside that Rupunen shrugs off.

Rupunen pulls guard successfully.
Rupunen bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Rauta's guard.
Rauta looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Rupunen wants to control from the top but Rauta keeps moving.
Rauta not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Rupunen controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Rupunen tries to free his leg and advance position but Rauta is retaining full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rauta throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Rauta avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Rupunen controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Rupunen will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

Rupunen has taken the fight to the clinch.
Rauta blocks an uppercut.
Rauta with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Rauta tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Rupunen tries to score a body lock takedown but Rauta shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Rauta lands a knee to the body.
Rauta throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Rupunen blocks it with crossed arms.
Rupunen fails to pull guard.
Rauta with a knee to the head.
Rauta is breathing heavily.
Rauta missing with knees to the body.
Rauta throws an elbow but it misses.
Rupunen fails to pull guard.
Riku Rauta has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Miksu Rupunen.
Rupunen tries to pull guard but Rauta holds him up against the cage and eventually Rupunen drops back down to his feet.

Rupunen escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rupunen misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

Rupunen drives through with a takedown into guard.
Rupunen is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

Rupunen stands up from Rauta's guard - Rupunen perhaps looking for a knockout.
Rupunen changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Rauta tries to avoid it but Rupunen manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Rauta to the ground. Rauta escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Rupunen swats away the attempt to clinch by Rauta.
Rupunen circles away from the clinch attempt

and Rupunen counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Rupunen gets to his feet - back to striking we go!

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Rupunen tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Rauta smiles and moves away.
Rauta stuffs the takedown attempt from Rupunen. Rupunen gets slowly back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rauta tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Rupunen doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Rauta looks to land a combination but Rupunen avoids it well.
Rupunen scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Rupunen moves out of range of the body kick.
A cross from Rauta lands.
Rauta throws a half hearted mid kick.

Rauta has Rupunen up against the cage in a clinch.
Rauta lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Rupunen struggles to land a body shot inside as Rauta controls his hands.

Rupunen decides to pull guard.
Rupunen trying to control the position here.

Rupunen looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Rauta pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Rupunen is keeping the position for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rauta wants to control from the top but Rupunen keeps moving.
Rauta wants to stand but Rupunen has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Rauta is fighting to break Rupunen's control of his arms but Rupunen is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Rupunen is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Miksu Rupunen dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Rupunen will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Rauta is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.

Rupunen clinches with his opponent.
Rupunen tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Rupunen lands an uppercut.
Rupunen tries to break the clinch but Rauta is controlling the position.
Rauta comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Rauta using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Rupunen has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Rupunen blocks an elbow strike.
Rauta with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Rauta wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Rupunen leaning against his opponent.
Rupunen takes a knee right on the jaw!
Rupunen is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Rupunen has Rauta pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Rauta manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Riku Rauta has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Miksu Rupunen.
Rauta lands a nice knee to the body.
Rauta using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Rupunen has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Rupunen is looking to control Rauta's arms but Rauta gets an underhook and turns him. Now Rupunen has his back to the cage.
Rupunen is breathing heavily.
Rauta throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Rupunen blocks it with crossed arms.
Rauta throws a knee to the head but misses.
Rauta throws a knee to the head but misses.
Rupunen takes an elbow to the temple.

Rauta has the Thai plumb, controlling the head nicely. He loads up with a big knee to the head and Rupunen goes down! Rauta pounces into side control - this one could be over soon!

Rupunen is rocked!
Rupunen wings away with a couple of strikes but they don't land.
Rupunen is still in real trouble! Can Rauta finish him?
Rupunen wants to control but Rauta postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rupunen is not content to let Rauta control the position.
Rupunen is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Rauta asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Rupunen seems to have recovered his senses.
Rauta tries to stand but Rupunen is controlling his head.
Rupunen gets back to half guard.
Rauta tries to stand but can't do so whilst Rupunen controls his leg.

That's two 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.

Rupunen kicks Rauta off and gets back to his feet.
Rupunen misses with a head kick.
Rupunen avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Rupunen closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Rupunen lands in his opponent's guard.
Rauta keeping full guard, as Rupunen tries to pass.
Rupunen pushing down on Rauta's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Rupunen wants to free his trapped foot but Rauta is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Rupunen stalling away here and it's allowed Rauta to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rauta wants to stand but Rupunen is controlling the position.

Rauta has his feet on Rupunen's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.
Rupunen takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Rauta is looking to slow Rupunen down with leg kicks.
Rauta lands with a nice body kick.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Rauta has taken the fight to the clinch.

Rauta jumps into guard, dragging Rupunen to the mat.
Rupunen stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Rauta swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Miksu Rupunen has got the better of the ground game so far.
Rauta keeping moving, preventing Rupunen from controlling successfully.
Rupunen sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Rauta's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rupunen frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Rupunen thowing shots but they're missing.

Rupunen jumps to the side looking to secure the arm triangle…. Ooooh, that looks tight… Rauta is gargling but he's managed to escape! Nice work there by Rauta and Rupunen has given up the dominant position trying to land that submission.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rupunen trying to control the position but Rauta is working away.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rauta prevents Rupunen from moving into mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Riku Rauta dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Rauta throws a front kick aimed at Rupunen's knee but Rupunen avoids it well.

Rupunen darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Rauta is in trouble now - Rupunen has advanced to mount!
Rupunen controlling from mount.
Rauta is trying desperately to improve position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Rupunen content just to control the position here.
Rupunen thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rupunen controlling from the full mount.
Rauta is in all sorts of trouble here.
Rauta wants to hold on but Rupunen pushes him away.
Rauta is desperately trying to improve his position but Rupunen has a good base and remains in mount.
Rupunen controlling from the full mount.
Rauta is looking to improve his position but Rupunen isn't that keen on the idea.

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.
Rupunen wants to control the pace but Rauta is squirming around nicely.
Rauta is working to get back to half guard.
Rupunen controlling his opponent.
Rupunen throwing strikes here but Rauta is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rupunen looking to ground and pound but Rauta is blocking nicely.
Rupunen controlling the pace for now.
Rauta tries to hold on but Rupunen postures up.

Rupunen has control of Rauta's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Rauta regains control of the situation pretty easily.
Rupunen throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.

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.
Rupunen content just to control the position here.
Rauta is wriggling around trying to escape.
Rauta avoids a series of strikes thrown by Rupunen.
Rupunen trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Rauta holds on, trying desperately to control.
Rauta taking shots to the head.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Rupunen landing shots from mount.
Rauta tries to reverse the position but Rupunen maintains control.

And that's the end of the fight!
Miksu Rupunen comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Rupunen 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 Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 28:29
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 28:29
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Miksu Rupunen!