PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Stu Mercer (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Niko Nakkeli (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Mercer's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Trapt-Still Frame. Nakkeli has chosen LL Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out as his entrance music. 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.

Mercer
vs
Nakkeli

177 cm
27
177 lbs
4 - 5 - 0

175 cm
24
180 lbs
7 - 12 - 0

Good wrestling
Dangerous knees
Experienced

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Stu Mercer!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 12 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Niko Nakkeli!
The judges for this bout are Marco Blurström, Tarja Halkonen and Roosa Järviläinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mercer tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Nakkeli manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Nakkeli scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.

It looks like Stu Mercer has been cut.
Mercer fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Nakkeli is out of range.
Mercer takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Nakkeli lands a really nice looking cross but Mercer seems unphased.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Mercer takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Mercer connects with a high kick.
Nakkeli checks the leg kick nicely there.
Mercer pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Mercer, right into the meat.
Mercer fails in his attempt to clinch.
Mercer misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Nakkeli stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Mercer.
Mercer throws a leg kick which misses Nakkeli's front leg but catches the back leg as Nakkeli tries to avoid it.
Nakkeli misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Mercer.
Nakkeli lands a nice shot to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Nakkeli gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Nakkeli is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Mercer tries to land a knee to the head but Nakkeli blocks with his arms.
Mercer throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Nakkeli blocks it with crossed arms.
Nakkeli tries to circle away but Mercer has him pinned against the cage.
A knee to the head by Mercer.
Mercer tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Nakkeli is looking to break free of the clinch but Mercer has double underhooks.

Nakkeli escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Nakkeli misses with a right hand
and Mercer counters with a body kick.
A thudding body kick lands there by Mercer!
Mercer tries to clinch but Nakkeli moves out of range.
Nakkeli shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Mercer but Mercer pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Mercer tries to clinch up.
Nakkeli checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Nakkeli shoots in looking for a takedown but Mercer manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Nakkeli's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mercer looks to score with a jab to the body but Nakkeli is just out of range.
Nakkeli waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Mercer.
Mercer fails with an attempt to clinch.

Mercer moves into the clinch.
Nakkeli is looking to break free of the clinch but Mercer has double underhooks.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!

Nakkeli's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Mercer clinches up with Nakkeli and pushes him back against the cage.
Nakkeli wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Mercer has him pressed against the cage.
Mercer's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Mercer lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Nakkeli tries to break the clinch but Mercer is controlling the position.
Mercer lands a knee to the head.
Mercer pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Nakkeli wants to break the clinch but can't.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mercer with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Nakkeli tries to break free but Mercer pushes him back against the cage.
Mercer using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Nakkeli has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Nakkeli looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Nakkeli wants to break free but Mercer has control.
Nakkeli can't break the clinch.
Nakkeli is looking to break free of the clinch but Mercer has double underhooks.
Mercer lands an elbow that stopped Nakkeli in his tracks for a moment.

It looks like Niko Nakkeli has been cut.
Mercer looking to slow down the pace here.
Nice elbow from Mercer.
Nakkeli can't break the clinch.
Nakkeli tries to circle away but Mercer has him pinned against the cage.
Mercer crunches a lovely knee into Nakkeli's ribcage.
Mercer with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Mercer comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Nakkeli has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Mercer creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Nakkeli's defenses.
Mercer stalling in the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Nakkeli breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Nakkeli blocks a head kick by Mercer.

Mercer fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Nakkeli, pushing him back against the cage.
Mercer working Nakkeli over with knees to the body.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Nakkeli is trying to break the clinch but Mercer is controlling him.
Nakkeli is trying to break the clinch but Mercer has him pressed against the cage.
Mercer misses with a knee strike.
Mercer is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Mercer.
Nakkeli wants to break free but Mercer has control.
Mercer is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Mercer has Nakkeli pressed against the cage, preventing Nakkeli from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Nakkeli has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Mercer working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Niko Nakkeli will probably get the nod.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Mercer tries to clinch up but Nakkeli circles away and keeps his distance.

Nakkeli is rocked!
Mercer throws a nasty head kick that just misses. He throws another kick to the head of his opponent and almost takes it off! Nakkeli crumples to the floor and the fight is over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:10 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Head Kick). Stu Mercer!
After the fight, Stu Mercer was humble in paying tribute to his opponent but made it clear he wants to go on to bigger and better things. It seemed to go down well with the crowd who cheered him loudly.