PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Esko Niemi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Baki Hanma (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Niemi
vs
Hanma

185 cm
18
210 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

175 cm
19
200 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Self confident

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Very confident

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Esko Niemi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Baki Hanma!
The judges for this bout are Arvi Lind, Johanna Lukiainen and Roosa Järviläinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hanma shoots in but no luck this time.

Niemi fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Hanma sprawls well initially but Niemi persists and gets the takedown into half guard.

Niemi decides to return to a standing position.
A head kick misses from Niemi.

Niemi has managed to clinch.

Niemi decides to pull guard.
Hanma advances to half guard.
Niemi is staying active underneath Hanma, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Niemi wants to get back to his feet.
Niemi is looking to improve his position.

Hanma seems to be working for a kimura but Niemi defends the submission attempt.
Hanma should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
Niemi has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Hanma is working away from the top position though.
Niemi is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hanma missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Hanma is thwarting Niemi's attempts to control the position.
Niemi is breathing heavily.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Hanma lands with a shot to the body.
Hanma blocks a head kick by Niemi.
Hanma misses with a takedown

so Niemi counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Niemi wants to pass the guard but Hanma is keeping the position.
Niemi prevents Hanma from getting back to his feet.
Hanma tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Niemi has gone for a leg lock! Hanma slips out almost immediately though and dives into Niemi's guard.
Hanma works a leg free and moves into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Niemi wants to get back to his feet.
Hanma prevents Niemi from improving his position.
Hanma is tying to control. Niemi wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

Hanma stands up out of the half guard.

Niemi drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for leaving it all in the cage!
Niemi postures up.
Niemi controlling from the top position.
Hanma looking to control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Niemi tries to free his leg and advance position but Hanma is retaining full guard.
Niemi throws and elbow that misses. Hanma uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Niemi's guard. Nice move by Hanma!
Hanma controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Hanma trying to control but Niemi is working from the bottom.

Hanma avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Hanma shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Niemi counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Esko Niemi has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Baki Hanma.
Hanma has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Niemi is working away from the top position though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Niemi trying to pass the guard but Hanma defending well.
Niemi winds up and cracks Hanma with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Niemi is taking a breather. Hanma says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Niemi moves nicely into side control.
Niemi tries to move into full mount but can't pass Hanma's legs.
Hanma is not content to let Niemi control the position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Hanma is letting Niemi control him for a moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Esko Niemi dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Niemi shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Hanma but Hanma pushes him off and we're back to square one.

Niemi closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Niemi has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Hanma is trying to keep an underhook but Niemi manages to get the takedown into half guard.
The fighters are battling for position here. Hanma manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Niemi wants to stand but Hanma is controlling his posture from full guard.

Niemi is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Niemi won't allow Hanma to get back to his feet.
Niemi has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Hanma with a couple of shots from the bottom there - nothing Niemi can't handle though.
Niemi prevents Hanma from getting back to his feet.
Niemi wants to control from the top but Hanma keeps moving.
Niemi controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Niemi stands up and waves to Hanma to follow him.

Niemi drives through and clinches with Hanma against the cage.
Niemi holding his opponent close, against the cage.

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

Niemi shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Niemi dominating with strikes here.
Niemi content just to control the position here.
Niemi connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Hanma wants to control but Niemi is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hanma is desperately trying to improve his position but Niemi has a good base and remains in mount.
Niemi misses with some ground and pound and Hanma recovers position to half guard.
Hanma is trying to control but can't.
Hanma missing with punches from the bottom.
Hanma works his way to full guard. Good work.

Hanma throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Hanma is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.

Hanma manages to escape and get back to his feet.

Hanma scores with a takedown into Niemi's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Niemi controls Hanma momentarily but Hanma frees himself.
Niemi wants to stand and escape but Hanma is having none of it.

Niemi is looking for a triangle but Hanma pushes his legs off easily.
Niemi is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Niemi looking for a sweep. Not yet Niemi, not yet.

Niemi has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Hanma can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Niemi has Hanma pulled in close to control his posture.
Hanma with a nice head shot there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Niemi striking off his back but it's not causing Hanma any problems.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Niemi keeping moving, preventing Hanma from controlling successfully.
Hanma is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Niemi rushes Hanma and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Hanma jumps guard but Niemi stands there with Hanma around his waist. Hanma gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Hanma tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Niemi just stands there and leans against the cage.
Niemi prevents the takedown attempt.
Esko Niemi has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Baki Hanma.
Niemi looking to stall.
Hanma tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Niemi just stands there and leans against the cage.

Niemi breaks the clinch.
Hanma tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Niemi counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Hanma's guard now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Esko Niemi dominated that second 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. This is the final round!

Niemi shoots in looking for a takedown. Hanma tries to sprawl out of it but Niemi keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Hanma manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
A punch combination from Hanma misses.

Niemi moves into the clinch.

Niemi breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Hanma connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.

Niemi closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Hanma can't do much from the bottom here.
Niemi trying to control the position but Hanma is working away.

Niemi is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Hanma knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Hanma is trying to control Niemi's posture but Niemi avoids it.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Hanma is trying to avoid being dragged into an even worse position than he's already in but Niemi is staying active.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hanma is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Niemi tries to pass the half guard into mount. Hanma knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

Niemi decides to return to a standing position.
Hanma misses with a straight left.

Niemi closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Niemi lands in his opponent's guard.
Niemi is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Niemi trying to control but Hanma is working from the bottom.
Niemi slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Niemi throwing strikes but missing.
Niemi stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Hanma swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Hanma looking to control.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Hanma is on top in guard.
Hanma wants to control from the top but Niemi keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Niemi wants to control the position but Hanma says "no thanks buddy" and passes to half guard.
Niemi is refusing to be controlled, as Hanma sits in half guard.
Niemi keeping control of the position.
Hanma is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Niemi!
Hanma trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Niemi throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
Niemi is working to get back to half guard.
Niemi tries to hold on but Hanma postures up.

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.
Hanma tries to control but Niemi wriggling away.
Esko Niemi overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Hanma pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Niemi slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Hanma wants to control but Niemi is keeping him busy.
The fighters are battling for position here. Niemi manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Hanma slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Hanma controls the position from side control.
Hanma trying to control the action but Niemi is working from the bottom.
Baki Hanma has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Despite being in the dominant position, Baki Hanma just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Hanma looks to clinch

and Niemi counters with a single leg into guard. Hanma didn't expect that.

Hanma working for a triangle but Niemi defends it easily.

And that's the end of the fight!
Esko Niemi showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Niemi, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 30:27
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 30:27
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Esko Niemi!