PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Eki Vieri (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dom Baker (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both these guys have solid standup skills and neither is particularly fantastic on the ground, so let's hope for a nice standup war!

Vieri
vs
Baker

160 cm
31
161 lbs
14 - 14 - 0

225 cm
28
140 lbs
2 - 6 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Granite 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 14 - 14 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Eki Vieri!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Dom Baker!
The judges for this bout are Tarja Halkonen, Anni Minnemäki and Arvi Lind.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Vieri cracks Baker with an open hand slap.
Baker pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Baker tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Vieri lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Baker circles away quickly and effectively.
Baker throws a sloppy head kick and Vieri moves out of range easily.
Vieri stalks Baker and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Baker's face. Baker staggers backwards, shaken.
Baker lands a head kick!
Vieri avoids the head kick by Baker.
Vieri looks to land a combination but Baker avoids it well.
Baker showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Vieri.
Vieri moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Baker pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Vieri pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Baker back to the cage. Vieri follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.
Baker tries a head kick but it misses.
Sloppy strikes from Vieri. Those never looked like landing.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Baker throws a sloppy head kick and Vieri moves out of range easily.
Vieri displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Baker tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Some wild striking there from Vieri.
Nice body kick there by Baker.
A head kick misses from Baker.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Baker throws a head kick but Vieri moves out of range.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Baker.
Baker throws a head kick but Vieri moves out of range.
Danga de danga de dang - Vieri scores with a four punch combination!
Vieri is working the combinations to good effect here.
Vieri looks to score with a jab to the body but Baker is just out of range.
Vieri lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Vieri.
Vieri throws a jab but it's blocked by Baker.
Vieri blocks a head kick by Baker.
A left and a right from Vieri both land. Nice combination.
Some bone on bone action there as Vieri checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Vieri avoids the head kick by Baker.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Vieri lands a body shot.
Vieri throws a right hand that Baker ducks under and follows up with a left that Baker also avoids with ease.
Baker throws a head kick that misses.
Vieri avoids the head kick by Baker.
Vieri with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Baker misses with a head kick.
Baker tries a head kick but it misses.
Baker looks gassed!
Baker takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Baker blocks a jab.
Baker is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Vieri blocks a head kick by Baker.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Vieri swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Baker dodges the punch combination from Vieri.
Baker pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Vieri looks to land a combination but Baker avoids it well.
Baker throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Vieri goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Baker throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Vieri looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
A combination from Vieri does no damage.
Vieri misses with a double jab.
Baker throws a head kick but Vieri moves out of range.
Baker throws a head kick but Vieri moves out of range.
Baker throws out a leg kick but Vieri moves out of range and Baker only half commits.
Some wild striking there from Vieri.
Baker throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
A head kick misses from Baker.
Vieri throws a series of strikes that have Baker backpedaling.
Baker tries a head kick but it misses.
Baker pulls out of a head kick attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vieri misses with a two punch combination.
Vieri lands a jab-cross combination.
Vieri will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Baker dodges the punch combination from Vieri.
Vieri scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Baker tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Vieri takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Baker on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Baker steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Vieri.
Baker throws a sloppy head kick and Vieri moves out of range easily.
Vieri with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Vieri fails to land with a series of punches.
Baker misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Vieri's jab looks to have found its range, popping Baker under the eye.
Vieri misses with a series of wild punches.
Baker misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Baker throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Left hook, right uppercut from Vieri.
Vieri throws a right and a left that Baker avoids nicely.
Vieri tries to bum rush Baker with a series of wild strikes but Baker uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Vieri misses with a straight right.
Vieri throws a series of punches but Baker avoids them all with ease.
Baker looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Sloppy strikes from Vieri. Those never looked like landing.
Baker throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Vieri blocks a head kick by Baker.
Baker misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Vieri connects with a body shot.
Baker tries a head kick but it misses.
Baker takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Baker motions for Vieri to come forward. Baker throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
A shot to the liver by Baker. Beautiful body shot.
Baker throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Vieri tries to bum rush Baker with a series of wild strikes but Baker uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Baker gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Baker dodges the punch combination from Vieri.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eki Vieri 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.

Vieri blocks a head kick by Baker.
Vieri throws a right and a left that both miss.
Vieri walks forward, straight into a front kick from Baker.
A head kick from Baker lands but Vieri takes it in his stride.
Baker jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Eki Vieri is winning the standup battle so far.
Vieri loads up on a big right hand but Baker slips the punch.
Vieri lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Vieri.
Vieri throws a right and a left that both miss.
Vieri throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Baker uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Vieri.
Vieri throws a series of punches but Baker moves out of range.
Baker misses with a head kick.
Vieri avoids the head kick by Baker.
Vieri throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Baker.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Baker throws a head kick that misses.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Baker throws a sloppy head kick and Vieri moves out of range easily.
Vieri misses with a two punch combination.
Baker pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Vieri throws a series of punches but Baker moves out of range.
Baker throws a sloppy head kick and Vieri moves out of range easily.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vieri will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Baker throws a head kick that misses.
Some wild striking there from Vieri.
Vieri rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Baker moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Baker tries a head kick but it misses.
Nice body kick from Baker.
Baker ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
A head kick misses from Baker.
Baker throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Vieri jabs at Baker's body.
Baker pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Nice straight punches there by Vieri. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Vieri.
Vieri throws a right and a left that Baker avoids nicely.
Baker throws a sloppy head kick and Vieri moves out of range easily.
Vieri throws a combination. Baker tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Vieri scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Baker pulls out of a head kick attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Baker avoids a punch combination nicely.
Baker throws a head kick but Vieri moves out of range.
Baker slips a jab and a cross from Vieri.
Vieri lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Baker circles away quickly and effectively.
A head kick misses from Baker.
Vieri lands a slapping body shot.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Vieri misses with a two punch combination.
Vieri swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Baker misses with a head kick.
Vieri misses with a jab, cross combination.
Baker has a pretty nasty looking mouse under his right eye.
Baker misses with a head kick.
Vieri lands a jab-cross combination.
Baker throws a head kick but Vieri moves out of range.
Baker pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Baker tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Baker slips a jab and a cross from Vieri.
Baker pulls out of a head kick attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Baker takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Vieri scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Vieri misses with a double jab.
Baker throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Baker pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Vieri feints a jab promting Baker to slip. Vieri then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Baker slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.
A slow jab from Vieri misses its intended target.
Vieri rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Baker moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Baker pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Vieri lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Vieri.
Vieri avoids the head kick by Baker.
Baker throws a head kick that misses.
Baker showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Vieri.
Vieri misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Baker connects with a high kick.
Vieri throws a right hand that Baker ducks under and follows up with a left that Baker also avoids with ease.
Baker throws a sloppy head kick and Vieri moves out of range easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Vieri moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Baker pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Vieri's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Vieri duly obliges.
Baker scores with a spinning back kick!
Vieri takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Vieri misses with a series of wild punches.
Baker throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Vieri will be looking to protect his midsection after taking some solid kicks to the body.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Vieri scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Baker lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Vieri throws a series of punches but Baker avoids them all with ease.
Baker tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Baker walks into a stiff left hand from Vieri.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Vieri loads up on a big right hand but Baker slips the punch.
A solid body kick from Baker.
Vieri misses with the combination.
Baker misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Eki Vieri will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Vieri misses with a straight right.
Left hook, right uppercut from Vieri.
Vieri throws a jab when Baker was well out of range.
Baker misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Eki Vieri is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Baker motions for Vieri to come forward. Baker throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Baker tries a head kick but it misses.
Vieri throws out a loose jab but Baker uses good head movement to avoid it.
A lazy left from Vieri finds it's target.
Vieri fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Baker manages to avoid it.
Vieri misses with a series of wild punches.
Baker throws a head kick but Vieri moves out of range.
Baker tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Vieri checks a leg kick.
Nice shot by Vieri.
Vieri throws a series of punches but Baker avoids them all with ease.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Baker throws a sloppy head kick and Vieri moves out of range easily.
Baker moves out of range of the strikes.
Baker throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Baker pulls out of a head kick attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vieri misses with a two punch combination.
Vieri throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Vieri takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Baker throws a head kick that misses.
Baker throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Vieri takes a kick to the side of the head.
Vieri swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Vieri fails to land with a series of punches.
Baker throws a sloppy head kick and Vieri moves out of range easily.
Baker throws a head kick that misses.
Baker slips a jab and a cross from Vieri.
A head kick misses from Baker.
Vieri throws a nice looking combination but Baker bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Vieri misses with the combination.
Baker throws a half hearted mid kick.
Baker misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Vieri connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Baker momentarily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Vieri lands a right hook to the body.
Vieri tests Baker's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Vieri fails to land with a series of punches.
Baker throws a head kick that half lands.
Vieri lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Baker backs up against the cage.
Baker tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Baker misses with a looping right.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Baker tries a low kick but Vieri avoids it.
Baker throws a head kick that misses.
Vieri throws a right and a left that Baker avoids nicely.
Baker throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Vieri misses with a wild combination.
Baker takes one to the side of the head.
Baker scores with a head kick. Vieri tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.
Vieri misses with a wild combination.
Baker slips a jab and a cross from Vieri.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Baker misses with a head kick.
Vieri avoids the head kick by Baker.
Vieri throws a nice looking combination but Baker bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Baker throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Vieri.
Vieri misses with a jab, cross combination.
Vieri avoids a kick to the body.
Vieri rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Baker moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Baker tries a head kick but it misses.
Vieri throws out a loose jab but Baker uses good head movement to avoid it.
Vieri misses with a hook. Baker ducked under it nicely.
Baker lands a leg kick that knocks Vieri off balance momentarily.
Vieri misses with a two punch combination.
Baker throws a sloppy head kick and Vieri moves out of range easily.
Baker throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Baker takes one to the side of the head.
A slapping body kick lands there for Baker.
Baker uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Vieri.
Vieri throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Baker.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Baker misses with a head kick.
Baker misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Vieri's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Vieri duly obliges.
Vieri rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Baker moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Baker throws a nice head kick!
Vieri fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Vieri avoids the head kick by Baker.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Vieri will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Baker's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Vieri connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Baker scrambles back to his feet.
Baker throws a wild body kick that Vieri sees coming a mile off.
Baker tries a head kick but it misses.
Baker scores with a spinning back kick!
Vieri avoids the head kick by Baker.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Vieri throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Baker walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Vieri throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Dom Baker has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Vieri has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Baker.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Dom Baker.
Well Vieri has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 30:28
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 29:28
Judge Arvi Lind scores the fight 30:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Eki Vieri!