PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Henrik Luhtanen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ara Virta (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Well, the cameraman is lingering on a pretty young lady for a bit too long there. Keep your eyes on the fighters buddy or you'll miss the fighter intros!

Luhtanen
vs
Virta

181 cm
27
185 lbs
15 - 7 - 1

174 cm
28
184 lbs
18 - 9 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

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 15 - 7 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Henrik Luhtanen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 18 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Ara Virta!
The judges for this bout are Marco Blurström, Ben Zyskovitsi and Roosa Järviläinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Left hook, right uppercut from Virta.
Virta ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Good shot there by Virta.

Virta closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Luhtanen wants to get back to his feet.
Virta controlling the action here.
Virta not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Virta wants to control but Luhtanen is keeping him busy.
Luhtanen tries to kick Virta off but Virta keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Virta wants to free his trapped foot but Luhtanen is holding on for dear life with his legs.

Luhtanen makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!

That's one minute gone in the round.
A solid leg kick lands there for Virta.
Luhtanen misses with a two punch combination.
Luhtanen tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Virta was well out of range. Poor timing from Luhtanen.
Ara Virta seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Virta slips a jab from Luhtanen.
Jab by Virta.
Virta lands a nice hook to Luhtanen's body. Luhtanen takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Luhtanen misses the jab.
Virta fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Virta throws a sloppy head kick and Luhtanen moves out of range easily.
Virta moves out of range of the strikes.
Virta smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.

Virta fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Luhtanen to the ground. Virta is now in Luhtanen's guard.
Luhtanen keeping moving, preventing Virta from controlling successfully.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Luhtanen pulls Virta in to control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Luhtanen keeping moving, preventing Virta from controlling successfully.
Virta controls from within his opponent's guard.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Ara Virta was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Virta throws a good cross that connects.

Virta fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Luhtanen, pushing him back against the cage.
Virta lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Virta controlling the action here for a moment.
Virta pushes off an throws an elbow but Luhtanen leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Virta pressing his opponent against the cage.
Virta lands a left hand.

It looks like Henrik Luhtanen has been cut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Virta has Luhtanen pushed against the cage.
Virta working aggressively here.
A nice right hand lands inside from Virta.
Virta taking a breather.
Virta swings wildly with an uppercut but Luhtanen uses good head movement to avoid it.
Luhtanen is trying to break free.
Virta misses with an elbow strike.
A short right from Luhtanen on the inside.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Virta will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Luhtanen up against the cage.
Virta struggles to land a body shot inside as Luhtanen controls his hands.
Luhtanen wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Virta blocks an uppercut.
Luhtanen lands with a left to the head.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Virta can't find room to land a body shot as Luhtanen controls the action.
Luhtanen struggles to land a body shot inside as Virta controls his hands.
Luhtanen letting Virta take a breather here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ara Virta dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Henrik Luhtanen's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Virta takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Luhtanen waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Virta.
Luhtanen misses with a few strikes there.
Luhtanen loads up on a big right hand but Virta slips the punch.
A big right from Luhtanen misses.

Virta gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Luhtanen's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Virta scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Luhtanen working hard to break the clinch.
Virta is pushing Luhtanen up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Virta misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Luhtanen.
Virta throws a head punch that misses.
Virta looks to throw an elbow but misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Virta scores with a shot to the side of Luhtanen's head.
Virta tries a body shot but Luhtanen blocks it.
Virta misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Virta lands with a left to the head.
The referee is keeping an eye on Virta - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Luhtanen's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Luhtanen misses with a body punch.
Luhtanen misses with a hook to the ribs.

Luhtanen breaks the clinch.
Virta slips a jab from Luhtanen.
Luhtanen throws a nice looking combination but Virta bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Virta throws a series of strikes that have Luhtanen backpedaling.
Virta scores with a nice strike.

Luhtanen is rocked!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Luhtanen lands a nice hook to Virta's body. Virta takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Virta has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Virta there as he acknowledges the shot.
Henrik Luhtanen is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Virta scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Luhtanen just misses with a punch to the body.
Luhtanen keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Virta.
Virta connects with an inside leg kick.
Virta misses the jab.
Virta scoring well with a low kick there.
Virta with a jab.
Luhtanen thows a left - swing and a miss!
Luhtanen throws a low kick, looking for Virta's leg but Virta calmly moves out of range.
Luhtanen connects with a crisp jab.
Virta swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Luhtanen swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Virta throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Some wild striking there from Luhtanen.
Virta throws a right and a left that Luhtanen avoids nicely.
Luhtanen throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Luhtanen throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Luhtanen throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Luhtanen takes one on the button.
Luhtanen misses with a looping left.
Virta jabs at Luhtanen's body.
Virta misses with a hook. Luhtanen ducked under it nicely.
Luhtanen scores with a one two! Virta had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Luhtanen misses with a double jab.
Ara Virta seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Virta showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Luhtanen.
Virta throws a one two combo.
Henrik Luhtanen is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Virta closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Virta wants to pass to mount but Luhtanen is defending the position.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Luhtanen is trying to maintain the position but Virta is very close to passing his half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Virta trying to control the pace.
Luhtanen is not content to let Virta control the position.
Luhtanen tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Luhtanen is trying to stand back up but Virta is controlling him
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Virta in particular looking to stall.

Ara Virta has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Virta takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ara Virta showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Henrik Luhtanen's cut.
That's time! Luhtanen's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Luhtanen on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Luhtanen tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Virta was well out of range. Poor timing from Luhtanen.
Virta just misses with a punch to the body.
Luhtanen throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Virta lands with an overhand left.
Virta swinging wildly here.
Luhtanen looks to land a combination but Virta avoids it well.
Luhtanen throws an overhand right that lands on Virta's shoulder, as Virta tries to avoid the shot.
Luhtanen connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Luhtanen misses with a jab, cross combination.
Luhtanen misses with an uppercut.
Luhtanen takes a swing at Virta's ribcage but misses.

Virta has managed to clinch.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
A frustrated look appears on Luhtanen's face as he tries to break the clinch.
A bit of stalling here from Virta.
Virta digs a right hand underneath Luhtanen's ribcage. Luhtanen let out a lung full of air as it connected.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Virta lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Luhtanen backwards.
Luhtanen is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
A short right from Virta.
Virta keeps control of Luhtanen as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Virta throws an elbow but it's blocked.
A short left from Virta.
A nice right hand lands inside from Virta.
Oh Luhtanen is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!

Virta drops Luhtanen onto one knee with a big uppercut from the clinch! Luhtanen is propped up by the cage and works his way back to his feet!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Luhtanen is trying to break the clinch but Virta is controlling him.
Virta throws a head punch that misses.
Virta lands a nice uppercut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Virta takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Virta misses with a hook from the clinch.
Virta lands an elbow just above Luhtanen 's eye.
Luhtanen throws a punch but it's blocked by Virta.
Luhtanen has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Virta can't find room to land a body shot as Luhtanen controls the action.
Virta is struggling to control the position.
Virta swings wildly with an uppercut but Luhtanen uses good head movement to avoid it.
Virta lands with a left to the head.
Henrik Luhtanen has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Virta lands an uppercut in the clinch that drops Luhtanen to his knees! Virta keeps firing more shots against his stricken opponent and the referee jumps in to save him!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:19 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Ara Virta!