PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Joe Average (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Istuva Harka (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Joe Average is staring across the cage at his opponent, tweaking his nipples... Tweaking his own nipples that is.

Average
vs
Harka

170 cm
20
163 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

175 cm
18
165 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Joe Average!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Istuva Harka!
The judges for this bout are Johanna Lukiainen, Roosa Järviläinen and Tarja Halkonen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Harka missing with a left hand there. Average was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Harka slow jab from Average misses its intended target.
Harka misses with a wild combination.

Average moves into range and clinches up with Harka.
Average lands a knee to the head.
Harka can't break the clinch.
Average misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Harka.
Harka avoiding damage as Average throws knees to the body.
Average wants to stall.
Harka is trying to break free.
Average tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Average stalling against the cage.
Harka is looking to break free of the clinch but Average has double underhooks.
Harka avoids the elbow strike from Average, against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Harka wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Average has him pressed against the cage.
Average tries a knee to the head but Harka blocks it.
Harka can't break the clinch.
Average unloads a knee to the mid-section. Harka lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Harka tries to break the clinch but Average is controlling the position.

Average breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Average throws out a token jab with nothing on it.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
Average controlling the action here for a moment.
Average lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Harka backwards.
Harka is looking to break free of the clinch but Average has double underhooks.
Average swings wildly with an uppercut but Harka uses good head movement to avoid it.
Average missing with knees to the body.
Average misses with an elbow over the top.
Average prevents Harka from breaking the clinch.
Average tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

Average breaks from the clinch.

Average has managed to clinch.
Average lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Average connects with a nasty looking knee right to Harka's face.
Harka wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Average throws an elbow that misses.
Harka wants to get back to striking at distance but Average won't allow it.
Harka is trying to break free.
Average with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Average keeps control of Harka as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

That's two 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.
Average misses with an elbow over the top.
Average misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Harka.
Knees to the body from Average.
Harka wants to break free but Average has control.
Average misses with an elbow over the top.
Harka is trying to break the clinch but Average has him pressed against the cage.
Average pushes off an throws an elbow but Harka leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Harka tries to break the clinch but Average is controlling the position.
Average throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Harka blocks it with crossed arms.
Harka managing to block the knees to the body from Average.
Average tries to land knees in the clinch but Harka avoids the damage to the body.
Good body shot from Average.
Harka is trying to break the clinch but Average has him pressed against the cage.
Average with an attempt at a knee that misses.
The referee calls for Average to work.
Harka blocking some punches.
Average tries to land knees in the clinch but Harka avoids the damage to the body.

Average breaks the clinch.
Harka throws a right and a left that Average avoids nicely.
Average lands a nice looking kick to the body. Harka takes a step back to recover.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Average has Harka up against the cage in a clinch.
With the fighters up against the cage, Average throws an elbow but misses.
Average misses with an elbow strike.
Harka wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Average has him pressed against the cage.
Average misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Harka.
Average landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Harka wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Average lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Average prevents a takedown attempt there.
Harka looks gassed!
Harka managing to block the knees to the body from Average.
Average using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Harka blocks the elbow strike.
Average lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Harka has had enough of the clinch but Average keeps him there for the moment.
Average tries to stall but Harka uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Average looking to throw knees to the head but Harka is blocking nicely.
Average missing with knees to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Average misses with a knee strike.
Harka is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Average prevents Harka from breaking the clinch.
Average prevents Harka from breaking the clinch.
Average lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Average tries a knee to the head but Harka blocks it.
Average keeps control of Harka as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Average pressing his opponent against the cage.
Average creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Average misses with a knee strike.
Average content to slow the pace in the clinch.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Average.
Average tries to land knees in the clinch but Harka avoids the damage to the body.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Harka blocks an elbow strike from Average.
Harka managing to block the knees to the body from Average.
Average landing knees to the head.
Harka is trying to break free.
Average using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Harka has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Joe Average dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Average takes the fight into the clinch.
Average lands an elbow inside.
Average throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Harka blocks it with crossed arms.
Average tries a knee to the head but Harka blocks it.
Average has Harka pressed against the cage.
Average lands a damaging elbow.

It looks like Istuva Harka has been cut.
Harka managing to block the knees to the body from Average.
Harka dodges an elbow strike from Average.
Average tries to land a knee to the head but Harka blocks with his arms.
Average pushes off an throws an elbow but Harka leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Average throws a punch but it's blocked by Harka.
Harka tries to break the clinch but Average is controlling the position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Harka wants to break the clinch but can't.
Average tries to land knees in the clinch but Harka avoids the damage to the body.
Harka takes a knee right on the jaw!
Average tries to work over Harka's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Average misses with an elbow over the top.
Average is looking to control Harka's arms but Harka gets an underhook and turns him. Now Average has his back to the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harka avoids the elbow strike from Average, against the cage.
Average unloads a knee to the mid-section. Harka lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Average lands an elbow that stopped Harka in his tracks for a moment.
Average tries to land knees in the clinch but Harka avoids the damage to the body.
Harka wants to break free but Average has control.
Harka is trying to break free.
Harka wants to get back to striking at distance but Average won't allow it.
Harka is trying to break free.
Harka wants to break the clinch but can't.
Harka is breathing heavily.
Average lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Harka takes an elbow to the temple.
Average stalling in the clinch but Harka improves position.
Average tries a knee to the head but Harka blocks it.
The is referee keeping an eye on Average - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Knees in the clinch landing for Average.
Average looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Average lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Harka backwards.
Harka avoiding damage as Average throws knees to the body.
Average looks to throw an elbow but misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Harka blocks the elbow strike.
Average with an attempt at a knee that misses.
A head punch on the inside from Average fails to land.
Average throws an elbow that misses.
Harka wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Average with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Average tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Harka wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Average lands an uppercut.
Average lands an elbow inside that Harka shrugs off.
Harka can't break the clinch.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Average misses with an elbow strike.
Average with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Average using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Harka has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Harka takes a knee right on the jaw!
Average scores a nice knee to the body.
Average will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Harka up against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Average creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Average looking to slow down the pace here.
Average lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Average just misses with a elbow thrown towards Harka's brow.
Average gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Average using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Harka has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Average lands an elbow that stopped Harka in his tracks for a moment.
Average looking to stall.
Average tries to land a knee to the head but Harka blocks with his arms.
Average missing with knees to the body.
Harka is trying to break the clinch but Average has him pressed against the cage.

Harka breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Average clinches up with Harka and pushes him back against the cage.
Average missing with knees to the body.
Harka pushes off an throws an elbow but Average leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.

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.
Average stalls.
Average misses with a knee to the head.
Harka has had enough of the clinch but Average keeps him there for the moment.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Average takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Average pushes off an throws an elbow but Harka leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Average lands a right hand that snaps the head of Harka backwards.
Average trying to land knees to the body.
Average tries to land knees in the clinch but Harka avoids the damage to the body.
Average tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Average prevents a takedown attempt there.
Average scores with a knee to the head.
Average has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Average misses with some punches.
Average lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Average connects with a nasty looking knee right to Harka's face.
Average tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Joe Average dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Istuva Harka's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Average wants to clinch.
Average is looking to clinch but Harka is avoiding it.
Average circles away from the clinch attempt

and Average holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Average swings wildly with an uppercut but Harka uses good head movement to avoid it.
Harka can't break the clinch.
Average lands an elbow that stopped Harka in his tracks for a moment.
Harka is trying to break the clinch but Average has him pressed against the cage.
Average tries to land knees in the clinch but Harka avoids the damage to the body.
Average using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Harka has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Average with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Average with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Average misses with the head strike.
Harka wants to break free but Average has control.
Average stalling against the cage.
Harka takes an elbow to the forehead.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Average tries to land knees in the clinch but Harka avoids the damage to the body.
Average gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Harka is trying to break free.
Average missing with knees to the body.
Average slows down the pace here.
Harka blocks the elbow strike.

Average breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Harka tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Average tries to clinch up but Harka circles away and keeps his distance.
Harka lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Average misses with a looping left.
Harka chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Average can pounce on him.
Average is looking to clinch but Harka is avoiding it.
Harka tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Average paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Average throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

Average gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Average.
Average tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Harka is trying to break free.
Average with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Average lands a nice elbow.
Average prevents Harka from breaking the clinch.

Average breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Average forces Harka back against the cage and clinches.
Average keeps control of Harka as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Harka takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Average just misses with a elbow thrown towards Harka's brow.
Harka is looking to break free of the clinch but Average has double underhooks.
Harka wants to break the clinch but can't.
Average doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Harka blocks an elbow strike.
Harka takes a knee right on the jaw!
Average missing with knees to the body.
Average throws a knee to the head but misses.
Average tries a knee to the head but Harka blocks it.
Harka blocks an elbow strike from Average.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Harka breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Average clinches up with Harka and pushes him back against the cage.
Harka managing to block the knees to the body from Average.
Average scores a nice knee to the body.
Average tries a knee to the head but Harka blocks it.
Average lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Average with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Average leaning against his opponent.
Average scores with a knee to the head.
Average lands an elbow inside.
Harka wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Harka avoids the elbow strike from Average, against the cage.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Stalling in the clinch from Average.
Average lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Harka.
Harka is trying to break the clinch but Average has him pressed against the cage.
Harka is trying to break the clinch but Average has him pressed against the cage.
Average lands a knee to the head.
Average looking to slow down the pace here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Harka tries to break the clinch but Average is controlling the position.
Average scores with a nice hook to the head.
Harka tries to work over Average's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Average tries to land a knee to the head but Harka blocks with his arms.
Average lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Average with a knee to the head.
Harka has had enough of the clinch but Average keeps him there for the moment.
Average landing knees to the head.
Average looking to throw knees to the head but Harka is blocking nicely.
Average keeps control of Harka as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Average lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Harka avoiding damage as Average throws knees to the body.
Average missing with knees to the body.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Average.
Istuva Harka has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Average has a couple of punches blocked by Harka.
Harka blocks an elbow strike from Average.
Average keeps control of Harka as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

Average escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Harka tries to clinch up but Average circles away and keeps his distance.

And that's the end of the fight!
Joe Average showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Average 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 Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 30:27
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 30:27
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Joe Average!