PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Don Carpenter (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kustaa Pohjanala (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Pohjanala has chosen AC/DC - Hard as a Rock as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Carpenter
vs
Pohjanala

175 cm
18
153 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

168 cm
35
157 lbs
23 - 24 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Good chin

BJJ Brown Belt
Good kicks
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Don Carpenter!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 23 - 24 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Kustaa Pohjanala!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, Frank Antenori and Timothy Bukovac.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pohjanala throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Pohjanala lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Carpenter lunges at Pohjanala with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Pohjanala's hand.

Pohjanala closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Carpenter to the mat! Carpenter manages to get full guard.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Pohjanala is looking to work some ground and pound but Carpenter has wrist control.
Carpenter looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Pohjanala distracts Carpenter with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Pohjanala showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Pohjanala wants to pass the guard but Carpenter is keeping the position.
Carpenter is trying to keep Pohjanala in close.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Pohjanala stopping the sweep attempt from Carpenter.

Pohjanala 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.
Pohjanala has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Pohjanala trying to control but Carpenter is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pohjanala controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Pohjanala wants to control from the top but Carpenter keeps moving.

Pohjanala drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Pohjanala jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Pohjanala wants to control from the top but Carpenter keeps moving.
Pohjanala preventing the sweep.
Pohjanala trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Carpenter is trying to control the position but Pohjanala postures up.
Pohjanala is looking to work some ground and pound but Carpenter has wrist control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Pohjanala drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Pohjanala jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Pohjanala with a nice head shot there.
Carpenter knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Pohjanala on the ground.

Carpenter is looking for a triangle here but Pohjanala uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Pohjanala working away.
Carpenter taking punishment in the form of punches.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Carpenter is looking for a sweep.

Pohjanala is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Carpenter has escaped the position, nice work there.
Carpenter tries to improve position but can't.

Pohjanala tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

Pohjanala tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Pohjanala has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pohjanala wants to control but Carpenter is keeping him busy.
Carpenter tries to buck Pohjanala off but Pohjanala is having none of it.
Carpenter is working hard here to advance position.

Pohjanala tries for a kimura but Carpenter is defending well.

Pohjanala is trying to get an arm triangle but Carpenter is defending well.
Carpenter wants to control but Pohjanala postures up.
Pohjanala in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Pohjanala is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Carpenter has escaped the position, nice work there.

Pohjanala is trying to get an arm triangle but Carpenter is defending well.

Pohjanala working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Pohjanala just content to control the position.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Carpenter is trying to improve his position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kustaa Pohjanala dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

A looping hook to the body misses from Carpenter. Pohjanala does a little dance to reset his feet.
Sloppy strikes from Carpenter. Those never looked like landing.
Carpenter thows a body shot but no joy.
Carpenter takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
A big left from Carpenter misses.
Pohjanala fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Carpenter manages to avoid it.
A big left from Carpenter misses.
Pohjanala throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Pohjanala slips under a jab from Carpenter.
Good exchange - Carpenter coming out on top.
Pohjanala misses with the combination.
Carpenter looks to score with a jab to the body but Pohjanala is just out of range.
Pohjanala gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Carpenter.
Carpenter throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Pohjanala shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.

Pohjanala drops back looking for a leg! Carpenter is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Carpenter manages to kick Pohjanala off! Pohjanala jumps back into Carpenter's guard.
Pohjanala passes easily into side control. Nice work.

Pohjanala tries for a kimura but Carpenter is defending well.
Carpenter is looking for a sweep.
Pohjanala postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Carpenter is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Carpenter manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.

Pohjanala is looking for a kimura but Carpenter is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Pohjanala to get the leverage.

Pohjanala seems to be working for a kimura but Carpenter defends the submission attempt.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Pohjanala is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

Pohjanala is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Pohjanala seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

Pohjanala is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Pohjanala is working for a submission of some sort.
Carpenter wants to improve his position but Pohjanala is controlling well.

Pohjanala is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Kustaa Pohjanala has got the better of the ground game so far.

Pohjanala is working for a kimura but Carpenter is defending it quite comfortably.
Carpenter is not content to let Pohjanala control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pohjanala slows the pace down in half guard.
Pohjanala wants to control but Carpenter is keeping him busy.

Pohjanala looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.

Pohjanala looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Carpenter manages to get to full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kustaa Pohjanala showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Carpenter's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Pohjanala dodges the punch combination from Carpenter.
Pohjanala fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Carpenter manages to avoid it.
Carpenter scores with a hook to the body. Pohjanala takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
The fighters circling - Carpenter throws out the jab but it was never going to land.

Pohjanala closes the distance and clinches.
Carpenter misses with a short punch on the inside.
Pohjanala is pushing Carpenter up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.

Pohjanala decides to pull guard.

Pohjanala had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Carpenter defends it easily.
Carpenter looking to sit in guard and control but Pohjanala gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Carpenter looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Pohjanala passes into side control.
Carpenter can't do much from the bottom here.

Pohjanala is trying to get an arm triangle but Carpenter is defending well.
Carpenter isn't going anywhere.
Carpenter taking punishment in the form of punches.
Pohjanala wants to lay and pray for a moment but Carpenter keeps working.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Pohjanala tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

Pohjanala thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Carpenter tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Pohjanala wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Pohjanala tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Pohjanala is looking to take a break and control but Carpenter is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Pohjanala is trying to get an arm triangle but Carpenter is defending well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Pohjanala thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
You can see the frustration on Carpenter's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Carpenter is looking to regain half guard here but Pohjanala keeps moving and retains side control.

Pohjanala tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Pohjanala has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Pohjanala has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Carpenter tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Carpenter is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Pohjanala's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Pohjanala seems to be working for a kimura but Carpenter defends the submission attempt.
Pohjanala is thwarting Carpenter's attempts to control the position.

Pohjanala has hold of the far side arm. He's working for the Kimura, can Carpenter defend it? Pohjanala steps over the head and cranks it - Carpenter is tapping out! That was textbook stuff right there - nice submission victory for Pohjanala!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:31 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Kustaa Pohjanala!