PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Esa Tikkanen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Muay Tibs (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Tikkanen comes to the cage accompanied by Bring The Pain. The crowd seem to be enjoying Tibs's choice of entrance music: Atreyu - The Crimson. I can't wait for this one - let's get the fighter introductions out of the way and get this one started!

Tikkanen
vs
Tibs

186 cm
23
209 lbs
12 - 1 - 1

198 cm
29
217 lbs
11 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Heavy handed

Brute
ACME-Blood Red Q158 Always $30 (5% Laundry SALE)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the light heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 1 - 1, fighting out of Los Angeles, Esa Tikkanen!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Muay Tibs!
The judges for this bout are Kenichi Hosakawa, Yasuomi Hirokawa and Yukihiro Yamamoto.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Tibs misses with a low kick.
Tikkanen avoids a lazy jab quite easily.

Tibs takes the fight into the clinch.
Tikkanen tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Tibs just stands there and leans against the cage.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Tibs.
Tibs tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Tikkanen avoids a wild elbow strike from Tibs.

Tikkanen breaks from the clinch.
Tibs waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Tikkanen.
Tibs scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Tikkanen misses with an uppercut.
Tikkanen misses with a jab, cross combination.
Tibs slips under a jab from Tikkanen.
Tikkanen is looking to slow Tibs down with leg kicks.
Tikkanen throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Tibs tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Tikkanen manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Tibs defending well as Tikkanen loads up on a big left hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tikkanen cracks Tibs with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Tikkanen misses with a head kick.
Tikkanen avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Nice shot by Tikkanen.
Tikkanen cracks Tibs with an open hand slap.
Tikkanen steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Tibs. That one must have hurt.

Tibs closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Tibs wants to stall.
Tikkanen wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
With the fighters up against the cage, Tibs throws an elbow but misses.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Tikkanen goes for a takedown attempt but Tibs pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Tibs fails with an attempt to clinch.
Tikkanen slips under a jab from Tibs.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tikkanen throws a leg kick that misses.
Tikkanen connects with a high kick.
Tikkanen checks the leg kick.
Tikkanen missing with a left hand there. Tibs was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Tibs tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Tikkanen manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Tikkanen decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Tibs is refusing to be controlled, as Tikkanen sits in half guard.
Tibs makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Tibs.
Tikkanen trying to control the position from guard on top but Tibs is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Tikkanen accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Tibs can do anything to dispel that myth.
Tikkanen stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Tibs swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Tikkanen working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Tikkanen postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tikkanen scoring with some ground and pound.
Tikkanen trying to control the position from guard on top but Tibs is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Tikkanen slips nicely into half guard.
Tibs wants to get back to full guard.
Tibs is looking to escape.
Tibs is trying to maintain the position but Tikkanen is very close to passing his half guard.
Tikkanen stalling.
Tibs blocking the ground and pound attempt from Tikkanen.
Tikkanen working Tibs over with strikes.
Tibs is refusing to be controlled, as Tikkanen sits in half guard.
Tikkanen perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tibs wants to control but Tikkanen is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Tibs on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Tikkanen is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Tibs sees it coming and defends easily.
Tikkanen missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Tikkanen performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Tibs wants to control but Tikkanen is keeping busy.
Tikkanen prevents Tibs from improving his position.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Tikkanen is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Tibs is looking for a sweep. Tikkanen is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Esa Tikkanen dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Tikkanen clobbers Tibs with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Tibs doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Tibs thuds his right hand into Tikkanen's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Tibs needs to keep his hands up - Tikkanen had a free shot at his head there.

Tibs clinches with his opponent.
Tikkanen is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Tibs is keeping busy.
Tikkanen is trying to break free.
Tibs keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Tikkanen's efforts to push away.

Tikkanen breaks from the clinch.
Tibs wants to clinch.
Tibs connects with a jab.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Tikkanen throws a looping overhand right but Tibs ducks down to avoid it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tibs lands with an uppercut that bounces Tikkanen off the cage and back into range.

It looks like Esa Tikkanen has been cut.
Tikkanen misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Tibs blocks a jab.
Tikkanen lands a nice shot to the body.
A slow jab from Tikkanen misses its intended target.

Tikkanen looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Tikkanen wants to lay and pray for a moment but Tibs keeps working.
Tikkanen wants to free his trapped foot but Tibs is holding on for dear life with his legs.

Tikkanen is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Tibs is refusing to be controlled, as Tikkanen sits in half guard.
Tikkanen controlling the action here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tikkanen thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Tibs's head.
Tibs is trying to maintain the position but Tikkanen is very close to passing his half guard.
Tikkanen trying to control the action but Tibs is working from the bottom.
Tibs is looking to get back to full guard here but Tikkanen has managed to pass to side control instead.
Tibs tries to improve position but can't.
Tibs managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Tikkanen.

Tikkanen tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Tikkanen has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Esa Tikkanen overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Tikkanen cracks Tibs with a big elbow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tikkanen scoring with punches from side control.
Tibs is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Tibs avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Tikkanen.
Tibs wants to get back to his feet.
Tikkanen is taking a breather. Tibs 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.
Tibs is trying to get back to full guard.
Tibs trying to get back to full guard but Tikkanen takes advantage of the position and moves to full mount!
Tikkanen looking to control but Tibs is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Tikkanen dominating with strikes here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tikkanen scores with a couple of good head shots there.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Tikkanen controlling from mount.
Tikkanen scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Tikkanen working away from the top, dropping strikes.

Tibs is rocked!
Tikkanen postures up and connects with a big shot that has rocked Tibs badly. He's trying desperately to grab hold of Tikkanen around the waist but Tikkanen pushes him off and unloads with more strikes, forcing the referee to jump in and save him! Tikkanen is the winner by TKO! Tikkanen jumps onto the cage and shouts into the camera. "We did it momma!"

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:48 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Esa Tikkanen!
Esa Tikkanen retains his light heavyweight title!
Esa Tikkanen seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.