PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Emmanuel Bredenberg (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Keijo Harkimo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Bredenberg's entrance music is Heja Bamse. A fine choice. Keijo Harkimo will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Bredenberg
vs
Harkimo

202 cm
29
290 lbs
13 - 11 - 0

214 cm
25
285 lbs
11 - 8 - 0

Great wrestler
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Granite chin

Untouchable Fight Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 13 - 11 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Emmanuel Bredenberg!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 8 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Keijo Harkimo!
The judges for this bout are Anni Minnemäki, Roosa Järviläinen and Marco Blurström.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Bredenberg closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Bredenberg lands some shots froms side control.
Bredenberg in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Bredenberg wants to lay and pray for a moment but Harkimo keeps working.
Bredenberg misses with the ground and pound.
Harkimo avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Bredenberg.
You can see the frustration on Harkimo's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Bredenberg has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

Bredenberg is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Harkimo is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Harkimo sneaks back into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bredenberg wants to pass the guard but Harkimo is defending well.
Bredenberg stalling.
Harkimo is trying to control but can't.
Bredenberg is controlling the pace.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bredenberg not landing any meaningful shots this time.

Bredenberg is working for a submission of some sort.

Bredenberg is looking for a kimura but Harkimo is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Bredenberg to get the leverage.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Bredenberg is looking to take a break and control but Harkimo is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Harkimo is defending against the submission attempts here by Bredenberg.
Bredenberg not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Bredenberg thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Bredenberg stalling away here and it's allowed Harkimo to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Bredenberg's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Bredenberg trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Harkimo manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bredenberg looking to hit a scissor sweep but Harkimo is one step ahead there.
Bredenberg is working hard here to advance position.

Bredenberg looking for a guillotine here but Harkimo defends easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Emmanuel Bredenberg dominated that round.
That's time! Bredenberg's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Bredenberg shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Harkimo is staying active underneath Bredenberg, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Harkimo has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Bredenberg is working away from the top position though.
Harkimo wants to get back to his feet.
Harkimo blocking the ground and pound attempt from Bredenberg.
Bredenberg is thwarting Harkimo's attempts to control the position.
Harkimo keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bredenberg controlling the pace.
Bredenberg tries to pass to full mount but Harkimo defends it.

Bredenberg seems to be trying to get a kimura but instead Harkimo has recovered full guard.
Harkimo keeping moving, preventing Bredenberg from controlling successfully.
Bredenberg looking to sit in guard and control but Harkimo gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bredenberg is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Harkimo misses with a straight right.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bredenberg takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Harkimo with a hook.
Harkimo connects with a looping right hand.
Some wild striking there from Harkimo.

Bredenberg drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Bredenberg lands a nice forearm strike.
Bredenberg advances to mount.
Bredenberg controlling the pace for now.
Harkimo is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bredenberg controlling from mount.
Harkimo tries to hold on but Bredenberg pushes him away.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Bredenberg lands with some strikes.
Bredenberg thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
Bredenberg controlling the position easily from mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Emmanuel Bredenberg dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Bredenberg.
Harkimo throws a nice outside leg kick.
Harkimo throws a big shot that misses.
Harkimo keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Harkimo looks for the body kick but Bredenberg saw that one coming.
A big right from Bredenberg misses.
Bredenberg throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
A slow jab from Bredenberg misses its intended target.
Harkimo throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
A looping hook to the body misses from Harkimo. Bredenberg does a little dance to reset his feet.
Harkimo with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Harkimo is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Harkimo throws a right hand that Bredenberg ducks under and follows up with a left that Bredenberg also avoids with ease.
Bredenberg closes the distance and clinches up with Harkimo, looking for a takedown. Bredenberg pushes Harkimo against the cage but Harkimo circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Bredenberg shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Harkimo defends it nicely.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Emmanuel Bredenberg. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harkimo tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Bredenberg paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Harkimo buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Harkimo is looking to clinch.
Harkimo lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Harkimo.
Harkimo looks to throw the jab but Bredenberg is out of range.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Harkimo!
This has been an exciting period of action!
A clash of legs there as Harkimo blocks the low kick.
Harkimo is looking to slow Bredenberg down with leg kicks.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
No luck for Bredenberg with that takedown attempt.
Harkimo lands a jab to Bredenberg's midsection.
Harkimo smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Harkimo lands a right hook to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Harkimo moves in looking to clinch but Bredenberg pushes him off.
Harkimo swinging wildly here.
Bredenberg needs to keep his hands up - Harkimo had a free shot at his head there.
Harkimo fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Bredenberg.
Keijo Harkimo is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Bredenberg takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Harkimo lands a really nice looking cross but Bredenberg seems unphased.
Harkimo thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Bredenberg if he has to take too many more of those.
Harkimo scores with a hook to the body. Bredenberg takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Harkimo lands with a nice combination. Bredenberg backs away looking to recover.
Bredenberg swats away the attempt to clinch by Harkimo.
Decent striking displayed by Harkimo there.
Bredenberg drops his hands momentarily and Harkimo takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Bredenberg takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A right-left combo lands from Bredenberg.
A combination from Harkimo does no damage.
Harkimo throws out a leg kick but Bredenberg moves out of range and Harkimo only half commits.
Emmanuel Bredenberg is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Bredenberg fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Bredenberg closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Bredenberg fails with the takedown.
Harkimo throws a chopping leg kick but Bredenberg manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Keijo Harkimo has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
A left and a right from Harkimo both land. Nice combination.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Bredenberg on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Harkimo throws a one two combo.

Bredenberg is rocked!
Harkimo throws an off balance right hand

and Bredenberg counters with a single leg into guard. Harkimo didn't expect that.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Harkimo holds on and takes a little breather.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bredenberg trying to control but Harkimo is working from the bottom.
Harkimo is trying to keep Bredenberg in close.
Bredenberg sitting in guard here, content to control.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Keijo Harkimo was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Bredenberg uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Harkimo.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Harkimo misses the shot to the body.

Bredenberg drives through with a takedown into guard.
Bredenberg looking to pass the guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Keijo Harkimo comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Bredenberg has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 29:28
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 29:28
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Emmanuel Bredenberg!
Emmanuel Bredenberg really struggled to get his t-shirt on before his hand was raised. Making sure that Sparta Fightware logo gets some air time is pretty tricky when you're all sweaty.