PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Arne Ukkonen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and James Bowles (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). James Bowles will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Ukkonen
vs
Bowles

187 cm
25
212 lbs
4 - 3 - 0

205 cm
23
225 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Big right hand

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of London, Arne Ukkonen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, James Bowles!
The judges for this bout are James Ackerman, Andrew Berry and Steven Brown.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ukkonen throws a poor cross that misses

and Bowles counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Bowles perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Bowles blocks the strikes from Ukkonen.
Bowles works his foot free and advances to mount.
Bowles takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Ukkonen tries to hold on but Bowles postures up.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Bowles content just to control the position here.
Ukkonen sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bowles controlling the action here.
Bowles tries to stand and escape but Ukkonen is controlling the position.
Ukkonen wants to control but Bowles is keeping busy.
Ukkonen tries to get to full guard but Bowles has control of the leg.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Nice defenses there by Bowles.
Bowles misses with a jab, cross combination.
Ukkonen with a nice cross.
Ukkonen throws a looping overhand right but Bowles ducks down to avoid it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A telegraphed right hand from Ukkonen misses the target.
Bowles bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Ukkonen throws a lazy uppercut
and Bowles counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Bowles shoots in looking for a takedown. Ukkonen tries to sprawl out of it but Bowles keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Ukkonen manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Bowles looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Ukkonen swinging wildly here.
Bowles shoots for a takedown but Ukkonen saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
A telegraphed right hand from Ukkonen misses the target.
Ukkonen misses with a lunging right hand

and Bowles counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Ukkonen wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Bowles has him pressed against the cage.
Bowles looking for a takedown.
Arne Ukkonen has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of James Bowles.
Bowles prevents a body shot from Ukkonen.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ukkonen wants to get back to striking at distance but Bowles won't allow it.
Bowles wants a takedown but no success here.

Bowles pulls guard successfully.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Ukkonen accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Ukkonen is looking to stand up but Bowles won't let him.

Bowles had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Ukkonen defends it easily.
Bowles working a defensive guard here.

Ukkonen got a little sloppy there for a moment and Bowles has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Ukkonen has managed to get both his arms back between Bowles's legs - danger averted.
Ukkonen wants to get up but he can't break Bowles's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

Bowles uses the cage to get back to his feet.
Ukkonen connects with a good right hand that stumbles Bowles. Bowles circles away out of range and recomposes himself.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Ukkonen thows a left - swing and a miss!
Ukkonen is really struggling to find his range with his punches. Bowles's reach advantage is clearly causing him problems.
Ukkonen throws an off balance right hand
and Bowles counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Bowles keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Ukkonen misses the shot to the body.
Bowles tries to clinch but Ukkonen moves out of range.
Bowles shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Ukkonen sprawls well. Ukkonen wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Bowles gets slowly back to his feet.
A big left from Ukkonen misses.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Ukkonen misses with a two punch combination.
Arne Ukkonen is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
A shot to the liver by Ukkonen. Beautiful body shot.
Bowles fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Ukkonen throws a big shot that misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James Bowles dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Bowles keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Ukkonen.
Ukkonen throws a hook but Bowles blocks it.
Bowles steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Ukkonen.
Ukkonen jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Ukkonen misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Ukkonen throws a shot from downtown. Bowles moves away and avoids it.
Ukkonen misses with a two punch combination.
Bowles tries to clinch but Ukkonen moves out of range.
Bowles tries to close the distance and clinch but Ukkonen swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Bowles slips a straight right by Ukkonen.
Ukkonen missing with a left hand there. Bowles was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.

Bowles forces Ukkonen back against the cage and clinches.

Bowles manages to break the clinch.
Ukkonen throws a lazy uppercut

and Bowles moves into the clinch.
Bowles controlling the action here for a moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ukkonen lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Bowles backwards.
Ukkonen doesn't land with the attempted body shot.

Bowles manages to pull guard.
Bowles is trying to control the position but Ukkonen postures up.
Bowles is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Ukkonen has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Bowles pushes Ukkonen off and scrambles back to his feet.
Ukkonen throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Bowles counters with a nice uppercut.
Ukkonen throws a hook to the side of Bowles's head but Bowles sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Ukkonen throws a looping overhand right but Bowles ducks down to avoid it.
Ukkonen misses with a hook. Bowles ducked under it nicely.
Bowles slips under a jab.
Ukkonen throws a right and a left that Bowles avoids nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Bowles darts in and clinches Ukkonen up against the cage.
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!
Bowles can't get the takedown.
Ukkonen tries to break free but Bowles pushes him back against the cage.

Bowles breaks the clinch.
Ukkonen moves into range and connects with a jab.
Ukkonen misses with a lunging right hand
and Bowles counters with a good, hard body kick but Ukkonen shrugs it off.
Ukkonen misses the jab.
Ukkonen does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.

Bowles feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Ukkonen trying to keep a closed guard but Bowles is proving a slippery customer.

Bowles stands up and waves to Ukkonen to follow him.
Ukkonen throws a jab but it's blocked by Bowles.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Bowles instigates a clinch.
Come on Bowles - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Ukkonen is trying to push Bowles away but Bowles has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Ukkonen softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Bowles throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Ukkonen is trying to stall.

Bowles breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Ukkonen misses with a straight right.
Bowles is trying hard to land a takedown here. Ukkonen sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Bowles slips a straight right by Ukkonen.
Bowles moves out of range as Ukkonen strikes.
Bowles fails with the takedown.
Arne Ukkonen has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of James Bowles.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ukkonen throws a series of punches but Bowles moves out of range.

Bowles closes the distance and clinches.

Ukkonen is fighting off a takedown attempt but Bowles is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Ukkonen to the mat. Ukkonen regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
Bowles slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Ukkonen looking to control.
Ukkonen wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Bowles is now in half guard.
Bowles content to control rather than advance.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Bowles is thwarting Ukkonen's attempts to control the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James Bowles showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Bowles slips under a jab.
The fighters circling - Ukkonen throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Bowles shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Ukkonen as he avoids it easily.
Ukkonen tries to bum rush Bowles with a series of wild strikes but Bowles uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Ukkonen fails to land with a series of punches.
Ukkonen tries to bum rush Bowles with a series of wild strikes but Bowles uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Bowles tries a head kick but it misses.
Arne Ukkonen is winning the standup battle so far.

Bowles drives through with a takedown into guard.
Ukkonen looking to control.

Bowles stands up from guard. Let's bang!

Ukkonen gets tackled into the cage by Bowles. Bowles maintains the clinch.
The referee calls for Bowles to work.

Bowles breaks from the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Bowles throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Ukkonen was covering up waiting for the punch and Bowles finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Bowles pushing down on Ukkonen's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Ukkonen might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Bowles working over Ukkonen with some ground and pound. Ukkonen looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Bowles moves nicely into side control.
Ukkonen trying to remain calm as Bowles controls from the top position.
Bowles working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.

Bowles working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Ukkonen knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Bowles on the ground.
Bowles advances to mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Ukkonen regains half guard.

Bowles decides to return to a standing position.

Bowles shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.

Bowles is trying to work for a kimura but Ukkonen is defending well.
The fighters are battling for position here. Ukkonen manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ukkonen working a defensive guard here.
Bowles with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Bowles working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Bowles landing some decent shots from guard.

Bowles drops back, looking for a kneebar! Ukkonen looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Ukkonen looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Ukkonen!
Bowles is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Ukkonen's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Ukkonen wants to take a breather but Bowles is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ukkonen throws a big elbow that misses, also allowing Bowles to regain full guard.

Bowles is looking for a triangle here but Ukkonen uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
Bowles is trying to control Ukkonen's posture but Ukkonen avoids it.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Bowles dodges the ground and pound from Ukkonen.
Arne Ukkonen has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Ukkonen with the ground and pound but Bowles regains half guard under the barage of strikes.
Bowles slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
James Bowles has got the better of the ground game so far.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Ukkonen throwing strikes from guard but Bowles blocks nicely.
James Bowles is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Bowles controlling Ukkonen's posture.

And that's the end of the fight!
James Bowles comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Bowles winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 James Ackerman scores the fight 27:30
Judge Andrew Berry scores the fight 27:30
Judge Steven Brown scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... James Bowles!