PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Tommaso Baroni (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sakari Sammio (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Tommaso Baroni has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Baroni
vs
Sammio

191 cm
21
200 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

185 cm
21
194 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Great elbows
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Lethal high kicks
Good gas tank

Perkele!

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Tommaso Baroni!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Sakari Sammio!
The judges for this bout are Lou da Vinci, Eddie Farnsworth and Steve Montenegro.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sammio throws a leg kick that is checked
and Sammio takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Sammio turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Baroni misses with a straight left.
Baroni swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Baroni takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Sammio is looking to land body kicks.
Baroni with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Sammio to score with a decent uppercut.
Baroni bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Sammio's head backwards.
A slapping body kick lands there for Sammio.
Sammio throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Sammio tries a low kick but Baroni avoids it.
Sammio feints and then cracks Baroni's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Baroni down.
Sammio getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Sammio just misses with a punch to the body.
Sammio throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Baroni sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Sammio attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sammio misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Baroni.
Baroni misses with a body kick.
Sammio throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Sammio wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
A chopping leg kick lands by Sammio.
Baroni jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Sammio lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Sammio tries to land a front kick but Baroni steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
A jab from Baroni misses.
Baroni bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Baroni throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Sammio tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Baroni was well out of range. Poor timing from Sammio.
Baroni on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Sammio moves forwards but Baroni connects with a nice, crisp jab.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sammio uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Baroni.
Baroni wants to clinch.
Sammio throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Baroni takes a jab right on the kisser.

It looks like Tommaso Baroni has been cut.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Baroni lands a right hook to the body.
Sakari Sammio seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Baroni throws a body punch but Sammio moves out of range.

Baroni gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Sammio throws an elbow that misses.

Sammio breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Sammio, right into the meat.
Baroni keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Sammio misses with a low kick.
Baroni takes a body punch but keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A nice leg kick lands there from Baroni.

Baroni closes the distance and clinches.
Sammio wants to break the clinch but can't.
Baroni tries to throw a body punch but Sammio avoids it by throwing Baroni back against the cage.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Sammio just misses with a elbow thrown towards Baroni's brow.
Baroni tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Sammio is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Baroni keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Sammio's efforts to push away.
Baroni creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Sammio can't break the clinch.
Baroni lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.

It looks like Sakari Sammio has been cut.
Sammio wants to break free but Baroni has control.
Sammio wants to get back to striking at distance but Baroni won't allow it.
Baroni tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

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

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sammio feints and then cracks Baroni's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Baroni down.
Baroni jabs at Sammio's body.
Sammio throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Sammio slips under a jab from Baroni.
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!
Baroni tries to clinch but Sammio moves out of range.
Sammio misses with a low kick.
Baroni looks to land a left hand but Sammio moved out of range nicely.
Nice uppercut there from Sammio.
Sammio throws a nice outside leg kick.
Baroni scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Baroni looks to score with a jab to the body but Sammio is just out of range.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Baroni's jab looks to have found its range, popping Sammio under the eye.
Baroni misses with a wild body shot.
Sammio takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Sakari Sammio will probably get the nod.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Sammio lands a nice leg kick that just misses Baroni's sensitive parts.
Sammio lands a body shot.
Sammio throws a jab but it's blocked by Baroni.
Sammio blocks a jab.
Baroni throws a jab but it's blocked by Sammio.
Baroni jabs Sammio to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Baroni walks into a straight right hand from Sammio.
Sammio looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Sammio connects with a crisp jab.
Baroni misses the shot to the body.
Baroni takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Sammio tries to work over Baroni's front leg with a kick but Baroni checks it.
Baroni connects with a nice looking jab.
Baroni avoids a lazy jab quite easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sammio motions for Baroni to come forward. Sammio throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Baroni moves out of range of the leg kick from Sammio.
An inside leg kick lands from Sammio.
A big left from Baroni misses.
Baroni scoring well with a low kick there.
Baroni is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Baroni takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Baroni tries to clinch but Sammio is having none of it.
Baroni darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Sammio throws a leg kick but Baroni sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Baroni fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Sammio manages to avoid it.
Some bone on bone action there as Baroni checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Baroni tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Sammio was well out of range. Poor timing from Baroni.
Baroni steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Sammio. That one must have hurt.
Sammio fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Baroni.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sammio looks to score with a jab to the body but Baroni is just out of range.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Baroni takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Baroni misses with a body punch
and Sammio cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Sammio misses with a straight left.
Baroni misses with a looping right.
Sammio fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Baroni has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Sammio lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.
Baroni misses with a straight right.
Baroni has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Sammio finds it's way round the side to connect with Baroni's head.
Sammio fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Baroni manages to avoid it.
Sammio scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Sammio lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
A nice inside leg kick there by Sammio. That's going to slow Baroni down.
Baroni 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.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Baroni staying out of range there.
Sammio connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Baroni momentarily.
Sammio fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Baroni is out of range.
Sammio avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Sammio misses with a wild body shot.
Baroni takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Baroni throws a looping overhand right but Sammio ducks down to avoid it.
Baroni walks forward, straight into a front kick from Sammio.
Sammio clobbers Baroni with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Sammio lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Baroni misses with an uppercut
and Sammio counters with a right hand to the body.
Baroni moves out of range of the leg kick from Sammio.
Sammio scores with a leg kick.
Sammio goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sammio gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Baroni tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Sammio misses with a body kick.
Sammio throws a head kick but Baroni moves out of range.
Sammio fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Baroni.
Baroni blocks a head kick by Sammio.
Sammio throws a front kick that sends Baroni stumbling back into the cage.
Baroni blocks a head kick by Sammio.
Baroni fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Sammio looks to throw the jab but Baroni is out of range.
Baroni takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Sammio is looking to land body kicks.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sakari Sammio showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! And we move into the final round!

Baroni punishes Sammio's body with a nice straight punch.
Sammio moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Baroni takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Jab by Baroni.
Baroni throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Baroni thows a body shot but no joy.
Sammio dips to his left and cracks Baroni with an uppercut!
Sammio takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Baroni blocks a low kick nicely.
Baroni waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Sammio.
Baroni fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Sammio manages to avoid it.
Baroni thows a body shot but no joy.
Sammio throws a leg kick but Baroni moved away.
A big left from Baroni misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sammio throws a left and a right that both miss

and Baroni counters by moving into the clinch.
Sammio tries to break the clinch but Baroni is controlling the position.
Sammio tries to break the clinch but Baroni is controlling the position.
Baroni prevents Sammio from breaking the clinch.
Baroni comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Sammio wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Baroni has him pressed against the cage.
Baroni lands a nice elbow.

Sammio breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Baroni avoids the body shot from Sammio.
Good exchange - Baroni coming out on top.
Baroni displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Good work by Baroni as he checks the leg kick.
Sammio misses with a left hand

and Baroni counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Baroni.
Baroni tries to land knees in the clinch but Sammio avoids the damage to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sammio is trying to push Baroni away but Baroni has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.

Sammio breaks the clinch.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Baroni clinches with his opponent.
Baroni will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Sammio up against the cage.
Baroni lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Sammio tries to break free but Baroni pushes him back against the cage.
Sammio wants to get back to striking at distance but Baroni won't allow it.
Sammio is trying to force a seperation but Baroni has the dominant position.
Knees to the body from Baroni.
Sammio wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Baroni has him pressed against the cage.
Sammio wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Baroni tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Sammio has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Baroni prevents Sammio from breaking the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sammio wants to break free but Baroni has control.
Sammio is trying to break the clinch but Baroni is controlling him.
Baroni will be looking to protect his midsection after taking some solid kicks to the body.
Sammio has had enough of the clinch but Baroni keeps him there for the moment.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Sammio is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Baroni blocks the elbow strike.
Baroni slows down the pace here.
Sammio pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Baroni lands with a short shot to the head.
The referee is keeping an eye on Baroni - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Tommaso Baroni has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Sammio has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Baroni using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Sammio has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Baroni pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.

Sammio manages to break the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Baroni misses with a hook. Sammio ducked under it nicely.
Sammio misses with a body shot.
Sammio misses with a hook to the body
enabling Baroni to counter with a crisp jab.
Sammio thuds his right hand into Baroni's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Baroni swinging wildly here.
Sakari Sammio seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Sammio scores with a jab to the body.
Sammio uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Baroni.
Baroni throws a right hand that misses
and Sammio counters with a straight right hand.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Sammio cracks Baroni with an open hand slap.
Sammio fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Baroni manages to avoid it.
Sakari Sammio is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Sammio sizes up Baroni with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Sammio throws a quick inside leg kick.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Tommaso Baroni.
I think Sammio has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Lou da Vinci scores the fight 28:29
Judge Eddie Farnsworth scores the fight 28:29
Judge Steve Montenegro scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Sakari Sammio!