PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Donnie Darko (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Joonas Niemi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters really staring eachother down here, as Joonas Niemi enters the cage!

Darko
vs
Niemi

195 cm
18
286 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

190 cm
19
220 lbs
4 - 4 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Basic striking
Knockout power

Hellbent, Inc.

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Donnie Darko!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Joonas Niemi!
The judges for this bout are Robert Twigg, Stewart Dunkirk and Chris Downing.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Niemi tries to clinch but Darko is having none of it.
Niemi shoots for a takedown but Darko saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Darko fails to land with a series of punches.
Niemi tries to close the distance and clinch up but Darko swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Darko scores with a jab to the head.
A punch combination from Darko misses.
Darko showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Niemi.

Niemi shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Niemi showed some decent athleticism there.
Darko wants to control but Niemi is keeping busy.
Darko avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Niemi.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Darko has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Niemi is working away from the top position though.
Darko blocking the ground and pound attempt from Niemi.
Niemi thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Darko's head.
Niemi is pressing down on Darko's thigh, looking to free his foot. Darko is holding on for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Darko keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Niemi is looking to stall here but Darko recovers full guard.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Darko scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Darko throws a right and a left that Niemi avoids nicely.
Darko throws a right and a left that both miss.

Niemi gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Niemi keeps control of Darko as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Darko wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Darko is trying to break free.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Niemi keeps control of Darko as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Darko can't break the clinch.
Darko wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Niemi has him pressed against the cage.
Niemi goes for a takedown in the clinch but Darko prevents it.
Darko could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Darko tries to break the clinch but Niemi is controlling the position.
Niemi's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Darko is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Darko is trying to break free.
Darko is looking to break free of the clinch but Niemi has double underhooks.
Darko drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Niemi lands a damaging elbow.
Niemi prevents Darko from breaking the clinch.

Darko pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Darko closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Darko throws a right and a left that both miss.
Niemi misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Darko lands a jab-cross combination.
Darko is breathing heavily.
Darko swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Niemi holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Darko is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Niemi pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Darko wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Niemi has him pressed against the cage.
Darko wants to break free but Niemi has control.
Darko wants to break the clinch but can't.
Darko wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Darko wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Niemi has him pressed against the cage.
Niemi misses with a short punch on the inside.
Niemi tries to score a body lock takedown but Darko shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Donnie Darko has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Joonas Niemi.
Darko is trying to break the clinch but Niemi has him pressed against the cage.
Niemi tries a body shot but Darko blocks it.
Darko can't break the clinch.
Darko fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Darko wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Niemi has him pressed against the cage.
Darko wants to break free but Niemi has control.
Niemi makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
A right hook to the body lands for Niemi.
Darko is trying to break the clinch but Niemi has him pressed against the cage.
Darko has had enough of the clinch but Niemi keeps him there for the moment.
Niemi scores with a hook to the body.

Niemi breaks the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Niemi looks for a takedown but Darko sprawls well.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Darko!
Some wild striking there from Darko.
Darko shoots in for a double leg but Niemi sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Darko throws a nice looking combination but Niemi bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Niemi fails to land the takedown.
Darko throws a series of punches but Niemi avoids them all with ease.
No joy there for Darko, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Darko!
Niemi connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Darko misses with a jab, cross combination.
Darko throws a left and a right that both miss

and Niemi counters by moving into the clinch.
Nice body punch from Niemi.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Darko tries for a takedown. No joy.
Niemi tries for a takedown but Darko manages to get underhooks.
Donnie Darko has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Joonas Niemi.
Niemi is leaning against Darko and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Niemi tries to land knees in the clinch but Darko avoids the damage to the body.
Niemi misses with a hook from the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Darko wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Darko has had enough of the clinch but Niemi keeps him there for the moment.
Darko tries for a takedown. No joy.

Niemi pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Darko misses with a double jab
and Niemi counters with a one-two to the body.
No joy there for Darko, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

Niemi darts in and clinches Darko up against the cage.
Darko tries to break the clinch but Niemi is controlling the position.

Niemi breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Darko moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Good exchange - Darko coming out on top.

Niemi moves into the clinch.

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

Niemi pushes Darko up against the cage in a clinch.

Niemi breaks the clinch.
Darko swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Darko will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

Niemi gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Darko is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Niemi gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Darko can't break the clinch.
Darko wants to break free but Niemi has control.
Darko can't get the takedown.
Darko wants to break the clinch but can't.
A short left from Niemi.
Darko is looking to break free of the clinch but Niemi has double underhooks.

Darko breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Darko shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Niemi as he jumps to the side.
Darko will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Darko fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Darko swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Niemi counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Niemi thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Niemi is trying to get back to his feet now but his leg is trapped.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Darko manages to get to full guard.
Niemi throwing strikes but missing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Darko bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Niemi's guard.
Niemi wants to stand up but Darko is controlling him.

Darko stands and steps away. Niemi gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Joonas Niemi showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Darko displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Darko shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Niemi pinned against the cage. Niemi gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Darko misses with a combination

and Niemi counters by moving into the clinch.
Darko wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Knees to the body from Niemi.
Darko managing to block the knees to the body from Niemi.

Darko escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Niemi has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Niemi there as he acknowledges the shot.
Niemi fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Darko.
Niemi is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Darko has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Niemi is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Darko slows the pace down.

Darko stands up and beckons Niemi to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Darko shoots for a takedown but Niemi saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Donk. Darko catches Niemi right on the button with a cross.
A punch combination from Darko misses.
Darko throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Darko drops Niemi with a left right combo! Darko follows him down to the ground into side control.

Niemi is rocked!
Darko controls the position.
Niemi is still in real trouble! Can Darko finish him?
Darko's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Niemi seems to have recovered his senses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Darko looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Niemi is avoiding damage well.

And that's the end of the fight!
Donnie Darko showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Darko 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 Robert Twigg scores the fight 29:28
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 29:28
Judge Chris Downing scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Donnie Darko!