PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Valdemar Friman (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mike Tyson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Friman comes into the arena with Metallica - Damage Inc. blaring out of the sound system. Tyson has chosen 2pac - Uppercut as his entrance music. Valdemar Friman has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Friman
vs
Tyson

168 cm
44
160 lbs
26 - 27 - 0

179 cm
35
170 lbs
27 - 17 - 1

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Olympic wrestler
World class boxer
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 26 - 27 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Valdemar Friman!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 27 - 17 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Mike Tyson!
The judges for this bout are Ben Zyskovitsi, Tarja Halkonen and Matti Vanhoillinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Friman!
Tyson swings for the body but Friman moves out of range.
Friman rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Tyson moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Friman takes a head kick and keeps coming.

Friman moves into the clinch.

Tyson pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Tyson has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.

Tyson fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Friman to the ground. Tyson is now in Friman's guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Friman is trying to keep Tyson in close.
Tyson throws a big elbow that misses.
Tyson is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Tyson wants to control from the top but Friman keeps moving.
Friman is in a tricky position. We've heard reports from his gym mates at Nordic Top Team that he's been drilling escapes, so let's see if he can get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Tyson accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Tyson won't allow Friman to sweep him here.

Friman is looking for a triangle but Tyson pushes his legs off easily.
Tyson looking to pass the guard.
Tyson throws a strike but Friman rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Friman pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Tyson is keeping the position for now.
Friman is working Tyson over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Friman trying to control but Tyson is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Friman throwing strikes from guard but Tyson blocks nicely.
Friman loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Friman is looking to work some ground and pound but Tyson has wrist control.
Tyson looking for a sweep. Not yet Tyson, not yet.
Friman might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Tyson holds on and takes a little breather.
Tyson is trying to control the position but Friman postures up.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Tyson shoots in but Friman avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Friman falls off balance throwing a combination

and Tyson decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Friman's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tyson scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Friman keeping full guard, as Tyson tries to pass.
Tyson throws an elbow that misses. Friman uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Tyson's guard. Nice move by Friman!

Tyson working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Friman.
Friman working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Tyson pulls Friman in close to his closed guard and prevents Friman from doing any damage or advancing position.
Friman working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Friman wants to pass the guard but Tyson is keeping the position.
Tyson working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Friman.
Friman pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Tyson is keeping the position for now.
Tyson is trying to control the position but Friman postures up.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Friman in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Tyson wants to sweep but no luck.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Friman throwing strikes from guard but Tyson blocks nicely.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Valdemar Friman will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Tyson throws a sloppy body shot
and Friman counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Friman misses with a takedown attempt
and Tyson counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
A head kick misses from Friman.
Friman misses with a wild body shot.
A combination from Tyson does no damage.
Friman takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Friman lands a jab to the head.
Friman throws a looping overhand right but Tyson ducks down to avoid it.

Friman bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
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!
Tyson is trying to improve his position.
Friman in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Tyson can't do much from the bottom here.
Friman is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Tyson can do to turn this around?

That's one minute gone in the round.
Friman fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Tyson sneaks back into half guard.
Friman scores with a couple of good hammerfists.

Friman is looking for a kimura here.
Friman is keen to just control but Tyson is a slippery customer.

Friman looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Friman missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Tyson is pressing down on Friman's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Friman trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Tyson bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Friman's guard.

The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Tyson scoring with some ground and pound.
Friman is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Tyson landing some decent shots from guard.
Tyson trying to control but Friman is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tyson stands and throws Friman's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Tyson working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Friman is looking to reverse the position.
Friman taking a bit of punishment here - Tyson scoring with strikes.
Tyson throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Tyson working away.
Friman tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Tyson wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Tyson cracks Friman with an elbow. That is naaassty.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tyson is chipping away with strikes.

Tyson is trying to get an arm triangle but Friman is defending well.
Mike Tyson has got the better of the ground game so far.
Tyson throws a strike aimed at the side of Friman's head but Friman avoids it well.
Tyson trying to control the action but Friman is working from the bottom.
Tyson has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Tyson misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Friman is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Tyson is putting a hurting on Friman here, landing some big shots from side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Mike Tyson will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Tyson misses with a jab, cross combination.

Friman gets the takedown into side control.
Friman throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Tyson can't do much from the bottom here.
Tyson parries the strikes from Friman easily there. Friman is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Tyson to escape.
Tyson looks to move to half guard but instead Friman has passed into mount! Damn!
Friman prevents Tyson from getting the reversal.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tyson is squirming around, avoiding Friman's attempts to control the action.
Tyson is trying desperately to improve position.
Tyson is trying to stand up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tyson is trying to escape the mount.
Tyson wants to control but Friman is having none of it.
Friman lands a big elbow.
Friman working the ground and pound effectively.
Tyson is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Friman landing strikes, looking to finish!
Tyson is looking to improve his position but Friman isn't that keen on the idea.
Friman landing strikes, looking to finish!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Friman can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Tyson is looking to escape.
Tyson is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Friman landing punches.
Tyson wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Friman.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Friman has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Tyson's face.
Tyson is trying to escape the mount.
Friman landing punches.
Friman has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Tyson's face.
Tyson keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Tyson is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Tyson is looking to improve his position but Friman isn't that keen on the idea.
Friman throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Friman lands a big elbow.
Tyson gets back to half guard.
Friman wants to pass to mount but Tyson is defending the position.
Tyson tries to roll over but Friman keeps him under control.
Friman winds up and cracks Tyson with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Tyson wants to improve his position but Friman is controlling well.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Tyson trying to control here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Valdemar Friman showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Friman has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 29:28
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 29:28
Judge Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Valdemar Friman!