PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Mirko Laamanen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Solomon Cracchiolo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Laamanen's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Daft Punk - Da Funk/Daftendirekt. On his way into the cage it seems that Mirko Laamanen has been attacked by a crazed fan! It looks like it might have been the just bleed guy! Luckily Mirko Laamanen seems to be OK! I thought that lunatic was in prison!?

Laamanen
vs
Cracchiolo

183 cm
19
185 lbs
1 - 5 - 0

188 cm
20
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

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 1 - 5 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Mirko Laamanen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Solomon Cracchiolo!
The judges for this bout are Sergei Dronov, Aleksei Zolotukhin and Illya Tyunina.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Cracchiolo clinches with his opponent.
Knees in the clinch landing for Laamanen.
Laamanen taking a breather.
Laamanen stalls.
Laamanen tries to land knees in the clinch but Cracchiolo avoids the damage to the body.
Laamanen trying to control the position but instead, Cracchiolo has worked for underhooks and has pushed Laamanen into the cage.
Cracchiolo has had enough of the clinch but Laamanen keeps him there for the moment.
Stalling in the clinch from Laamanen.
Laamanen throws an elbow that misses.
Cracchiolo avoiding damage as Laamanen throws knees to the body.
Cracchiolo avoiding damage as Laamanen throws knees to the body.
Laamanen is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Cracchiolo is keeping busy.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Laamanen.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Mirko Laamanen.
Cracchiolo shoots for a takedown but Laamanen saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Laamanen clinches but Cracchiolo breaks the clinch

and Cracchiolo counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Cracchiolo performing his best blanket impression for a moment.

Cracchiolo stands, ready to strike. The ref makes him back up and allows Laamanen to get to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Laamanen has closed the distance and engaged Cracchiolo in a clinch.
Cracchiolo drops down looking for an ankle pick but Laamanen pulls his leg out and moves away.
Cracchiolo closes the distance and clinches up with Laamanen, looking for a takedown. Cracchiolo pushes Laamanen against the cage but Laamanen circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Mirko Laamanen has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Solomon Cracchiolo.
Laamanen cracks the inside of Cracchiolo's front leg.

Laamanen gets a clinch.
Laamanen with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Cracchiolo on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Laamanen misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Cracchiolo.
Cracchiolo is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Laamanen pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Cracchiolo looks gassed!
Laamanen misses with a knee to the head.
Cracchiolo tries to pull guard but Laamanen won't allow it.
Laamanen lands a knee to the head.

Cracchiolo manages to break the clinch.
Nice sprawl there from Laamanen as Cracchiolo shoots in.
Laamanen wants to clinch but Cracchiolo slips to the side
and Cracchiolo counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Laamanen is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Laamanen looks to clinch
and Cracchiolo connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cracchiolo fails with a takedown attempt.
Cracchiolo keeps the fight on the outside.
Cracchiolo circles away from the clinch attempt

and Cracchiolo counters with a takedown into side control.
Laamanen is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

Cracchiolo looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Cracchiolo tries to stand but Laamanen is controlling his head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Laamanen is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Still in half guard, Cracchiolo seems content to control.

Cracchiolo is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Laamanen defends it well.
Laamanen manages to get to full guard.

Cracchiolo stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Mirko Laamanen is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Laamanen looks to clinch

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

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cracchiolo preventing the sweep.
Cracchiolo won't allow Laamanen to get back to his feet.
Laamanen is looking to stand back up but Cracchiolo counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Laamanen.

Laamanen looking for submissions off his back.
Cracchiolo is tying to control. Laamanen wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Laamanen looking for submissions off his back.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Cracchiolo with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Solomon Cracchiolo dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Laamanen looks to clinch

and Cracchiolo counters by clinching up.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Maybe Laamanen would be better served going for some more strikes rather than trying to control so much.
Laamanen missing with knees to the body.
Cracchiolo avoiding damage as Laamanen throws knees to the body.
Cracchiolo fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Laamanen missing with knees to the body.
Cracchiolo avoiding damage as Laamanen throws knees to the body.
Laamanen tries to land a knee to the head but misses.

Cracchiolo has picked Laamanen up - he's going for a ride! Cracchiolo dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Laamanen is trying to get back to full guard.
Laamanen wants to get back to his feet.
Cracchiolo controlling the action here.

Cracchiolo postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Laamanen to stand up.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Cracchiolo takes the fight into the clinch.
Cracchiolo is trying to drag Laamanen to the mat but Laamanen just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Laamanen is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.

Cracchiolo breaks the clinch.
Cracchiolo tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Laamanen paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Laamanen looks to clinch

and Cracchiolo counters with a nice double leg into side control. Laamanen won't be happy with that.
Cracchiolo trying to control the action but Laamanen is working from the bottom.
Laamanen is trying to control Cracchiolo's posture but Cracchiolo avoids it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Check out the look on Cracchiolo's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Laamanen tries to buck Cracchiolo off but Cracchiolo is having none of it.
Laamanen prevents Cracchiolo from moving into mount.

Cracchiolo decides to take the fight back to the feet.

Cracchiolo forces Laamanen back against the cage and clinches.

Cracchiolo turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!
Laamanen looks to move to half guard but instead Cracchiolo has passed into mount! Damn!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Cracchiolo controlling his opponent.
Cracchiolo tries to control but Laamanen wriggling away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Laamanen wants to control but Cracchiolo is having none of it.
Laamanen trying desperately to get to his feet.
Laamanen tries to buck Cracchiolo off but Cracchiolo takes his back!
Cracchiolo keeps control of the position easily here as Laamanen tries to buck him off.
Laamanen trying to control but not successfully.

Cracchiolo working for a RNC but it's not happening just yet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Laamanen is defending well here and trying to improve his position.
The referee is taking a good look at Laamanen as he is on the wrong end of some big shots from Cracchiolo!
Laamanen controlling the position well but he knows he's in a bad position.
Cracchiolo has his opponent trapped and is landing shots. Not a good position for Laamanen.
Laamanen controlling the position well but he knows he's in a bad position.
Cracchiolo controlling from the back.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Solomon Cracchiolo showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Laamanen scores with a punch to the head.
A punch combination from Laamanen misses.
Cracchiolo circles away from the clinch attempt
enabling Cracchiolo to counter with a crisp jab.
Laamanen tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Cracchiolo counters with a shoot takedown. Laamanen fights it but they end up in guard.

Laamanen looking for a guillotine here but Cracchiolo defends easily.
Laamanen working a defensive guard but Cracchiolo passes into half guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Cracchiolo decides to stand up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cracchiolo lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.

Cracchiolo 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.

Cracchiolo stands and steps away. Laamanen gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Laamanen tries to land a body kick
and Cracchiolo counters with a nice uppercut.
Cracchiolo shoots in and drives through. Laamanen sprawls well.
Laamanen tries to clinch but Cracchiolo moves away

and Cracchiolo decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Laamanen's guard.
Cracchiolo looking to pass the guard.

Laamanen escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Cracchiolo gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Laamanen is trying to hold Cracchiolo in close to prevent damage but Cracchiolo has managed to pass into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cracchiolo is tying to control. Laamanen wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Laamanen moves into full guard.
Cracchiolo prevents Laamanen from getting back to his feet.

Laamanen working for a triangle but Cracchiolo defends it easily.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Laamanen is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

Cracchiolo decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Laamanen, up you get!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cracchiolo shoots in looking for a takedown. Laamanen tries to sprawl out of it but Cracchiolo keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Laamanen manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Cracchiolo avoids the head kick by Laamanen.
Laamanen takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Cracchiolo circles away from the clinch attempt

and Cracchiolo decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Laamanen's guard.
Cracchiolo has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

Laamanen throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Cracchiolo showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

Laamanen looking for a guillotine here but Cracchiolo defends easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Laamanen looking for a sweep. Not yet Laamanen, not yet.
Cracchiolo looking to pass the guard.
Laamanen is trying to keep Cracchiolo in close.
Mirko Laamanen has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Solomon Cracchiolo is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Laamanen wants to stand but Cracchiolo is controlling the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Solomon Cracchiolo comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Cracchiolo 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 Sergei Dronov scores the fight 27:30
Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 27:30
Judge Illya Tyunina scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Solomon Cracchiolo!