PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Pako Laine (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Alexander Pedan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Laine comes to the cage accompanied by Nikke Ankara - Värifilmi. I'm sure you'll be fascinated to know that I was talking to some pointless Z list celebrity before the fight and he thought that Alexander Pedan was going to win. Let's see if he was right.

Laine
vs
Pedan

174 cm
29
149 lbs
15 - 5 - 0

170 cm
33
145 lbs
19 - 9 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Lethal high kicks
Good gas tank

Perkele!

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 15 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Pako Laine!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 19 - 9 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Alexander Pedan!
The judges for this bout are Vladimir Khabensky, Aleksandr Martynov and Konstantin Menshow.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pedan misses the jab.
Laine tries to counter with a takedown but Pedan is quick to defend against it.
Pedan lands a jab to Laine's midsection.
Laine swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Laine lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Laine lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Laine fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Pedan manages to avoid it.
A jab from Pedan misses.
Laine appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Pedan 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.
Pedan throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Laine slips a straight right by Pedan.
Laine appeared to be looking to counter that last move with a leg kick.
Laine swinging wildly here.
Pedan throws a leg kick but Laine sees it coming and checks it nicely.
It looked like Laine was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Alexander Pedan seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Pedan throws a solid leg kick but Laine takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Pedan.
Pedan takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
We've been hearing reports that Laine has been drilling takedowns in recent sessions so let's see if that has an impact on the result of this fight.
Laine fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Pedan.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Laine stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Pedan.
Laine tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Pedan lands a nice leg kick that just misses Laine's sensitive parts.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pedan lands a nice leg kick that just misses Laine's sensitive parts.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Pedan.

It looks like Pako Laine has been cut.

Pedan forces Laine back against the cage and clinches.
Pedan misses with some punches.
Laine blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Laine is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Pedan gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Pedan can't find room to land a body shot as Laine controls the action.
Laine lands a left hand.
Pedan misses with a hook from the clinch.
Laine blocking some punches.
Pedan wants to get back to striking at distance but Laine won't allow it.
Laine blocks a punch to the side of the head.
A frustrated look appears on Pedan's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Laine gets through Pedan's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Laine.
Laine misses with a punch to the body.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Laine.
Pedan lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
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!
Pedan is looking to break free of the clinch but Laine has double underhooks.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pedan lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Laine backwards.
Laine throws a punch but it's blocked by Pedan.
Laine unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Laine lands a nice uppercut.
Laine tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

Laine turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Laine manages to end up in side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Pedan is looking to regain half guard here but Laine keeps moving and retains side control.
You can see the frustration on Pedan's face as Laine controls the position.
Pedan is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.
Pedan struggling a bit here.
Laine trying to control the position but Pedan is working away.

Laine tries for a kimura but Pedan is defending well.
Laine wants to control but Pedan is keeping him busy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Laine thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Laine is looking to take a break and control but Pedan is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Laine working away.
Laine throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Pedan told us pre-fight that he has been working on his escapes in training. Let's see if he can call on some of his new skills to get back to his feet.
Pedan parries the strikes from Laine easily there. Laine is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Pedan to escape.
Pedan is pushing Laine's head away, looking to escape. Laine manages to hold on to the position though.
Pedan is looking to reverse the position.
Pedan can't do much from the bottom here.

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.
Laine trying to control the position but Pedan is working away.
Pedan tries to improve position but can't.

Laine is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Pedan has escaped the position, nice work there.
Pedan tries to get back to half guard but can't.

Pedan bucks up and manages to escape back to his feet!

Laine moves into the clinch.

Pedan breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Laine tries to clinch up.
A slapping body kick lands there for Laine.
Laine tries to close the distance and clinch up but Pedan swats him away and circles back towards the center.
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 Pako Laine will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Pako Laine's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Laine forces Pedan back against the cage and clinches.
Pedan looking to stall.
Laine tries to pull guard but Pedan forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Laine blocking some punches.
Laine tries to work over Pedan's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.

Pedan's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Laine moves in looking to clinch but Pedan pushes him off.

Pedan gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Laine lands a left hand.

Pedan escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Both fighters circling a little - Laine finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Laine loads up on a big right hand but Pedan slips the punch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Laine's jab looks to have found its range, popping Pedan under the eye.
Pedan looks to land a combination but Laine avoids it well.
Pedan misses with a wild combination.
Alexander Pedan seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Laine goes for a double leg but Pedan avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Pedan continues to drive forward.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Laine closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Pedan did well to prevent Laine getting side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Laine is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Pedan has managed to free his arm - good work.
Pedan is looking to escape.

Laine is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Pedan keeping control of the position.
Laine wants to take a breather but Pedan is having none of it.
Laine passes to full mount!
Laine trying to control but Pedan is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pedan slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Laine thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Laine is thwarting Pedan's attempts to control the position.
Laine trying to mount his opponent but Pedan defends it.
Pedan tries to kick Laine off but Laine keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

Laine is working for a submission of some sort.
Laine perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Laine passes the guard and advances to mount!
Laine controlling from the full mount.
Pedan really trying hard to get back to half guard here.

Laine has hold of Pedan's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Pedan manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Pedan keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Pako Laine overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Pedan tries to hold on but Laine postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Laine is working for a guillotine from mount but Pedan frees his head quite easily.

Laine working for a guillotine from mount but Pedan is in no mood to give up.
Pedan has given up his back - I don’t know if this is a deliberate ploy to try and escape or if he is just struggling down there.

Laine working for the choke.
Pedan tries to roll but Laine sticks to his back.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Laine struggling to land strikes to the head as Pedan covers up.
Laine is looking to control Pedan but Pedan is wriggling around and keeping busy.
Pedan wants to escape the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pako Laine dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Pako Laine's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Laine fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Pedan has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Pedan throws a right and a left that both miss.
Pedan throws a big shot that misses.
Laine scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Pedan doesn't seem bothered though.
Pedan throws a head kick but Laine moves out of range.
Pedan misses with a double jab.
Laine lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Pedan throws a big shot that misses.
It looked like Laine was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Pedan.

Pedan moves into the clinch.
Pedan misses with a short punch on the inside.
Pedan blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Laine jumps guard but Pedan stands there with Laine around his waist. Laine gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.

Laine ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Laine no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
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!
Pedan trying to control but Laine is working from the bottom.

Pedan avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pedan would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Pedan pushes down on Laine's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Pedan wants to stand up but Laine has a hold of him and won't allow it.
Pedan prevents Laine from improving his position.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Pedan in particular looking to stall.

Laine looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Laine is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's two 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.
Well, if Pedan is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Pedan tries to stand but can't do so whilst Laine controls his leg.

Laine looking for submissions off his back.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Pedan in particular looking to stall.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Pedan decides he's had enough of the ground and stands up.
Pedan looks to land a left hand but Laine moved out of range nicely.
Laine checks a low kick from Pedan.
Laine tries to clinch up.
Good leg kick by Pedan there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Pedan jabs Laine to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Pedan throws a lazy right hand but Laine sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.

Pedan closes the distance and pushes Laine back into the cage.
Laine tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Pedan avoids it.
Laine scores with a shot to the side of Pedan's head.
Laine tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Laine blocking some punches.
Laine digs a right hand underneath Pedan's ribcage. Pedan let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Pedan leaning against his opponent.

Pedan breaks from the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Laine chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Pedan can pounce on him.
Laine lands a nice looking body kick.
Pedan with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Laine to score with a decent uppercut.
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!

A momentary lapse in concentration from Pedan enables Laine to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Pedan manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Pedan is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Laine looking to pass the guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Laine is pushing down on Pedan's leg trying to pass to half guard. Pedan is fighting to maintain full guard but Laine has managed to sneak the leg through.
Alexander Pedan has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Laine is looking to advance position but Pedan won't allow it.
Laine is taking a breather. Pedan says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.

Pedan looking for submissions off his back.

Pedan looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Alexander Pedan.
I think Laine 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 Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 30:28
Judge Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight 28:29
Judge Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 30:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Pako Laine!
Pako Laine spent the whole post fight interview bigging himself up. It didn't go down that well with the fans after a while as they thought it was a bit arrogant.