PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between John Dondo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Pete Palkkonen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Dondo comes to the cage accompanied by Round And Round. John Dondo could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Pete Palkkonen's chin.

Dondo
vs
Palkkonen

186 cm
20
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

190 cm
19
205 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, John Dondo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Pete Palkkonen!
The judges for this bout are Sergei Dronov, Valeri Chadov and Vladimir Khabensky.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Dondo drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.

Dondo has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.

Palkkonen shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Dondo tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Dondo is trying to stand but he's not in a good position to be doing that! Palkkonen has taken his back!
Palkkonen connects with a series of strikes and the referee is calling for Dondo to escape the position.
Palkkonen has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Dondo trying to control the position but Palkkonen manages to sink in the hooks.
Can Dondo hold on?! Palkkonen is landing more strikes to his hapless foe.
Palkkonen lands a couple of good shots to his opponent's body and a final shot to the head. Good little attack there by Palkkonen.
Palkkonen doesn't have the hooks in and Dondo manages to turn into his guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Palkkonen is looking to stand up but Dondo isn't so interested in that idea.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Palkkonen is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Palkkonen looks gassed!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dondo in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

Palkkonen pushes Dondo off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.

Dondo scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Dondo advances nicely into full mount.
Dondo controlling the pace for now.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Dondo trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Dondo looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Dondo looking to control but Palkkonen is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Dondo connects with a couple of good shots from mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dondo prevents Palkkonen from getting the reversal.
Palkkonen wants to try and get back to his feet.
A nice elbow there by Dondo.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Palkkonen can't escape the position.
Palkkonen is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Dondo working the ground and pound effectively.
Dondo dominating with strikes here.
Palkkonen is looking to improve his position but Dondo isn't that keen on the idea.
Dondo scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Palkkonen?

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Palkkonen is trying desperately to improve position.
Palkkonen is squirming around, avoiding Dondo's attempts to control the action.
Dondo is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Palkkonen can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Dondo with the ground and pound from mount.
Dondo landing punches.
Palkkonen is bucking up trying to escape but Dondo cracks him with another couple of good strikes.

Dondo looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
Palkkonen is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Dondo working away from the top, dropping strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Palkkonen is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Palkkonen wants to hold on but Dondo pushes him away.
Palkkonen is working to get back to half guard.
Dondo controlling from the full mount.
Palkkonen is trying to escape the mount.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Dondo lands with some strikes.
Dondo scoring with strikes but Palkkonen is staying in there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Dondo dominated that round.
That's time! Dondo's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Dondo needs to keep his hands up - Palkkonen had a free shot at his head there.
Dondo doesn't manage to clinch there - Palkkonen circles away.
Dondo with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Dondo tries to clinch up but Palkkonen circles away and keeps his distance.
Dondo shoots for a takedown but Palkkonen saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

Dondo scores with a takedown into Palkkonen's guard.
Dondo keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Palkkonen's head.

Palkkonen looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Dondo passes into side control.
Dondo working the ground and pound.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dondo trying to control the position but Palkkonen is working away.
Palkkonen is trying to work for a sweep but Dondo has mounted him!
Dondo wants to control the pace but Palkkonen is squirming around nicely.
Palkkonen is looking to improve his position but Dondo isn't that keen on the idea.
Dondo connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Dondo scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Palkkonen?
Dondo has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Palkkonen's face.
Palkkonen is looking to improve his position but Dondo isn't that keen on the idea.
Palkkonen taking shots to the head.

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.
Dondo unloading with bombs!
Palkkonen slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Dondo lands strikes from half guard.

Palkkonen is defending against the submission attempts here by Dondo.
Dondo is thwarting Palkkonen's attempts to control the position.

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dondo slips a nice elbow through Palkkonen's hands, connecting with Palkkonen's forehead.
Palkkonen is trying to stand.
Palkkonen tries to get to full guard but Dondo has control of the leg.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
No joy there for Dondo, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Palkkonen ducks under a wild hook from Dondo.
Dondo throws a series of strikes that have Palkkonen backpedaling.
Dondo tries to clinch up.
Palkkonen falls off balance throwing a combination
and Dondo counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

That's four 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.
Palkkonen fails to land with a series of punches.

Dondo shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Palkkonen regains full guard. Nicely done.
Dondo sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Palkkonen's guard.
Palkkonen is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Dondo's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Dondo's back!
Palkkonen lands a punch to the side of the head from the back.

Palkkonen is working hard for the rear naked choke here.
Dondo tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
The referee warns Dondo that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Dondo dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Dondo fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Palkkonen sprawls well initially but Dondo persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Dondo prevents Palkkonen from improving his position.

Dondo postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Palkkonen to stand up.

Dondo fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Palkkonen sprawls well initially but Dondo persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Palkkonen avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Dondo.
Palkkonen is looking for a sweep. Dondo is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Dondo prevents Palkkonen from standing back up.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Palkkonen has one foot on Dondo's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.
Palkkonen misses with a few strikes there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The fight stays on the outside here - Dondo looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Dondo tries to clinch but Palkkonen moves out of range.

Palkkonen gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Dondo pulls guard successfully.

Palkkonen stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Dondo misses with a hook.
Dondo misses with a takedown
and Palkkonen counters with a head kick.
Dondo throws a half hearted mid kick.
Dondo throws a right and a left that both miss.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Palkkonen shoots and misses

and Dondo counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Palkkonen!
Dondo postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Palkkonen looks a forlorn figure.
Dondo trying to control but Palkkonen is having none of it.
Dondo controlling the position easily from mount.
Palkkonen is squirming around, avoiding Dondo's attempts to control the action.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dondo working Palkkonen over with strikes here.
Palkkonen is desperately trying to improve his position but Dondo has a good base and remains in mount.
Dondo landing punches.
Palkkonen is working to get back to half guard.
Dondo trying to control but Palkkonen is having none of it.
Dondo cracks Palkkonen with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
The referee warns Palkkonen that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Dondo unloading with bombs!

Palkkonen bucks up and throws Dondo to the side - he's got back to his feet. Great escape!

That's four 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.
Nice cross by Dondo.
Dondo clinches but Palkkonen breaks the clinch
and Palkkonen counters with a nice body kick.
Dondo fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Palkkonen on the side of the head.
Pete Palkkonen has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Dondo changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Palkkonen looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.

Dondo decides to stand back up.
Palkkonen misses with a wild combination.

Dondo 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.
John Dondo is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Palkkonen working for submissions but it's allowed Dondo to get to half guard.
Dondo is tying to control. Palkkonen wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

And that's the end of the fight!
John Dondo showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Dondo, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 30:27
Judge Valeri Chadov scores the fight 30:27
Judge Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... John Dondo!