QFC Tournament 441 Round 1 PBP Commentary

Undercard bout

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between John Pinaglabanan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Robert Mendez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Pinaglabanan
vs
Mendez

171 cm
25
170 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

175 cm
25
170 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Granite chin

Good takedowns
Counter fighter
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, John Pinaglabanan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Robert Mendez!
The judges for this bout are Ben Zyskovitsi, Johanna Lukiainen and Marco Blurström.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pinaglabanan throws a head kick but Mendez moves out of range.

Pinaglabanan gets a takedown into half guard.
Pinaglabanan missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

Mendez looking for submissions off his back.
Pinaglabanan sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Mendez defending well though.
The fighters are battling for position here. Mendez manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Pinaglabanan has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Mendez is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Pinaglabanan loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pinaglabanan postures up and lands a big shot to Mendez's brow.
Mendez is trying to keep Pinaglabanan in close.
Pinaglabanan lands a couple of digs.
Mendez looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Pinaglabanan in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Mendez working a defensive guard here.
Pinaglabanan stopping the sweep attempt from Mendez.
Pinaglabanan loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pinaglabanan with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Pinaglabanan won't allow Mendez to sweep him here.
Mendez utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

Mendez has his foot on Pinaglabanan's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Pinaglabanan works his way back into a safe position though.
Pinaglabanan works over Mendez with some ground and pound from guard.
Pinaglabanan distracts Mendez with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Pinaglabanan throws a big right hand that misses.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Pinaglabanan is looking to work some ground and pound but Mendez has wrist control.
Pinaglabanan postures up.
Mendez might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Pinaglabanan haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pinaglabanan's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Pinaglabanan throws a big right hand that misses.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Pinaglabanan pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Mendez is keeping the position for now.
Pinaglabanan working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Mendez's head.
Pinaglabanan is stalling in the full guard.
Mendez avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Pinaglabanan preventing the sweep.
Pinaglabanan slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Pinaglabanan misses with a body shot.
Pinaglabanan loads up on a big right hand but Mendez slips the punch.
Pinaglabanan just misses with a punch to the body.
Pinaglabanan tries a head kick but it misses.

Pinaglabanan shoots in and gets a takedown into Mendez's guard.
Mendez looking to control.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Pinaglabanan with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Mendez working a defensive guard here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Pinaglabanan dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Pinaglabanan closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Mendez is trying to control but can't.
Mendez wants to improve his position but Pinaglabanan is controlling well.
Pinaglabanan is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Mendez is pressing down on Pinaglabanan's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Mendez looking to control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pinaglabanan lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Mendez keeping moving, preventing Pinaglabanan from controlling successfully.
John Pinaglabanan overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Pinaglabanan throws a strike but Mendez rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Pinaglabanan keeping moving, preventing Mendez from controlling successfully.
Mendez wants to pass the guard but Pinaglabanan is keeping the position.
Pinaglabanan is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mendez wants to control from the top but Pinaglabanan keeps moving.
Pinaglabanan on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Pinaglabanan tries to get out of the position.

Mendez is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Pinaglabanan is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Pinaglabanan has escaped and now he's on top!
Mendez working a defensive guard here.
Mendez can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Pinaglabanan controls the pace.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pinaglabanan trying to control but Mendez is working from the bottom.
Pinaglabanan lands a couple of digs.
Pinaglabanan missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Pinaglabanan is looking to work some ground and pound but Mendez has wrist control.
Pinaglabanan engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Pinaglabanan's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pinaglabanan trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Mendez manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!
Mendez stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Pinaglabanan swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Mendez trying to control but Pinaglabanan is working from the bottom.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Mendez passes into half guard.
Mendez is pressing down on Pinaglabanan's thigh, looking to free his foot. Pinaglabanan is holding on for now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Pinaglabanan dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Mendez blocks a head kick by Pinaglabanan.
Pinaglabanan looks for the body kick but Mendez saw that one coming.
A looping hook to the body misses from Pinaglabanan. Mendez does a little dance to reset his feet.

Pinaglabanan looking to score a takedown here. Mendez is defending well but Pinaglabanan drives through and ends up in Mendez's guard.
Mendez looking to hit a scissor sweep but Pinaglabanan is one step ahead there.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Pinaglabanan missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Mendez has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Pinaglabanan can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Mendez utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Pinaglabanan postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Mendez avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Mendez wants to control the position but Pinaglabanan says "no thanks buddy" and passes to half guard.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Pinaglabanan in particular looking to stall.
Mendez wants to get back to full guard but Pinaglabanan has passed into side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pinaglabanan controlling from side mount.
Mendez is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Pinaglabanan scores with a couple of short elbows.
Mendez takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Pinaglabanan working the head and body with strikes.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Mendez is being controlled here.
Mendez gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mendez wants to control but Pinaglabanan is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Nice strikes from Pinaglabanan there.
Mendez is looking to improve his position.
Pinaglabanan wants to take a breather but Mendez is having none of it.
Pinaglabanan throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Pinaglabanan missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Mendez wants to get back to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pinaglabanan is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Mendez trying to control from the bottom.
Pinaglabanan thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Mendez regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Pinaglabanan.
Pinaglabanan is looking to work some ground and pound but Mendez has wrist control.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Mendez looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Robert Mendez has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Mendez keeping moving, preventing Pinaglabanan from controlling successfully.

And that's the end of the fight!
John Pinaglabanan showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Pinaglabanan 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 for John Pinaglabanan!
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight for John Pinaglabanan!
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight for John Pinaglabanan!

John Pinaglabanan wins by unanimous decision!

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
34%

Undercard bout

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Yargon Schniber (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mark Jackson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Schniber
vs
Jackson

183 cm
25
170 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

178 cm
25
180 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Self confident

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Yargon Schniber!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Mark Jackson!
The judges for this bout are Anni Minnemäki, Arvi Lind and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Schniber jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Jackson throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Schniber stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Schniber tries to clinch there but Jackson circles away.
Schniber throws an overhand right that lands on Jackson's shoulder, as Jackson tries to avoid the shot.
Schniber scores with a jab.
Schniber lands with a straight right. Jackson didn't see that one coming.
Jackson moves out of range as Schniber strikes.
Schniber throws a one two combo.
Schniber swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Schniber swinging wildly here.

Schniber moves into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Schniber goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Schniber tries to pull guard but Jackson won't allow it.
Schniber leaning his opponent against the cage.

Schniber pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Jackson throws a predictable looking body shot
and Schniber counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Schniber misses with an uppercut.
Schniber changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Jackson tries to avoid it but Schniber manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Jackson to the ground. Jackson escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Jackson slips a jab and a cross from Schniber.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Jackson throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Schniber sees it coming and avoids it easily.

Jackson tries to keep at a distance but Schniber has taken the fight into the clinch.

Schniber breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Jackson misses the shot to the body.
Jackson keeps the fight on the outside.

Schniber moves into the clinch successfully.
Schniber stalls.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jackson blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Jackson lands a left hand that snaps the head of Schniber backwards.

Schniber pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Yargon Schniber seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Jackson lands a jab.
Jackson stuffs the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Yargon Schniber. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Schniber tries to clinch up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Jackson showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Schniber.
Jackson keeps the fight on the outside.
Schniber misses with a hook.
Jackson lands a jab to the head.
Schniber lands a right hook to the body.

Schniber gets a clinch.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Schniber breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Schniber closes this distance looking for a takedown but Jackson circles away.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
A big right from Jackson misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yargon Schniber dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Schniber throws a good cross that connects.
Yargon Schniber is winning the standup battle so far.
Jackson throws a hook to the side of Schniber's head but Schniber sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Jackson walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Jackson keeps the fight on the outside.
Schniber keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Schniber fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Jackson manages to avoid it.
Schniber misses with a two punch combination.
Schniber shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Jackson pinned against the cage. Jackson gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Schniber fails in his attempt to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Schniber throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Jackson counters with a beautiful punch that sends Schniber to the canvas!

Schniber is rocked!

It looks like Yargon Schniber has been cut.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Jackson engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Oh Schniber is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Jackson trying to control the position from guard on top but Schniber is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Schniber seems to have got his legs back now.
Schniber has his hands on Jackson's head, controlling the position.
Jackson controlling from the top position.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Mark Jackson wasn't active enough on the ground.
Schniber on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Schniber tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Jackson manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Schniber throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Jackson stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.

Schniber gets a clinch.
Schniber lands a nice shot to the body.

Schniber manages to break the clinch.
Schniber misses with the combination.
Jackson slips a jab from Schniber.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Schniber is looking to clinch but Jackson is avoiding it.
Schniber wants to clinch.

Schniber rushes Jackson and presses him up against the cage.

Schniber pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Schniber misses with a double jab
and Jackson counters with a straight right hand.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Jackson throws a hook but Schniber avoids it easily.
Schniber cracks Jackson with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Schniber avoids a lazy jab quite easily.

Schniber gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Jackson is trying to break the clinch but Schniber is controlling him.
Schniber is trying to drag Jackson to the mat but Jackson just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Schniber is working for takedown but Jackson is calmly controlling the position for now.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Yargon Schniber. That's going to take a lot out of him.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Schniber tries to pull guard but Jackson holds him up against the cage and eventually Schniber drops back down to his feet.
Jackson is trying to stall.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mark Jackson showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Yargon Schniber's cut.
That's time! Back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Schniber avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Jackson misses with a wild body shot.
Schniber throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Schniber swings for the body but Jackson moves out of range.
Schniber scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.

Schniber gets a clinch.
Jackson stalling in the clinch but Schniber improves position.

Schniber breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Schniber shoots for a takedown but Jackson saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Schniber slips under a jab from Jackson.
Schniber lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Yargon Schniber is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Schniber gets a clinch.
Jackson wants to stall.
Schniber misses with a shot to the kidneys.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Schniber.
Schniber is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Jackson.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Jackson is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Schniber manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Schniber makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.

Schniber escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Schniber lands with a nice combination. Jackson backs away looking to recover.
Jackson throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Jackson throws a poor cross that misses
and Schniber cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Schniber fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jackson misses with a left hand
and Schniber counters with a nice body shot.
Schniber loads up on a big right hand but Jackson slips the punch.
Schniber swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Schniber swinging wildly here.
A right-left combo lands from Schniber.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Jackson defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Schniber.
A left lands for Schniber.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Jackson walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Jackson looks to land a right hand but Schniber moved out of range.
Schniber shoots in for a takedown but Jackson shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Yargon Schniber. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Jackson swings widly with a right hand
letting Schniber counter with a right hand.
Schniber ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Jackson scores with a crisp jab that stopped Schniber in his tracks.
Jackson dodges the punch combination from Schniber.
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!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
A telegraphed right hand from Jackson misses the target.

And that's the end of the fight!
Yargon Schniber showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Schniber 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 Anni Minnemäki scores the fight for Yargon Schniber!
Judge Arvi Lind scores the fight for Yargon Schniber!
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight for Yargon Schniber!

Yargon Schniber wins by unanimous decision!

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
47%

Undercard bout

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Jethro Biggs (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Eric Concepcion (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Biggs comes to the cage accompanied by Mamma Said Knock You Out. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Biggs
vs
Concepcion

170 cm
25
180 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

185 cm
25
175 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Granite chin

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter fighter
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Jethro Biggs!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Eric Concepcion!
The judges for this bout are Roosa Järviläinen, Arvi Lind and Tarja Halkonen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Biggs scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.

Biggs decides to stand up, so the ref orders Concepcion to his feet.

Biggs looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Concepcion!
Biggs moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.
Concepcion is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Biggs off and has taken his back!

Concepcion sinks in the hooks and is looking for the choke. He's got it! Biggs taps out!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:52 of round 1, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Eric Concepcion!

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
53%

Undercard bout

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Marko Makela (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Leon Kennedy (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Makela
vs
Kennedy

166 cm
25
178 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
23
180 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Great elbows
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Marko Makela!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Leon Kennedy!
The judges for this bout are Johanna Lukiainen, Roosa Järviläinen and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Makela throws a head kick that misses

and Kennedy counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Kennedy looking to slow down the pace here.
Makela tries to land knees in the clinch but Kennedy avoids the damage to the body.

Kennedy jumps guard.
Makela being controlled here momentarily.

Kennedy is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Makela defends well.
Kennedy bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Makela's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Makela escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Kennedy gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Kennedy stopping the sweep attempt from Makela.
Kennedy controlling from the top position.

Kennedy gets to his feet. Makela looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Marko Makela seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Makela gets a clinch.
Kennedy looking to stall.
Kennedy takes an elbow to the forehead.

It looks like Leon Kennedy has been cut.
Makela struggles to land a body shot inside as Kennedy controls his hands.
Makela misses with an elbow strike.
Makela lands a nice elbow.
Kennedy is trying to maintain a safe position but Makela gets an underhook and turns Kennedy into the cage.
Kennedy is trying to pull guard but Makela has him pressed against the cage.
Kennedy tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Makela smiles and moves away.
Makela plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kennedy fails to land the takedown.
Marko Makela has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Leon Kennedy.
No luck for Kennedy with that takedown attempt.
Makela wants to clinch up but Kennedy keeps it at a distance.

Makela darts in and clinches Kennedy up against the cage.

Makela's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Makela tries to clinch there but Kennedy circles away.

Kennedy takes the fight into the clinch.

Kennedy decides to pull guard.

Kennedy looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kennedy is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Makela preventing the sweep.
Makela is looking to stand up but Kennedy won't let him.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Makela trying to control the position from guard on top but Kennedy is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Marko Makela wasn't doing enough on the ground.

Makela lands a big head kick that sends Kennedy tumbling to the mat! Makela takes a step backwards and waves Kennedy back to his feet - he wants the finish!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Marko Makela dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Leon Kennedy's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Kennedy lands a leg kick that knocks Makela off balance momentarily.
Kennedy blocks a head kick by Makela.
Makela tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Makela misses with a head kick.
Makela tries a head kick but it misses.
Makela leaves Kennedy with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Kennedy circles away from the clinch attempt.
Makela doesn't manage to clinch there - Kennedy circles away.
Horrible takedown attempt by Kennedy or perhaps it was just good defense by Makela, which made it look bad.

Kennedy decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

Kennedy is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Makela has managed to free his arm - good work.
Kennedy prevents Makela from improving his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kennedy perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Kennedy throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Makela trying to control here but he's found himself mounted! Oh no!
Kennedy tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Makela tries to hold on but Kennedy postures up.

Kennedy goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Makela is on top in guard.
Makela stopping the sweep attempt from Kennedy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Marko Makela wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Makela throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Marko Makela is winning the standup battle so far.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Makela lands an elbow inside.
Kennedy tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Makela smiles and moves away.
Marko Makela has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Leon Kennedy.

Makela fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Kennedy, pushing him back against the cage.
A shot in the inside from Kennedy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Makela goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Makela pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Makela pushes off an throws an elbow but Kennedy leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Kennedy wants to break free but Makela has control.
Kennedy jumps guard but Makela turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.

Makela breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Kennedy fails with a takedown attempt.

Kennedy takes the fight into the clinch.
Kennedy avoids the elbow strike from Makela, against the cage.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Makela breaks the clinch.
Makela tries to clinch there but Kennedy circles away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Leon Kennedy will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Leon Kennedy's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

A head kick by Makela misses

and Kennedy counters with a nice double leg into half guard.

Kennedy is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Makela wants to get back to full guard.
Makela is looking to control Kennedy's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Makela avoid being mounted?
Kennedy passes to full mount!
Kennedy sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Kennedy fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!

That's one minute gone in the round.

Kennedy is working for a guillotine from mount but Makela frees his head quite easily.
Kennedy trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Makela bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Kennedy has control of Makela's left arm, preventing Makela from doing any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Marko Makela wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Kennedy shoots for a takedown but Makela saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Makela tries a head kick but it misses.
Makela throws a sloppy head kick
and Kennedy counters with a low kick, right behind Makela 's knee.

Kennedy fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Makela, pushing him back against the cage.
Kennedy has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Makela is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Makela misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Makela lands an elbow inside that Kennedy shrugs off.
Makela pushes off an throws an elbow but Kennedy leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Kennedy takes an elbow to the temple.
Makela tries a body shot but Kennedy blocks it.
Kennedy has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Makela avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Marko Makela has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Leon Kennedy.
Kennedy looking to throw knees to the head but Makela is blocking nicely.
Kennedy takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Makela gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Kennedy takes an elbow to the forehead.
Kennedy takes an elbow to the forehead.
Kennedy is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Makela is keeping busy.
Makela stalling in the clinch but Kennedy improves position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Kennedy breaks the clinch.
Makela is looking to land body kicks.

Kennedy moves into the clinch successfully.
Kennedy tries to pull guard but Makela holds him up against the cage and eventually Kennedy drops back down to his feet.
Kennedy looking for a takedown.
Kennedy tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Makela smiles and moves away.
A head kick misses from Makela.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Makela tries a head kick but it misses.
Makela tries to close the distance and clinch up but Kennedy swats him away and circles back towards the center.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Horrible takedown attempt by Kennedy or perhaps it was just good defense by Makela, which made it look bad.

Makela moves into range and clinches up with Kennedy.

And that's the end of the fight!
Leon Kennedy comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Kennedy has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight for Marko Makela!
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight for Leon Kennedy!
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight for Marko Makela!

Marko Makela wins by split decision!

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
52%

Co-main event

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Max Burger (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Alberto Rossi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Burger
vs
Rossi

185 cm
25
176 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

182 cm
25
182 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Dangerous GnP
Counter fighter
Big heart

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Intelligent

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Max Burger!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Alberto Rossi!
The judges for this bout are Roosa Järviläinen, Marco Blurström and Anni Minnemäki.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Rossi clinches up against the cage.
Rossi lands a shoulder strike.
Rossi controlling the action here for a moment.
Burger controlling the action here for a moment.
Rossi misses with a punch to the body.
Burger is looking to take this one to the mat.
Rossi lands a right hand that snaps the head of Burger backwards.
Rossi lands a body shot in the clinch.
Burger fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Burger tries for a takedown. No joy.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Max Burger. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Burger is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Rossi pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Rossi tries to throw a body punch but Burger avoids it by throwing Rossi back against the cage.
With the fighters up against the cage, Burger throws an elbow but misses.
Rossi lands a nice shot to the body.
Rossi stalling.
Rossi scores with a shot to the side of Burger's head.
Rossi lands a hook to the side of the head.
Rossi taking a breather.
Rossi lands with a short shot to the head.
A right handed body shot lands from Rossi.
Rossi is struggling to control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Burger's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Rossi lands a shoulder strike.
Rossi goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Nice body punch from Rossi - that landed with a thud.
Rossi goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Burger tries to pull guard but Rossi forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Rossi lands with a light punch inside.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Rossi managing to block the knees to the body from Burger.
Burger takes a shot to the head.
Rossi lands with a short punch from the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rossi lands a left hand.
Rossi misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Rossi lands a shot to the body.
Rossi manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Burger is trying to stall.
Rossi lands with a light punch inside.
Burger tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Rossi smiles and moves away.
Rossi scores with a jab. Burger acknowledges it with a nod of the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Burger goes for a double leg but Rossi avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Rossi continues to drive forward.
Rossi goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Burger stalling in the clinch but Rossi improves position.
Rossi misses with a punch to the body.
Rossi leaning against his opponent.
Rossi scores with a shot to the side of Burger's head.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rossi misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Rossi avoids a wild elbow strike from Burger.
Rossi effectively controlling the action here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alberto Rossi dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Burger shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Rossi has taken the fight to the clinch.
Rossi stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Rossi lands a shot to the body.
Burger missing with knees to the body.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Rossi.
Burger has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Rossi avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Rossi lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Burger or not.
Alberto Rossi seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Rossi.
Rossi keeps control of Burger as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rossi content to slow the pace in the clinch.

Burger escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Rossi moves into range and connects with a jab.

Rossi instigates a clinch.
Burger is trying to pull guard but Rossi turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Max Burger. That's going to take a lot out of him.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Rossi wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Rossi is struggling to control the position.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Rossi creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rossi lands a shot to the body.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Rossi.
A shot in the inside from Rossi.
Rossi presses Burger against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Burger drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Rossi gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Rossi misses with a punch to the body.
Burger misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Rossi.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Burger tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Rossi just stands there and leans against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.

Burger manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Rossi trying to control but Burger is working from the bottom.
Burger is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Burger missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Burger throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Burger seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Burger thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Rossi's head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Burger controlling the pace.
Burger is nestled in close to Rossi, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Burger throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Burger missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Burger connects with a nice short shot to Rossi's temple.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Burger landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Burger has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Still in half guard, Burger seems content to control.
Burger working the head and body with strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Max Burger will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Rossi forces Burger back against the cage and clinches.
Rossi working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Rossi struggles to land a body shot inside as Burger controls his hands.
Burger tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Rossi just stands there and leans against the cage.
Rossi stalls.
Rossi misses with a punch on the inside.
Rossi lands with a right to the head.
A nice right hand lands inside from Rossi.
Burger is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rossi prevents a takedown attempt there.
Rossi tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Rossi lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
A right hook to the body lands for Rossi.
Burger is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Rossi to keep the fight standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Max Burger. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rossi looking to stall.
Burger jumps guard but Rossi stands there with Burger around his waist. Burger gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Rossi digs a right hand into Burger's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Burger's gas tank.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A left hand lands to the body for Rossi.
Rossi is pressed up against the cage. Burger has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Rossi down to the mat. Rossi avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

Burger shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Rossi napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Burger lands a few punches from side control.
Rossi is looking for a sweep.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Rossi can do anything to dispel that myth.
Burger staying calm.
Burger is looking to take a break and control but Rossi is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rossi is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Burger lands a nice forearm strike.
Burger working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Rossi wants to get back to his feet.
The referee asks Burger politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Burger prefers to stall for the moment though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Burger has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Burger looks up at the clock and then as Rossi takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Burger smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Burger scores with punches from side control.
Burger lands a decent elbow from side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Burger landing strikes.
This has been an exciting period of action!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Rossi tries to escape but Burger is in control.
Burger taking a breather here.
Burger has knee on belly and moves into mount.

And that's the end of the fight!
Max Burger showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Burger 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 Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight for Alberto Rossi!
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight for Alberto Rossi!
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight for Alberto Rossi!

Alberto Rossi wins by unanimous decision!
After winning the bout, Alberto Rossi thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.