PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Michael Crash (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kari Salmelainen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). 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 Kari Salmelainen was going to win. Let's see if he was right.

Crash
vs
Salmelainen

189 cm
20
176 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

190 cm
21
185 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
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 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Michael Crash!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Kari Salmelainen!
The judges for this bout are Tiny Johnson, George Francis and Chris Downing.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Crash tries a head kick but it misses.
Crash throws a sloppy head kick and Salmelainen moves out of range easily.
The fighters circling - Crash throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Crash throws a head kick that misses.
Salmelainen is looking to clinch.

Salmelainen has managed to clinch.
Salmelainen tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Salmelainen throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Crash blocks it with crossed arms.
Crash blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.

Crash breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Salmelainen closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Crash to the mat! Crash manages to get full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Crash pushes Salmelainen off and gets back to his feet.
Crash misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Crash tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Crash throws a head kick but Salmelainen moves out of range.
The fight stays on the outside here - Salmelainen looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Salmelainen avoids the head kick by Crash.

Salmelainen closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Salmelainen lands in his opponent's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Crash wants to get back to his feet but Salmelainen is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Crash is breathing heavily.
Salmelainen slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.

Salmelainen is trying to get an arm triangle but Crash is defending well.

Crash bucks up and manages to escape back to his feet!
A decent looking body kick lands there for Crash.
Salmelainen misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Michael Crash seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Crash scores with a punch to the head.
Salmelainen tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Salmelainen moves into the clinch successfully.

Salmelainen gets a trip takedown into half guard.

Salmelainen is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Crash is just riding it out for now. Salmelainen eventually gives up the hold.
Crash wants to get back to his feet.

Salmelainen is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Salmelainen trying to mount his opponent but Crash defends it.

Crash has one foot on Salmelainen's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Salmelainen tries to clinch up but Crash circles away and keeps his distance.

Salmelainen has managed to clinch.
Salmelainen displaying some good clinch control by pressing Crash up against the cage.
Salmelainen goes for a takedown in the clinch but Crash prevents it.

Crash breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Salmelainen blocks a head kick by Crash.

Salmelainen gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Salmelainen misses with a knee to the head.
Salmelainen looking to throw knees to the head but Crash is blocking nicely.
Salmelainen tries to pull guard but Crash holds him up against the cage and eventually Salmelainen drops back down to his feet.
Michael Crash has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Kari Salmelainen.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Salmelainen misses with some punches.
Salmelainen scores a nice knee to the body.
A bit of stalling here from Salmelainen.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Salmelainen just misses with a elbow thrown towards Crash's brow.
Crash is trying to break free.
Come on Salmelainen - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.

Salmelainen decides to pull guard.
Crash has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Crash gets to his feet. Salmelainen looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Salmelainen tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Salmelainen moves into the clinch successfully.

Salmelainen manages to pull guard.

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

Crash gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Crash circles away from the clinch attempt.
Crash throws a sloppy head kick and Salmelainen moves out of range easily.
Crash throws a sloppy head kick and Salmelainen moves out of range easily.
Crash swats away the attempt to clinch by Salmelainen.
Michael Crash is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Crash keeps the fight on the outside.
Salmelainen tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Crash plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!

Salmelainen clinches up against the cage.
Salmelainen drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Crash gets underhooks to prevent Salmelainen's takedown attempt.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Salmelainen tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Crash just stands there and leans against the cage.
Michael Crash has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Kari Salmelainen.
Salmelainen tries to land a knee to the head but misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Salmelainen throws a head punch that misses.
Crash wants to break free but Salmelainen has control.
Crash on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

Crash breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Salmelainen ducks under a wild hook from Crash.
Crash circles away from the clinch attempt.
Salmelainen tries to close the distance and clinch but Crash swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Salmelainen closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Crash wants to get back to his feet.

Salmelainen tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Salmelainen has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Crash is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Salmelainen asserts his dominance and retains side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Salmelainen thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

Salmelainen goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Crash has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Salmelainen but great work by Crash.
Salmelainen is trying to improve his position.

Crash stands up and beckons Salmelainen to his feet.
Michael Crash is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Salmelainen darts in and clinches Crash up against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Crash avoiding damage as Salmelainen throws knees to the body.

Crash pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Crash throws a sloppy head kick

and Salmelainen counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Crash tries to kick Salmelainen off but Salmelainen keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

Salmelainen seems to be working for a kimura but Crash defends the submission attempt.
Crash is trying to stand up here but Salmelainen is controlling him well.
Crash trying desperately to get back to his feet here but he's not having any joy at all. He's going to tire himself out if he's not careful.
Crash tries to push off, looking to stand up, but Salmelainen manages to move to mount!
Crash tries to buck Salmelainen off but Salmelainen takes his back!

Salmelainen is working for the rear naked choke. He has one arm under the chin but Crash has hold of the other arm. A bit of a stalemate here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Crash controlling the position well but he knows he's in a bad position.

Salmelainen patiently working for the choke. Which fighter will keep their nerve here?
This has been an exciting period of action!

Salmelainen is working for the rear naked choke. He has one arm under the chin but Crash has hold of the other arm. A bit of a stalemate here.
Crash controlling the position well but he knows he's in a bad position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Crash is staying cool under pressure, defending well against the rear naked choke attempt from his opponent.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kari Salmelainen 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!

A jab from Crash does it's job there.

Salmelainen gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Crash is trying to stall.
Come on Salmelainen - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Crash can't break the clinch.
Crash can't break the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Salmelainen tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Salmelainen tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Crash is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Crash escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Salmelainen blocks a head kick by Crash.
Crash throws a lazy body kick

and Salmelainen counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Crash!
Crash's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.
Salmelainen trying to control but he's not successful this time.

Salmelainen is working to isolate an arm here. It's a telegraphed submission attempt but he's gone for it anyway - and he's got it! Salmelainen extends the arm and Crash is forced to tap!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:35 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Kari Salmelainen!