PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Karl Winston (ranked 2486 p4p, 3244 weight class) and Kurki Potku (ranked 321 p4p, 402 weight class). Winston kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is ACDC - TNT. Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Winston
vs
Potku

180 cm
25
215
3 - 0 - 0

177 cm
18
210
1 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter fighter
Good chin

Good wrestler
Counter fighter
Solid chin

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 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Karl Winston!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Kurki Potku!
The judges for this bout are Matti Vanhoillinen, Ben Zyskovitsi and Anni Minnemäki.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A punch combination from Potku misses.
Winston looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Potku ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Potku jabs Winston to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Potku swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Winston half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Potku misses with a hook. Winston ducked under it nicely.
Winston appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Potku scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Winston throws a poor cross that misses
and Potku counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Potku connects with a jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Winston throws a sloppy body shot
and Potku cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Potku lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Potku ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Winston gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Potku.
Potku waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Winston.
Winston shoots in looking for a takedown. Potku tries to sprawl out of it but Winston keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Potku manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Potku looks like he wants to counter punch here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Potku throws a right hand that Winston ducks under and follows up with a left that Winston also avoids with ease.
Winston ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Winston steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Potku.
Potku with a hook.
Kurki Potku seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Winston forces Potku back against the cage and clinches.
Potku swings away with an uppercut that misses.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Winston is working for takedown but Potku is calmly controlling the position for now.

Potku breaks the clinch.
Winston ducks under a wild hook from Potku.
Kurki Potku is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Winston blocks a jab.
Winston drops down looking for a counter takedown but Potku sprawls and moves away.
Winston slips under a jab from Potku.
Winston tries to counter with a takedown but Potku is quick to defend against it.
Winston throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Winston.
Potku is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Potku struggling a bit here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Potku is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Potku can do anything to dispel that myth.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Winston fails to land a wild elbow strike.
The strikes coming from Winston are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Winston is putting a hurting on Potku here, landing some big shots from side control.
Winston throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Winston wants to lay and pray for a moment but Potku keeps working.
Winston misses with the ground and pound.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Kurki Potku dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Winston shoots in for a takedown but Potku shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Potku! But no joy.
Winston on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Winston takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Potku has done a lot of speed work in the buildup to this fight.
Winston slips under a jab.
Winston attempts a counter takedown but Potku avoids it well and moves away.
Good shot there by Potku.

It looks like Karl Winston has been cut.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Winston looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Potku with a jab.
Potku works Winston's body with a nice hook.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Potku connects with a right hand. Winston shakes it off.
Potku tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Winston was well out of range. Poor timing from Potku.
Winston drops down looking for a counter takedown but Potku sprawls and moves away.
Potku misses with the combination.
Winston appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Potku throws a big shot that misses.
Winston takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Winston shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Potku sprawls well. Potku wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Winston gets slowly back to his feet.
Potku throws out a counter right but Winston avoids it with no problem.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Potku misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Winston drops down looking for a counter takedown but Potku sprawls and moves away.
Potku throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Winston appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Potku has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Potku moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Winston drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Potku throws a series of punches but Winston avoids them all with ease.
Winston feinted with a counter takedown.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Winston tries to move into range but Potku moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Jab by Potku.
Potku throws a hook but Winston blocks it.
Potku misses with a left hand

and Winston counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Winston accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Winston throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Winston 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.
Winston in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Winston lands a couple of elbows.
Winston loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Potku keeping full guard, as Winston tries to pass.
Winston trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Winston throwing strikes from guard but Potku blocks nicely.
Potku is pulling down on Winston's head. It's preventing any offense from Winston, at least for the moment.
Winston keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Potku's head.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Kurki Potku showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Karl Winston's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Potku lands with an uppercut that bounces Winston off the cage and back into range.
Potku lands a jab to the nose.
Winston walks into a left hand.
Potku is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Winston.
Kurki Potku seems to be getting the better of the standup.
A jab from Potku finds it's way through Winston's defenses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Potku takes a swing at Winston's ribcage but misses.
Potku looks to land a left hand but Winston moved out of range nicely.

Potku tries to keep at a distance but Winston has taken the fight into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Winston blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Winston can't get the takedown.

Potku pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Potku throws a hook but Winston blocks it.
Winston drops down looking for a counter takedown but Potku sprawls and moves away.
Nice sprawl there from Potku as Winston shoots in.
A decent looking cross lands there for Potku.
Potku scores with a crisp jab that stopped Winston in his tracks.
Winston tries to clinch up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Winston dodges the punch combination from Potku.
Winston changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
A slow jab from Potku misses its intended target.
Winston needs to keep his hands up - Potku had a free shot at his head there.
Potku lands with a nice body punch.
Winston blocks a jab.
Winston shoots in and drives through. Potku sprawls well.
A little jabbing left from Potku on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Karl Winston. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Potku throws a right and a left that both miss.
Winston moves away from the strike by Potku.
Winston changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Good standup being displayed there by Potku as he connects with a hook.
A big left from Potku misses.
Winston looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Potku throws a nice looking combination but Winston bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Potku misses with a looping right.
Potku bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Winston's head backwards.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Potku lands a jab to the head.
Potku misses the shot to the body.
Winston defending well as Potku loads up on a big left hand.
Potku misses with a few strikes there.
Potku misses with a hook.
Winston changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Winston takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Winston keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Winston feinted with a counter takedown.

And that's the end of the fight!
Kurki Potku comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Potku 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 Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 26:30
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 26:30
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kurki Potku!