PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Reijo Halli (ranked 335 p4p, 489 weight class) and Svalbard Haudegen (ranked 49 p4p, 68 weight class). Halli kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Clint Eastwood - Gorillaz. Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Halli
vs
Haudegen

177 cm
39
165
22 - 14 - 2

180 cm
32
161
18 - 6 - 0

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Very quick

Excellent grappler
World class boxer
Granite chin

Northern Zombie
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Shadow Realm Apparel

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 22 - 14 - 2, fighting out of Las Vegas, Reijo Halli!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 18 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Svalbard Haudegen!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Sano, Yasuomi Hirokawa and Sosuke Kotani.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Halli uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Haudegen has time to react.
Haudegen waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Halli.
Halli misses with a wild body shot.
Halli ducks under a wild hook from Haudegen.

Halli fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Haudegen, pushing him back against the cage.

Haudegen drags the fight down to the ground.
Halli wants to control from the top but Haudegen keeps moving.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Halli advances position into side control!
Halli is looking to take a break and control but Haudegen is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
You can see the frustration on Haudegen's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Halli is trying to ground and pound but Haudegen uses the momentary lack of control by Halli to regain half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Haudegen is refusing to be controlled, as Halli sits in half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Halli is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Halli wants to pass to mount but Haudegen is defending the position.
Halli sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Halli is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Haudegen!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Haudegen slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Halli is pressing down on Haudegen's thigh, looking to free his foot. Haudegen is holding on for now.

Halli is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Haudegen has managed to free his arm - good work.
Halli is trying to control. Haudegen wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Halli content to control rather than advance.
Halli prevents Haudegen from improving his position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Halli seems to be looking for submissions.
Haudegen felt the need to train up his defensive grappling in the buildup to the fight. Presumably he was expecting to be in a difficult position like this, so let's see if he can get out of it.
Haudegen avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Halli.
Haudegen trying to hold on to Halli's head to control him but Halli postures up.

Haudegen makes his way to full guard, as Halli worked for a kimura.
Haudegen keeping full guard, as Halli tries to pass.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Halli working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

Haudegen had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Halli defends it easily.

Haudegen is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Halli is aware though and is defending well.
Halli stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Haudegen swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Halli is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters, thinking about a standup.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Haudegen working a defensive guard but Halli manages to pass into side control anyway.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Reijo Halli dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Halli throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Halli throws a jab but it's blocked by Haudegen.
A lazy left from Halli finds it's target.
Halli misses with an uppercut.
Halli fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Haudegen manages to avoid it.
Haudegen shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Halli but Halli pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Haudegen keeps the fight on the outside.
Halli misses with a straight left.
Haudegen tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Haudegen throws a jab but it's blocked by Halli.
Haudegen ducks under a wild hook from Halli.
Haudegen feints the counter takedown.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Halli fails with an attempt to clinch.
Haudegen feints the counter takedown.
Reijo Halli seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Halli fails with the takedown.
Halli swings for the body but Haudegen moves out of range.
Haudegen tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Halli moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Haudegen works the jab nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Halli tries to clinch but Haudegen is having none of it.
Halli tries to clinch but Haudegen is having none of it.
And Haudegen tries to counter it with a takedown but Halli pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Haudegen avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Haudegen jabs at Halli's body.
Halli swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Halli shoots in looking for a takedown. Haudegen tries to sprawl out of it but Halli keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Haudegen manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Halli's corner calls for a 1-2. Halli obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Halli is looking to clinch but Haudegen is avoiding it.
And Haudegen tries to counter it with a takedown but Halli pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Haudegen just misses with a punch to the body.
Halli slips a straight right by Haudegen.
The fight stays on the outside here - Halli looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Halli throws a shot from downtown. Haudegen moves away and avoids it.
Haudegen changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Halli lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Haudegen shoots in and drives through. Halli sprawls well.
Haudegen steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Halli.
Haudegen has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Haudegen there as he acknowledges the shot.
Halli throws a poor cross that misses

and Haudegen counters with a single leg into guard. Halli didn't expect that.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Haudegen wants to pass the guard but Halli is keeping the position.
Haudegen 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.

Halli had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Haudegen defends it easily.
Halli 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 three minutes gone in the round.
Halli looking to control.
Svalbard Haudegen has got the better of the ground game so far.
Haudegen looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

Haudegen got a little sloppy there for a moment and Halli has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Haudegen has managed to get both his arms back between Halli's legs - danger averted.
Haudegen trying to control but Halli is working from the bottom.
Halli bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Haudegen's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Haudegen is pulling down on Halli's head to control his posture.
Halli advances position into side control!

Halli tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Halli has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

Halli is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Haudegen is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
The ground and pound from Halli seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Haudegen is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Halli's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Reijo Halli will probably get the nod.
That's time! Halli's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Halli tries to close the distance and clinch up but Haudegen swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Haudegen with the counter takedown but Halli avoids it easily.
Halli takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Haudegen fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Halli on the side of the head.
Halli is looking to clinch but Haudegen is avoiding it.
Halli fails in his attempt to clinch.
Haudegen drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Halli defends it well.
Haudegen avoids the body shot from Halli.
Haudegen throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Halli.

Haudegen gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Halli to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Halli advances to half guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Halli seems to be looking for submissions.
Halli prevents Haudegen from improving his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Halli seems to be looking for submissions.
Haudegen tries to get to full guard but Halli has control of the leg.
Haudegen is staying active underneath Halli, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Haudegen keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.

Halli is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Haudegen defends it well.

Halli seems to be looking for submissions.
Svalbard Haudegen has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Haudegen makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Haudegen.
Halli stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Haudegen swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Halli trying to control the position from guard on top but Haudegen is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Halli pushing down on Haudegen's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Halli has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
A nice elbow there by Halli.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Halli wants to control the pace but Haudegen is squirming around nicely.

Halli goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Haudegen is on top in guard.
Halli wants to sweep here but Haudegen controlling him for the moment.

Halli has his foot on Haudegen's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Haudegen works his way back into a safe position though.

Halli has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Haudegen is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Halli.
Halli is trying to improve his position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Halli taking a bit of punishment here - Haudegen scoring with strikes.
Haudegen tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Halli looking for a sweep but Haudegen has passed into full mount! Oh no!

Haudegen is working close to his opponent, looking to work a submission by the looks of things. Oh, he's managed to get a guillotine from mount as his opponent reached up! That looks tiiiiight! Will he tap? YES, he's tapped! Impressive submission by Haudegen!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:57 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Guillotine). Svalbard Haudegen!
Our winner, Svalbard Haudegen, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.