PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Anderson Da Silva (ranked 3422 p4p, 1324 weight class) and Pekka Perkalla (ranked 230 p4p, 104 weight class). Pekka Perkalla is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Da Silva
vs
Perkalla

163 cm
21
145
1 - 0 - 0

170 cm
21
149
8 - 3 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Counter fighter
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Anderson Da Silva!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Pekka Perkalla!
The judges for this bout are Roosa Järviläinen, Marco Blurström and Matti Vanhoillinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Perkalla shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Perkalla is thwarting Da Silva's attempts to control the position.
The fighters are battling for position here. Da Silva manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Da Silva trying to control the position here.

Da Silva is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Da Silva seems to have improved his submission grappling technique since last time we saw him. Let's see if he can pull off a submission.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Da Silva looking to control.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Da Silva looking to hit a scissor sweep but Perkalla is one step ahead there.
Perkalla throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Da Silva works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Perkalla postures up in Da Silva's guard and throws a big left but Da Silva blocks it.
Perkalla postures up.
Perkalla lands a couple of digs.
Da Silva trying to control the position.
Perkalla loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Perkalla throws a strike but Da Silva rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Da Silva working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Da Silva sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Perkalla's guard.
Perkalla keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Da Silva throwing shots but Perkalla is blocking nicely.
Da Silva wants to pass the guard but Perkalla is defending well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Da Silva missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

Da Silva is looking for a kimura but Perkalla is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Da Silva to get the leverage.
Perkalla preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.
Da Silva is looking to pass Perkalla's guard but actually Perkalla recovers to full guard.
Da Silva throws a big right hand that misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Perkalla trying to keep a closed guard but Da Silva is proving a slippery customer.
Perkalla controlling the position.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Da Silva trying to control the position from guard on top but Perkalla is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.

Perkalla closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Da Silva takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Da Silva tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Perkalla wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Perkalla working his ground and pound in the gym. He isn't landing a great percentage of his ground strikes so far though.
Da Silva can't do much from the bottom here.
Perkalla wants to lay and pray for a moment but Da Silva keeps working.
Da Silva is looking to regain half guard here but Perkalla keeps moving and retains side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Da Silva takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Da Silva is looking for a sweep.
Da Silva is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Da Silva is looking to control Perkalla's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Da Silva avoid being mounted?
Perkalla throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Da Silva wants to get back to full guard.
Da Silva is not content to let Perkalla control the position.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Perkalla working the head and body with strikes.
Da Silva moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Pekka Perkalla dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Perkalla changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Da Silva looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Perkalla cracks Da Silva with a big elbow.
Da Silva is not content to let Perkalla control the position.
Da Silva tries to buck Perkalla off but Perkalla is having none of it.
Perkalla working away.
Da Silva taking punishment in the form of punches.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Da Silva is trying to improve his position.
Perkalla lands a few punches from side control.
Da Silva takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Perkalla wants to control but Da Silva is keeping him busy.
Pekka Perkalla has got the better of the ground game so far.
Da Silva avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Perkalla.
Da Silva is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Perkalla works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Perkalla taking a breather here.
Da Silva takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Da Silva is trying to improve his position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Perkalla is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Da Silva will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.
The strikes coming from Perkalla are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Da Silva is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Da Silva parries the strikes from Perkalla easily there. Perkalla is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Da Silva to escape.
Perkalla trying to control the action but Da Silva is working from the bottom.
Perkalla connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Da Silva some visible discomfort.
Perkalla looks up at the clock and then as Da Silva takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Perkalla smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Perkalla throwing ground and pound but whilst doing so, he forgets to control position and Da Silva works his way back to half guard. Good composure under pressure.
Perkalla not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Da Silva is looking to improve his position.
Da Silva trying to control here.
Da Silva is looking to improve his position.
Perkalla content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

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.
Ground and pound from Perkalla.
Da Silva trying to get back to full guard but Perkalla takes advantage of the position and moves to full mount!
Da Silva is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Perkalla looking to finish Da Silva with some ground and pound. This is bad for Da Silva!
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Perkalla raining down hammerfists from mount.
Perkalla breaks from Da Silva's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Perkalla with good strikes from the mount here!
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Pekka Perkalla showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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!

Perkalla looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Da Silva!
Da Silva is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Perkalla's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Perkalla lands a nice short elbow.

Da Silva is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Perkalla pulls his head out easily.
Perkalla sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Perkalla wants to control but Da Silva is keeping him busy.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Perkalla looks to score some points with some ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Perkalla slows the pace down in half guard.
Perkalla wants to control but Da Silva is keeping him busy.
Da Silva is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Perkalla scores with a couple of nice shots.
Perkalla sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Da Silva is pressing down on Perkalla's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Da Silva trying to keep a closed guard but Perkalla is proving a slippery customer.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Perkalla controlling from the top position.
Da Silva has momentary wrist control but Perkalla slips an elbow through the middle.
Da Silva tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Da Silva utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Perkalla wants to control from the top but Da Silva keeps moving.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Da Silva gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Perkalla must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Perkalla postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.

Da Silva is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Perkalla is aware though and is defending well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Perkalla with a flurry of punches that miss.
Da Silva keeping moving, preventing Perkalla from controlling successfully.
Perkalla content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Perkalla chips away with some ground and pound.
Da Silva looking for a sweep. Not yet Da Silva, not yet.
Perkalla throws a big elbow that misses.

Da Silva working for a triangle but Perkalla defends it easily.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Da Silva is on top in guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Da Silva trying to control the position from guard on top but Perkalla is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Da Silva is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Perkalla wants to sweep but no luck.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Da Silva lands a couple of digs.
Anderson Da Silva has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Da Silva trying to control the position from guard on top but Perkalla is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

And that's the end of the fight!
Pekka Perkalla comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Perkalla has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 27:30
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 27:30
Judge Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Pekka Perkalla!
Pekka Perkalla decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.