PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Marcus Aaltonen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jon Harris (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Jon Harris has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Aaltonen
vs
Harris

170 cm
22
165 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

180 cm
22
166 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

Decent wrestler
Brawler
Self confident

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

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 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Marcus Aaltonen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Jon Harris!
The judges for this bout are John Roberts, Franklyn Lucas and John Kavanagh.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Aaltonen closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Harris to the mat! Harris manages to get full guard.
Harris controlling Aaltonen's posture.
Aaltonen scoring with punches to the head and body.
Harris wants to stand but Aaltonen is controlling the position.
Harris avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Aaltonen pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Harris is keeping the position for now.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Harris controls Aaltonen momentarily but Aaltonen frees himself.
Harris wants to stand up but Aaltonen is controlling him.
Aaltonen throws and elbow that misses. Harris uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Aaltonen's guard. Nice move by Harris!
Aaltonen thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Aaltonen striking off his back.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Aaltonen misses with a looping right.
Aaltonen fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Harris avoids it really well and circles away.

Harris scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Aaltonen tries to get back to half guard but can't.

Harris tries for a kimura but Aaltonen is defending well.
Harris lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Harris trying to control the action but Aaltonen is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Aaltonen tries to bench press Harris off him but Harris keeps the position.
Aaltonen is working hard here to advance position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Aaltonen shoots and misses

and Harris counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Aaltonen's guard now.
Aaltonen tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Harris slips nicely into half guard, despite the strikes coming from Aaltonen.
Aaltonen is breathing heavily.
Aaltonen wants to improve his position but Harris is controlling well.
Aaltonen striking from the bottom.
Aaltonen wants to improve his position but Harris is controlling well.

Harris is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Aaltonen is just riding it out for now. Harris eventually gives up the hold.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Harris is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Harris trying to control the pace.
Aaltonen tries to get to full guard but Harris has control of the leg.

Harris is looking for a kimura but Aaltonen is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Harris to get the leverage.
Aaltonen has a hand on Harris's thigh, trying to get back to full guard. Harris takes advantage of the position though and mounts him!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Harris can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Aaltonen is looking to escape.
Aaltonen is trying desperately to improve position.

Harris working for a submission but Aaltonen is keeping him at bay.
Aaltonen is looking to get to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Aaltonen fails with the takedown

and Harris counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Aaltonen is looking for a sweep. Harris is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Aaltonen on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Aaltonen tries to get out of the position.
Harris wants to control but Aaltonen is keeping him busy.
Aaltonen is trying to get back to full guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Harris throws a hook but Aaltonen blocks it.
Marcus Aaltonen seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Aaltonen misses with a two punch combination.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Harris shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Harris is nestled in close to Aaltonen, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Aaltonen tries to get to full guard but Harris has control of the leg.
Aaltonen is looking to get back to full guard here but Harris has managed to pass to side control instead.
Aaltonen is squirming around, avoiding Harris's attempts to control the action.
Harris landing strikes, looking to finish!
Harris postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Aaltonen looks a forlorn figure.
Aaltonen sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Aaltonen is looking to improve his position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Harris is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Aaltonen wants to sweep but Harris has passed to side control!
Aaltonen is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Harris staying calm.
Aaltonen is looking for a sweep.
Jon Harris has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Aaltonen gets back to half guard.
Aaltonen is looking to improve his position.
Harris wants to lay and pray for a moment but Aaltonen keeps working.
Aaltonen is looking for a sweep. Harris is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Aaltonen misses with a takedown

and Harris counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

Harris is trying to work for a kimura. He's got his hands clasped together - this could be trouble! No, Aaltonen has managed to free his arm - good work.
Aaltonen wants to improve his position but Harris is controlling well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Harris works his way into side control.
Aaltonen tries to bench press Harris off him but Harris keeps the position.

Harris is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Aaltonen knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Aaltonen regains half guard.
Aaltonen knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Harris on the ground.
Aaltonen strikes from the bottom but Harris passes into mount!
Aaltonen really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jon Harris 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!

Aaltonen shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Harris counters with a shoot takedown. Aaltonen fights it but they end up in guard.
Harris passes into half guard.

Harris is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Harris wants to control but Aaltonen is keeping him busy.
Aaltonen is trying to get back to full guard.
Aaltonen avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Harris.
Aaltonen wants to improve his position but Harris is controlling well.
Well, if Harris is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Harris is trying to work for a kimura. He's got his hands clasped together - this could be trouble! No, Aaltonen has managed to free his arm - good work.
Aaltonen throws a strike from the bottom that misses.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Aaltonen tries for a takedown but Harris circles away easily

and Harris counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Aaltonen's guard now.
Harris stopping the sweep attempt from Aaltonen.
Aaltonen keeping moving, preventing Harris from controlling successfully.
Aaltonen looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Harris puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Harris seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Aaltonen does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Harris thows a huge punch but Aaltonen dodges it nicely.
Harris wants to control but Aaltonen is keeping him busy.
Aaltonen flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Aaltonen wants to get back to full guard.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Aaltonen throws out a loose jab but Harris uses good head movement to avoid it.
Aaltonen with a lazy takedown attempt

and Harris counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Marcus Aaltonen. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Aaltonen looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Harris wants to control from the top but Aaltonen keeps moving.
Harris preventing the sweep.
Aaltonen has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Harris has passed into side control.
Harris staying calm.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harris trying to control the action but Aaltonen is working from the bottom.
Aaltonen is trying to get back to half guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Harris showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Aaltonen.

Harris shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Aaltonen wants to get back to full guard.

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.
Harris wants to lay and pray for a moment but Aaltonen keeps working.
Aaltonen trying to get back to full guard but Harris takes advantage of the position and moves to full mount!
Harris can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Aaltonen is looking to escape.
Jon Harris is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Aaltonen can't escape the position.
Aaltonen is bucking up trying to escape but Harris cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Aaltonen is desperately trying to get back to half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jon Harris comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Harris 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 John Roberts scores the fight 26:30
Judge Franklyn Lucas scores the fight 27:30
Judge John Kavanagh scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jon Harris!