PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Arttu Nieminen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Steroid Freak (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Well, the cameraman is lingering on a pretty young lady for a bit too long there. Keep your eyes on the fighters buddy or you'll miss the fighter intros!

Nieminen
vs
Freak

182 cm
19
183 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

185 cm
19
185 lbs
1 - 1 - 1

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Arttu Nieminen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Steroid Freak!
The judges for this bout are Johanna Lukiainen, Anni Minnemäki and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nieminen looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Freak shoots and misses

and Nieminen holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

Nieminen wants the takedown. Freak is fighting it off but Nieminen persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Freak's guard against the cage.
Nieminen wants to control from the top but Freak keeps moving.
Freak can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Nieminen controls the pace.
Nieminen scores with a decent looking elbow strike.

Freak had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Nieminen defends it easily.
Freak looks gassed!

Nieminen stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Freak tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Nieminen counters by moving into the clinch.
Nieminen is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nieminen throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Nieminen obliges.
Nieminen working some nice short punches in the clinch.

Nieminen breaks the clinch.
Nieminen scores with a nice strike.

Nieminen moves into the clinch.

Nieminen pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Nieminen is defended easily by Freak.
Nieminen fails with an attempt to clinch.

Nieminen gets the takedown into side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.
Nieminen working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
The strikes coming from Nieminen are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Freak taking a bit of punishment here - Nieminen scoring with strikes.

Nieminen tries for a kimura but Freak is defending well.
Nieminen landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Nieminen tries to advance to mount but Freak denies him.
Nieminen working the ground and pound but Freak is defending the strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Nieminen has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.

Nieminen has closed the distance and engaged Freak in a clinch.
Nieminen controlling the action here for a moment.
Nieminen lands a good knee to the midsection. Freak won't want to take too many of those.

Nieminen has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Freak is trying to keep an underhook but Nieminen manages to get the takedown into half guard.

Nieminen decides to return to a standing position.
Freak misses with a looping left.
Nieminen has a takedown stuffed.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Arttu Nieminen. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nieminen scores with a hook to the body. Freak takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Nieminen fails with the takedown.
Nieminen scores with a nice head shot.
Nieminen tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Freak paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Nieminen closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Nieminen uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Freak has time to react.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Nieminen tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Nieminen throws a head kick that half lands.

It looks like Steroid Freak has been cut.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Nieminen rushes Freak and presses him up against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Arttu Nieminen dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Steroid Freak's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

Nieminen closes the distance and clinches up with Freak, looking for a takedown. Nieminen pushes Freak against the cage but Freak circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Freak tries to clinch
and Nieminen counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Horrible takedown by Nieminen or perhaps it was just good defense by Freak which made him look bad.

Freak tries to keep at a distance but Nieminen has taken the fight into the clinch.
Freak looking to stall.
Freak on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Freak is breathing heavily.

Nieminen pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Nieminen tries to clinch there but Freak circles away.
Nieminen is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Nieminen changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Freak looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Nieminen decides to stand back up. Nieminen steps back and let's Freak get back to his feet.

Nieminen rushes Freak and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Nieminen creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Freak's defenses.

Nieminen's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Nieminen gets the takedown into side control.
Freak is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Freak is looking to reverse the position.
Freak takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Nieminen works to advance to full mount. Freak defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nieminen raining down shots from the mount!
Nieminen landing shots from mount.
Freak tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Nieminen punishing his opponent with strikes.
Nieminen cracks Freak with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Nieminen is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Freak can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
The referee warns Freak that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
A nice elbow there by Nieminen.
Nieminen raining down shots from the mount!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nieminen controlling from mount.
Nieminen connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Nieminen with good strikes from the mount here!
Nieminen scoring with strikes but Freak is staying in there.
Nieminen working the ground and pound effectively.
Nieminen cracks Freak with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Freak in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Nieminen with the ground and pound from mount.
BOOM! Nieminen connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Nieminen is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Freak can do to turn this around?
Freak taking shots to the head.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Nieminen with the ground and pound from mount.
Freak keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
BOOM! Nieminen connects with a massive shot to the dome!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Nieminen wants to control the pace but Freak is squirming around nicely.
Nieminen controlling from mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Arttu Nieminen dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Steroid Freak's cut.
That's time! Nieminen's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

A solid leg kick lands there for Nieminen.
Freak clinches but Nieminen breaks the clinch
and Nieminen counters with a lovely straight right hand!

Nieminen closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Nieminen is nestled in close to Freak, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Nieminen is trying to control. Freak wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

Nieminen decides he's had enough of the ground and stands up.
Freak slips a jab and a cross from Nieminen.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Nieminen instigates a clinch.
Freak takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Nieminen stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Nieminen lands an uppercut.
Good body shot from Nieminen.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Nieminen unloads a knee to the mid-section. Freak lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.

Nieminen escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Freak closes the distance but Nieminen moves to the side

and Nieminen counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Nieminen trying to control but Freak is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Nieminen stands up from guard. Let's bang!

Freak tries to keep at a distance but Nieminen has taken the fight into the clinch.

Nieminen is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. Freak can't fight it off and eventually Nieminen manages to take the fight to the floor. Freak looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!

Freak is working an open guard so Nieminen takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.

Nieminen takes the fight into the clinch.

Nieminen manages to break the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Nieminen drives through with a takedown into guard.
Nieminen trying to control the position from guard on top but Freak is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Nieminen stops Freak from standing up.
Freak keeping moving, preventing Nieminen from controlling successfully.
Nieminen chips away with some ground and pound.

Nieminen stands up and waves to Freak to follow him.
Freak shoots and misses

and Nieminen counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Freak!
Nieminen raining down shots from the mount!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nieminen takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Nieminen cracks Freak with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Freak is squirming around, avoiding Nieminen's attempts to control the action.

Nieminen looking for a guillotine from mount but Freak is having none of it.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Nieminen scores with a couple of good head shots there.

And that's the end of the fight!
Arttu Nieminen showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Nieminen has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 30:25
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 30:25
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 30:25

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Arttu Nieminen!