PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Sami Tonttila (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Thomas Crim (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Tonttila
vs
Crim

177 cm
22
172 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

172 cm
18
170 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Sami Tonttila!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Thomas Crim!
The judges for this bout are Taro Takaoka, Kenichi Hosakawa and Shigeki Fujiwara.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Crim is looking to clinch but Tonttila is avoiding it.

Tonttila clinches up against the cage.
Crim is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Crim is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Tonttila pulls him back up using the underhooks.

Tonttila pulls guard effortlessly.

Crim drops back looking for a leg! Tonttila is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Tonttila manages to kick Crim off! Crim jumps back into Tonttila's guard.
Tonttila trying to control the position here.
Crim lands a couple of digs.

Crim avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Crim has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

Crim drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Crim jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Tonttila looking for a sweep. Not yet Tonttila, not yet.

Tonttila wriggles free and stands up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Crim throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Tonttila's waist but Tonttila gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Crim off to one side.
Sami Tonttila has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Thomas Crim.
Crim darts in trying to clinch

and Tonttila counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Tonttila.
Crim looks gassed!

Crim has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Tonttila can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Tonttila not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Crim is on top in guard.
Tonttila seems keen to control Crim's posture.

Tonttila escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Crim gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Tonttila seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Crim drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Tonttila dives on top into guard.
Tonttila stopping the sweep attempt from Crim.

Tonttila decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Crim, up you get!
Crim tries for a takedown but Tonttila circles away easily

and Tonttila counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Crim's guard now.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Crim looking to hit a scissor sweep but Tonttila is one step ahead there.
Tonttila has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Crim lands an upkick as Tonttila stands over him.
Crim looking to control but Tonttila passes into half guard.
Tonttila is tying to control. Crim wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Crim wants to get back to his feet.
Crim trying to control but Tonttila postures up.
Tonttila working Crim over with strikes.
Crim is looking to improve his position.
Crim slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Crim controls Tonttila momentarily but Tonttila frees himself.
Crim wants to get back to his feet but he's too absorbed in his own little project and Tonttila manages to pass to side control.

Crim is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Tonttila pulls his head out easily.
Crim throws a strike from the bottom but Tonttila passes into side control!
Tonttila controlling from side mount.
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.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Crim is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Crim looks to move to half guard but instead Tonttila has passed into mount! Damn!
Tonttila avoids the attempt from Crim to control.
Crim is trying to escape the mount.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Crim misses with a takedown

and Tonttila counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Crim missing with punches from the bottom.

Crim is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Tonttila pulls his head out easily.
Tonttila wants to free his trapped foot but Crim is holding on for dear life with his legs.

Crim is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Tonttila pulls his head out easily.
Tonttila looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Crim wants to get back to full guard.
Tonttila scoring with strikes to the body and head.

Crim actively working from the bottom here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Tonttila shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Crim's guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Crim looking for a guillotine here but Tonttila defends easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Crim lands a couple of shots from the bottom.
Crim keeping moving, preventing Tonttila from controlling successfully.

Crim looking for a guillotine here but Tonttila defends easily.
Crim looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Crim has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Tonttila can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

Tonttila avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Sami Tonttila overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Crim is trying to keep Tonttila in close.
Crim throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.

Crim working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Tonttila doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Tonttila manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Tonttila trying to control but Crim is working from the bottom.
Crim manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Tonttila manages to get himself to full guard.
Crim advances position into side control!

Crim goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Tonttila has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Crim but great work by Tonttila.
Tonttila lands some shots froms side control.

Crim is rocked!

It looks like Thomas Crim has been cut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here as Tonttila stalls from top position.
Crim is still in real trouble! Can Tonttila finish him?
Crim manages to work his way to half guard, despite Tonttila's best efforts.
Crim seems to have recovered his senses.
Crim wants to get back to his feet.
Tonttila is tying to control. Crim wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

Tonttila looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Crim slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Crim keeping moving, preventing Tonttila from controlling successfully.
Crim has a closed guard, preventing Tonttila from standing up.

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.
Crim working a defensive guard here.
Tonttila showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Tonttila cracks Crim with a solid left hand.

Crim has his foot on Tonttila's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Tonttila works his way back into a safe position though.
Crim looking for a sweep. Not yet Crim, not yet.

Crim looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

Crim working for submissions but it's allowed Tonttila to get to half guard.
Crim tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Crim trying to hold on to Tonttila's head to control him but Tonttila postures up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sami Tonttila dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Thomas Crim's cut.
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!

Crim shoots and misses

and Tonttila counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.

Crim keeping busy on the bottom but Tonttila has passed one foot through into half guard.
Tonttila is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Tonttila prevents Crim from improving his position.
Tonttila wants to control but Crim is keeping him busy.
Crim is looking to improve his position.
Crim trying to control but Tonttila postures up.
Crim is trying to get back to full guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Crim tries to clinch up.
Crim tries to clinch but Tonttila moves out of range.

Crim darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Tonttila moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Crim won't allow Tonttila to sweep him here.
Crim trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Tonttila manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!

Tonttila stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Tonttila misses with an attempted mid kick.

Tonttila looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Crim!
Tonttila controlling the pace for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Crim is trying desperately to improve position.
Crim has worked his way to half guard, taking advantage of Tonttila's lack of action.
Tonttila prevents Crim from improving his position.

Crim kicks Tonttila off and gets back to his feet.
Crim has his takedown stuffed

and Tonttila counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Crim landing a few short strikes.
Tonttila is thwarting Crim's attempts to control the position.
Crim slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Crim wants to hit a switch here but Tonttila passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for Crim there!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tonttila sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Crim regains half guard.
Crim is pressing down on Tonttila's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Tonttila wanted to stand there but Crim had control of the position.

Crim is looking for a triangle but Tonttila pushes his legs off easily.
Crim is looking to stand back up but Tonttila counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Crim.
Tonttila working away.
Tonttila wants to control but Crim is keeping him busy.

Tonttila has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
Thomas Crim has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Tonttila changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Crim looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Tonttila content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
Tonttila has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for Crim!
Crim is squirming around, avoiding Tonttila's attempts to control the action.
Tonttila takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
BOOM! Tonttila connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Crim tries to get back to half guard but can't.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Tonttila controlling the position easily from mount.
Tonttila landing shots from mount.

And that's the end of the fight!
Sami Tonttila showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Tonttila 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 Taro Takaoka scores the fight 30:27
Judge Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 30:27
Judge Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Sami Tonttila!