PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Tauno Potku (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nisper Ykonen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ykonen has chosen Raised Fist - Friends and Traitors as his entrance music. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Potku
vs
Ykonen

185 cm
25
201 lbs
7 - 2 - 0

181 cm
23
198 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Powerful

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 7 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Tauno Potku!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Nisper Ykonen!
The judges for this bout are Tarja Halkonen, Johanna Lukiainen and Roosa Järviläinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ykonen tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Potku paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Potku shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Some wild striking there from Ykonen.

Potku closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Potku lands in his opponent's guard.
Potku trying to control but Ykonen is working from the bottom.
Potku is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Ykonen is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Potku trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Potku sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Ykonen's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ykonen blocking the ground and pound attempt from Potku.
Potku sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Ykonen defending well though.
Ykonen manages to get to full guard.
Potku chips away with some ground and pound.
Potku trying to control but Ykonen is working from the bottom.
Ykonen looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Potku pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Ykonen is keeping the position for now.
Potku is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.

That's two 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.
Potku trying to control the position from guard on top but Ykonen is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Potku content to stall in guard here.
Potku trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

Potku drops back, looking for a kneebar! Ykonen looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Ykonen looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Ykonen!
You can see the frustration on Potku's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Potku taking a bit of punishment here - Ykonen scoring with strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ykonen tries to move to mount but Potku blocks the move with his legs.
Potku tries to bench press Ykonen off him but Ykonen keeps the position.
Ykonen creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Potku sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
Ykonen cracks Potku with a big elbow.
Ykonen lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Potku down.
Ykonen wants to control but Potku is keeping him busy.
Ykonen in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.

Ykonen stands up and we're back to a striking position.
A looping hook to the body misses from Ykonen. Potku does a little dance to reset his feet.
Potku fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Ykonen avoids it really well and circles away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ykonen throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Ykonen misses with a hook. Potku ducked under it nicely.
Ykonen loads up on a big right hand but Potku slips the punch.
Nice defenses there by Potku.
Nisper Ykonen seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Ykonen throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Potku sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Potku displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Ykonen throws out the jab.
Ykonen swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Potku is looking to clinch but Ykonen is avoiding it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nisper Ykonen dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Ykonen lands a nice looking body shot.
Ykonen misses with a hook. Potku ducked under it nicely.
Ykonen misses the shot to the body.
Potku uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Ykonen.
Ykonen comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Ykonen defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Potku.
Ykonen jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Potku ducks under a wild hook from Ykonen.
A swing and a miss from Ykonen.
Ykonen misses with a hook. Potku ducked under it nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ykonen will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Ykonen rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Potku moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

Ykonen closes the distance and pushes Potku back into the cage.
Potku tries for a takedown but Ykonen manages to get underhooks.
Potku has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Ykonen is trying to break free.
Ykonen tries to break free but Potku pushes him back against the cage.
A short right from Ykonen on the inside.
Potku has Ykonen pushed against the cage.
Ykonen stops a takedown attempt from Potku.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tauno Potku. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Potku is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.

Ykonen's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Potku fails with a takedown attempt.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Nice sprawl there from Ykonen as Potku shoots in.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fighters circling - Ykonen throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Ykonen looks to score with a jab to the body but Potku is just out of range.
Potku shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Ykonen but Ykonen pushes him off and we're back to square one.

Potku drives through with a takedown into guard.
Potku is looking to work some ground and pound but Ykonen has wrist control.
Potku is looking to work some ground and pound but Ykonen has wrist control.
Ykonen looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Ykonen working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Potku.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Ykonen escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Potku gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

Potku got a little sloppy there for a moment and Ykonen has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Potku has managed to get both his arms back between Ykonen's legs - danger averted.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Potku slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Ykonen regains half guard there - taking advantage of Potku's attempt to lay and pray for a moment.
Potku throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Potku sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Ykonen defending well though.
Potku not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Potku takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Ykonen gets back to full guard.
Potku scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Potku throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Ykonen works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Potku controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Ykonen utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

Ykonen throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nisper Ykonen showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Potku avoids the body shot from Ykonen.
Ykonen tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Potku counters by moving into the clinch.
Ykonen's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!

Ykonen pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Ykonen thows a body shot but no joy.
The fight stays on the outside here - Potku looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ykonen throws a right and a left that both miss.
Ykonen tries to clinch

and Potku counters with a shoot takedown. Ykonen fights it but they end up in guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Potku is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.

Ykonen is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Ykonen takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Ykonen looking to hit a scissor sweep but Potku is one step ahead there.
Potku wants to control from the top but Ykonen keeps moving.

Ykonen looking for a guillotine here but Potku defends easily.
Potku working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's two 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.
Potku thows a big elbow that misses.
Potku working some strikes from top position.
Potku scoring with punches to the head and body.
Potku is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Potku trying to control but Ykonen is working from the bottom.
Ykonen looking to hit a scissor sweep but Potku is one step ahead there.
Nisper Ykonen is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Potku trying to control the position from guard on top but Ykonen is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Potku thows a big elbow that misses.
Potku trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Potku throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Ykonen works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Potku trying to control the position from guard on top but Ykonen is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Ykonen misses with a wild body shot.
A big left from Ykonen misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Ykonen tries to clinch but Potku moves away

and Potku counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Potku is looking to advance position but Ykonen won't allow it.
Ykonen tries to get to full guard but Potku has control of the leg.
Potku has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Potku takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Potku not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Tauno Potku has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Ykonen is trying to maintain the position but Potku is very close to passing his half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tauno Potku showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Ykonen has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 28:29
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 28:29
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Nisper Ykonen!