PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Hessu Hopo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dennis Gavin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Dennis Gavin will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Hopo
vs
Gavin

185 cm
21
275 lbs
7 - 3 - 0

202 cm
23
284 lbs
8 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Cardio machine

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

M/S Paint Fightwear *** Cheapest in town ***

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Hessu Hopo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Dennis Gavin!
The judges for this bout are Tarja Halkonen, Marco Blurström and Johanna Lukiainen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

A momentary lapse in concentration from Gavin enables Hopo to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Gavin manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Hopo preventing the sweep.
Hopo loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Hopo 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.
Hopo preventing the sweep.
Hopo wants to pass the guard but Gavin is keeping the position.
Gavin working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Hopo.
Hopo trying to control the position from guard on top but Gavin is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Hopo throwing strikes from guard but Gavin blocks nicely.
Hopo postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Hopo throwing strikes but missing.
Hopo prevents Gavin from getting back to his feet.
Hopo throws a big right hand that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gavin is trying to control the position from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hopo wants to pass the guard but Gavin is keeping the position.
Hopo trying to control the position from guard on top but Gavin is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Hopo lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Gavin utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Gavin has Hopo pulled in close to control his posture.
Hopo throwing strikes but missing.
Hopo postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Gavin is on top in guard.

That's two 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.
Gavin won't allow Hopo to sweep him here.
Gavin wants to stand but Hopo is controlling his posture from full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Hopo seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Gavin trying to control but Hopo is working from the bottom.

Dennis Gavin has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Gavin misses with a low kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gavin throws an ugly left hook that misses

and Hopo counters with a shoot takedown. Gavin fights it but they end up in guard.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Hopo trying to control the position from guard on top but Gavin is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Hopo stands and throws Gavin's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Gavin controls the position for a moment.
Gavin prevents Hopo from improving position.
Gavin tries to buck Hopo off but Hopo is having none of it.
Gavin is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Hopo landing strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hopo with the ground and pound but Gavin regains half guard under the barage of strikes.
Hopo looks to land a strike but Gavin avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
Hopo works over Gavin with some ground and pound from guard.
Hopo loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Hopo forces his way into half guard.
Gavin slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Hopo trying to control the position from guard on top but Gavin is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Hopo is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Gavin keeping moving, preventing Hopo from controlling successfully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hessu Hopo dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Gavin misses with a body kick.
Hopo ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Hopo shoots in but Gavin avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Dennis Gavin seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Hopo closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Gavin avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Hopo.
Hopo seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Gavin does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Gavin trying to hold on to Hopo's head to control him but Hopo postures up.
Hopo looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Hopo working over Gavin with some ground and pound. Gavin looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.

It looks like Dennis Gavin has been cut.
Gavin is looking to control Hopo's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Gavin avoid being mounted?
Gavin wants to get back to full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hopo throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Gavin is looking to improve his position.
Hopo wants to take a breather but Gavin is having none of it.
Gavin blocking the ground and pound attempt from Hopo.
Gavin trying to control here.
Hopo is trying to control the action in half guard but Gavin is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Hopo missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Gavin wants to control but Hopo is keeping busy.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Gavin is not content to let Hopo control the position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Hopo avoids the body shot from Gavin.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Hopo shoots in looking for a takedown but Gavin manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Hopo's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Gavin works Hopo's body with a nice hook.
Gavin throws out a token jab with nothing on it.

Hopo shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Gavin is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Gavin is working to get back to half guard.
Hopo raining down shots from the mount!
Hopo looking to control but Gavin is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Gavin taking shots to the head.
Hopo breaks from Gavin's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Hopo prevents Gavin from getting the reversal.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hopo connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Hopo lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Gavin hang on?
Gavin is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Gavin has worked his way to half guard, taking advantage of Hopo's lack of action.
Hopo thows a huge punch but Gavin dodges it nicely.
Hopo is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Hopo is looking to stall here but Gavin recovers full guard.
Hopo might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Gavin looking to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hopo connects with a couple of short punches.
Hopo with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Gavin working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Hopo.
Hopo wants to control from the top but Gavin keeps moving.
Hopo slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Hopo throwing strikes but missing.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Hopo trying to control but Gavin is working from the bottom.
Hopo advances position into side control!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hessu Hopo dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Dennis Gavin's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Hopo shoots in and drives through. Gavin sprawls well.
Hopo walks into a jab.

It looks like Hessu Hopo has been cut.
Gavin throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Hopo sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Gavin rushes in with a sloppy looking punch

and Hopo counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Gavin looking to hit a scissor sweep but Hopo is one step ahead there.
Hessu Hopo overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Gavin avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Hopo throwing strikes but missing.
Hopo working some strikes from top position.
Hopo wants to control from the top but Gavin keeps moving.
Hopo cracks Gavin with a solid left hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hopo trying to control the position from guard on top but Gavin is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Gavin wants to stand and escape but Hopo is having none of it.
Hopo trying to control the position from guard on top but Gavin is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Gavin lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Hopo!
Hopo sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Hopo is trying to get back to full guard.
Gavin is trying to control the action in half guard but Hopo is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Dennis Gavin has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hopo gets back to full guard.
Hopo wants to sweep but no luck.
Hopo is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Gavin throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Hopo works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Hopo wants to sweep but no luck.
Gavin is looking to stand up but Hopo won't let him.
Hopo is pulling down on Gavin's head. It's preventing any offense from Gavin, at least for the moment.
Gavin is looking to stand up but Hopo won't let him.
Gavin must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
A head kick misses from Gavin.
Gavin scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Hopo doesn't seem bothered though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gavin misses with a few strikes there.
Gavin throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Gavin misses with an uppercut

and Hopo counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Gavin's guard now.
Gavin looking for a sweep. Not yet Gavin, not yet.
Gavin takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Hopo working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Hopo is looking to work some ground and pound but Gavin has wrist control.
Gavin is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Hopo passes into half guard.
Hopo wants to control but Gavin is keeping him busy.
Gavin won't allow Hopo to pass to mount.
Hopo working over Gavin with some ground and pound. Gavin looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gavin avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Hopo.
Hopo thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Gavin's head.
Hopo looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Hopo trying to control from half guard but Gavin is working away.
Hopo not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Gavin avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Hopo.
Hopo throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Hessu Hopo is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Hopo throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Hopo sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Gavin defending well though.
Hopo is figuring out what he wants to do next.

And that's the end of the fight!
Hessu Hopo showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Hopo, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 30:27
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 30:27
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Hessu Hopo!