PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Miikka Apaja (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Risto Pasila (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Apaja comes to the ring accompanied by Ultra Bra - Hauki. Risto Pasila is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Apaja
vs
Pasila

184 cm
21
180 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

184 cm
20
174 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Enjoys gardening

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Miikka Apaja!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Risto Pasila!
The judges for this bout are Johanna Lukiainen, Marco Blurström and Tarja Halkonen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Apaja doesn't manage to clinch there - Pasila circles away.

Pasila shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Pasila prevents Apaja from improving his position.
Pasila working the head and body with strikes.
Apaja tries to kick Pasila off in order to stand up. Pasila Avoids the leg push though and dives into side control.
Apaja is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Pasila asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Apaja tries to strike from the bottom but misses.
Pasila happy to just control the position for now.
Apaja is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Apaja is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Apaja defending against the ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Apaja is not content to let Pasila control the position.

Pasila swings around for an armbar but Apaja sees it coming a mile off and turns beautifully into Pasila's guard.

Apaja stands up from Pasila's guard - Apaja perhaps looking for a knockout.
Pasila tries to score a power double leg takedown but Apaja sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Pasila somewhat.
Apaja tries to clinch up but Pasila circles away and keeps his distance.

Pasila looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Pasila is controlling the pace.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Pasila wants to take a breather but Apaja is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pasila works his foot free and advances to mount.
Pasila controlling from the full mount.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
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!
Apaja is squirming around, avoiding Pasila's attempts to control the action.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Apaja is trying to get back to his feet but can't.
Apaja is in all sorts of trouble here.
Pasila looking to control but Apaja is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Apaja is working to get back to half guard.
Apaja is trying to get back to his feet but can't.
Pasila is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Apaja can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Pasila putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Pasila wants to control the pace but Apaja is squirming around nicely.
Pasila controlling his opponent.
Apaja tries to lock up and control but Pasila gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Apaja is wriggling around trying to escape.
Apaja is breathing heavily.
Apaja wants to improve position but instead he's given up his back.
Pasila is landing with strikes. Apaja can't take much more of this.
Pasila keeps control of the position easily here as Apaja tries to buck him off.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Apaja tries to escape the position.
Pasila connects with a big shot to the side of Apaja's head.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Can Apaja hold on?! Pasila is landing more strikes to his hapless foe.

Pasila tightening his grip on Apaja, looking for the choke.
Pasila trying to secure his dominant position for a moment - making sure Apaja doesn't escape.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Pasila connects with a big shot to the side of Apaja's head.
Pasila has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Pasila gets his hooks in and is throwing strikes.
Pasila not allowing Apaja to control his hands.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Risto Pasila dominated that round.
That's time! Apaja's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Apaja tries to clinch there but Pasila circles away.
Apaja looks to clinch

and Pasila counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Apaja's guard now.
Pasila looking to pass the guard.

Apaja throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Apaja trying to control the position.
Apaja is looking to stand up but Pasila isn't so interested in that idea.
Pasila forces his way into half guard.
Pasila wants to lay and pray for a moment but Apaja keeps working.
Apaja is trying to control but Pasila manages to pass to mount!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pasila cracks Apaja with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Pasila trying to control but Apaja is having none of it.
Pasila looking to control and managing it successfully.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Apaja is trying to stand.
Apaja wants to hold on but Pasila pushes him away.
Pasila trying to control but Apaja is having none of it.
Pasila scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Apaja?

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pasila sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Apaja is squirming around, avoiding Pasila's attempts to control the action.
Pasila lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Pasila lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Risto Pasila has got the better of the ground game so far.
Pasila can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Apaja is looking to escape.

Pasila is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Apaja can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Apaja keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Apaja is squirming around, avoiding Pasila's attempts to control the action.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pasila unloading with bombs!
Pasila can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Apaja is looking to escape.
Apaja is trying to escape the mount.
Apaja is in a horrible position here. Pasila smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Apaja tries to reverse the position but Pasila maintains control.
Pasila lands a heavy elbow.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Apaja is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.
Pasila looking to control and managing it successfully.
Apaja is desperately trying to get back to half guard.

Pasila has hold of Apaja's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Apaja manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Pasila manages to capitalize on a mistake by Apaja to take his back!

Pasila looking for the choke from the back.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Pasila not allowing Apaja to control his hands.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Pasila working for the choke.
Apaja is in bad spot here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Risto Pasila showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Apaja fails with an attempt to clinch.
Pasila shoots in but Apaja avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Pasila shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Apaja but Apaja pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Apaja tries to clinch up

and Pasila counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Apaja!
Apaja is looking to improve his position but Pasila isn't that keen on the idea.
Apaja wants to control but Pasila is having none of it.
Apaja tries to reverse the position but Pasila maintains control.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Apaja throwing hammer fists to the chest of Pasila. What's that going to do exactly?
Pasila working the ground and pound effectively.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Apaja is looking to improve his position but Pasila isn't that keen on the idea.
Apaja tries to lock up and control but Pasila gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Pasila cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Apaja is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Pasila lands a big shot there that rocks Apaja but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Pasila controlling the position easily from mount.

Pasila is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Apaja is surviving well by controlling Pasila's body position as best he can.

Pasila is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Apaja has managed to escape the submission attempt.
Pasila has his opponent pinned against the ropes, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Apaja's face.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pasila controlling from the full mount.
Pasila punishing his opponent with strikes.
Pasila landing strikes, looking to finish!
Apaja can't escape the position.
Apaja is squirming around, avoiding Pasila's attempts to control the action.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Pasila looking to control and managing it successfully.
Apaja wants to hold on but Pasila pushes him away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pasila is landing with some decent strikes but Apaja is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Apaja is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

Pasila is controlling this nicely and is looking to make no mistakes. Apaja is trying to wiggle out of this horrible position. Apaja flips to his side and attempts to get a leg in for half guard. Pasila anticipates the leg and manages to get behind Apaja and secures both hooks! This could be bad! Pasila slips an arm under Apaja chin and tries to position for a rear naked choke. Pasila has worked the choke in now and it looks tight. Pasila is squeezing on Apaja like an anaconda would it's prey. Apaja fails to tap and has fallen unconscious! We've got ourselves a winner by way of a rear naked choke!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:45 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Risto Pasila!
After winning the bout, Risto Pasila thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.