PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Gary Hughes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Heikki Heinonen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Well, I have no idea who's going to take this one!

Hughes
vs
Heinonen

176 cm
25
177 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

178 cm
25
166 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Granite chin

Good takedowns
Basic striking
Experienced

Steel Penn's All 160

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 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Gary Hughes!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Heikki Heinonen!
The judges for this bout are Arvi Lind, Anni Minnemäki and Matti Vanhoillinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Heinonen tries to clinch up.
We've been hearing reports that Hughes has been drilling takedowns in recent sessions so let's see if that has an impact on the result of this fight.

Hughes closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Heinonen to the mat! Heinonen manages to get full guard.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Hughes in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Heinonen is trying to keep Hughes in close.
Heinonen is adopting a defensive guard.
Hughes postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Hughes postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Heinonen has his hands on Hughes's head, controlling the position.
Hughes throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Heinonen works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Heinonen trying to control the position.
Hughes lands a couple of elbows.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hughes postures up in Heinonen's guard and throws a big left but Heinonen blocks it.
Hughes slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Heinonen is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Hughes wants to control from the top but Heinonen keeps moving.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Heinonen swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Heinonen stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Heinonen wants it to stay on the feet.

Hughes drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Heinonen is looking to regain half guard here but Hughes keeps moving and retains side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Heinonen is trying to control Hughes's posture but Hughes avoids it.
Hughes is working Heinonen over with some ground and pound from side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Heinonen gets back to half guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Hughes working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Heinonen trying to control but Hughes postures up.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Heinonen is looking to improve his position.
Hughes not landing any meaningful shots this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Heinonen trying to control here.
Hughes wants to free his trapped foot but Heinonen is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Heinonen trying to control here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hughes is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Heinonen trying to control from the bottom.
Hughes is looking to take a break and control but Heinonen is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Heinonen is trying to maintain the position but Hughes is very close to passing his half guard.
Heinonen works his way to full guard. Good work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hughes wants to control from the top but Heinonen keeps moving.
Heinonen not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Hughes throws a big elbow that misses.
Heinonen looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Heinonen manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Hughes manages to get himself to full guard.
Hughes controlling the position.
Hughes looking for a sweep. Not yet Hughes, not yet.
This has been an exciting period of action!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Heinonen trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Heinonen with a flurry of punches that miss.
Hughes looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gary Hughes dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Heinonen lands a nice shot to the body.
Hughes walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Gary Hughes is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Hughes has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Hughes there as he acknowledges the shot.
Hughes takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Heinonen swings for the body but Hughes moves out of range.
Heinonen uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Hughes has time to react.
Hughes shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Heinonen sprawls well. Heinonen wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Hughes gets slowly back to his feet.

Heinonen moves into the clinch.
Hughes wants a takedown.
Heinonen is struggling to control the position.
Heinonen misses with a shot to the kidneys.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hughes is looking to take this one to the mat.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Gary Hughes. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Heinonen is pressed up against the cage. Hughes has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Heinonen down to the mat. Heinonen avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Hughes takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Hughes changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Heinonen tries to avoid it but Hughes manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Heinonen to the ground. Heinonen escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Heinonen doesn't manage to clinch there - Hughes circles away.
Hughes shoots for a double leg takedown but Heinonen sprawls well. He's pushed Hughes's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Hughes checks a leg kick.
Heinonen misses with a wild combination.
Heinonen throws a jab when Hughes was well out of range.
Heinonen tries to close the distance and clinch but Hughes swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Nice shot lands for Heinonen.
Hughes displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Heinonen throws out the jab.
Hughes defending well as Heinonen loads up on a big left hand.
Hughes misses with a takedown
and Heinonen counters with a stiff right hand.
Hughes on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Heinonen lands with a good body shot.
Hughes misses with a takedown attempt
and Heinonen connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
We've been informed that Heinonen has been working hard on his conditioning in the buildup to the fight.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Hughes looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Hughes tries to keep at a distance but Heinonen has taken the fight into the clinch.
Heinonen scores with a shoulder strike.
Hughes is working for takedown but Heinonen is calmly controlling the position for now.
Heinonen swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Hughes is working for takedown but Heinonen is calmly controlling the position for now.
Hughes is working for takedown but Heinonen is calmly controlling the position for now.
Heinonen is pushing Hughes up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Heinonen lands on the inside with an uppercut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Heinonen stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Heinonen gets underhooks to prevent Hughes's takedown attempt.
Hughes is looking to take this one to the mat.
Heinonen gets underhooks to prevent Hughes's takedown attempt.
Hughes is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Heinonen is defending well.
Heinonen leaning against his opponent.

Heinonen breaks from the clinch.
Heinonen scores with a crisp jab that stopped Hughes in his tracks.
Heinonen pivots, looking for a leg kick but Hughes is out of range and Heinonen settles back down.
Heinonen misses with a jab, cross combination.
Heinonen stalks Hughes and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Hughes's face. Hughes staggers backwards, shaken.
Hughes walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Heinonen is defended easily by Hughes.
Hughes uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Heinonen.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hughes fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Hughes shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Heinonen sprawls well. Heinonen wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Hughes gets slowly back to his feet.
Heinonen lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Heinonen misses with a straight left.
Heikki Heinonen seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Hughes has a takedown stuffed.

Heinonen shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Heinonen looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Hughes with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Heikki Heinonen showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Heinonen stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Heinonen wants it to stay on the feet.

Hughes shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Hughes was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Hughes working away.
Hughes lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Heinonen struggling a bit here.
Heinonen tries to bench press Hughes off him but Hughes keeps the position.
Hughes looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Heinonen is avoiding damage well.
Hughes working away.
Heinonen manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Hughes on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Hughes tries to get out of the position.
Heinonen is thwarting Hughes's attempts to control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Heinonen not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.

Hughes manages to escape and get back to his feet!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Heinonen paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
A jab lands there for Heinonen.

Hughes gets tackled into the cage by Heinonen. Heinonen maintains the clinch.
Heinonen holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Hughes wants to take the fight to the mat but Heinonen manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Heinonen lands a right hand that snaps the head of Hughes backwards.
Heinonen is defending well against a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Gary Hughes. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Heinonen lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.

Heinonen is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Hughes doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Heinonen.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nice strikes from Heinonen there.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Heinonen missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Hughes taking some punishment here, with Heinonen in his half guard.
Heinonen throwing shots but Hughes is blocking nicely.
Heinonen wants to take a breather but Hughes is having none of it.
Heinonen thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Hughes's head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Heinonen slips a nice elbow through Hughes's hands, connecting with Hughes's forehead.
Hughes avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Heinonen.
Heinonen seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Hughes does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Heinonen lands with a punch from half guard.
Heinonen throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Heinonen prevents Hughes from standing back up.
Heinonen looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Heinonen trying to control from half guard but Hughes is working away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Heinonen is stalling here. Hughes is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Heinonen seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Hughes has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
Heinonen tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Hughes wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Heinonen can't do much from the bottom here.
Heinonen sneaks back into half guard.
Heinonen wants to improve his position but Hughes is controlling well.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Heinonen has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Hughes is working away from the top position though.
Hughes prevents Heinonen from improving his position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Heikki Heinonen comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Heinonen has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Arvi Lind scores the fight 28:29
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 28:29
Judge Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Heikki Heinonen!