PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Joan Rasmussen (ranked 6044 p4p, 0 weight class) and Socky Balboa (ranked 5986 p4p, 0 weight class). 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.

Rasmussen
vs
Balboa

153 cm
24
162 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

185 cm
25
165 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

Good takedowns
Brawler
Intelligent

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Joan Rasmussen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Socky Balboa!
The judges for this bout are Arvi Lind, Ben Zyskovitsi and Tarja Halkonen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Balboa darts in and clinches Rasmussen up against the cage.
Balboa is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Rasmussen is defending well for now.
Balboa connects with a nasty looking knee right to Rasmussen's face.

It looks like Joan Rasmussen has been cut.
Rasmussen wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

Balboa breaks the clinch.

Rasmussen shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Rasmussen with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Balboa is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Rasmussen really is built like a bowling ball. I wonder if he'd roll if you pushed him down a hill...
Balboa looking to hit a scissor sweep but Rasmussen is one step ahead there.
Rasmussen throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Balboa works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Balboa throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Balboa is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Rasmussen could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Rasmussen postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Rasmussen postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.

Balboa throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rasmussen is fighting to break Balboa's control of his arms but Balboa is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Rasmussen throws a strike but Balboa rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Rasmussen wants to get back to his feet but Balboa is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Balboa wants to control from the top but Rasmussen keeps moving.
Balboa wants to get up but he can't break Rasmussen's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Rasmussen wants to get back to his feet but Balboa is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Balboa is looking to work some ground and pound but Rasmussen has wrist control.
Balboa sitting in guard here, content to control.

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.
Rasmussen preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Balboa is looking to work some ground and pound but Rasmussen has wrist control.
Balboa trying to control the position from guard on top but Rasmussen is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Rasmussen might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

Rasmussen is scooting his butt against the cage and has managed to get back to his feet. Balboa presses him back against the cage, presumably looking to take the fight back to the mat.

Balboa breaks the clinch.
Nice sprawl there from Rasmussen as Balboa shoots in.
Rasmussen is looking to counter the offense by Balboa and move into the clinch.

Rasmussen throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Balboa was covering up waiting for the punch and Rasmussen finishes the takedown easily into guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Rasmussen is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Balboa working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Rasmussen.
Balboa working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Rasmussen.
Rasmussen throws an elbow that misses. Balboa uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Rasmussen's guard. Nice move by Balboa!

Balboa stopping the sweep attempt from Rasmussen.
Rasmussen pulls Balboa in close to prevent any damage.
Rasmussen wants to sweep here but Balboa controlling him for the moment.
Balboa wants to control from the top but Rasmussen keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Balboa postures up.
Balboa trying to stand up but can't free himself from Rasmussen's guard.
Rasmussen is pulling down on Balboa's head to control his posture.
Rasmussen is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Rasmussen is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

Balboa is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Joan Rasmussen will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Joan Rasmussen'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.

Rasmussen shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Balboa drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Rasmussen is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Balboa's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Rasmussen is trying to maintain the position but Balboa is very close to passing his half guard.
Rasmussen avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Balboa.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Balboa missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Balboa tries to stand but can't do so whilst Rasmussen controls his leg.
Balboa missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rasmussen is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Joan Rasmussen overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Rasmussen trying to control from the bottom.
Balboa tries to stand but his arm is trapped.
Still in half guard, Balboa seems content to control.
Rasmussen trying to hold on to Balboa's head to control him but Balboa postures up.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

Balboa has taken the fight to the clinch.
A bit of stalling here from Balboa.
Balboa effectively controlling the action here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.

Rasmussen manages to break the clinch.
Rasmussen shoots in but Balboa avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Balboa shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Rasmussen counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Rasmussen lands a couple of elbows.
Rasmussen in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Balboa is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

Balboa working for a triangle but Rasmussen defends it easily.
Rasmussen landing with the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rasmussen connects with a couple of short punches.
Rasmussen throws a strike but Balboa rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Rasmussen has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Balboa can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Rasmussen knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Balboa on the ground.
Balboa is standing up over Rasmussen. Rasmussen looks to escape but Balboa dives into side control.
Rasmussen tries to slip a leg under to move to half guard but Balboa presses down on the leg and jumps into full mount!
Balboa controlling from the full mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Balboa scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Rasmussen is bucking up trying to escape but Balboa cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Rasmussen wants to improve position but instead he's given up his back.
Balboa not allowing Rasmussen to control his hands.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Balboa is working the back position looking for the choke. Oh, he's slid into an armbar! Beautiful transition and Rasmussen taps out! Fantastic Jiu Jitsu from Balboa.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:52 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Socky Balboa!