Fight Festival 32 takes place tonight at Töölö Sports Center in downtown Helsinki, Finland. Here are the play-by-play and quick results updated live from the arena.
10.Lightweight: Niko Puhakka (26-11), vs Yoshiuki Yoshida (14-6), Japan:
R1: And it’s time for the main event of the night! Puhakka with a lead hook and a jab as Yoshida steps forward. Yoshida shoots but Puhakka sprawls and looks for a guillotine. Fighters back on the feet and clinch against the ropes. Puhakka with couple of knees in the clinch. Yoshida trips Puhakka to the ground. Yoshida throws Puhakka but the Finn reverses and lands on top. Puhakka takes Yoshida down from the clinch and lands in half guard. Puhakka with shoulder strikes from top. Puhakka lands couple right hands. Ref calls for action and stands them up. Yoshida goes for a throw but Puhakka takes him down. Yoshida works for a guillotine but not getting the right angle.
R2: Puhakka slams Yoshida hard to the ground and lands in half guard. Yoshida gets butterfly guard and tries to sweep but Puhakka shows great control on top. Puhakka again in half guard punishing Yoshida with strikes. Yoshida gets butterfly again. Puhakka passes to side control and lands a hard knee to the body. Short elbows and another knee. Yoshida turns to knees and Puhakka throws strikes from his back. Fighters back on the feet. Puhakka throws Yoshida but lands on the bottom himself. the Finn explodes and sweeps Yoshida. Puhakka pounds Yoshida with single punches from the top.
R3: Puhakka scores another beautiful slam takedown. Puhakka progresses from half guard to side control. Yoshida turns to his knees and eats hard shots from Puhakka. Yoshida tries to lock up a guillotine but Puhakka doesn’t care about it. Yoshida makes it to the feet and they clinch. Yoshida trips Puhakka but the Finn lands on top. Yoshida locks Puhakka in a tight guillotine, the Finn hangs on but has to tap out eventually.
Winner: Yoshida by guillotine choke R3.
9. Middleweight: Lucio Linhares (17-8) vs Jake Doerr (6-2), USA:
R1: Doerr charges forward wildly but Linhares takes him down right away. Linhares progress slowly to half guard and then to mount. Doerr turns and Linhares takes his back but loses control and ends up on the bottom.
R2: Doerr’s strike floors Linhares. Doerr goes after him but Linhares is not hurt and sweeps the American. Doerr gets top position again and throws single punches from the top. The ref stands them up. Doerr charges forward again but Linhares drops him with a hard right hand. Linhares finishes the job on the ground with strikes from back mount. The ref waves it off.
Winner: Linhares by TKO strikes R2.
8. Lightweight: Juha-Pekka Vainikainen (19-5) vs Antun Racic (10-3), Croatia:
R1: And we’re back to MMA. Vainikainen looks half meter taller. Racic shoots but Vainikainen locks in a guillotine. Racic defends by throwing Vainikainen to the ground. Vainikainen ties Racic in his guard. Croatian struggles to free his arm but not having success. Racic moves to side control and then has a front head lock. Vainikainen explodes forward and takes the Croatian down. Racic gets on his knees and shoots but Vainikainen sprawls. Racic gets a takedown and throws few strikes from Vainikainen’s half guard. Vainikainen goes for a triangle but Racic defends. Vainikainen with an elbow from the bottom.
R2: Vainikainen lands a combination of strikes as Racic is moving backwards. Racic lands a takedown. Vainikainen tries to get up but Racic drops down for a guillotine and it looks deep! Vainikainen hangs on and pulls his head out. Vainikainen landing shots from the top. Vainikainen with hard shots to the body. Racic is passive on the bottom and Vainikainen keeps punishing his body with strikes. Racic shoots but Vainikainen snatches his head in a guillotine choke and drives him against the ropes. Vainikainen cranks it hard and gets the tap from Racic.
Winner: Vainikainen by guillotine choke R2 4.37
7. Kickboxing WAKO PRO World Championship 94 kg (208 lbs): Jukka Saarinen vs Antonio Sousa, Portugal:
R1: Hard shots thrown by both fighters. Sousa drops Saarinen with a strong hook. The ref counts to eight, Saarinen recovers and the fight continues. Sousa pushes forward and mauls Saarinen against the ropes but the Finn covers well.
R2: Saarinen lands a hard round house to the body. Sousa breathing with open mouth. Saarinen attacks with a combination. Sousa lands a hard left hook from the inside.
R3: Saarinen with a stiff jab. Sousa hurts Saarinen again with an overhand right. Saarinen eats another right hand. Saarinen leaning against the ropes and Sousa bombs him with a right hand again. Saarinen answers with a kick that sends Sousa on the ground.
R4: Saarinen takes control as Sousa looks tired. Sousa explodes with another strong hook from the inside. Sousa throws wildly but Saarinen has his guard up. Sousa gasps for air as the round ends.
R5: Sousa is gassing badly. Saarinen turns up the heat with numerous body kicks and punches to the head. Both guys throwing like crazy with punches connecting on both sides. Crowd cheers loudly as the round ends.
R6: Saarinen opens up with a hard body kick that makes Sousa gasp for air. Sousa with a huge overhand right and follows with a upper cut. Ref gives Saarinen a count and the fight continues. Another ridiculous flurry of strikes at the end of the round. Saarinen is so out of it that he believes the fight is over and thanks the ref.
Doctor checks Saarinen’s cut between rounds. The doctor stops the fight.
Winner: Antonio Sousa by TKO (cut) R6
6. Featherweight: Joni Salovaara (10-5) vs Moktar Benkaci (8-2), France:
R1: Salovaara gets a big reaction from the crowd as he walks to the ring with “Heat is on” playing on the background. Salovaara opens up with a overhand right. Shorter Benkaci misses with his punches. Salovaara with a 1-2. Salovaara with a long jab and Benkaci is swinging in the air again. Salovaara with a hard low kick. Long left hook lands for the Finn. Benkaci missing all the time and looks a bit frustrated on the feet. Action slows down. Salovaara landing single jabs. Benkaci with a low kick. Salovaara with a head kick which Benkaci answers with an overhand right that connects.
R2: Salovaara opens with a lead hook. Benkaci connects and Salovaara stumbles backwards. Benkaci swings wildly but the Finn takes him down. Salovaara with a heavy right hand from open guard and passes to side control. Salovaara progresses to mount. Benkaci turns on his side while Salovaara throws punches. Back to half guard. Benkaci spins for a heel hook but Salovaara defends wel. Ref stands them up. Benkaci storms in but Salovaara counters with a right hand. Salovaara connects with a jab and Benkaci swing for the fences but misses by a mile.
R3: Benkaci throws couple of knees from thai clinch but Salovaara blocks them. Salovaara lands a stiff right hand. Benkaci jumps forward and Salovaara stops him with a jab. Salovaara drives forward and takes the Frenchman to the ground. Salovaara throws single punches from Benkaci’s guard. The Finn with an elbow, passes to half guard and then to side control. Salovaara controlling the action on the ground with superior positioning and strikes from the top. Salovaara lands a flurry of strikes as the round and fight ends.
Winner: Salovaara by Unanimous Decision.
5. Muay Thai 52,2 kg: Jere Flinkman vs Franck Gross, France:
R1. Flinkman performs a looong thai warm up ritual that ends with him loading his invisible gun and shooting Gross a few times. Gross explodes with a beautiful spinning back kick to the head. Gross sends Flinkman to the floor with a powerful teep. Crazy striking exchanges on the feet with both guys throwing fast offense. Flinkman lands an elbow and a spinning back hand. Great first round.
R2: Flinkman holds the center of the ring. Gross throws low kicks and a spinning back fist but everything gets blocked. Flinkman dodges a round house kick and lands a hard low kick. Gross throws Flinkman from the clinch. Pace is picking up. Flinkman with a jumping elbow to the head. Fighters exchanges kicks and the round ends. Entertaining round again.
R3: Flinkman dodges another round house and fires a stinging low kick. Flinkman lands a low kick to Gross’s cup. Gross takes a breathe and the fight continues. Flying spinning kicks from Gross but Flinkman blocks them. Flinkman with a throw from the clinch. Gross pushes Flinkman to the corner and throws wild strikes. Flinkman knocks Gross to the floor with a left hook.
R4: Good striking exchanges on the feet. Both guys throwing wide and wild kicks but none are landing cleanly. Gross lands two hard teeps but Flinkman doesn’t care. Flinkman lands couple of throws from the clinch.
R5: Both throwing strikes and lowkicks with most of them getting blocked. Gross with spinning kicks but Flinkman sees them coming up and bends backwards. Flinkman catches a kick and sweeps Gross to the ground. Gross with a throw from the clinch. More strikes and kicks thrown but nothing significant is landing. The fight ends.
Winner: Gross by split decision
4. Flyweight: Mikael Silander (7-1) vs Wade Choate (14-13), USA:
R1: Honorary mention: Choate walks out to Deftones’ “Change”. Here we go. Choate opens up with couple of low kicks. Silander lands a right hand. Fighters clinch and Silander has double under hooks. Choate spins away from the ropes and lands a low kick. Another low kick hits Silander in the nuts. Silander takes a moment to recover and the fight is back on. Silander with a stiff right hand. Choate fires back with a round house kick to the body and couple of low kicks. Choate pushes forward with punches and catches Silander with coouple of them. Silander lands couple knees from thai plum. Choate with a thai style short elbow. More knees from thai clinch from Silander and Choate answers with body punches. Silander throws Choate from the clinch and lands few strikes from top.
R2: Striking exchange on the feet and Silander scores a takedown from clinch. Silander throws punches from Choate’s guard. Choate works for an armbar but Silander defends and answers with punches. Silander works the head and body from the top and passes to half guard. Choate goes for a kimura but its not there. Choate recovers guard. Ref stands them up. Silander pushes forward with strikes. Choate looks a bit tired and gets taken down again with Silander in his guard.
R3: Silander shoots and Choate locks up a guillotine. Silander defends and is in Choate’s half guard. Silander with a heavy elbow. Silander passes to half guard and locks in a arm triangle choke. Silander gets his leg free, drops his body to the mat and squeezes hard. Choate is forced to tap out.
Winner: Silander by side choke R3.
3. Welterweight: Johan Vänttinen (8-2) vs Vincent Del Guerra (17-7), France:
R1: Del Guerra lands an overhand right. Vänttinen shoots for a takedown but ends up on the bottom with the Frenchman in his guard. Del Guarra spins for a heel hook but Vänttinen defends. Vänttinen scores a takedown from double underhooks and lands in half guard. Vänttinen throws GnP and tries to pass. Fighters on the feet again. Vänttinen lands another takedown from double hooks. Del Guerra hurts his shoulder when hitting the floor and taps out.
Winner: Vänttinen by TKO injury R1 2.41.
2. Kickboxing 65 kg: Jarkko Jussila vs Oliaksandr Pindrys, Ukraine:
R1. Lots of good striking exchanges on the feet. Pindrys gets more strikes in.
R2. Tables are turning with Jussila landing numerous strikes to Pindrys chin but the Ukrainian holds on.
R3. Jussila pushes forward and is landing strikes almost at will. Pindrys fires back with full force but misses all the time. More strikes land for Jussila but Pindrys is still in the fight.
R4. More even round this time. Pindrys landed good shots too but Jussila still got the better of the striking exhanges.
R5. Jussila lands another 1-2 combo and sweat flies off Pindrys head. Pindrys strikes Jussila with a hard straight right that sends Jussila to the ropes.
R6. Pindrys knocks Jussila down with a right hook. After eight count the fight continues. Pindrys pushes forward and lands another hook that drops Jussila again. Jussila’s corner throws the towel.
Winner: Pindrys by KO R6 1.37
1. Bantamweight: Janne Elonen-Kulmala (4-4) vs Damien Louloum (1-1) France:
R1: Louloum connects with a spinning back kick to the body. Jamba shoots and scores a takedown. From side control Jamba lands a crushing knee to Louloum’s ribs. Louloum grunts in pain and taps out.
Winner: Elonen-Kulmala by TKO R1 1.01.
