Finland’s Cage 24 goes down tonight at the  sold out Logomo arena in Turku, Finland. MMAViking.com is live at the card which is headlined by Cage light heavyweight champ Marcus “Caveman” Vänttinen who puts his belt on the line against Brazilian vet Charles Andrade who fights out of France. Turku based fighters Tipi Hirvikangas and Makwan Amirkhani are getting close to breaking out on the Nordic scene and are highlighted on the card with tough international opponents.

Cage 24 Promo Video

Cage 24 Fight Card

LW: Juho Kahranaho (0-4-0), Finland VS. Roope Jokinen (0-0), FFG Finland

Roope Jokinen emerges to Dropkick Murphy’s in the Wand Fight Team shorts, and Juho Karanaho is all business in Pink and Black shorts. MMAViking is being told this will be Roope Jokinen’s last match as he is preparing to enter the medical profession as a Doctor.

Round 1: Touch of gloves and a flurry from Kahranaho who lands a headkick and stifles the takedown from Jokinen. Kahranaho presses Jokinen to the cage and attempts a takedown.Heavy leather lands for both men as they stand square in the cage, Kahranaho takes the center but eats a right hand. The face of Jokinen is visibly reddened byt he attempts a blitz of strikes which fails. Kahranaho pressures him toward the fence and traps him there before securing an easy single leg. Right hand followed by the left as Kahranaho stacks Jokinen. Jokinen misses with the inside leg kick and eats a right hand. Kick to the body from Karanaho. Karanaho finds the center, but finds himself fending off the takedown again. Karanaho switches and secures his own takedown. Landing small shots now from within an open guard. Karanaho stands up and fends off a flurry from Jokinen before giving him a right-handed reminder to keep his hands high.

Round 2: Jokinen is tentative but finds the center of the cage. Heavy kick which is checked and Karanaho fires 2 of his own. Karanaho hits with a left hand and a leg kick and finds himself fending off the takedown once more. Karanaho pushes Jokinen to the outside but Jokinen lands a knee with his back against the fence. Kahranaho hits the thigh with a knee. Left hook lands for Karanaho as the two resume the center. Right kick to the body lands on Jokinen but he snatches the leg and pushes Kahranaho to the fence.  Double underhooks for Jokinen. Kahranaho switches and takes the position of hammer to Jokinen’s proverbial nail, but the referee calls for action and it is not delivered. High kick and a body kick land for Kahranaho but Jokinen pressures forward with straight right hands. His furor wanes and he is taken down by Kahranaho. Kahranaho passes into side control and lands a left hand as the round closes.

Kahranaho has won the decision victory.

LW: Aleksi Nurminen (0-1-0), Finland VS. Patrik Pietilä (0-1-0), Finland

• Nurminen attempts one of many arm bars on opponent Patrik Pietilä.

Aleksi Nurminen has emerged to heavy chants of Aleksi while one Mr. Marshall ‘Eminem’ Mathers provides his own personal sountrack.

Round 1: Pietilä takes the center and presses Nurminen to the cage quickly before securing the takedown and landing hammerfists to Nurminen’s face. Pietilä stands in the open guard and fires shots. A scramble ensues and Nurminen turtles against the cage while Pietilä punches him repeatedly. Nurminen stands and is taken down once more, only to absorb shots from the top including a wleting right hand. Nurminen stands, but gives Pietilä his back once more and absorbs knees to his thighs as a result. Nurminen shoots his own knees as the two rotate acorss the fence. Nurminen lands a knee to the head of Pietilä but the pressure of Pietilä is stifling.  The knee may have softened Pietilä considerably as Nurminen is now applying the pressure. Nurminen lands another knee on Pietilä’s skull, then takes him down, landing in mount.  Nurminen has the back of Pietilä and searches for a rear naked choke, but fails to find it before the round is over.

Round 2: Two big left hands and a kick to the body land on Pietilä , but he presses forward eagerly, even though his face is a mask of pain. Nurminen lands the takedown and takes side control, pressing Pietilä to the cage. Plenty of time left in the round as Nurminen secures the arm triangle, then transitions to a D’arce choke as Pietilä squirms.  The two scramble and Pietilä is forced into an armbar that looks vicious. At the last moment he slips out, and manages to stand. Pietilä is in survival mode as he trips Nurminen for the takedown. Pietilä briefly lands in a guillotine . Nurminen switches to an armbar in the transition but there is no quit in Pietilä, and he struggles through, finding himself in a very abstract triangle. The crowd roars as the fight closes and the two fighters embrace. Certainly a wild spectacle, and this fight has fight of the night written all over it.

Decision: Aleksi Nurminen takes a hardfought victory.

LW: Mikael Nyyssönen (3-0-0), Finland VS. Suleiman Bouhata (8-3-0), France

Round 1: Bouhata lands a right hand in close quarters and is pressed to the fence by Nyyssönen. Nyyssönen secures the single leg, then as Bouhata struggles to his feet, secures control of his back. Nyyssönen grabs ahold of the leg and drags the Frenchman down, but manages to do nothing from within his guard. The Frenchman attempts to take a triangle, then slides to steal the arm after it’s failure. The armbar falls through and Bouhata attempts the omoplata, but the attempt is half-hearted as Bouhata sees an escape to the feet. Bouhata attempts a standing guillotine and it’s tight but the Finn makes it clear he will have none of that and takes Bouhata to the ground where he struggles for a kimura. The struggle is fierce but Bouhata keeps his arm unbroken and gets to the feet. A right hand lands for the Frenchman as the round closes.

Round 2: A right hook lands for Bouhata and he presses forward, missing with the highkick. Nyyssönen runs him to the other side of the cage, then grabs his legs and dumps him. Bouhata struggles for position and eventually takes the Finn’s back, but even so Nyyssönen manages to stand up and escape. Jab followed by a stuffed takedown attempt for Nyyssönen, but he will not be denied. Nyyssönen picks up the Frenchman, and takes him for a ride before slamming him to the mat and stealing side control. Bouhata forces him into half-guard, Nyyssönen’s pressure makes the attempt appear half-hearted as he moves Bouhata and takes his back. Nyyssönen pushes Bouhata against the cage, grinding his face, picks him up again, and drops him hard. Bouhata escapes, however and lands a jumping kick. A failed takedown puts Bouhata briefly in mount, by Nyyssönen is up and out in no-time and avenging with a successful takedown.

Decision: The wrestling and control of Nyyssönen proved too much for the Frenchman and Mikael Nyyssönen takes the victory by way of unanimous decision.

Women Flyweight: Tina Lähdemäki (4-0-0), Finland VS. Karla Benitez (10-4-0, 1 NC), Spain

• Tina Lähdemäki dominated her foe, Karla Benitez, who eventually was laid to slumber by an armtriangle choke.

The Spaniard emerges to Pink Floyd, all energy and intent. Her face says ‘We don’t need no introduction’. Lähdemäki however emerges to Eminem, all bass and head bobbing in bubblegum pink shorts.

Round 1: Touch of gloves and a flurry of 3 right hands from Lähdemäki, who pushes the Spaniard to the fence in search of a takedown. The Finn is landing short knees to the thigh, but Benitez is attempting short punches of her own. Lähdemäki  takes the back of Benitez and attempts to drop and take the back, but Benitez holds the fence and obtains the top position briefly before Lähdemäki is up and pushing her to the fence. Another flurry from Lähdemäki  pushes Benitez to the fence and the Finn secures a takedown, landing on top and transitioning into mount. Lähdemäki postures up and throws shots from the top to the applause of the Finnish crowd. Lähdemäki is pumping right hands, then takes what she’s given with an arm triangle that is tight. Lähdemäki is cinching it shut and the Spaniard goes to sleep near the end of the very first round.

Tina Lähdemäki wins by arm-triangle submission, Round 1.

LW:  Teemu Packalen (3-0-0), Finland VS. Damien Lapilus (5-2-0, 1 NC), French

Round 1: A touch of gloves in the center and Packalen throws a front kick, then pressures the Frenchman across the cage and pins him to the fence. Another front kick as they separate and the two fight for position against the cage. Lapilus throws a right-left combo and then stuffs a takedown from Packalen who shoves Lapilus to the fence and lands a series of solid knees. Packalen takes the center and is diving on takedowns. Packalen is stuffed but takes a leg while he’s low and forces the tap via heelhook at 2 minutes and 44 seconds of round 1.

BW: Janne Elonen-Kulmala (7-4-0), Finland VS. Salah Elkas (3-2-0), France

Round 1: Elonen-Kulmala takes the center early then takes a stiff left hook to give a right hand. As Elkas swings with a hard left Elonen-Kulmala ducks under and puts the Frenchman to the mat. Hard left lands on the chin of Elkas as Elonen-Kulmala applies pressure. Elonen-Kulmala escapes to half guard and looks to advance the position as he throws left hands to the body and head of Elkas. Elonen-Kulmala takes side control briefly but finds himself in an open halfguard as he looks for a heavy left hand. Punishing lefts to the body land for Elonen-Kulmala and just as quickly as the Frenchman covers up his body, Elonen-Kulmala goes to the head with beating lefts. Right elbows landing to the head of Elkas and he doesn’t seem to have an escape or transition in the works. Elonen-Kulmala attempts to take the leg of Elkas but the Frenchman utilizes this opportunity to steal positional control of his own. The bell rings with Elkas in sidecontrol.

Round 2: Elonen-Kulmala once again takes the center and appears to be searching for the takedown. The Finn throws a kick that glances the knee of Elkas, who throws a straight right which falls short. Elkas throws a looping right but Elonen-Kulmala times it and ducks under for the takedown, landing safely in the Frenchman’s guard. The Finn presses Elkas into the corner but can’t seem to accomplish much besides making the Frenchman uncomfortable. Finally the Finn is placing left and right elbows and postures up to drop the hammer with a big left hand. Looping lefts now landing for the Finn, followed by short right elbows and an arcing left elbow which smashes against the brow of the Frenchman. Elonen-Kulmala stands and then drops down, landing a left hand. The round closes with Elonen-Kulmala displaying dominance from the top position.

Round 3: The Frenchman, Elkas, once again ranging punches from the outside before being taken down by the stronger Finn. Elonen-Kulmala’s shot cannot be stopped, but Elkas rises against the fence to be placed in a modified guillotine, which he escapes, and places Elonen-Kulmala on his side. The two struggle for position and the Finn takes Elkas’ back, but only briefly as the Frenchman slides out and takes sidecontrol. Elkas drops hard elbows with nasty intent, possibly remembering those elbows placed by the Finn in round two. Elonen-Kulmala is up, briefly, then trips and is mounted by Elkas. Elonen-Kulmala digs deep and manages to get standing before being taken down again, only able to muster what limited safety sidecontrol offers in comparison to mount. After a struggle the positions switch as Elonen-Kulmala transitions out, but no damange is done before the end of the round.

Decision: Unanimous Decision victory for Janne Elonen-Kulmala.

WW: Juho Valamaa (5-2-0), Finland VS. Romain Perras (4-1-0), France

Round 1: A touch of gloves and Perras is attacking ferociously with hooks and uppercuts, but Valamaa keeps his cool, takes Perras down in the center of the cage and begins to smash his skull with elbows from mount. Blood now coursing down the forehead of Perras, and the Frenchman gives his back. Valamaa s all over him, searching for the rear naked choke. The arm isn’t on the throat, but Valamaa tightens down anyway, crushing the lower jaw of Perras. Perras wiggles and eats right hands as he sidles toward the fence, and Valamaa takes mount again. Perras attempts to push him off, and Valamaa decides to take the arm of Perras home with him, extending it in an armbar that secures a frantic tap from the Frenchman.

FW:  Makwan Amirkhani (9-1-0), Finland VS. Adam Ward (11-6-0), USA

It would appear that Amirkhani has emerged with an entourage of rappers, who are performing live while his opponent, Adam Ward, eagerly awaits his presence in the cage.

Round 1: Ward, the American, rapidly takes the center of the cage, feeling out Amirkhani with jabs before smashing his body with a kick, and taking the Finn to the ground. Short elbows by the American on top, who begins to pepper the Finn’s ribs with short punches. Amirkhani is up and American attempts another takedown but is stuffed by the Finn, who briefly seemed to consider a knee to the head of his grounded opponent. Ward, however, has different plans and takes the Finn down, taking side control and throwing leather. Amirkhani attempts a knee bar, but the American rolls out, and once again takes side control, smashing his knee into the side of Amirkhani like a battering ram. Amirkhani manages to put the American back in his guard, and the crowd erupts. Ward finishes the round on top.

Round 2: Low kick from Ward opens the round, followed by an upkick and a reaching punch that falls short. Ward is pushed towards the fence, and tags the body of Amirkhani with a front kick before fending off the takedown and securing one of his own after a failed kneebar attempt. Ward settles into side control and begins to knee the body of the Finn. The referee calls for action, then stand the bout up. Amirkhani shoots for a takedown, which is stuffed. The American sends knees to the body of Amirkhani with his back against the fence, but the Finn once more reaches for the leg, attempting and failing to submit Ward. They roll, and Ward ends up on top, in half guard, throwing right hands and elbows to the head of Amirkhani, who has his back to the fence. Amirkhani is once more attacking the leg of The American, to no avail, as Ward rides out the round with Amirkhani still pursuing.

Round 3: Amirkhani opens the round with big right hands, but fails on the takedown, and appears feigning to be out of breath, with hands on knees to bait the headkick from Ward. Ward, however, has other plans and secures a takedown, landing in the guard of Amirkhani, then swiftly obtaining open halfguard. Ward now attempting to climb forward into mount, but after a failed transition accepts open halfguard and the opportunity to rain elbows down on the Finn. Ward with heavy rights to the short ribs followed by a right elbow to the head of Amirkhani. The ref calls for action, then once more stands the fight up. Amirkhani is throwing hard leather, but missing his shots, specifically a huge uppercut which fell short. Ward ducks under a punch and takes down the Finn, throwing a hard right to the short ribs followed by a hard right to the head. Ward now roaring at his enemy as he pours on the offense. The bell sounds and the American offers a show of sportsmanship, which is accepted graciously by Amirkhani.

Decision: Adam Ward achieves victory via Unanimous Decision.

Post-Fight Ward attempts to procure a kiss from one of the Ring Girls, but is denied. Ward stated he knew he must fend off heelhooks from Amirkhani, and is now ready to party.

BW: Timo-Juhani Hirvikangas (7-2-0), Finland VS. Niko Gjoka (9-7-0), England

Round 1: Gjoka opens with solid kicks, and a heavy right hand, pushing Hirvikangas to the cage, landing a right kick to the body, then a spinning back kick in the opposite direction. Hirvikangas, however answers with a heavy left hand and an attempt at a wheel kick and spinning back fist of his own, which fall short. Gjoka with heavy kicks to the thigh of the Finn. Gjoka kicking to  the inside of the leg. Gjoka moves forward with a pumping left hand then attempts a takedown on the cage, but is quickly locked in a guillotine by the Finn, who secures the tap from his English opponent.

Winner by Submission at 2 minutes and 24 seconds of the very first round, Timo-Juhani Hirvikangas.

LHW Cage title fight: Marcus “Caveman” Vänttinen (23-5-0), Finland VS. Charles Andrade (25-13-0, 1 NC), Brazil

Round 1: A touch of gloves and Andrade immediately secures the takedown. Andrade latches on to an arm-in guillotine from the top position and presses the back of Vänttinen to the cage. Vänttinen attempts to spin out, and the Brazilian takes this opportunity to pull guard. Vänttinen holds on, and squeezes out to throw standing shots at the prone Andrade. Vänttinen throws a stiff right then drops into the guard of the Brazilian. The Brazilian launches elbows from the bottom to the crown of the head of Vänttinen, who stands up, and drops into a punch to land once more in the guard of Andrade. Andrade attempts to secure and arm, but fails and ends up with Vänttinen on top of him in halfguard, dropping elbows. Vänttinen stands, and drops a huge right hand to the chin of Andrade who akes the leg of the Finn and attempts to secure a submission, failing to do so before the end of the round.

Round 2: Vänttinen takes the center early, and hits Andrade with a kick to the body. Vänttinen circles out of the center and lands a flying crane kick to the body of the Brazilian, pushing him to the cage and following with right hands. Vänttinen chases Andrade to the mat, where the Brazilian stays as Vänttinen enters his guard. The ref calls for action and Vänttinen responds with the sound of his right elbow on the skull of Andrade. Vänttinen now dragging the Brazilian to the center and obtaining half guard. The Finn won’t let the pressure up, and drops an elbow or two to the head of Andrade before pushing him to the cage, where the round ends.

Round 3: The two fighters touch gloves, but seconds before the start of the round Andrade has his hands on his knees panting. Vänttinen hardly searches for the takedown but Andrade gives it to him. Vänttinen stands and Andrade upkicks, then surges forward with  takedown attempt of his own. Vänttinen kicks the shoulder as he comes in, but cannot stop the takedown attempt and finds himself beneath Andrade. Andrade drops down with a heavy hand to the head of Vänttinen, then attempts an armbar, but Vänttinen rolls out and takes to top position again. Andrade attempts a leglock, but Vänttinen steps out before reengaging from a combination of back and sidecontrol. Vänttinen throws knees to the back, missing the spine. Andrade shrimp escapes away and takes the top position, but Vänttinen fights him off, and escapes a last ditch guillotine effort from the Brazilian as the bell sounds.

 Your winner by split decision and Cage Light Heavyweight Champion Marcus ‘Caveman’ Vänttinen.