CAGE 42 is happening at the House of Culture in Helsinki. MMA Viking is cageside to provide live updates of the card headlined by Anton Kuivanen and featuring Olli Santalahti. Get all your live updates here.
Jani Hägg (1-1) vs. Markus Rytöhonka (3-2-1)
Round 1 – Rytöhonka lands a straight right in the start, Hägg unfazed. Rytöhonka continues with a flying knee and lands it as well.
Hägg pushes Rytöhonka against the cage and tries to get a takedown, but does not succeed. Rytöhonka turns things around and now Hägg against the cage kneeing his opponent to the body.
Hägg manages to hit Rytöhonka with a knee whilst his back against the cage, but soon Rytöhonka comes up with a flurry of punches and follows it up with a solid takedown. Soon both fighters standing and Hägg again against the cage.
Hägg has a big cut under his eye and it’s bleeding. As there is only 45 seconds left in the round Rytöhonka gets another take down. He lands a massive shot from above and it connects to the chin of Hägg.
Round 2 – Right in the start Rytöhonka ducks under Hägg’s punch and gets another takedown. This only lasts for a couple of seconds though. Yet another takedown follows by Rytöhonka, this time with hip throw. Rytöhonka punishes Hägg with elbows from top position. Now half guard. Rytöhonka pushes forward, but Hägg forces him to full guard. Hägg strikes with elbows from below, Rytöhonka lands a couple of strikes as well.
Hägg tryiung to tie his opponent, but Rytöhonka keeps on with the ground and pound. Hägg turns his back to Rytöhonka yet manages to stand up with this risky tactic. Rytöhonka pushing Hägg against the cage, Hägg threatening with a guillotine choke. Rytöhonka denies this, and takes his opponent down to the mat.
Round 3 – Hägg with a successful kick to the leg to start the round. Pushes Rytöhonka against the cage and gets a double leg TD for a short moment only. Rytöhonka stands up, but Hägg lands a crisp straight right. Rytöhonka gets both underhooks and soon takes Hägg down.
Rytöhonka advances to half guard and keeps on striking from this position. Back to full guard and Hägg uses the wall to walk. Rytöhonka is taking none of this and pushes Hägg’s head against the cage and soon strikes multiple times from top. Both fighters seem exhausted, but Rytöhonka keeps on raining down punishment to the head of Hägg. In the very end Rytöhonka moves to the side of Hägg and attempts a side choke, but the round ends.
Winner: Rytöhonka by unanimous decision
Mikko Ahmala (6-4) vs. Vojtech Garba (3-1)
Round 1 – Garba lands with a jab, Ahmala returns fire with a high kick to the upper body. Garba now with a couple of low kicks and soon Ahmala lands a nasty overhand right to the head of Garba.
Ahmala lands a kick to the body and soon another. Garba again with the strong leg kicks. Ahmala attempts to land an uppercut from range, but Garba sees this and lands a jab of his own.
At the end of the round it seems Ahmala might have injured his leg and is soon taken down by Garba. Round ends soon after his.
Round 2 – Ahmala starts with a body kick and now pushes forward. Garba again with low kicks, but does not land. Ahmala with a massive flurry of punches and forces Garba against the cage. Soon Ahmala shoots and gets the takedown. Garba scrambles after this, but Ahmala attacks with a heel hook. Garba defends well and is soon in top position.
Ahmala sweeps and attacks with a knee bar! Again Garba defends well, but Ahmala scrambles well and takes back mount. Soon, however Ahmala is on the mat and Garba is on top of him kicking to the legs. Ahmala is in serious pain and there is definitely something wrong with his left leg as assumed earlier.
Fight ends and doctor rushes in with Ahmala’s cornermen.
Winner: Garba by TKO
Toni Lampinen (2-2) vs. Roberto Aliaj (6-2)
Round 1 – Aliaj starts off with a powerful overhand right. Lampinen goes for three low kicks, and Aliaj shoots for a takedown.
Lampinen sees this coming and attacks the neck with a guillotine. Whoa! This one is over, just like that! Just over a minute is all it lasted.
Winner: Lampinen by guillotine choke
Suvi Salmimies (7-5-1) vs. Pámela Aguirre (5-2)
Round 1 – Salmimies pressing forward early on, Aguirre jumps to guard but Salmimies still standing and carrying her. Salmimies lowers her opponent to the mat and strikes from top. Aguirre attacks with a heel hook, Salmimies defends but gives her back.
Aguirre pushes Salmimies against the cage, Salmimies throws some elbows from difficult position. Salmimies controlling the trades in the stand up landing constantly.
Salmimies pushes her opponent against the wall and controls the underhooks. Aguirre pulls guard from standing again and grabs Salmimies’ heel. Soon both up and Aguirre shoots for a single leg takedown, but Salmimies stuffs it. Salmimies gets the top position and delivers nasty strikes to the face of Aguirre.
Round ends with Salmimies punishing Aguirre with strikes and elbows from top as her corner calls for more significant strikes.
Round 2 – Early in the round Aguirre pulls guard, but Salmimies does not commit. Aguirre stands up but repeats the guard pull. This time Salmimies follows and makes her opponent pay for this tactic with nasty strikes.
Aguirre is clearly looking for submissions constantly, but so far Salmimies is paying attention to this well and listening to her corner.
After a scramble Salmimies gets a dominant position and is able to attack with an armbar and when Aguirre defends it, she switches to ground and pound. This is too much punishment and it seems like her opponent is forced to tap. It’s a bit unclear whether it was due to the armbar or the GnP, but referee steps in and stops the fight. Salmimies submits her opponent, who is a black belt in BJJ (Salmimies a blue belt herself).
Winner: Salmimies by armbar
Patrik Pietilä (8-6) vs. Niko Myllynen (7-6)
Round 1 – Myllynen with a low kick, lands it. Pietilä lands two of his own, soond both engage in a flurry but Myllynen lands better. Connects to the head of Pietilä but is soon pushed against the cage. Pietilä lands some knees from the clinch.
Myllynen now connecting with jabs and low kicks, Pietilä moving backwards. Pietilä soon lands a crisp straight right and continues with a strike to the body of Myllynen. Myllynen lands a jab twice and is now pushing the pace.
Myllynen controlling the centre of the cage and forces Pietilä to mova backwards constantly. Soon Myllynen lands a couple, but Pietilä counters with solid shots as well.
Pietilä shoots, but is not able to get his opponent to the ground immediately. In the very end Pietilä drags Myllynen down, but round ends immediately. Very even match thus far.
Round 2 – Pietilä now pushing forward, but Myllynen lands a strong straight right. Pietilä shoots and gets a takedown. He enters the mount and goes for short strikes. After a while Myllynen manages to stand up, but is pushed against the cage.
Now fighters in the centre of the cage, both landing strikes. Pietilä again with a take down attempt, grinding his opponent against the cage. Myllynen reverses the position and soon they are striking again. Myllynen kicks Pietilä’s feet from under him, but somehow Pietilä is soon again on top of him. Round ends in this position.
Round 3 – Myllynen with kicks to the legs of Pietilä. Soon lands some more and switches to high kick and it lands! This knocks Pietilä down, but he is very soon up again.
Pietilä now grinding his opponent against the wall again and Myllynen is trying his best not to get taked down. Referee soon resets the position due to lack of activity.
Myllynen clearly the more energetic and aggressive fighter at this point. Pietilä shoots again, Myllynen defends against the cage and soon they separate again. Myllynen lands a couple of good ones and gets a dominant position in the ground locking Pietilä’s head and goes for ground and pound.
In the very end of the round Pietilä regains dominant position, but no take down. Fight ends.
Winner: Pietilä by unanimous decision
Olli Santalahti (6-2) vs. Roman Dik (5-1)
Round 1
Dik misses a jab, Santalahti returns fire with a strike to the midsection. Soon Santalahti goes for a fake overhand right and shoots simultaneously for legs. Dik stuffs it. Dik pushes Santalahti against the cage, but soon both in the middle again. Santalahti now lands some hard low kicks and then swithces to high kick which lands to the hands of Dik.
Soon Santalahti gets a takedown, Dik ties him up from below. Dik pushes Santalahti up with legs, but Santalahti strikes hard from top and then soon they are up. Santalahti shoots, gets the back immediately and sinks in a deep RNC. Dik taps, but referee does not see this. Soon, however ref steps in and stops the fight. Quick work from the Turku based prospect.
Winner: Santalahti by rear naked choke
Anton Kuivanen (24-10-0) vs. Junior Maranhão (16-6)
Round 1 – Maranhão starts with a front kick to the legs of the Finn. Kuivanen kicks Maranhão to the mid, but the Brazilian grabs the leg of Kuivanen.
Maranhão seems to be looking for a couple of oblique kicks, but these miss. He soon lands a light low kick.
Kuivanen lands a 1-2, but Maranhão seems unfazed. Soon Kuivanen lands a huge kick to the stomach of Maranhão, who then lands with a couple of strikes to the head of Kuivanen. Both fighters also attempt a head kick, but neither land.
Maranhão lands a sort of a superman punch and soon a spinning kick with his back leg. Kuivanen eats the cookie, and soon slams his opponent to the mat from very high. Both fighters up fast and in the very end Maranhão lands a combination and ends it with a knee to the body of Kuivanen. Top quality MMA this!
Round 2 – In the start of the round Kuivanen lands a solid strike to the head, but Maranhão shakes his finger in denial. Soon Kuivanen takes Maranhão down who is constantly threatening with leg locks as Kuivanen is still standing up.
Kuivanen moves to ground now and half guard is established. Kuivanen dropping elbows from top and now takes left underhook in the ground. Soon Maranhão attempts an upkick, but Kuivanen sees this and avoids it. Kuivanen strikes from top while standing, but Maranhão smells an opportunity and sweeps the Finn by grabbing his ankles and tripping him.
Both fighters up, but only for a moment as Kuivanen lifts Maranhão airborne and slams him down hard. Round ends with Kuivanen’s ground and pound. The atmosphere is loud and the crowd seems very pleased.
Round 3 – Kuivanen starts with a kick to the lead leg of Maranhão. Maranhão returns fire with same attack.
Both fighters pumping jab, neither landing. Soon Maranhão connects and Antonen is definitely rocked and is knocked down. The Finn however manages a takedown in survival mode and soon the cob webs are history. Kuivanen now striking from top and controlling his opponent well with solid ground game.
Maranhão survives and gets a full guard now. Soon Kuivanen passes the guard and takes the side of the back of his opponent. One hook in, but Maranhão reverses and both are standing. Kuivanen gets a single leg takedown as Maranhão threatens with a kimura, but this one is over as the horn sounds. Kuivanen does not notice the sound and keeps on striking his opponent for a couple of seconds. Fight ends.
Winner: Kuivanen by unanimous decision
Good night folks, this one is in the books!
Photos by Jarno Juutinen.
