Cage 19 takes place tonight at the Energia Arena in Espoo, Finland. The fights start at 18.00 EET (17.00 CET)
Here are MMA Viking’s LIVE play-by-play and results from the arena.
Preliminary Fights:
BW: Tuomas Grönvall ( 0-0-1 ) vs Adel Bendjelloul (0-0) France:
R1: Here we go! Bendjelloul with a low kick. Grönvall shoots and gets a takedown. Grönvall tries to pass but Bendjelloul recovers guard. Grönvall passes to half guard, digs deep for a brabo choke and squeezes tight. Bandjelloul tries to wiggle out of it but is forced to tap.
Winner: Grönvall by brabo choke R1 2.19
FW: Aleksi Kainulainen (1-1-0) vs Jere Varila (0-0)
R1: Kainulainen scores a takedown right from the start. Varila with a high guard and looks a triangle. Kainulainen lands few shots and passes to side control. Kainulainen drops couple of knees from side mount. Varila recovers guard. Kainulainen delivering GnP from guard. Ref calls for action and stands them up. Varila lands a hard upper cut but Kainulainen takes him down again and continues with GnP.
R2: Kainulainen scores another takedown right off the bat. Varila quickly spins for an armbar and it looks tight! Kainulainen turns around, defends well and gets out of it. Kainulainen moves to side mount and pins Varila’s left arm with his leg. Hard shots from the top by Kainulainen.
Winner: Kainulainen by UD
WW: Juho Valamaa (2-1-0) vs Abdelghani Idrissi (3-1), France
R1: Idrissi shoots for a takedown but Valamaa snatches his head in a tight guillotine choke. Valamaa drops down for it and chokes Idrissi out cold! Valamaa tells the ref that Idrissi is limb and lets go.
Winner: Valamaa by Guillotine choke R1 0.29
LHW: Antti Kästämä (2-0-0) vs Frederic Levfevre (7-7-0), France
R1: Kästämä lands a hard right hand and takes Levfevre down. Couple of shots from the top and Kästämä lets the Frenchman stand up. Both fighters swinging wildly! Kästämä scores another takedown. Kästämä moves to side mount. Back to the feet. Levfevre lands a knee. Kästämä answers with high kick. Wild striking exchange again with both guys landing. Kästämä pushes forward with strikes and grabs a thai plum. Knees from the clinch by Kästämä. Levfevre looks tired as Kästämä presses him against the fence and lands more knees. Kästämä lands a knee and a hard right hand. Levfere is still in the fight and throws strikes back as the bell goes. Crazy first round!
R2: Kästämä presses forward again with punches and kicks with Levfevre circling around. Kästämä with a stiff jab. Levfevre shoots but Kästämä sprawls and trips him down to the mat. Kästämä lands few jabs and cracking right hand. Levfevre shoots again but ends up in the bottom. Kästämä progresses to side mount but the Frenchman gets back to feet. Both guys connecting on the feet with single punches. Kästämä presses Levfevre against the fence and lands a knee. Levfevre turns and lands a knee of his own. Kästämä throws a flurry of strikes against the fence.
Winner: Kästämä by UD
Main Card:
FW: Marcio Cesar (16-7-0) vs Juan Barrantes (9-6-0), Costa Rica:
R1: Chute Boxe vs Renzo Gracie Team! Cesar lands a nice jab. Barrantes lands a overhand right and looks for a takedown but its not there. Cesar gets a takedown from clinch. Barrantes diving for a deep half guard sweep but Cesar blocks it. Cesar landing single strikes from top. Barrantes turns for an armbar, Cesar defends. Cesar tries to lock a guillotine. Barrantes working from a butterfly guard. Legwar! Both guys digging for heelhooks. Cesar has a toe hold but Barrantes defends. Great first round with a ton of high quality grappling.
R2: Cesar presses Barrantes against the fence. Body punches and knees from Cesar. Barrantes with a three punch combination and low kick. Cesar throws back strikes of his own and pushes Barrantes again to the cage wall. Ref calls for action after wall n stall. Short punches and knees in the clinch from both guys. Ref separates them. Cesar lands a takedown from clinch. Some GnP from top from Cesar. Barrantes goes for an armbar but the arm is slippery. Barrantes looks for a inverted triangle choke as the round ends.
R3: Round starts with a wild striking exchange. Barrantes gets more strikes and Cesar decides to take him down again. Cesar works for a guillotine choke but Barrantes spins out of it. Cesar tries to pass from half guard. Cesar snatches a leg with Barrantes on top. Cesar adjusts between leg locks several times but Barrantes’s defense is rock solid. Barrantes lands hard strikes from top position as Cesar hangs on to the leg. Cesar digs deep for a heel hook with Barrantes punching his ribs.
Winner: Majority draw
LW: Musa Amagov (4-0-0) vs Ott Tõnissaar (6-1-0), Estonia:
R1: Southpaw Amagov takes the center of cage right away. Tonissaar looks nervous on the feet. Tonissaar goes for a single, switches to a double and pushes Amagov to the fence. Amagov throws Tonissaar to the ground and looks for a inverted triangle choke. Tonissaar with a suplex. Amagov gets back to the feet and snatches Tonissaar’s head in a guillotine. Estonian defends and lands few strikes from Amagov’s guard. Amagov turns for an armbar but Tonissaar defends and passes to side mount, then to mount as round ends.
R2: Amagov opens with a high kick that is blocked. Tonissaar shoots for a single but Amagov sprawls. Tonissaar shoots, Amagov locks in a guillotine but Tonissaar pulls his head out. Tonissaar lands a heavy shot from Amagov’s guard. Amagov tries to sweep but Tonissaar maintains top control. Amagov lands a nice up kick. Ref stands them up. Tonissaar shoots and socres another takedown but gets swept by Amagov.
R3: Tonissaar hunts for a takedown but this time Amagov defends well. Estonian doesn’t give up and trips Amagov to the ground. Back to feet. Tonissaar drops down for a kimura from the clinch but Amagov lands on top. Amagov landing strikes from half guard. Tonissaar tries to lock a triangle and then switches to a leg lock. Amagov answers with a heavy punch. Back to feet. Tonissaar trips Amagov down from clinch. Amagov has Tonissaar’s head in a scissor choke. Amagov lands a cracking punch in a scramble. Tonissaar hangs on a single as Amagov rains down punches.
Winner: Ott Tonissaar by SD
FW: Greger Forsell (4-0-1) vs Tommi Marttinen (5-0-0):
R1: Forsell shoots in immediately and pushes Marttinen to the fence. Forsell doesnt get a takedown so he pulls guard. Crazy scrambles on the ground with Marttinen looking for his patented triangle. Dynamic ground game shown by both guys here. Royce Gracie, who sits ring side, must be pleased. Forsell scores another takedown. Back to feet. Marttinen shoots and Forsell tries to get a guillotine. Again back to feet. Marttinen with a takedown. Forsell’s active guard work makes it hard for Marttinen to throw punches from top. Forsell spins for an armbar and it’s close but Marttinen postures up and gets the arm out.
R2: Few striking exchanges on the feet and Forsell takes the fight to the ground again. Forsell passes and moves on the mount. Excellent control by the BJJ black belt. Marttinen turns with Forsell taking his back. Forsell now has a body triangle from back mount. Marttinen turns to Forsell who still has a tight body triangle locked in. Forsell punishing Marttinen with strikes. Marttinen finally gets free from the body triangle and gets top position. Again Forsell’s guard work make it impossible for Marttinen to attack. Ref stands them up. Forsell with another slick takedown and pass to side mount. Knee on belly and punches from Forsell.
R3: Couple of seconds and the fight hits the floor with Forsell on top again. Forsell gets back mount with both hooks in. Forsell now has backmount with a body triangle. Heavy punches from Forsell. Forsell gets a yellow card from strikes to the back of the head. Forsell again relentless with his takedown attempts and gets one. Forsell showing off his superb grappling skills and takes the back. Marttinen is bleeding from his nose as Forsell pounds his head from back mount. Marttinen turns and spins but Forsell is stuck to him like glue. Forsell looking for a rear naked choke again and again. This one looks tight but Marttinen gets out of it. Awesome grappling fest, crowd gives loud applause as the fight ends!
Winner: Forsell by UD
WW: Kai Puolakka (7-3-0) vs Johan Vänttinen (7-2-0):
R1: Vänttinen opens with a low kick. Vänttinen shoots in, Puolakka snatches his head in a guillotine. Vänttinen pops his head out. Puolakka lands a stiff knee from clinch. Vänttinen with a short elbow. Vänttinen drops down for a takedown but Puolakka defends and throws Vänttinen to the ground. Heavy right hand from Puolakka. Vänttinen gets back to feet, shoots in and gets reversed again by Puolakka. Ref separetes them. Vänttinen lands a stinging low kick but Puolakka pushes forward with strikes and clinches Vänttinen against the fence.
R2: Quick striking exchange and then back to clinch work against the wall. Both guys landing knees. Vänttinen drops down for a double leg but gets blocked. Puolakka with a good knee to solar plexus. Vänttinen throws a high kick that gets blocked. Vänttinen shoots in and we’re back to clinch work. Fighters reversing each other against the fence and throwing knees to the body. Puolakka lands few good shots and Vänttinen shoots in again but the takedown is not there. Gruelling clinch battle continues until the end of round.
R3: Puolakka catches a kick and takes Vänttinen down. Puolakka landing solid strikes from open guard. Back to feet and back to clinch work against the fence. Wild striking exchange on the feet. Vänttinen sprints forward and tries to take Puolakka to the ground but Puolakka showing great TDD. Puolakka lands few strikes and Vänttinen shoots again. Puolakka sprawls and stays on top.
Winner: Puolakka by UD
Cage Featherweight Title Fight: Timo-Juhani Hirvikangas (5-1-0) vs Olivier Pastor (16-11):
R1: Pastor charges forward like a windmill. Hirvikangas keeps his calm and circles away. Pastor attacks again with a wild haymaker but swings in the air. Hirvikangas lands a right hand. Hirvikangas trips Pastor to the ground when the Frenchman throws a knee. Hirvikangas throws multiple shots from half guard. Pastor walks the cage with his feet but Hirvikangas shows excellent positioning and stays on top. Hirvikangas passes to side mount. Hirvikangas postures and lands a right hand.
R2: Pastor opens with a spinning back kick. Hirvikangas lands a stinging right hand. Hirvikangas catches Pastor’s kick and takes him to the floor. Hirvikangas throwing strikes from half guard. Hirvikangas drops down a heavy right hand. Hirvikangas drops on his back for a heel hook but Pastor hides his ankle. Hirvikangas returns to top control. Ref stands them up. Pastor signals to touch gloves but throws a cheap shot kick. Clinch work against the fence with Pastor throwing knees to Hirvikangas legs. Good striking exchanges on the feet as the round ends.
R3: Pastor with a 1-2 to Hirvikangas guard. Pastor lands a hard low kick but gets countered by Hirvikangas’s punch. Pastor sweeps Hirvikangas to the floor with a low kick. Hirvikangas slips as Pastor lands a left hook. Pastor lands another hard low kick. Both guys looking gassed. Pastor presses Hirvikangas against the fence and throws knees to his legs. Hirvikangas doesn’t have any energy left as the Frenchman punishes him with short punches and knees.
Winner: Pastor by SD
