WFC 21: Nazarov vs. Sobral PBP Commentary

Undercard bout

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Cus Tomato (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ryan Miller (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Miller is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by The Black Angels. Ryan Miller is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Tomato
vs
Miller

178 cm
22
175 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

179 cm
24
179 lbs
5 - 5 - 0

Decent wrestler
World class MT
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Cus Tomato!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 5 - 0, fighting out of New York, Ryan Miller!
The judges for this bout are Robert Twigg, Gwen Towbar and Frank Dennis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Miller throws a looping overhand right but Tomato ducks down to avoid it.
Miller tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Miller tries to clinch up but Tomato circles away and keeps his distance.
Tomato fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Miller on the side of the head.
Miller wants to clinch.
Miller scores with a slapping inside leg kick.

Miller has closed the distance and engaged Tomato in a clinch.
Tomato throws a head punch that misses.
Tomato looking to stall.
Miller displaying some good clinch control by pressing Tomato up against the cage.
Tomato taking a breather.
Tomato wants to break the clinch but can't.
Miller is trying to stall.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tomato tries to land knees in the clinch but Miller avoids the damage to the body.
Miller tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Tomato's elbow.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Miller scores with a shoulder strike.
Miller blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Miller scores with a shoulder strike.
Miller dodges an elbow strike from Tomato.
Miller misses with the head strike.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Miller fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Tomato tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Miller avoids it.
Tomato is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Miller is defending well for now.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Miller.
I was talking to Tomato's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Miller.
Tomato pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Miller lands on the inside with an uppercut.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Miller.
Tomato is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Tomato blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Miller lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Tomato blocks an uppercut.
Miller misses with a hook from the clinch.
Tomato lands a good knee to the midsection. Miller won't want to take too many of those.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Tomato stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Miller misses with a punch on the inside.
Miller tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Tomato pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Tomato tries to stall but Miller uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
With the fighters up against the cage, Tomato throws an elbow but misses.
Tomato misses with an elbow strike.
Miller is trying to maintain a safe position but Tomato gets an underhook and turns Miller into the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Miller is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Tomato is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Miller pressing his opponent against the cage.
Tomato throws a head punch that misses.
Tomato throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Miller blocks it with crossed arms.
Miller fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Miller prevents a body shot from Tomato.
Miller prevents Tomato from breaking the clinch.
Miller displaying some good clinch control by pressing Tomato up against the cage.
Miller misses with a punch on the inside.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Tomato.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tomato is looking to control Miller's arms but Miller gets an underhook and turns him. Now Tomato has his back to the cage.
Tomato throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Miller blocks it with crossed arms.
Miller has been looking to improve his clinch game in recent weeks. Tomato seems to have the measure of him in the clinch so far, so let's see if Miller can turn it around.
Miller avoiding damage as Tomato throws knees to the body.
Miller tries a body shot but Tomato blocks it.
Tomato blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Miller slowing the pace effectively.
Tomato slowing the pace effectively.
Miller doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Tomato is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Miller blocks an elbow strike from Tomato.
Tomato is trying to break the clinch but Miller is controlling him.
Tomato looking to throw knees to the head but Miller is blocking nicely.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Miller lands a right hand that snaps the head of Tomato backwards.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Miller takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Tomato is looking to control Miller's arms but Miller gets an underhook and turns him. Now Tomato has his back to the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Ryan Miller will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Miller fails with the takedown.
Miller missing with a left hand there. Tomato was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Tomato thows a body kick. Miller tries to catch it but that hurt him.
Miller scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Miller swinging wildly here.
Tomato throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Miller takes one to the chin there.
Tomato looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Tomato dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Tomato throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Miller counters with a stiff right hand.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Tomato throws a head kick that half lands.

Miller rushes Tomato and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Miller blocks an elbow strike.
Tomato throws an elbow but it misses.
Tomato is struggling to control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Miller lands a right hand.
Tomato lands a right hand.
Miller stalling in the clinch.
Cus Tomato has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Miller avoids the elbow strike from Tomato, against the cage.
Tomato dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Miller controlling the action here for a moment.
A short body shot lands from Miller as the two fighters clinch.
Tomato looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Tomato.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Miller misses with a punch on the inside.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Miller avoids the elbow strike from Tomato, against the cage.
Tomato taking a breather.
Miller taking a breather.
Tomato is working Miller over against the cage.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Miller avoids a wild elbow strike from Tomato.
Tomato tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Miller avoids it.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Tomato.
Miller is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Tomato blocks an uppercut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
With the fighters up against the cage, Tomato throws an elbow but misses.
Tomato misses with a knee strike.
Miller misses with a hook from the clinch.
Tomato misses with a punch to the body.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Miller.
Miller is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Miller lands a hook to the side of the head.
Tomato controlling the action here for a moment.
Tomato trying to stall but Miller improves his position.
Miller misses with the head strike.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Tomato just misses with a elbow thrown towards Miller's brow.
Miller prevents a body shot from Tomato.
Miller blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Miller dodges an elbow strike from Tomato.
Miller misses with some punches.
Miller misses with a hook from the clinch.
Miller digs a right hand into Tomato's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Tomato's gas tank.
Tomato swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Miller pushes Tomato back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Miller lands a right hand that snaps the head of Tomato backwards.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Miller blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Miller throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Miller lands a body punch.

Tomato breaks from the clinch.

Miller decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Miller sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Tomato defending well though.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Miller content to control rather than advance.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Miller wants to lay and pray for a moment but Tomato keeps working.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Ryan Miller will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Miller tries to close the distance and clinch up but Tomato swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Tomato scores with a jab.
Miller closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Miller takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Tomato scores with the left hand. Miller knows he should have avoided that one.
Miller closes the distance and clinches up with Tomato, looking for a takedown. Miller pushes Tomato against the cage but Tomato circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Miller fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Tomato avoids it really well and circles away.
Cus Tomato is winning the standup battle so far.

Miller closes the distance and clinches.
Tomato is trying to stall.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Miller lands a left hand that snaps the head of Tomato backwards.
Tomato is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Miller throws an elbow but it misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tomato pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Tomato blocks an elbow strike.
Miller leaning against his opponent.
Tomato misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Miller.
Miller dodges an elbow strike from Tomato.
Miller swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Tomato pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Miller is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Miller letting Tomato take a breather here.
Tomato stalling in the clinch but Miller improves position.
Miller is looking to control Tomato's arms but Tomato gets an underhook and turns him. Now Miller has his back to the cage.
Miller working some nice short punches in the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tomato has had enough of the clinch but Miller keeps him there for the moment.
Tomato is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Miller is defending well for now.
A head punch on the inside from Miller fails to land.
Tomato throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Miller blocks it with crossed arms.
Miller has a couple of punches blocked by Tomato.
Miller trying to stall but Tomato improves his position.
Miller manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Miller scores with a shot to the side of Tomato's head.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Miller misses with a hook to the ribs.
Miller fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Miller throws a punch but it's blocked by Tomato.
Tomato blocking some punches.
Miller avoids a wild elbow strike from Tomato.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Miller doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Miller swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Miller has a couple of punches blocked by Tomato.
With the fighters up against the cage, Miller throws an elbow but misses.
Tomato lands a knee to the body.
Miller misses with a short punch on the inside.
Miller misses with a short punch on the inside.
Miller trying to stall but Tomato improves his position.
Tomato throws an elbow that misses.
Miller working aggressively here.
Tomato throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Miller blocks it with crossed arms.
Ryan Miller is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tomato misses with an elbow strike.
Miller avoiding damage as Tomato throws knees to the body.
Miller avoids the elbow strike from Tomato, against the cage.
Cus Tomato has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Tomato missing with knees to the body.
Tomato tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Miller avoids it.
Tomato is trying to stall.
Tomato misses with a hook from the clinch.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Miller misses with the head strike.

And that's the end of the fight!
Cus Tomato showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Miller has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 28:29
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 28:29
Judge Frank Dennis scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ryan Miller!
A very excited looking Ryan Miller made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
73%

Undercard bout

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Tom Pope (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Timmy Turner (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Tom Pope had a look across the cage there at his opponent. He definitely means business

Pope
vs
Turner

169 cm
22
145 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

174 cm
19
143 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Counter fighter
Powerful

KAISER

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Tom Pope!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Timmy Turner!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, Stewart Dunkirk and Cecil Peabody.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Pope clinches with his opponent.
Pope prevents the takedown attempt.
Pope can't break the clinch.

Turner breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Pope has closed the distance and engaged Turner in a clinch.
Turner working hard to break the clinch.
Turner is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
A nice left hand lands by Turner.
Turner is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Pope gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Tom Pope has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Timmy Turner.

Pope breaks from the clinch.
Pope lands with a kick to the ribs.
Pope tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Turner manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Donk. Pope catches Turner right on the button with a cross.
A solid body kick from Pope.
Turner has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Pope has taken the fight to the clinch.
Pope misses with a shot to the kidneys.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Turner tries to score a body lock takedown but Pope shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Turner misses with a hook from the clinch.
Pope lands an uppercut.
Pope presses Turner against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Turner is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Pope is defending well.
Turner scores with a shot to the side of Pope's head.
Turner swings wildly with an uppercut but Pope uses good head movement to avoid it.
Turner wants to take the fight to the mat but Pope manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Turner works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Turner swings wildly with an uppercut but Pope uses good head movement to avoid it.

Pope breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Turner takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Turner tries to clinch but Pope moves out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pope scores with a jab to the body.

Pope clinches with his opponent.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Pope's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Pope tries to close the distance and clinch but Turner swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Pope lands a nice shot that snaps Turner's head back.
We've been hearing reports that Pope has been drilling takedowns in recent sessions so let's see if that has an impact on the result of this fight.

Pope closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Turner is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. Pope can't fight it off and eventually Turner manages to take the fight to the floor. Pope looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Turner looking to sit in guard and control but Pope gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Pope is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Turner can do anything to dispel that myth.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Turner bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Pope's guard.
Pope keeping moving, preventing Turner from controlling successfully.
Turner with a flurry of punches that miss.
Pope is adopting a defensive guard.
Pope looking to hit a scissor sweep but Turner is one step ahead there.
Pope working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Turner.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Turner stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Pope swivels though and keeps the full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Turner trying to control but Pope is working from the bottom.
Pope tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Turner slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Pope connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.

Pope rushes Turner and presses him up against the cage.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Turner has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Pope after a bit of a struggle.
A short body shot lands from Pope as the two fighters clinch.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Pope.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tom Pope dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Turner tries to keep at a distance but Pope has taken the fight into the clinch.
Turner drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Pope gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Turner is looking for a takedown.
Turner drops down looking for an ankle pick but Pope pulls his leg out and moves away.
Tom Pope has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Timmy Turner.
Pope is looking to clinch.
Pope misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Pope tries to clinch up but Turner circles away and keeps his distance.
Pope lands with a thumping leg kick.
Pope moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Turner has Pope up against the cage in a clinch.
Good body shot from Pope.
Pope lands a body shot in the clinch.
Turner is trying to drag Pope to the mat but Pope just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Pope throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Turner avoiding damage as Pope throws knees to the body.
Turner is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Pope gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.

Pope breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Turner walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Pope misses with a jab, cross combination.
Pope tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Turner manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pope throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.

Pope pushes Turner up against the cage in a clinch.

Pope's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Pope lands with a straight right. Turner didn't see that one coming.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Pope throws a one two combo.

Turner is rocked!
Pope tries to close the distance and clinch but Turner swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Turner is still on wobbly legs! Can Pope finish him?
Pope lands a big right hand and follows it up with an uppercut. Oh and another big punch and a knee - Turner can't take much more of this! Another big shot to the jaw from Pope and Turner drops to the floor. Beaten and bloodied - he had enough there. A vicious beatdown by Pope.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:34 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Tom Pope!

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
69%

Undercard bout

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Sebastiaan Rutten (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Geri Freki (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Geri Freki will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Rutten
vs
Freki

185 cm
19
240 lbs
5 - 0 - 0

200 cm
24
245 lbs
3 - 5 - 0

Decent wrestler
Lethal high kicks
Cardio machine

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

Affordable Quality + Reliable Laundry

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Sebastiaan Rutten!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Geri Freki!
The judges for this bout are Cecil Peabody, George Francis and Tiny Johnson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Freki lands with a nice combination. Rutten backs away looking to recover.
Rutten misses with a body shot.
Freki will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Rutten takes one to the chin there.
Rutten drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Freki gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Rutten showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Freki.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Rutten slips under a jab.
We've been hearing reports that Rutten has been drilling takedowns in recent sessions so let's see if that has an impact on the result of this fight.
Rutten slips a jab and a cross from Freki.
Freki on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Rutten slips under a jab from Freki.
Rutten scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Freki looks winded!
Rutten connects with a solid leg kick.
Rutten lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Rutten is looking to slow Freki down with leg kicks.
Freki needs to keep his hands up - Rutten had a free shot at his head there.

It looks like Geri Freki has been cut.
Geri Freki seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rutten scores with a leg kick.
Rutten lands a nice leg kick that just misses Freki's sensitive parts.
Freki has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Rutten.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Rutten lands a nice shot to the body.
Rutten scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Freki doesn't seem bothered though.
That kick from Rutten tenderised Freki's leg. Freki is trying to keep his angry face on.
Rutten scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Freki on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Rutten lands a nice leg kick that just misses Freki's sensitive parts.
Rutten lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Rutten scores with a leg kick.
Freki chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Rutten can pounce on him.
Rutten lands a front kick.
Freki takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Rutten dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Freki. That did some damage!
Rutten throws a nasty head kick that just misses. He throws another kick to the head of his opponent and almost takes it off! Freki crumples to the floor and the fight is over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:05 of round 1, we have a winner by way of KO (Head Kick). Sebastiaan Rutten!
Sebastiaan Rutten seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.
The defeated Geri Freki had this to say: 'Where am I?'.

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
100%

Undercard bout

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Ricardo Monteban (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Philipp Kostyrko (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Kostyrko has chosen Fuck Them All as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. I can't wait for this one - let's get the fighter introductions out of the way and get this one started!

Monteban
vs
Kostyrko

165 cm
22
165 lbs
6 - 2 - 0

155 cm
23
155 lbs
9 - 3 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Granite chin

Zipp Zapp

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 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Ricardo Monteban!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Philipp Kostyrko!
The judges for this bout are Chris Downing, George Francis and Frank Dennis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kostyrko rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Monteban moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Kostyrko tries to close the distance and clinch up but Monteban swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Kostyrko attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Monteban keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Kostyrko takes one on the button.
Kostyrko tries to clinch up.
Monteban throws a body shot but no joy.
Kostyrko looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Kostyrko moves to clinch but Monteban breaks away

and Monteban counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Monteban.
Monteban won't allow Kostyrko to sweep him here.
Monteban passes Kostyrko's left leg - he's now in half guard.

Kostyrko looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Monteban is looking to advance position but Kostyrko won't allow it.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Kostyrko is trying to control but can't.
Kostyrko is trying to get back to full guard.
We've been hearing good reports from Monteban's training camp. Apparently he has been rolling around with some good quality BJJ practitioners and has been sharpening his skills. Let's see if that has an impact on the fight today.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kostyrko is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Monteban scores with a couple of nice shots.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Kostyrko tries to get to full guard but Monteban has control of the leg.
Monteban trying to mount his opponent but Kostyrko defends it.
Kostyrko is staying active underneath Monteban, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Kostyrko is looking for a sweep. Monteban is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Kostyrko is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Monteban's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Monteban's back!
Monteban can't escape the position.
Monteban trying to control but he's just got himself in more trouble.
Kostyrko tries to get the hooks in deep but Monteban pushed the leg off.
Monteban tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Monteban regains half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Monteban desperately trying to maintain half guard.
Monteban manages to get to full guard.
Monteban wants to sweep here but Kostyrko controlling him for the moment.

Kostyrko avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Kostyrko must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Kostyrko wants to control from the top but Monteban keeps moving.
Kostyrko postures up.

Monteban looking for a triangle here. Kostyrko is fighting it but it looks tight! Monteban pulls the arm across and this one won't last much longer! Nope, Kostyrko is tapping out - this one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:55 of round 1, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle Choke). Ricardo Monteban!
Ricardo Monteban tried to hype himself up post fight but didn't word it too well and it ended up with him sounding like a bit of a tool.

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
43%

Undercard bout

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Dion Devlin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and BJ Penncil (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Buckle up people - heeeeeeeeeere we go!

Devlin
vs
Penncil

179 cm
21
197 lbs
9 - 3 - 0

173 cm
26
190 lbs
13 - 8 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Granite chin

Good takedowns
Basic striking
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Dion Devlin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 13 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, BJ Penncil!
The judges for this bout are Chris Downing, Robert Twigg and Wesley Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Devlin has managed to clinch.
A nice left hand lands by Devlin.
A short right from Devlin on the inside.
Penncil takes a shot to the head.
Devlin pushes Penncil back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Devlin is working Penncil over against the cage.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Devlin.
Penncil has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Devlin is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Penncil drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Devlin working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
A hook to the body from Devlin.
Devlin scores with a shot to the side of Penncil's head.
Penncil has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Devlin avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Dion Devlin has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of BJ Penncil.
Devlin misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Penncil.
Devlin lands a body punch.
Devlin working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Penncil looks winded!
A nice left hand lands by Devlin.
We can't be sure of the tactics at this early stage but we have heard that Penncil has been working on his takedowns a lot in the buildup to the fight and we can only assume he's going to look to take this to the mat.
Devlin lands on the inside with an uppercut.
I was talking to Devlin's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
A short right from Devlin on the inside.
Nice body punch from Devlin - that landed with a thud.
A nice right hand lands inside from Devlin.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Devlin putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Penncil in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Good body shot from Devlin.
Devlin landing some nice looking knees to the body.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Devlin lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Penncil backwards.
Devlin lands a body punch in the clinch.
Devlin lands a shot to the body.
Devlin lands a left hand.
Penncil's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Devlin is working Penncil over against the cage.
A short uppercut from Devlin.
Still in the clinch, Devlin scores with a nice short uppercut.

Penncil is rocked!
Devlin throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Penncils head.
Penncil is still on wobbly legs! Can Devlin finish him?
Devlin lands a body shot in the clinch.
Devlin lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Penncil takes an elbow to the forehead.
Devlin has the Thai clinch. He lands a big knee to the head that stumbles Penncil - he's in trouble! Another big knee to the head from Devlin, and another! Penncil is out on his feet - the ref jumps in to save him and ends the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:51 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Knees). Dion Devlin!
Dion Devlin was full of energy after the big win and talked about how he thinks he can do big things in this sport. The crowd were appreciative of his determination to succeed.

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
100%

Undercard bout

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Russell Wallace (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mickey Wilson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Wilson is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Drink and Fight. The key to victory for Russell Wallace has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Wallace
vs
Wilson

187 cm
25
254 lbs
7 - 1 - 0

189 cm
25
292 lbs
9 - 3 - 0

Great wrestler
Lethal high kicks
Granite chin

Olympic wrestler
Counter fighter
Good gas tank

VIRAL COMBAT

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Russell Wallace!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Mickey Wilson!
The judges for this bout are Wesley Smith, Daniel Franklin and Frank Dennis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Wilson takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Wallace connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Wilson throws a jab but it's blocked by Wallace.
Wallace takes a swing at Wilson's ribcage but misses.
Wilson dodges the punch combination from Wallace.
Wilson on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Wallace connects with a solid leg kick.
Wallace has been working on his boxing with his coaches at Nelson Fight Camp in the buildup to the fight.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Wallace cracks Wilson with a big right hand that sends him to the floor! Wilson looks wobbly but he's sprung back up to his feet straight away… can Wallace finish him?

Wallace drops Wilson with a hook right on the temple. He thinks about going to the ground but Wilson looks back up at him and smiles so Wallace waves him back to his feet - he obviously thinks he can knock him out after that shot landed.

Wilson is rocked!
Wilson has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Wallace.
Wilson is still on wobbly legs! Can Wallace finish him?
Wallace slips a jab from Wilson.
Wilson seems to have recovered his senses.
Wilson throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Wilson takes a swing at Wallace's ribcage but misses.
A thudding body kick lands there by Wallace!
Wallace scores with a jab to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Wallace throws a monster overhand right that drops Wilson! Wallace follows up with more strikes from mount and the fight is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:09 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Russell Wallace!
A victorious Russell Wallace thanked his army of followers in his post fight interview, telling people to make sure they follow him on Twitter.
The defeated Mickey Wilson had this to say: 'Poop!'.

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
100%

Co-main event

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Haywood Badger (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Viktor Tsoi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Tsoi's choice of entrance music: Zvezda po Imeni Solnce. 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.

Badger
vs
Tsoi

161 cm
25
134 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

169 cm
21
133 lbs
5 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Lethal high kicks
Granite chin

Good takedowns
Lethal high kicks
Good gas tank

VIRAL COMBAT

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the bantamweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Haywood Badger!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Viktor Tsoi!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, Cecil Peabody and Robert Twigg.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Tsoi moves out of range of the leg kick from Badger.
Tsoi on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Tsoi throws a big shot that misses.
Viktor Tsoi seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Badger uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Tsoi.
Badger looks to score with a jab to the body but Tsoi is just out of range.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Tsoi.
Tsoi displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Badger throws out the jab.
Tsoi lands a glancing blow to the side of Badger's head.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Badger lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Tsoi has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Tsoi and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.
Badger misses with a straight left.
Tsoi looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Badger keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Tsoi.
Badger jabs at Tsoi's body.
Tsoi throws out a leg kick but Badger moves out of range and Tsoi only half commits.
Badger does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Badger delivers a nice body kick.

Badger shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Tsoi manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Badger throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Tsoi works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tsoi controls Badger momentarily but Badger frees himself.
Tsoi looking for a sweep. Not yet Tsoi, not yet.
Badger controls from within his opponent's guard.
We've been hearing good reports from Badger's training camp. Apparently he has been rolling around with some good quality BJJ practitioners and has been sharpening his skills. Let's see if that has an impact on the fight today.
Tsoi working a defensive guard but Badger passes into half guard.
Badger is controlling the pace.
Badger trying to control from half guard but Tsoi is working away.
Badger prevents Tsoi from improving his position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tsoi wants to control but Badger is keeping busy.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Badger lands with a kick to the temple. Tsoi shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Badger throws a sloppy head kick and Tsoi moves out of range easily.
Badger has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Tsoi.
A clash of legs there as Tsoi blocks the low kick.
Badger scores with a jab to the jaw.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Badger displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Tsoi throws out the jab.
Tsoi uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Badger.
That kick from Tsoi tenderised Badger's leg. Badger is trying to keep his angry face on.
Badger throws a predictable looking body shot
and Tsoi counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Badger walks forward, straight into a front kick from Tsoi.
A jab from Tsoi does it's job there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tsoi waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Badger.
Badger tests Tsoi's chin there with a solid looking shot.
That kick from Tsoi tenderised Badger's leg. Badger is trying to keep his angry face on.
A kick lands to the mid section there for Tsoi.
Badger takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.

Nice combo by Badger! Oh, that's hurt him - Tsoi falls to the canvas and Badger follows him into side control.

Tsoi is rocked!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Badger happy to just control the position for now.
Tsoi is still in real trouble! Can Badger finish him?
Tsoi tries to buck Badger off but Badger is having none of it.

Badger thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Tsoi seems to have recovered his senses.
Tsoi defending against the ground and pound.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Badger in the domination position with Tsoi hanging on.
Tsoi is not content to let Badger control the position.
You can see the frustration on Tsoi's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Badger staying calm.
Badger advances to full mount.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Badger controlling the pace for now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Haywood Badger dominated that round.
That's time! Badger's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Tsoi cracks the inside of Badger's front leg.
Badger throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Tsoi tries a head kick but it misses.
Badger attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Tsoi swings for the body but Badger moves out of range.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Badger lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Tsoi has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Tsoi and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.
Badger misses with a looping right.
Badger dives in and grabs Tsoi's left leg, looking for a takedown. Tsoi pushes down on Badger's head and hops out.
Badger checks the leg kick.
Badger throws a solid leg kick but Tsoi takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Badger.
Badger moves out of range as Tsoi throws a body kick.
Tsoi avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
A solid leg kick lands there for Tsoi.
Badger misses with a wild body shot.
Nice sprawl there from Tsoi as Badger shoots in.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A good leg kick by Tsoi.
Tsoi dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Badger. That did some damage!
Tsoi scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Tsoi moves into range and lands a nice body kick.
A bone on bone clash there as Badger blocks the leg kick.
Badger digs a good body shot into Tsoi's ribs.
Viktor Tsoi is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Badger throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Badger throws a half hearted mid kick.
Badger scores with a nice strike.
Badger throws a low kick, looking for Tsoi's leg but Tsoi calmly moves out of range.
Tsoi explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.
Tsoi lands a head shot.
Badger is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Badger avoids a kick to the body.
Haywood Badger is winning the standup battle so far.
Badger wants to land a leg kick but Tsoi is out of range.
Tsoi misses with a leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tsoi throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Tsoi motions for Badger to come forward. Tsoi throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Badger takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Badger misses the shot to the body.
Badger throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
A clash of legs there as Tsoi blocks the low kick.
Badger misses with a body shot.
Tsoi takes a swing at Badger's ribcage but misses.
Badger chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Badger turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Tsoi tries a low kick but Badger avoids it.
Badger blocks a leg kick.
Badger bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Badger blocks the body kick.
Badger scores with a body shot.
Tsoi takes one on the button.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tsoi tries to land a leg kick but Badger saw it coming and moves away.
Badger is looking to slow Tsoi down with leg kicks.
Tsoi swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Tsoi.
Tsoi misses with a leg kick.
Tsoi takes a swing at Badger's ribcage but misses.

Badger shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Tsoi napping and manages to drive through into side control!

Badger looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Badger is putting a hurting on Tsoi here, landing some big shots from side control.
Tsoi managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Badger.
Tsoi is trying to control Badger's posture but Badger avoids it.
Tsoi trying to remain calm as Badger controls from the top position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Badger has control of an arm but Tsoi manages to advance to Badger's back!
Tsoi not allowing Badger to control his hands.
Tsoi trying to secure his dominant position for a moment - making sure Badger doesn't escape.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Badger tries to roll but Tsoi sticks to his back.

Tsoi is looking for the choke from the back position but Badger is controlling his hands well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Haywood Badger will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Badger throws a predictable looking body shot
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Tsoi is looking to land body kicks.
Tsoi lands a nice shot that snaps Badger's head back.
Tsoi throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Badger throws a looping overhand right but Tsoi ducks down to avoid it.
Badger misses with a leg kick
and Tsoi connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Badger misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Tsoi.
Tsoi connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Tsoi tries to land a leg kick but Badger saw it coming and moves away.
Badger just misses with a punch to the body.
Tsoi comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Tsoi misses with a hook. Badger ducked under it nicely.
Tsoi misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Badger.
Tsoi bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Badger's head backwards.
Badger throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Tsoi pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Badger throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Tsoi connects with a body shot that sends Badger's belly button to the back.
Tsoi throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Badger sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Tsoi throws a body kick despite being completely out of range

and Badger counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Badger pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Tsoi is keeping the position for now.
Badger chips away with some ground and pound.

Tsoi is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Badger is aware though and is defending well.
Tsoi not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Badger not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Badger loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tsoi bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Badger's guard.
Badger working a defensive guard here.

Badger working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Tsoi doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Tsoi manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Badger looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Tsoi wants to control from the top but Badger keeps moving.
Badger is trying to control the position but Tsoi postures up.
Badger looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Badger trying to control the position.

Badger is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

Badger working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Tsoi doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Tsoi manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Tsoi trying to control the position from guard on top but Badger is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Tsoi is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.

Badger throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Badger is looking for a triangle but Tsoi pushes his legs off easily.
Tsoi passes Badger's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Badger wants to improve his position but Tsoi is controlling well.
Tsoi is looking to take a break and control but Badger is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Badger is looking for a sweep. Tsoi is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but Haywood Badger did the better work so I'd imagine he'll take it.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Badger checks a leg kick nicely.

Badger scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.

Tsoi actively working from the bottom here.

Tsoi looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

Badger is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Badger slows the pace down in half guard.
Tsoi trying to control from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tsoi is trying to get back to full guard.

Tsoi actively working from the bottom here.
Badger controlling the action here.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Tsoi is trying to control but can't.
Tsoi is not content to let Badger control the position.
Tsoi trying to hold on to Badger's head to control him but Badger postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Haywood Badger wasn't doing enough on the ground.
The fighters circling - Tsoi throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Tsoi lands a nice looking kick to the body. Badger takes a step back to recover.
Badger will be looking to protect his midsection after taking some solid kicks to the body.

Badger is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Tsoi's half guard.
Tsoi has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Badger is working away from the top position though.
Tsoi is looking to improve his position.
Tsoi felt the need to train up his defensive grappling in the buildup to the fight. Presumably he was expecting to be in a difficult position like this, so let's see if he can get out of it.
Badger is taking a breather. Tsoi says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Tsoi wants to control the action here but instead Badger manages to pass to full mount!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Badger cracks Tsoi with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Tsoi is looking to get to half guard.

Badger goes for an armbar but Tsoi turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from Tsoi.

Badger looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Tsoi wants to pass the guard but Badger is keeping the position.

Badger has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Tsoi can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Haywood Badger overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tsoi looking to sit in guard and control but Badger gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Tsoi controls Badger momentarily but Badger frees himself.

Tsoi is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Badger is aware though and is defending well.
Badger is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
This has been an exciting period of action!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Badger postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Badger postures up in Tsoi's guard and throws a big left but Tsoi blocks it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Haywood Badger had his way with Viktor Tsoi in that round.
That's time! Back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Tsoi lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Tsoi blocks a leg kick.
Badger lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Tsoi throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Badger walks into a jab.
Badger tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Tsoi was well out of range. Poor timing from Badger.
Badger tries to score a power double leg takedown but Tsoi sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Badger somewhat.
Tsoi feints and then cracks Badger's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Badger down.
Badger takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Badger is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Tsoi.
Badger misses the shot to the body.
Tsoi throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
The fighters circling - Badger throws out the jab but it was never going to land.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tsoi looks to land a left hand but Badger moved out of range nicely.
Tsoi steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Badger.
Badger jabs Tsoi right on the nose. Tsoi blinks but takes it well.
Badger bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Badger throws a chopping leg kick but Tsoi manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Tsoi looks to score with a jab to the body but Badger is just out of range.
Tsoi misses the shot to the body.
Tsoi scores with a sloppy right hand. Badger should have avoided that one.

Badger darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Tsoi trying to control here.
Viktor Tsoi has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Badger throwing shots but Tsoi is blocking nicely.
Tsoi blocking the ground and pound attempt from Badger.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Badger in particular looking to stall.
Badger winds up and cracks Tsoi with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Haywood Badger is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Tsoi is trying to get back to full guard.
Badger keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.

Tsoi actively working from the bottom here.
Badger seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Haywood Badger has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Tsoi throws a series of punches but Badger moves out of range.
An inside leg kick from Badger misses.
Tsoi misses with a leg kick.
Tsoi pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Badger cracks Tsoi with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Tsoi looks to land a right hand but Badger moved out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tsoi tries to work over Badger's front leg with a kick but Badger checks it.
Badger jabs Tsoi right on the nose. Tsoi blinks but takes it well.
Tsoi explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.
Tsoi walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Badger.
Tsoi lands a nice leg kick that just misses Badger's sensitive parts.
Good exchange - Badger coming out on top.
Tsoi scores with a push kick.
Tsoi swings for the body but Badger moves out of range.
Badger lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
A slow jab from Tsoi misses its intended target.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Badger moves out of range of the body kick from Tsoi.
Badger bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Tsoi pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.

And that's the end of the fight!
Haywood Badger showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Badger has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 5 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 50:45
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 47:47
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 50:45

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Haywood Badger!
Haywood Badger retains his bantamweight title!

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
100%

Main event

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Vadim Nazarov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Raimundo Sobral (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Nazarov comes to the cage accompanied by "Fade to Black" by Metallica. Raimundo Sobral has the eye of the tiger tonight.

Nazarov
vs
Sobral

187 cm
25
195 lbs
12 - 5 - 2

180 cm
25
202 lbs
12 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Excellent grappler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the middleweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 5 - 2, fighting out of Las Vegas, Vadim Nazarov!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Raimundo Sobral!
The judges for this bout are Gwen Towbar, Frank Dennis and Wesley Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nazarov fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Sobral looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Sobral takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Sobral pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Sobral tries a head kick but it misses.
A jab from Nazarov misses.
Sobral misses with a left hand
and Nazarov cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Nazarov lands a glancing blow to the side of Sobral's head.
We can't be sure of the tactics at this early stage but we have heard that Sobral has been working on his takedowns a lot in the buildup to the fight and we can only assume he's going to look to take this to the mat.
Sobral takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Nazarov comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Nazarov seems to be moving with more speed, compared to his last bout. He must have been working on that in the gym.
Nazarov ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Sobral moves away.
Nazarov swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Sobral throws a right hand that Nazarov ducks under and follows up with a left that Nazarov also avoids with ease.
Sobral lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Nazarov circles away quickly and effectively.
Sobral shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Nazarov but Nazarov pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Nazarov misses with a two punch combination.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nazarov bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Nazarov misses with a body shot.
Nazarov with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Nazarov swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Sobral slips a straight right by Nazarov.
Nazarov ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Sobral moves away.
Sobral throws an off balance right hand
and Nazarov counters with a nice body shot.
Nazarov misses with a lunging right hand

and Sobral counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Sobral.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Nazarov is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Sobral pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Nazarov is keeping the position for now.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Sobral accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Sobral pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Nazarov is keeping the position for now.
Sobral trying to control the position from guard on top but Nazarov is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Sobral is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
Sobral is looking to advance position but Nazarov has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!
Nazarov lands with some strikes.
Nazarov is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Sobral can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Nazarov raining down hammerfists from mount.
Sobral regains half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sobral works his way to full guard. Good work.
Nazarov is working Sobral over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Sobral wants to sweep but no luck.
Nazarov is in close to Sobral's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Nazarov is in close to Sobral's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Nazarov stopping the sweep attempt from Sobral.
Nazarov with a nice head shot there.
Sobral avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Sobral utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Sobral has momentary wrist control but Nazarov slips an elbow through the middle.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Nazarov throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Nazarov accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Nazarov postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sobral has Nazarov pulled in close to control his posture.
Nazarov tries to free his leg and advance position but Sobral is retaining full guard.
Nazarov trying to control but Sobral is working from the bottom.
Nazarov stopping the sweep attempt from Sobral.
Nazarov wants to control from the top but Sobral keeps moving.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Sobral working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Nazarov.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vadim Nazarov dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Nazarov takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Nazarov misses with a hook to the body
and Sobral counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Nazarov ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Nazarov misses with a left hand
and Sobral counters with a nice body shot.
Nazarov checks a leg kick.
Nazarov throws the left hand but Sobral avoids the punch easily.
Sobral is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Nazarov.
Nazarov moves out of range as Sobral throws a body kick.
Nazarov fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
The fighters circling - Nazarov throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Nazarov throws a lazy uppercut
and Sobral counters with a straight right hand.
Nazarov is looking to wear down Sobral with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Sobral misses with a hook.
Sobral slips a jab and a cross from Nazarov.
A slow jab from Nazarov misses its intended target.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nazarov throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Nazarov takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Vadim Nazarov seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Sobral shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Sobral keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Nazarov.
Nazarov thows a left - swing and a miss!
Nazarov connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Sobral has his takedown stuffed

and Nazarov counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Sobral jumps guard but Nazarov stands there with Sobral around his waist. Sobral gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Vadim Nazarov has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Raimundo Sobral.
Nazarov misses with a punch to the body.
Nazarov lands an uppercut.
Nazarov misses with a body punch.

Nazarov pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sobral misses with an uppercut. Nazarov saw that one coming.
A combination from Sobral does no damage.
Nazarov walks forward, straight into a front kick from Sobral.
Nazarov lands with a shot to the body.
Nazarov throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Nazarov misses with an uppercut

and Sobral decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Nazarov's guard.
Sobral sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Nazarov's guard.

Sobral is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Nazarov sees it coming and defends easily.

Sobral is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Sobral wants to pass to mount but Nazarov is defending the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sobral is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Nazarov is positioning himself well to prevent Sobral advancing to mount.

Sobral is trying to work for a kimura but Nazarov is defending well.
Sobral is looking to advance position but Nazarov won't allow it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sobral prevents Nazarov from improving his position.
Nazarov is not content to let Sobral control the position.
Sobral sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Nazarov defending well though.

Sobral seems to be looking for submissions.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Sobral is looking to advance position but Nazarov won't allow it.

Sobral is actively looking for submissions here but good counter grappling here from Nazarov as he works his way to full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Raimundo Sobral showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Nazarov works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Nazarov throws a jab but it's blocked by Sobral.
Nazarov throws a body shot but no joy.
Nazarov keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Nazarov misses with a body shot

and Sobral counters with a single leg into guard. Nazarov didn't expect that.

Sobral has gone for a leg lock! Nazarov slips out almost immediately though and dives into Sobral's guard.
Nazarov is working Sobral over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Nazarov landing with the ground and pound.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Nazarov postures up in Sobral's guard and throws a big left but Sobral blocks it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sobral utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Nazarov scoring with some ground and pound.
Nazarov with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Nazarov missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Sobral is striking but Nazarov is not phased and passes to half guard.
Sobral is refusing to be controlled, as Nazarov sits in half guard.
Vadim Nazarov overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Sobral is looking to improve his position.
Ground and pound from Nazarov.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Sobral is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Nazarov pulls his head out easily.
Nazarov scoring with strikes to the body and head.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Sobral blocking the ground and pound attempt from Nazarov.
Sobral is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Nazarov missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Nazarov looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Sobral with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Nazarov is just content to waste time from the top position. Sobral takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.

Sobral looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Nazarov passes into half guard.
Nazarov scores with a big shot! Sobral's head bounced off the canvas with a huge thud! More strikes land and the referee has jumped in to save Sobral! He was hurt real bad - good stoppage!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:58 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Vadim Nazarov!
Vadim Nazarov retains his middleweight title!
Vadim Nazarov thanked the fans post fight for their support.