HFC 2:Joshua vs Williams PBP Commentary

Undercard bout

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Larry Mayflower (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ion Creanga (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Mayflower
vs
Creanga

181 cm
20
242 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

194 cm
18
265 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

TNT Nutrition

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 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Larry Mayflower!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Ion Creanga!
The judges for this bout are Viktor Lagutenko, Aleksei Zolotukhin and Aleksandr Martynov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

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

Creanga turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Creanga manages to end up in side control.
Mayflower is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Creanga's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Creanga tries to stand but his arm is trapped.
Creanga not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Mayflower regains full guard. Nicely done.

Creanga has a momentary lapse of concentration, allowing Mayflower to throw up a leg and lock on what appears to be a pretty tight triangle! Creanga is fighting it off but it's all too little too late - Mayflower pulls down on the head and he's put Creanga to sleep! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:43 of round 1, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle). Larry Mayflower!

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 light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ivan Tarasov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jarmo Hyvenen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ivan Tarasov could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Jarmo Hyvenen's chin.

Tarasov
vs
Hyvenen

184 cm
18
215 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

185 cm
18
200 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

Good takedowns
Counter fighter
KO power

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Heavy handed

Mohito Fightwear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Ivan Tarasov!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Jarmo Hyvenen!
The judges for this bout are Igor Prikhodko, Valeri Chadov and Konstantin Menshow.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Hyvenen drops Tarasov with a beautiful combination! Tarasov stares up at his opponent, who ushers him back to his feet - Hyvenen is looking for the KO!

Tarasov is rocked!

It looks like Ivan Tarasov has been cut.
Tarasov is holding his hands too far apart here. Hyvenen throws a hard, straight punch right down the pipe and BOOM! Tarasov is out! That punch landed square on the jaw - what a shot!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:05 of round 1, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Jarmo Hyvenen!

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 welterweight MMA rules bout between Anton Kruglov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and George Bacovia (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Kruglov
vs
Bacovia

171 cm
18
176 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

182 cm
18
170 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Anton Kruglov!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, George Bacovia!
The judges for this bout are Fedor Mirinova, Viktor Lagutenko and Konstantin Menshow.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Some wild striking there from Kruglov.

A jab-cross combination lands for Kruglov and sends Bacovia crashing to the mat! Kruglov follows him down to the mat - Bacovia regains half guard but he's not out of trouble yet!

Bacovia is rocked!

It looks like George Bacovia has been cut.
Bacovia is not content to let Kruglov control the position.
Bacovia is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Kruglov not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Bacovia is looking to escape.
Kruglov is looking to stall here but Bacovia recovers full guard.

Bacovia is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Kruglov defends well.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Kruglov got a little sloppy there for a moment and Bacovia has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Kruglov has managed to get both his arms back between Bacovia's legs - danger averted.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Bacovia can do anything to dispel that myth.
Bacovia is pulling down on Kruglov's head to control his posture.

Bacovia had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Kruglov defends it easily.
Bacovia doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Kruglov throwing strikes but missing.
Kruglov trying to control the position from guard on top but Bacovia is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Kruglov rushes Bacovia with punches - Bacovia moves straight backwards instead of circling and gets clipped by the second strike... and the third... and the fourth! Oh, Bacovia goes down! Kruglov follows up with more strikes and the ref steps in to end the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:19 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Anton Kruglov!
Anton Kruglov decided to go for the less than humble approach in his post fight interview, telling everyone how he is going to conquer the world. The crowd seemed to like it when really that sort of approach could have gone either way.

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
35%

Undercard bout

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Mirko Filipovic (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gonzo Gonzalez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Filipovic
vs
Gonzalez

188 cm
29
227 lbs
7 - 10 - 0

196 cm
22
225 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

Decent wrestler
Excellent MT
Very quick

Good wrestler
Brawler
Experienced

TNT Nutrition

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 - 10 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Mirko Filipovic!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Gonzo Gonzalez!
The judges for this bout are Aleksandr Martynov, Fedor Mirinova and Igor Prikhodko.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nice sprawl there from Filipovic as Gonzalez shoots in.
Filipovic throws a sloppy head kick and Gonzalez moves out of range easily.
Mirko Filipovic seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Gonzalez shoots in but no luck this time.
Filipovic stuffs the takedown.
Mirko Filipovic has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Gonzo Gonzalez.
Filipovic tries a head kick but it misses.
Gonzalez looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Filipovic defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Gonzalez.
Some wild striking there from Filipovic.
Filipovic throws a sloppy head kick and Gonzalez moves out of range easily.
Gonzalez gets hit by the mother of all head kicks and drops to the canvas in a crumpled heap! Woooow, the Internet is going to be talking about this one for weeks!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:37 of round 1, we have a winner by way of KO (Head Kick). Mirko Filipovic!

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
95%

Undercard bout

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Vova Klimov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and MIhai Eminescu (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). MIhai Eminescu has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Klimov
vs
Eminescu

181 cm
18
195 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

184 cm
18
185 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Big right hand

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Solid chin

Mohito Fightwear

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Vova Klimov!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, MIhai Eminescu!
The judges for this bout are Igor Prikhodko, Aleksandr Martynov and Valeri Chadov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Eminescu closes the distance and clinches.
Klimov tries to break free but Eminescu pushes him back against the cage.
Eminescu misses with a knee to the head.
Eminescu throws a knee to the head but misses.
Eminescu looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Eminescu keeps control of Klimov as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Eminescu misses with a knee strike.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Eminescu prevents Klimov from breaking the clinch.
Eminescu is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Klimov to keep the fight standing.
Klimov keeps control of Eminescu as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Eminescu keeps control of Klimov as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Klimov blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Eminescu throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Klimov blocks it with crossed arms.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Eminescu tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Klimov just stands there and leans against the cage.
Eminescu with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Eminescu misses with a knee strike.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Eminescu just misses with a elbow thrown towards Klimov's brow.
Klimov is trying to break free.
Klimov has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Eminescu throws a knee to the head but misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Eminescu misses with a knee strike.
Klimov working hard to break the clinch.
Eminescu looking to stall.
The referee is keeping an eye on Klimov - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Klimov is trying to break free.
Klimov looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Klimov has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Eminescu has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Klimov wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Eminescu tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Eminescu keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Klimov's efforts to push away.
Klimov managing to block the knees to the body from Eminescu.
A frustrated look appears on Klimov's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Klimov leaning his opponent against the cage.
A frustrated look appears on Klimov's face as he tries to break the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Eminescu has Klimov pressed against the cage, preventing Klimov from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Eminescu is trying to stall.
Klimov is trying to push Eminescu away but Eminescu has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Eminescu creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Eminescu throws an elbow but it misses.
Eminescu misses with an elbow over the top.
Eminescu looking to throw knees to the head but Klimov is blocking nicely.
Eminescu misses with a punch to the body.
Klimov wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Eminescu has him pressed against the cage.
Eminescu wants to break the clinch but can't.
Klimov avoiding damage.
Klimov managing to block the knees to the body from Eminescu.
Klimov wants to break free but Eminescu has control.
A frustrated look appears on Klimov's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Eminescu with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Eminescu looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Eminescu looks winded!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Klimov is looking to break free of the clinch but Eminescu has double underhooks.
Eminescu keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Klimov's efforts to push away.
Klimov wants to get back to striking at distance but Eminescu won't allow it.
Eminescu looking to throw knees to the head but Klimov is blocking nicely.
Eminescu working aggressively here.

Eminescu breaks from the clinch.
Klimov connects with a left and a right that sees a clearly hurt Eminescu covering up! Klimov comes in with a big uppercut and Eminescu goes doooown! He's slumped up against the cage, eyes staring blankly into space.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:31 of round 1, we have a winner by way of KO (Strikes). Vova Klimov!
Vova Klimov 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
25%

Undercard bout

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Nathan Hunter (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Oleg Nemkov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Hunter comes to the cage accompanied by Applause by Lady Gaga. Nemkov has chosen eRa - enae Volare Mezzo as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Hunter
vs
Nemkov

175 cm
22
180 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

173 cm
21
200 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter fighter
Big heart

Decent wrestler
Brawler
Granite chin

Supreme Nutrition
GREEN!160

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 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nathan Hunter!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Oleg Nemkov!
The judges for this bout are Dmitry Maklakov, Sergei Dronov and Aleksei Zolotukhin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hunter shoots in but no luck this time.

Hunter shoots in and bounces Nemkov off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.

The fighters are working up against the cage. Nemkov manages to wriggle his way back to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched against the cage.
Hunter has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Nemkov is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Nemkov lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Hunter has been working on his balance at Beast Playground, so perhaps that has help him stuff some of the takedown attempts by Nemkov.
Nemkov misses with a body punch.
Nemkov swings away with an uppercut that misses.

Hunter successfully pulls guard.

Hunter working for a triangle but Nemkov defends it easily.
Nemkov sitting in guard here, content to control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hunter trying to control the position.
Nemkov sitting in guard here, content to control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hunter keeping full guard, as Nemkov tries to pass.
Nemkov controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Hunter wants to get back to his feet but Nemkov is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

Nemkov clinches up against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Nemkov lands a nice uppercut.
Nemkov stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Nemkov throws a punch but it's blocked by Hunter.
Nemkov lands a right hand that snaps the head of Hunter backwards.
Nemkov lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Nemkov tries a body shot but Hunter blocks it.
Nemkov is defending well against a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Nathan Hunter. That's going to take a lot out of him.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Nemkov creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Nemkov slows down the pace here.
Nemkov has Hunter pressed against the cage.
Hunter wants a takedown but no success here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nemkov has Hunter pushed against the cage.
Hunter tries for a takedown but Nemkov manages to get underhooks.
Nemkov avoiding damage.
Nemkov digs a right hand into Hunter's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Hunter's gas tank.
Hunter is breathing heavily.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Nemkov takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Nemkov lands a body punch.
Nemkov has Hunter pressed against the cage.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Oleg Nemkov.
Nemkov fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.

Nemkov has Hunter up against the cage in a clinch.
Nemkov lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nemkov lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Nemkov lands a body shot.
Nemkov presses Hunter against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Nemkov lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Nemkov effectively controlling the action here.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Nemkov creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Good body shot from Nemkov.
A shot in the inside from Nemkov.
A short right from Nemkov.
Nemkov pressing his opponent against the cage.
Nemkov lands a nice uppercut.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Oleg Nemkov dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Hunter moves out of range of the body kick from Nemkov.
As Nemkov looks to move away, Hunter throws a big counter combo bu Nemkov just gets out of the way.
Hunter misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

Nemkov lands a big uppercut and Hunter crumbles to the floor! The ref thinks about stopping the fight but Hunter looks OK. Nemkov waves Hunter back to his feet!

Hunter is rocked!

It looks like Nathan Hunter has been cut.
Nemkov tries to clinch there but Hunter circles away.

Nemkov lands a left and a right that send Hunter crashing to the mat, dazed. Nemkov thinks about following him to the mat but decides to wave him back up to his feet!
Oh Hunter is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Nemkov scores with a shot to the body.
Both fighters step back and shake their arms out. Nemkov engages and cracks Hunter with a massive lead left hook - Hunter tumbles to the floor, out cold! What a shot! Nemkov is delighted - all that hard work in training paid off!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:37 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Oleg Nemkov!
Oleg Nemkov thanked the fans post fight for their support.

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
51%

Undercard bout

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Andrey Kuznetcov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sawyer Duke (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Kuznetcov comes to the cage accompanied by Eminem-Supermen. Duke is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by A Country Boy Can Survive. The key to victory for Andrey Kuznetcov has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Kuznetcov
vs
Duke

181 cm
18
215 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

195 cm
21
200 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Very strong

Good wrestler
Brawler
Intelligent

Mohito Fightwear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Andrey Kuznetcov!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Sawyer Duke!
The judges for this bout are Illya Tyunina, Viktor Lagutenko and Aleksei Zolotukhin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Duke manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Kuznetcov on his heels. He'll look to pass Kuznetcov's guard now, I'm sure.
Duke stays in close to Kuznetcov's body and controls the position.
Kuznetcov is trying to control the position but Duke postures up.
Duke advances to half guard.
Duke sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Kuznetcov is looking for a sweep. Duke is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Duke sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Kuznetcov defending well though.
Still in half guard, Duke seems content to control.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.

Duke has Kuznetcov up against the cage in a clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Duke breaks from the clinch.
Kuznetcov will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Duke blocks a leg kick.

Kuznetcov tries to sprawl but Duke drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Kuznetcov has hold of Duke's hands but Duke slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Kuznetcov knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Duke on the ground.
Duke is thwarting Kuznetcov's attempts to control the position.
Duke throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Kuznetcov is trying to stand.

Duke is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Kuznetcov sees it coming and defends easily.
Kuznetcov wants to control but Duke is keeping busy.
Kuznetcov might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Duke stalling.
Duke wants to free his trapped foot but Kuznetcov is holding on for dear life with his legs.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

Duke shoots in and bounces Kuznetcov off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Kuznetcov wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Duke is now in half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Duke is pressing down on Kuznetcov's thigh, looking to free his foot. Kuznetcov is holding on for now.
Kuznetcov is looking to improve his position.
Kuznetcov taking some punishment here, with Duke in his half guard.
Duke with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Duke is pressing down on Kuznetcov's thigh, looking to free his foot. Kuznetcov is holding on for now.
Duke prevents Kuznetcov from improving his position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Duke is taking a breather. Kuznetcov 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.
Kuznetcov is trying to get back to full guard.
Duke winds up and cracks Kuznetcov with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Duke is thwarting Kuznetcov's attempts to control the position.
Duke trying to control the pace.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Duke fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Kuznetcov manages to avoid it.

Duke closes the distance and pushes Kuznetcov back into the cage.

Duke escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Kuznetcov pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Duke connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Kuznetcov's hands.
Kuznetcov swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Duke counters with a single leg into guard. Kuznetcov didn't expect that.
Duke slips nicely into half guard.
Duke is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Duke is taking a breather. Kuznetcov 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.
Duke seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Duke tries to pass to full mount but Kuznetcov defends it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Well, if Duke is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Kuznetcov is trying to stand up here but Duke is controlling him well.
Duke stalling.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Duke working over Kuznetcov with some ground and pound. Kuznetcov looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Kuznetcov is trying to stand back up but Duke is controlling him
Sawyer Duke has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Duke wants to pass the guard but Kuznetcov is defending well.
Kuznetcov wants to get back to his feet.
Duke lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Kuznetcov is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Duke scores with a couple of nice shots.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Kuznetcov drops Duke with a right and a left! Kuznetcov comes rushing in but Duke regains his composure and manages to keep Kuznetcov in guard.

Duke is rocked!

It looks like Sawyer Duke has been cut.
Duke has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Kuznetcov postures up.
Duke is still in real trouble! Can Kuznetcov finish him?
Kuznetcov is looking to work some ground and pound but Duke has wrist control.

Duke is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Duke wants to sweep but no luck.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Duke is on top in guard.
Kuznetcov wants to stand but Duke is controlling the position.
Duke slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Kuznetcov tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Duke seems to have recovered his senses.
Duke is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Duke slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Kuznetcov is being controlled here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.

Duke wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Kuznetcov, who protects the arm well.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Kuznetcov scores with a jab to the body.
Kuznetcov misses with a series of wild punches.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Sawyer Duke will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Sawyer Duke's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Duke fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Kuznetcov, pushing him back against the cage.
Duke wants a takedown but no success here.
Kuznetcov looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Kuznetcov blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Duke misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Kuznetcov.
Kuznetcov blocks an elbow strike.

Kuznetcov breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Kuznetcov misses with a hook. Duke ducked under it nicely.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kuznetcov fails to land with a series of punches.
A combination from Kuznetcov does no damage.

Duke darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Duke stalling.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Duke is pressing down on Kuznetcov's thigh, looking to free his foot. Kuznetcov is holding on for now.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Duke in particular looking to stall.
Duke trying to mount his opponent but Kuznetcov defends it.
Duke winds up and cracks Kuznetcov with a swinging punch to the side of the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Duke is controlling the pace.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Kuznetcov swinging wildly here.
Kuznetcov throws a left and a right that both miss

and Duke counters with a takedown into side control! That could mean trouble for Kuznetcov!
You can see the frustration on Kuznetcov's face as Duke controls the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Duke in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Duke moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.
Kuznetcov is trying to get back to his feet.
Duke taking a breather here.

Duke looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Kuznetcov wants to get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.

Duke decides to take the fight back to the feet.

Kuznetcov gets caught napping as Duke dives in and scores a takedown. Kuznetcov manages to retain guard.

Duke stands up and waves to Kuznetcov to follow him.
Kuznetcov swinging wildly here.
Kuznetcov backing away here, and Duke unleashes a leg kick that just misses.
Andrey Kuznetcov has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Duke closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Kuznetcov's guard.
Sawyer Duke is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Kuznetcov can't keep his opponent in guard - Duke advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.

And that's the end of the fight!
Sawyer Duke comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Duke winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Illya Tyunina scores the fight 27:30
Judge Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight 28:29
Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Sawyer Duke!
A very excited looking Sawyer Duke 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
25%

Co-main event

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Lappi Dar (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Calus Hora (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). I don't know about you partner, but I'm pumped for this one!

Dar
vs
Hora

183 cm
24
199 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

193 cm
18
200 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Lappi Dar!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Calus Hora!
The judges for this bout are Aleksei Zolotukhin, Illya Tyunina and Vladimir Khabensky.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Dar drives through with a takedown into guard.
Hora preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Dar looking to pass the guard.

Hora throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Dar throwing strikes from guard but Hora blocks nicely.
Dar wants to pass the guard but Hora is keeping the position.

Dar drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Hora dives on top into guard.
Dar seems keen to control Hora's posture.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dar lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.
Dar trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Dar passes easily into side control. Nice work.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Dar is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Hora knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Dar with the ground and pound but Hora regains half guard under the barage of strikes.

Hora looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

Dar wants to work for an arm triangle but Hora is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Hora looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.

Dar is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Dar is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Dar has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Hora wants to control but Dar is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Hora is refusing to be controlled, as Dar sits in half guard.

Dar is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Hora has managed to free his arm - good work.

Hora actively working from the bottom here.
Hora trying to control from the bottom.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.

Dar shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Dar was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Hora tries to wriggle free to get back to his feet but he's given up his back! Oops.

Dar has his hand under the chin of his opponent looking for the choke. He's nearly got it! This one could be all over! But no, Hora has freed his hand and lives to survive another… well, another couple of seconds at least!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Dar looking for the choke from the back.

Dar is working really hard to secure the rear naked choke. Hora defends successfully for a significant amount of time. Both fighters are looking very determined.
Hora tries to break free.

Dar looking to break Hora's wrist control so he can sink in the choke. Hora remaining controlled and patient though - he really has to keep calm otherwise Dar will wrap this one up with the rear naked choke!

Dar patiently working for the choke. Which fighter will keep their nerve here?
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.

Dar is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Dar wants to pass to mount but Hora is defending the position.
Hora slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Dar looking to pass the guard.

Hora looking for a guillotine here but Dar defends easily.
Dar stands up over Hora, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Hora looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Lappi Dar dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Dar dives in and scores a takedown into Hora's guard.

Hora looking for a guillotine here but Dar defends easily.
Dar advances to half guard.
Lappi Dar overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Hora is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Hora gets full guard.
Dar is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Hora can do to turn this around?
Dar is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dar wants to control from the top but Hora keeps moving.
Dar postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dar stands and throws Hora's legs to the side, diving into side control.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

Dar throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Hora tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Dar is in Hora's guard.
Hora is breathing heavily.
Dar connects with a couple of short punches.
Dar works a leg free and moves into half guard.

Dar is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.

Dar looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.

Dar is working for a kimura but Hora is defending it quite comfortably.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dar trying to control from half guard but Hora is working away.
Dar wants to pass the guard but Hora is defending well.

Hora is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Dar pulls his head out easily.

Dar is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

Dar is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Hora is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Dar pulls his head out easily.
Dar perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Dar trying to control from half guard but Hora is working away.

Dar is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

Dar is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Hora sees it coming and defends easily.
Dar frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Dar lands a big elbow.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Hora is looking to get to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.

Dar looking for a guillotine from mount but Hora is having none of it.
Dar looking to control but Hora is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Dar prevents Hora from getting the reversal.

Dar swings around for an armbar and he's got it! Wow, that came out of nowhere! What a finish!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:53 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Lappi Dar!

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
25%

Main event

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Daniel Joshua (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ieuan Williams (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Joshua comes to the cage accompanied by Parklife- Blur. The crowd seem to be enjoying Williams's choice of entrance music: Stereophonics - Bank Holiday Monday. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Joshua
vs
Williams

183 cm
18
190 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

186 cm
19
197 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter fighter
Good gas tank

On Tap

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Daniel Joshua!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, Ieuan Williams!
The judges for this bout are Igor Prikhodko, Illya Tyunina and Konstantin Menshow.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Williams shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Joshua sprawls well. Joshua wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Williams gets slowly back to his feet.
Williams on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Williams looks to throw the jab but Joshua is out of range.
Joshua seems to be moving with more speed, compared to his last bout. He must have been working on that in the gym.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Williams.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Williams shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Joshua manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Joshua is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Williams sitting in guard here, content to control.
Williams passes Joshua's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Joshua is looking to control Williams's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Joshua avoid being mounted?

Williams is looking for a kimura but Joshua is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Williams to get the leverage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Williams is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.

Williams is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.

Williams maintaining the dominant position here and is working for a kimura. He's locked it up! Joshua could be in real trouble here! He's trying to wriggle out but Williams has cracked it and Joshua is screaming in pain - he's tapped out! Great finish by Williams!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:32 of round 1, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Ieuan Williams!
Ieuan Williams is the new middleweight champion!
A very excited looking Ieuan Williams 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.