PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Raymond Donde (ranked 1112 p4p, 609 weight class) and Ivan Volkov (ranked 123 p4p, 69 weight class). The atmosphere really building for this one as we go over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Donde
vs
Volkov

180 cm
36
155
24 - 13 - 0

175 cm
33
154
17 - 14 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid Muay Thai
Insanely flexible

BJJ Red Belt
World class MT
Granite chin

Brooklyn Apothecary
Brooklyn Threads

Vegan Gains

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 24 - 13 - 0, fighting out of London, Raymond Donde!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 17 - 14 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Ivan Volkov!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Yamamoto, Yukihiro Shimada and Shigeki Sano.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Donde misses with a head kick.

Volkov darts in and clinches Donde up against the cage.
Volkov goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Donde has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Volkov after a bit of a struggle.
Volkov is stalling here.
Volkov is looking to take this one to the mat.
Volkov goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Donde prevents a body shot from Volkov.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Donde gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Volkov trying to control from the bottom.

Volkov actively working from the bottom here.
Volkov gets back to full guard.

Donde has gone for a leg lock! Volkov slips out almost immediately though and dives into Donde's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Volkov working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Donde's head.
Volkov keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Donde's head.

Donde is looking for a triangle but Volkov pushes his legs off easily.
Volkov distracts Donde with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Volkov is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Donde keeping full guard, as Volkov tries to pass.
Donde is in a tricky position. We've heard reports from his gym mates at Catch Wrestling L.A. that he's been drilling escapes, so let's see if he can get back to his feet.

Donde working for a triangle but Volkov defends it easily.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Volkov not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

Donde is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Volkov trying to control but Donde is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Volkov landing with the ground and pound.
Volkov distracts Donde with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Volkov advances position into side control!
Volkov working the ground and pound.
Donde is looking to regain half guard here but Volkov keeps moving and retains side control.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Volkov working his ground and pound in the gym. So far it seems to be working well.
Donde gets back to half guard.

Donde looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Donde on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Donde is not content to let Volkov control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Volkov is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Donde!
Volkov scoring with strikes but Donde is staying in there.
Donde really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Volkov lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Volkov lands with some strikes.
Donde is looking to improve his position but Volkov isn't that keen on the idea.
Donde regains half guard.
Volkov is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Volkov scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Volkov working Donde over with strikes.
Both fighters have adopted an aggressive gameplan on the ground!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Donde has hold of Volkov's hands but Volkov slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Volkov working the head and body with strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Donde is trying to get back to full guard.
Volkov working the head and body with strikes.
Volkov slips a nice elbow through Donde's hands, connecting with Donde's forehead.

Donde looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

Donde looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Donde taking some punishment here, with Volkov in his half guard.
Donde has hold of Volkov's hands but Volkov slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Volkov has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

Donde actively working from the bottom here.
Volkov looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Donde with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Volkov working over Donde with some ground and pound. Donde looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.

Donde looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

Donde looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Donde is breathing heavily.
Donde has hold of Volkov's hands but Volkov slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

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

Volkov closes the distance and clinches up with Donde, looking for a takedown. Volkov pushes Donde against the cage but Donde circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Donde drops down looking for a counter takedown but Volkov sprawls and moves away.
Volkov takes a swing at Donde's ribcage but misses.
Volkov has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Donde walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.

Volkov drives through with a takedown into Donde's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Volkov distracts Donde with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Volkov passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Volkov has knee on belly and moves into mount.
Donde is bucking up trying to escape but Volkov cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Donde working to try and regain half guard.
Volkov raining down shots from the mount!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Donde manages to regain half guard. Good work.

Donde looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Donde is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Volkov scores with a couple of nice shots.
Volkov wants to take a breather but Donde is having none of it.
Donde makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Donde.
Volkov forces his way into half guard.
Donde is staying active underneath Volkov, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Volkov lands strikes from half guard.
Volkov trying to pass the guard but Donde defending well.

Donde is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Volkov pulls his head out easily.
Volkov working over Donde with some ground and pound. Donde looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Nice strikes from Volkov there.

Donde actively working from the bottom here.
Volkov wants to pass to mount but Donde is defending the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Donde has guillotine here! It looks pretty tight! Could this be all over! No, Volkov escapes and passes into side control at the same time. Nice work there by Volkov!
Donde is looking to regain half guard here but Volkov keeps moving and retains side control.
Volkov trying to control the position but Donde is working away.
Donde is looking to regain half guard here but Volkov keeps moving and retains side control.
Volkov has knee on belly and moves into mount.
Donde working to try and regain half guard.
Donde is working hard here to advance position.
Volkov raining down shots from the mount!
Volkov is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Donde can't stay in a position like this for much longer.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Volkov working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Volkov lands with some strikes.

Volkov looking for a guillotine from mount but Donde is having none of it.
Donde is wriggling around trying to escape.
Donde is in a horrible position here. Volkov smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Volkov tries to control but Donde wriggling away.
Volkov is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Donde can't stay in a position like this for much longer.

Volkov has hold of Donde's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Donde manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Donde tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Volkov lands a nice shot to the head.
Donde is in all sorts of trouble here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Volkov trying to control but Donde is having none of it.
Ivan Volkov has got the better of the ground game so far.
Volkov scoring with strikes but Donde is staying in there.
Volkov landing strikes, looking to finish!
Volkov breaks from Donde's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Donde is looking to improve his position but Volkov isn't that keen on the idea.
Volkov in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Volkov raining down hammerfists from mount.
Volkov landing strikes from the mount.

Donde is rocked!
Volkov lands a couple of good shots and Donde has given up his back, trying to escape the position!
Oh Donde is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Volkov is working the ground and pound here and the referee is taking a close look at Donde. He must escape soon or this one will be stopped.
Donde tries to escape but Volkov has the hooks in and won't let him break free.

Volkov has his opponent's back and is working for the choke.
Well, with Volkov on his back, surely it's only a matter of time before Donde is tapping out... Can he escape the position?
Volkov scores with punches from the back.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Ivan Volkov showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. And we move into the final round!

Volkov rushes Donde and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Donde tries for a takedown but Volkov manages to get underhooks.
Donde seems to have got his legs back now.

Volkov escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Volkov rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Donde moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Donde changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Volkov shoots in looking for a takedown. Donde tries to sprawl out of it but Volkov keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Donde manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Good exchange - Volkov coming out on top.
Volkov scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Donde avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Ivan Volkov seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Volkov shoots in and bounces Donde off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Volkov with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.

Donde isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Volkov stacks Donde on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Volkov!
Volkov wants to lay and pray for a moment but Donde keeps working.
Volkov remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
Donde is trying to improve his position.
Volkov working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Volkov working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Volkov wants to lay and pray for a moment but Donde keeps working.
Volkov lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Volkov scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Donde to see if he's OK.
Donde tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Volkov wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Volkov landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Donde tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Volkov lands an elbow.
Volkov taking a breather here.
Donde is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Ivan Volkov is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Donde tries to get back to half guard but can't.
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.
Volkov works to advance to full mount. Donde defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
Volkov with the ground and pound from mount.
Volkov looking to control and managing it successfully.
Donde tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Volkov lands a heavy elbow.
Donde is in all sorts of trouble here.
Volkov content just to control the position here.
Donde tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Volkov controlling from the full mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Volkov looking to control but Donde is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Volkov takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Donde is desperately trying to improve his position but Volkov has a good base and remains in mount.
Volkov lands a heavy elbow.
Volkov controlling his opponent.
Donde tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Raymond Donde has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Volkov controlling from mount.
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!
Let's hope that Volkov has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ivan Volkov comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Volkov has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 27:30
Judge Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 25:30
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ivan Volkov!
A very excited looking Ivan Volkov 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.