PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Alexander Vitalis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Brett Heart (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Alexander Vitalis had real problems making weight for this fight. After initially coming in at 147.9lbs, he had two hours to make the official fight weight. He made it but it will have taken a lot out of him to cut those extra few pounds. I don't know about you partner, but I'm pumped for this one!

Vitalis
vs
Heart

173 cm
22
155 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

173 cm
18
156 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Inexperienced

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Alexander Vitalis!
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, Brett Heart!
The judges for this bout are Illya Tyunina, Sergei Dronov and Aleksei Zolotukhin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Good standup being displayed there by Vitalis as he connects with a hook.

Heart gets caught flat footed, as Vitalis shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Vitalis's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Vitalis seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Heart for as long as he can get away with.
Vitalis throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Heart works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Vitalis looking to sit in guard and control but Heart gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Heart trying to control the position from guard on top but Vitalis is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Heart tries to free his leg and advance position but Vitalis is retaining full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vitalis throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Heart wants to control from the top but Vitalis keeps moving.
Heart must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Heart misses with a two punch combination.
Heart scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Vitalis doesn't seem bothered though.
Vitalis misses with a low kick.
Heart throws a nice head kick!

It looks like Alexander Vitalis has been cut.
Vitalis has a takedown stuffed.
Brett Heart is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Vitalis is breathing heavily.
Heart misses with a head kick.
Vitalis misses with a body punch
and Heart counters with a low kick, right behind Vitalis 's knee.
Heart swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Heart connects with a solid leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Heart tries to close the distance and clinch but Vitalis swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Heart tries to close the distance and clinch but Vitalis swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Vitalis misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Heart goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Vitalis steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Heart. That one must have hurt.
Heart misses with a head kick.
Heart lands a high kick!

Vitalis is rocked!
Heart throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Vitalis's head.
Oh Vitalis is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!

Heart throws a head kick that lands with a deafening thwack! The crowd roars as Vitalis stumbles backwards and falls to the mat. Heart follows into mount!
Heart can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Vitalis is looking to escape.
Vitalis tries to improve his position but instead Heart has taken his back!
Vitalis seems to have got his legs back now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Heart tries to get the hooks in deep but Vitalis pushed the leg off.

Heart tightening his grip on Vitalis, looking for the choke.
Heart keeps control of the position as Vitalis tries to break free.

Heart 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, Vitalis has freed his hand and lives to survive another… well, another couple of seconds at least!
Vitalis rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Heart wants to take a breather but Vitalis is having none of it.
Vitalis is trying to get back to full guard.
Heart trying to control the action but Vitalis is working from the bottom.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Vitalis has a hand on Heart's thigh, trying to get back to full guard. Heart takes advantage of the position though and mounts him!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Brett Heart dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Alexander Vitalis's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Heart tries to close the distance and clinch but Vitalis swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Vitalis is looking to clinch.
Vitalis takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Vitalis takes a kick to the side of the head.
Vitalis tries to close the distance and clinch but Heart swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Heart throws a head kick that misses.
Heart fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Heart with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Heart connects with a high kick.

Heart clinches up with Vitalis and pushes him back against the cage.
Heart can't break the clinch.

Heart breaks from the clinch.
Vitalis fails with a takedown attempt.
Heart scores with a kick to the midsection.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vitalis avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Brett Heart seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Heart throws a right and a left that both miss.
Vitalis sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Vitalis showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Heart.
A head kick misses from Heart.
Heart throws a head kick that half lands.
Heart moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Vitalis blocks a head kick by Heart.
Heart ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Vitalis moves away.
Heart just misses with a punch to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Heart misses with a head kick.
Alexander Vitalis is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Heart lands a nice looking body kick.
Heart looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Heart fakes the leg kick and cracks Vitalis in the body.
A head kick misses from Heart.
Heart fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Vitalis.
Vitalis steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Heart. That one must have hurt.
Heart thows a body kick. Vitalis tries to catch it but that hurt him.
Heart throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Heart avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Brett Heart seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Vitalis misses with a takedown
and Heart counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Vitalis thinking.
A head kick misses from Heart.
Heart throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vitalis misses with a wild combination.
Heart throws a sloppy head kick and Vitalis moves out of range easily.
Vitalis throws a body punch but Heart moves out of range.
Heart lands with a slapping head kick.

Vitalis closes the distance and clinches.

Heart breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Vitalis looks to throw the jab but Heart is out of range.
Vitalis gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Heart.
A shot to the body from Vitalis misses
and Heart counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Vitalis is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Heart pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Nice body kick from Heart.
Vitalis doesn't manage to clinch there - Heart circles away.

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.
Heart lands a high kick!
Heart rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Vitalis moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Vitalis shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Heart but Heart pushes him off and we're back to square one.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Alexander Vitalis. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Heart throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Heart tries to clinch there but Vitalis circles away.
Vitalis will be looking to protect his midsection after taking some solid kicks to the body.
Heart misses with a head kick.

Vitalis gets the takedown into side control.
Vitalis controlling from side mount.
Vitalis trying to control the action but Heart is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Brett Heart showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Alexander Vitalis's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Heart fails with an attempt to clinch.
Heart misses with a combination

and Vitalis counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Heart!
Heart is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Vitalis looking to control but Heart is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Heart is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Heart can't escape the position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Heart tries to hold on but Vitalis pushes him away.
Vitalis looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Vitalis throwing strikes here but Heart is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Vitalis throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Heart because Vitalis loaded up on that one.
Vitalis tries to take his opponent's back but Heart turns with him and manages to move into guard on the top. Nice work.
Vitalis looking to hit a scissor sweep but Heart is one step ahead there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Heart thows a body kick. Vitalis tries to catch it but that hurt him.
A solid body kick from Heart.
Heart looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Left hook, right uppercut from Heart.
A head kick from Heart lands but Vitalis takes it in his stride.
Heart throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Heart tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Vitalis paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Heart pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Heart wants to clinch

and Vitalis counters with a takedown into side control.
Heart is trying to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vitalis tries to advance to mount but Heart denies him.
Heart dodges the ground and pound from Vitalis.
Heart gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.

Vitalis postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Heart to stand up.
Vitalis throws a front kick aimed at Heart's knee but Heart avoids it well.
Heart lets loose with a powerful body kick. Vitalis will feel that in the morning.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Heart lands with a nice body punch.
Vitalis takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Heart swinging wilding here.
Heart misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Brett Heart is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Heart throws a nice head kick!

Vitalis has managed to clinch.
Heart looking to slow down the pace here.
Heart wants to break free but Vitalis has control.
Vitalis is looking to break free of the clinch but Heart has double underhooks.
Heart prevents a takedown attempt there.
Alexander Vitalis has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Knees to the body from Heart.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Alexander Vitalis.
I think Heart 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 Illya Tyunina scores the fight 28:29
Judge Sergei Dronov scores the fight 28:29
Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Brett Heart!