PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Palestine Adesanya (ranked 4159 p4p, 2846 weight class) and Arman Tsyrukyn (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.

Adesanya
vs
Tsyrukyn

193 cm
25
193
0 - 0 - 0

185 cm
24
185
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Intelligent

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Palestine Adesanya!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Arman Tsyrukyn!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, Timothy Bukovac and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Tsyrukyn slaps away a takedown attempt from Adesanya, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Adesanya fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Tsyrukyn throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Tsyrukyn closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.

Adesanya explodes and escapes back to his feet! Nice escape there!
Tsyrukyn with a lazy takedown attempt
and Adesanya counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Adesanya clinches with his opponent.
Adesanya avoids a wild elbow strike from Tsyrukyn.
Adesanya tries to land a knee to the head but Tsyrukyn blocks with his arms.
Adesanya landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Tsyrukyn is looking for a takedown.
Tsyrukyn looking to slow down the pace here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

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

Tsyrukyn gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Tsyrukyn tries to pull guard but Adesanya holds him up against the cage and eventually Tsyrukyn drops back down to his feet.
Palestine Adesanya has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Arman Tsyrukyn.
Adesanya unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Adesanya crunches a lovely knee into Tsyrukyn's ribcage.
Tsyrukyn avoiding damage as Adesanya throws knees to the body.
Tsyrukyn tries to work over Adesanya's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Adesanya connects with a nasty looking knee right to Tsyrukyn's face.
Tsyrukyn fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Tsyrukyn using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Adesanya has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Tsyrukyn is trying to pull guard but Adesanya turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Adesanya landing knees to the head.

It looks like Arman Tsyrukyn has been cut.

Adesanya escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Adesanya fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Tsyrukyn avoids it really well and circles away.
Adesanya takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Adesanya enables Tsyrukyn to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Adesanya manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
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!
Tsyrukyn throwing strikes from guard but Adesanya blocks nicely.

Tsyrukyn drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Adesanya dives on top into guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Adesanya preventing the sweep.
Adesanya engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.

Tsyrukyn is looking for a triangle but Adesanya pushes his legs off easily.

Adesanya decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Tsyrukyn, up you get!
Tsyrukyn avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Tsyrukyn throws a combination that misses
and Adesanya counters with a series of strikes. Tsyrukyn will be more careful next time no doubt.
Tsyrukyn tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Adesanya throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Adesanya lands a jab to Tsyrukyn's midsection.
Arman Tsyrukyn seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Adesanya's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Tsyrukyn shoots in and gets a takedown into Adesanya's guard.
Adesanya wants to stand and escape but Tsyrukyn is having none of it.
Tsyrukyn trying to control but Adesanya is working from the bottom.
Tsyrukyn prevents Adesanya from getting back to his feet.

The fighters are working up against the cage. Adesanya manages to wriggle his way back to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched against the cage.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Palestine Adesanya dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Arman Tsyrukyn's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

Tsyrukyn forces Adesanya back against the cage and clinches.

Adesanya breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Adesanya goes for a double leg but Tsyrukyn avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Tsyrukyn continues to drive forward.
Adesanya lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Adesanya lands a body shot.
Adesanya prevents Tsyrukyn from breaking the clinch.
Tsyrukyn taking a breather.
Tsyrukyn taking a breather.
Tsyrukyn wants to break free but Adesanya has control.

Adesanya's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tsyrukyn slips a jab and a cross from Adesanya.

Adesanya clinches up against the cage.
Tsyrukyn fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Adesanya tries to pull guard but Tsyrukyn forces him back to his feet, against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Adesanya pressing his opponent against the cage.
Adesanya lands a nice elbow.
Tsyrukyn wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Adesanya is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Adesanya has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Adesanya wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Nice elbow from Adesanya.
Adesanya is trying to break the clinch but Tsyrukyn has him pressed against the cage.
Adesanya is looking to control Tsyrukyn's arms but Tsyrukyn gets an underhook and turns him. Now Adesanya has his back to the cage.
Tsyrukyn is trying to force a seperation but Adesanya has the dominant position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Adesanya is leaning against Tsyrukyn and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Adesanya lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Tsyrukyn tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

Adesanya pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Tsyrukyn closes the distance but Adesanya moves to the side
and Adesanya counters with a nice leg kick.
Tsyrukyn throws a wild body kick that Adesanya sees coming a mile off.
Tsyrukyn throws a low kick but Adesanya avoids it.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Adesanya.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Palestine Adesanya. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Tsyrukyn doesn't manage to clinch there - Adesanya circles away.
Adesanya seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.
Palestine Adesanya is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tsyrukyn avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Adesanya is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Tsyrukyn can do to turn this around?

Tsyrukyn shoots in and gets a takedown into Adesanya's guard.

Adesanya manages to escape and get back to his feet.

Tsyrukyn looking to score a takedown here. Adesanya is defending well but Tsyrukyn drives through and ends up in Adesanya's guard.
Tsyrukyn must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Tsyrukyn is breathing heavily.
Tsyrukyn looking to sit in guard and control but Adesanya gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

This has been an exciting period of action!

Tsyrukyn has his foot on Adesanya's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Adesanya works his way back into a safe position though.
Tsyrukyn trying to keep a closed guard but Adesanya is proving a slippery customer.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Tsyrukyn can do anything to dispel that myth.

Adesanya decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Tsyrukyn, up you get!

Tsyrukyn rushes Adesanya and presses him up against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tsyrukyn taking a breather.
Adesanya connects with a knee to the head.

Tsyrukyn pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Tsyrukyn avoids the head kick by Adesanya.
Tsyrukyn misses with a wild body shot.
Adesanya lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Tsyrukyn wants to clinch but Adesanya slips to the side
and Adesanya counters with a left and a right that stings Tsyrukyn.
Adesanya tries to close the distance and clinch up but Tsyrukyn swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Adesanya stuffs the takedown.
Tsyrukyn misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Palestine Adesanya dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Arman Tsyrukyn's cut.
That's time! Adesanya's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Adesanya lands a lovely overhand right.

Adesanya gets a clinch.
Tsyrukyn takes a knee to the side of the body.
Adesanya is working Tsyrukyn over against the cage.
Still in the clinch, Adesanya scores with a nice short uppercut.

Tsyrukyn breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Tsyrukyn throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Adesanya counters with a head kick.

Tsyrukyn drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Tsyrukyn is staying tight to Adesanya's torso, preventing him from escaping.
Adesanya wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Tsyrukyn takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Adesanya gets back to half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Tsyrukyn seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Adesanya does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Adesanya is trying to stand.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Palestine Adesanya overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Adesanya manages to escape and get back to his feet!
Adesanya moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Adesanya wants to clinch up but Tsyrukyn keeps it at a distance.
Adesanya throws a sloppy head kick and Tsyrukyn moves out of range easily.
Tsyrukyn only half commits to the counter leg kick.
Tsyrukyn misses with a takedown attempt
and Adesanya counters with a one-two to the body.
The fight stays on the outside here - Tsyrukyn looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Adesanya drives through and clinches with Tsyrukyn against the cage.

Adesanya breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Tsyrukyn throws a jab but it's blocked by Adesanya.
Palestine Adesanya is winning the standup battle so far.

Adesanya has Tsyrukyn up against the cage in a clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Adesanya scores with a knee to the head.
Palestine Adesanya has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Knees to the body from Adesanya.
Adesanya is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Tsyrukyn drops down looking for an ankle pick but Adesanya pulls his leg out and moves away.
Tsyrukyn wants to clinch.
Tsyrukyn doesn't manage to clinch there - Adesanya circles away.

Adesanya closes the distance and clinches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Adesanya gets underhooks to prevent Tsyrukyn's takedown attempt.
Palestine Adesanya has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Arman Tsyrukyn.

Adesanya's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Adesanya fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Tsyrukyn.

Tsyrukyn gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Adesanya blocks an uppercut.

Adesanya manages to break the clinch.
Tsyrukyn fails to land the takedown.
Tsyrukyn misses with a body shot.
Arman Tsyrukyn has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Palestine Adesanya is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Adesanya works over Tsyrukyn's head and body with a nice combination.

And that's the end of the fight!
Palestine Adesanya showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Adesanya 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 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 30:27
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 30:27
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Palestine Adesanya!