PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Taras Salo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Brian Ross (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Salo comes into the arena with Tol-Odinochestvo blaring out of the sound system. Brian Ross will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Salo
vs
Ross

150 cm
18
300 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

198 cm
22
280 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Big right hand

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Prefers standup

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight 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, Taras Salo!
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, Brian Ross!
The judges for this bout are Sergei Dronov, Aleksandr Martynov and Ivan Kurochkin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Salo throws a head kick that misses.
Ross looks really tired already! That doesn't bode well for a good, competitive fight!
A punch combination from Ross misses.
Salo keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Salo throws a left that rocks Ross and follows with a right that sends him tumbling to the canvas! Salo dives into side control, looking to finish! Can Ross regain composure!

Ross is rocked!

It looks like Brian Ross has been cut.
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!
Salo tries to get to his feet but he's trapped momentarily.
Ross is still in real trouble! Can Salo finish him?
Ross seems to have recovered his senses.
Salo staying calm.
Salo tries to get to his feet but he's trapped momentarily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ross prevents Salo from improving position.
Salo tries to stand but Ross is controlling his head.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Salo defending well as Ross loads up on a big left hand.
Salo throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Salo scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Salo looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Ross is fending him off so far but Salo persists. Nope, Ross circles away and we're back to standing.
Salo looks to land a combination but Ross avoids it well.
Salo fails to land with a series of punches.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Salo tries to close the distance and clinch but Ross swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Salo looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Salo on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Ross with a nice cross.
Salo stalks Ross and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Ross's face. Ross staggers backwards, shaken.

Salo rushes Ross and presses him up against the cage.
Ross drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Salo digs a right hand underneath Ross's ribcage. Ross let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Ross jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Salo walks away with a smile on his face. Ross gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Salo tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Ross paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Ross cracks a nice hook into Salo's ribs.
Salo throws a low kick but it's checked well by Ross.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
No joy there for Salo, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Salo tries to clinch but Ross moves out of range.
Ross with a hook.
Ross misses with an uppercut.
Salo misses with a few strikes there.
Ross has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Salo finds it's way round the side to connect with Ross's head.
Ross misses with a two punch combination.
A punch combination from Salo misses.
Brian Ross seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Ross misses with a looping left.
Salo misses with a two punch combination.
Salo finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Ross throws a series of strikes that have Salo backpedaling.
Ross avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Ross jabs Salo right on the nose. Salo blinks but takes it well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Ross circles away from the clinch attempt.
Ross scores with a nice right hand.
Some wild striking there from Salo.
Salo walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Salo throws a one two combo.
No joy there for Salo, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Ross takes a swing at Salo's ribcage but misses.
Ross fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Salo slips a jab from Ross.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Salo misses with the combination.
Salo walks into a straight right hand from Ross.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Taras Salo dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Brian Ross's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Salo attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Ross avoids the head kick by Salo.
Salo shoots in for a takedown but Ross shows good takedown defense.
Ross swats away the attempt to clinch by Salo.
Ross scores with a jab. Salo acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Ross bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Salo's head.

Salo closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Ross fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Salo lands on the inside with an uppercut.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Salo.
Salo working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Ross's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Ross is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Salo pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Ross wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Salo lands on the inside with an uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ross jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Salo walks away with a smile on his face. Ross gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Taras Salo has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Brian Ross.

Salo clinches.
Salo lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Salo digs a right hand into Ross's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Ross's gas tank.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Salo creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.

Salo escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Salo tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Ross paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Salo takes the fight into the clinch.
Salo lands a shoulder strike.
Salo gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Salo lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
A nice left hand lands by Salo.
Ross jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Salo walks away with a smile on his face. Ross gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Salo misses with a combination
and Ross counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
A shot in the inside from Salo.

Salo manages to break the clinch.
Ross misses with a hook. Salo ducked under it nicely.
Ross stuffs the takedown.
Ross pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Ross just misses with a punch to the body.
Salo fails with a takedown attempt.
Salo avoids the body shot from Ross.
A swing and a miss from Ross.
Salo rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Ross moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Brian Ross is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ross scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.

Salo has managed to clinch.
Ross tries to pull guard but Salo won't allow it.
Ross tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Salo smiles and moves away.
Ross misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Nice shot lands for Ross.
Ross avoids a kick to the body.
Salo throws a series of punches but Ross avoids them all with ease.
Ross scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Ross is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Ross misses with a two punch combination.
Salo on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Ross darts in and out, connecting with a jab.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Salo tries to clinch up but Ross circles away and keeps his distance.
Salo throws a combination that misses
letting Ross counter with a right hand.
Salo takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Ross swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Salo moves into the clinch.
A nice left hand lands by Salo.
Ross tries to pull guard but Salo holds him up against the cage and eventually Ross drops back down to his feet.
Salo lands on the inside with an uppercut.

Ross manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.

Ross has managed to work for a loose triangle. I think Salo should be able to defend this one pretty easily though. Oh, Ross has tightened it up now! Salo should have reacted faster there - he's in big trouble and yes, he's tapped out! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:55 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle). Brian Ross!