PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Fuego Salsa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Viktor Oleg (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Fuego Salsa has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Salsa
vs
Oleg

168 cm
23
152 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

173 cm
24
150 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Brawler
Very strong

Decent wrestler
Brawler
Powerful

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 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Fuego Salsa!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Viktor Oleg!
The judges for this bout are Ivan Kurochkin, Vladimir Khabensky and Illya Tyunina.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Oleg forces Salsa back against the cage and clinches.
Salsa tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Oleg smiles and moves away.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Salsa wants to clinch.
Oleg tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Salsa swivels and escapes.
Oleg is looking to clinch.

Oleg shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.

Salsa looking for submissions off his back.
Salsa is pressing down on Oleg's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.

Salsa working for a triangle but Oleg defends it easily.
Salsa looking for a sweep. Not yet Salsa, not yet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Oleg forces his way into half guard.

Oleg 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.
Oleg really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Salsa. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

Oleg is trying to work for a kimura. He's got his hands clasped together - this could be trouble! No, Salsa has managed to free his arm - good work.

Oleg is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Salsa defends it well.

That's two 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.

Oleg is working for a submission of some sort.

Salsa is defending against the submission attempts here by Oleg.
Salsa wants to improve his position but Oleg is controlling well.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Salsa shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Oleg napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Salsa wants to lay and pray for a moment but Oleg keeps working.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Oleg is trying to improve his position.
Salsa is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.

Salsa tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Salsa has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Salsa tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.

Salsa is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Oleg knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

Salsa wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Oleg, who protects the arm well.
Oleg tries to bench press Salsa off him but Salsa keeps the position.
Salsa wants to control but Oleg is keeping him busy.
Oleg is trying to get back to half guard.

Salsa tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Salsa with a poor takedown

and Oleg counters with a takedown into side control.

Oleg is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Salsa is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.

Oleg looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Salsa tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Oleg wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

Oleg wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Salsa, who protects the arm well.
Salsa is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Salsa makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Salsa.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Salsa is trying to hold Oleg in close to prevent damage but Oleg has managed to pass into half guard.
Salsa is controlling Oleg's position as best he can from this difficult position.
Salsa wants to sweep but Oleg has passed to side control!
You can see the frustration on Salsa's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

Oleg tries for a kimura but Salsa is defending well.

Oleg tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Oleg has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

That's two 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.
Salsa is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Salsa gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Salsa gets back to full guard.

Oleg drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Oleg jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

Oleg is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Oleg is breathing heavily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Salsa trying to keep a closed guard but Oleg is proving a slippery customer.

Oleg drops back, looking for a kneebar! Salsa looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Salsa looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Salsa!

Salsa is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Oleg is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Salsa wants to lay and pray for a moment but Oleg keeps working.

Salsa tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Oleg sneaks back into half guard.
Salsa is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.

Salsa is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Oleg is just riding it out for now. Salsa eventually gives up the hold.

Oleg is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Salsa pulls his head out easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Viktor Oleg will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's time! Back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Salsa wants to clinch.
Salsa shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Oleg counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

Oleg is trying to work for a kimura. He's got his hands clasped together - this could be trouble! No, Salsa has managed to free his arm - good work.

Oleg is working for a submission of some sort.

Salsa kicks Oleg off and gets back to his feet.

Oleg bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Salsa manages to get back to half guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Oleg 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.

Salsa looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Salsa moves into full guard.
Oleg stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Salsa swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Oleg stopping the sweep attempt from Salsa.

Oleg has gone for a leg lock! Salsa slips out almost immediately though and dives into Oleg's guard.
Salsa advances position into side control!

Salsa is trying to get an arm triangle but Oleg is defending well.

Salsa working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Oleg is looking for a sweep.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Oleg can do anything to dispel that myth.

Salsa working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Oleg tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Salsa wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Salsa working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.

Salsa is working to tighten is grip on Oleg's neck. He's isolated an arm and is working for an arm triangle. Oleg has recognised the danger and is trying to turn with the submission but Salsa is really squeezing tight and eventually Oleg passes out! Salsa breaks the hold and jumps onto the cage to celebrate! Submission of the night, I'd say!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:02 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Arm Triangle). Fuego Salsa!