PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Alexander Tarabrin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Heath Palmer (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Tarabrin
vs
Palmer

180 cm
22
240 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

198 cm
21
270 lbs
2 - 1 - 1

Dangerous GnP
Brawler
Intelligent

BJJ White Belt
Basic striking
Tends to cut

Аптека

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Alexander Tarabrin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 1, fighting out of St Petersburg, Heath Palmer!
The judges for this bout are Aleksei Zolotukhin, Sergei Dronov and Viktor Lagutenko.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Palmer rushes Tarabrin and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Palmer softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Palmer wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Palmer works on Tarabrin's body with a couple of short punches.
Knees in the clinch landing for Palmer.

Tarabrin breaks from the clinch.
Alexander Tarabrin seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
The fight stays on the outside here - Palmer looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Palmer tries to close the distance and clinch up but Tarabrin swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Palmer lands with a shot to the body.
Palmer tries to clinch but Tarabrin is having none of it.
Tarabrin avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Palmer slips a jab and a cross from Tarabrin.
Tarabrin misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Palmer tries to clinch there but Tarabrin circles away.
Palmer with a nice cross.
Palmer tries to clinch but Tarabrin moves out of range.
Palmer bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Tarabrin's head.
Palmer tries to clinch but Tarabrin is having none of it.
A clash of legs there as Palmer blocks the low kick.
A shot to de liver by Palmer. Beautiful body shot.
Palmer lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Palmer showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Tarabrin.
Palmer wants to clinch up but Tarabrin keeps it at a distance.
Palmer lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Palmer lands a head kick. Tarabrin smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
A jab from Tarabrin misses.
Tarabrin is breathing heavily.
Palmer moves in looking to clinch but Tarabrin pushes him off.
Palmer lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Left hook, right uppercut from Palmer.
Palmer tries to close the distance and clinch up but Tarabrin swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Tarabrin throws a sloppy head kick
and Palmer counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Tarabrin circles away from the clinch attempt.
Palmer tries to close the distance and clinch but Tarabrin swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Palmer connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Palmer tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Tarabrin paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Palmer is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Palmer moves in looking to clinch but Tarabrin pushes him off.
Tarabrin takes a body punch but keeps moving.

Palmer has managed to clinch.
Palmer is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Palmer is trying to maintain a safe position but Tarabrin gets an underhook and turns Palmer into the cage.
Knees to the body from Palmer.

Palmer's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Tarabrin throws a head kick that misses

and Palmer counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Palmer.

Palmer breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Palmer is looking to clinch but Tarabrin is avoiding it.
Palmer lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Tarabrin backs up against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tarabrin on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Palmer with a jab.
Palmer works over Tarabrin's head and body with a nice combination.
Palmer throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Tarabrin swats away the attempt to clinch by Palmer.

Palmer takes the fight into the clinch.
Palmer scores with a hook to the body.
Tarabrin wants to break free but Palmer has control.

Palmer breaks the clinch.
Palmer scores with a punch to the head.
Palmer connects with the punch.
Palmer fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Palmer looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Left hook, right uppercut from Palmer.
Palmer tries to clinch but Tarabrin moves out of range.
Palmer fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Tarabrin.
Palmer lands a nice looking kick to the body. Tarabrin takes a step back to recover.
Palmer connects with a good right hand that stumbles Tarabrin. Tarabrin circles away out of range and recomposes himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A solid leg kick lands there for Palmer.
Palmer has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Palmer doesn't manage to clinch there - Tarabrin circles away.
Tarabrin keeps the fight on the outside.
Tarabrin throws a head kick that misses
letting Palmer counter with a right hand.
Palmer wants to clinch up but Tarabrin keeps it at a distance.
Palmer lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.

Palmer has taken the fight to the clinch.

Palmer breaks the clinch.
Tarabrin swats away the attempt to clinch by Palmer.
Palmer throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Palmer is looking to clinch.
Tarabrin throws a leg kick but Palmer moved away.
Palmer misses with a jab, cross combination.
Palmer tries to clinch up but Tarabrin circles away and keeps his distance.
Tarabrin pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Tarabrin misses with a series of wild punches.
Palmer lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nice takedown defense from Palmer. No joy for Tarabrin on that attempt.
Palmer lands a jab-cross combination.
Palmer fails with an attempt to clinch.
Palmer lands with a nice body kick.
Heath Palmer is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Palmer tries to close the distance and clinch up but Tarabrin swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Tarabrin lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Palmer turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Tarabrin fails with an attempt to clinch.
Tarabrin falls off balance throwing a combination
and Palmer counters with a right hand to the body.
Palmer is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Tarabrin takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Palmer fails in his attempt to clinch.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Tarabrin tries to land a body kick
and Palmer cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Palmer avoids the head kick by Tarabrin.
Tarabrin throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Palmer lands with a kick to the temple. Tarabrin shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Tarabrin throws a lazy head kick
and Palmer counters with a right hand to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Palmer is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Tarabrin misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
The fight stays on the outside here - Palmer looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Palmer slips a jab and a cross from Tarabrin.
Heath Palmer seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Palmer throws a series of strikes that have Tarabrin backpedaling.
Danga de danga de dang - Tarabrin scores with a four punch combination!
Palmer tries to clinch but Tarabrin is having none of it.
Palmer tries to clinch up.
Palmer with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
The crowd cheers as Palmer lands an impressive looking overhand right. Tarabrin doesn't seem phased though.
Tarabrin tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Tarabrin avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Tarabrin takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Palmer tries to clinch up but Tarabrin circles away and keeps his distance.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Tarabrin takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Danga de danga de dang - Palmer scores with a four punch combination!
Palmer thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Tarabrin if he has to take too many more of those.
Tarabrin throws a lazy head kick

and Palmer moves into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tarabrin lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Tarabrin tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Tarabrin is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Palmer tries a knee to the head but Tarabrin blocks it.

Tarabrin breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Palmer closes the distance and clinches.
A frustrated look appears on Palmer's face as he tries to break the clinch.

Tarabrin's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Palmer throws a nice head kick!
A head kick by Tarabrin misses
and Palmer counters with a three punch combo that has Tarabrin backing up. Tarabrin nods at Palmer to acknowledge the strikes.
Palmer throws a half hearted mid kick.
Tarabrin tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Tarabrin tries to land a front kick but Palmer steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Palmer tries to clinch up.
Palmer is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Tarabrin misses the shot to the body.
Palmer tries to close the distance and clinch but Tarabrin swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Tarabrin keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Tarabrin throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Palmer counters with a three punch combo that has Tarabrin backing up. Tarabrin nods at Palmer to acknowledge the strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tarabrin misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Tarabrin swats away the attempt to clinch by Palmer.
Tarabrin swinging wilding here.
Palmer looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Alexander Tarabrin is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Tarabrin throws a head kick that misses.
Tarabrin throws a head kick but Palmer moves out of range.
Tarabrin walks forward, straight into a front kick from Palmer.
Nice body kick from Palmer.
Palmer tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Tarabrin paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Tarabrin throws a head kick that misses.
Palmer lands a two punch combo.
Tarabrin looks to throw a body kick
and Palmer counters with a big head kick but Tarabrin shrugs it off.
Palmer connects with a solid leg kick.
Tarabrin on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Tarabrin pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Tarabrin misses with a head kick.
Tarabrin circles away from the clinch attempt.
Tarabrin will be looking to protect his midsection after taking some solid kicks to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tarabrin throws a sloppy head kick
and Palmer counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Tarabrin is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Palmer is working the combinations to good effect here.
Palmer scores with a hook to the body. Tarabrin takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
A punch combination from Tarabrin misses.
Tarabrin falls off balance throwing a combination
and Palmer counters with a nice kick to the body.
Tarabrin throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Palmer.
Tarabrin takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
The fight stays on the outside here - Palmer looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Tarabrin throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Palmer moves into the clinch.
Tarabrin has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Palmer tries to circle away but Tarabrin has him pinned against the cage.
Tarabrin tries a knee to the head but Palmer blocks it.
Tarabrin swings wildly with an uppercut but Palmer uses good head movement to avoid it.
Palmer blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Tarabrin looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Palmer is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Tarabrin fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Tarabrin looking to throw knees to the head but Palmer is blocking nicely.

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.
Palmer leaning his opponent against the cage.
Palmer blocks an elbow strike from Tarabrin.
Palmer misses with a body punch.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Palmer is trying to break the clinch but Tarabrin is controlling him.
Tarabrin tries to pull guard but Palmer holds him up against the cage and eventually Tarabrin drops back down to his feet.
Palmer blocks an elbow strike.

Palmer escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Tarabrin throws a head kick that misses
and Palmer counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Tarabrin throws a head kick that misses

and Palmer counters by clinching up.
Tarabrin is trying to break the clinch but Palmer has him pressed against the cage.
Palmer lands a shot to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Heath Palmer showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Tarabrin takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Tarabrin swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Palmer is looking to clinch.
A head kick by Tarabrin misses
and Palmer counters with a low kick, right behind Tarabrin 's knee.
Palmer lands a right hook to the body.

Palmer rushes Tarabrin and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Tarabrin as Palmer tries to tie him up.
Palmer blocks an elbow strike from Tarabrin.
Palmer has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Tarabrin creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Palmer blocks the elbow strike.
Palmer lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Tarabrin misses with a punch on the inside.
Tarabrin throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Palmers head.
Tarabrin can't break the clinch.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Tarabrin working hard to break the clinch.
Palmer unloads a knee to the mid-section.
A frustrated look appears on Tarabrin's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Tarabrin doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Palmer keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Tarabrin's efforts to push away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Tarabrin.
Palmer is looking to control Tarabrin's arms but Tarabrin gets an underhook and turns him. Now Palmer has his back to the cage.
Tarabrin tries a knee to the head but Palmer blocks it.
Tarabrin prevents Palmer from breaking the clinch.
Tarabrin jumps guard but Palmer stands there with Tarabrin around his waist. Tarabrin gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Tarabrin is trying to break the clinch but Palmer has him pressed against the cage.
A right hand to the body from Palmer.
Palmer works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Palmer utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Palmer using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.

Palmer breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Palmer moves in looking to clinch but Tarabrin pushes him off.
Palmer throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Tarabrin.
An inside leg kick lands from Palmer.
Nice sprawl there from Palmer as Tarabrin shoots in.
Palmer is looking to clinch but Tarabrin is avoiding it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Palmer lands with a straight right. Tarabrin didn't see that one coming.
Palmer tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Tarabrin paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Palmer throws a right and a left that both miss.
Tarabrin swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Palmer counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Palmer.
Palmer wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Tarabrin has him pressed against the cage.
Tarabrin throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Tarabrin has had enough of the clinch but Palmer keeps him there for the moment.
Tarabrin jumps guard but Palmer stands there with Tarabrin around his waist. Tarabrin gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Alexander Tarabrin. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Palmer's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Donk. Palmer catches Tarabrin right on the button with a cross.
Palmer blocks a head kick by Tarabrin.
Palmer lands a jab-cross combination.
Tarabrin circles away from the clinch attempt.
Tarabrin moves in looking to clinch but Palmer pushes him off.
Nice body kick there by Palmer.
Palmer keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Tarabrin.
Tarabrin takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Palmer wants to clinch up but Tarabrin keeps it at a distance.
Tarabrin throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Palmer dodges the punch combination from Tarabrin.
Palmer clobbers Tarabrin with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.

Tarabrin bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Tarabrin working the ground and pound.
Tarabrin lands a decent elbow from side control.
Palmer is trying to get back to his feet.
Palmer is working to avoid the ground and pound but Tarabrin connects with a decent elbow.
Palmer takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.

Tarabrin decides to stand up, so the ref orders Palmer to his feet.
A head kick misses from Tarabrin.
Tarabrin throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
The fight stays on the outside here - Palmer looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Tarabrin throws a lazy head kick
and Palmer counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Palmer wants to clinch.
Palmer changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Palmer swinging wilding here.
Palmer slaps away a takedown attempt from Tarabrin, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Palmer is looking to clinch.
Tarabrin throws a sloppy head kick
and Palmer counters with a one-two to the body.
Palmer lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Tarabrin at a distance.
Tarabrin throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Tarabrin circles away from the clinch attempt.
Tarabrin swats away the attempt to clinch by Palmer.
Tarabrin misses with a head kick.
Palmer lands a right hook to the body.
Alexander Tarabrin has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Heath Palmer is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Tarabrin keeps the fight on the outside.
Palmer tries to clinch but Tarabrin is having none of it.

And that's the end of the fight!
Heath Palmer comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Palmer winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 26:30
Judge Sergei Dronov scores the fight 26:30
Judge Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Heath Palmer!