PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Cody Klein (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Wanderlei Vukovic (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Klein
vs
Vukovic

189 cm
23
204 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

187 cm
21
202 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Prefers standup

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Cody Klein!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Wanderlei Vukovic!
The judges for this bout are Jorge Garcia, Columbo Gatti and Alyssa Summers.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Klein throws a head kick that lands with a deafening thwack! The crowd roars as Vukovic stumbles backwards and falls to the mat. Klein follows into mount!

It looks like Wanderlei Vukovic has been cut.
Klein can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Vukovic is looking to escape.
Klein lands a big elbow.

Vukovic is rocked!

Klein working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Klein looking to ground and pound but Vukovic is blocking nicely.
Klein misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Klein unloads with some shots from mount but Vukovic bucks and avoids them well.
Vukovic tries to lock up and control but Klein gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Klein tries to control but Vukovic wriggling away.
Klein lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Vukovic hang on?
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Vukovic is in all sorts of trouble here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Klein is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Vukovic is surviving well by controlling Klein's body position as best he can.
A nice elbow there by Klein.
Klein trying to control but Vukovic is having none of it.
Vukovic keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Klein thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.

Klein working for a guillotine from mount but Vukovic is in no mood to give up.
Klein throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Klein lands a big shot there that rocks Vukovic but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.

Klein is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Vukovic has managed to escape the submission attempt.
Vukovic blocking the ground and pound.
Klein controlling his opponent.
Klein prevents Vukovic from getting the reversal.
Vukovic wants to hold on but Klein pushes him away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vukovic is wriggling around trying to escape.
Vukovic looks gassed!

Klein is working for a guillotine from mount but Vukovic frees his head quite easily.
Klein avoids the attempt from Vukovic to control.
Vukovic is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Vukovic working to try and regain half guard.
Klein avoids the attempt from Vukovic to control.

Klein has control of Vukovic's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Vukovic regains control of the situation pretty easily.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Klein working the ground and pound effectively.
Vukovic is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Klein lands a big elbow.

Klein looking for a guillotine from mount but Vukovic is having none of it.
Klein scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Vukovic?
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Cody Klein dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Wanderlei Vukovic's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Vukovic blocks the body kick.
Vukovic lands a jab to the nose.
Wanderlei Vukovic seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Klein clinches.
Klein can't get the takedown.
Vukovic is pressed up against the cage. Klein has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Vukovic down to the mat. Vukovic avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Vukovic throws a one two combo.
Vukovic slaps away a takedown attempt from Klein, before circling back to the center of the mat.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Cody Klein. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Vukovic plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Vukovic scoring well with a low kick there.
Klein is looking to clinch but Vukovic is avoiding it.
Vukovic throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Vukovic throws a head kick but Klein moves out of range.
Vukovic throws a head kick that misses
and Klein connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Vukovic with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Klein to score with a decent uppercut.
Vukovic throws a sloppy head kick and Klein moves out of range easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Klein lands a high kick!
A combination from Klein does no damage.
Vukovic throws a nice head kick!

Klein feints and as Vukovic raises his hands in defense, Klein changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Klein in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Vukovic is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Klein is controlling him.
Klein postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Klein wants to control from the top but Vukovic keeps moving.
Klein passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Vukovic manages to work his way to half guard, despite Klein's best efforts.
Klein has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Klein passes to side control.
Klein trying to control the position but Vukovic is working away.
Klein is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Vukovic is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Vukovic dodges the ground and pound from Klein.
Vukovic is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Klein has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Vukovic tries to improve position but can't.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vukovic is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Klein cracks Vukovic with a big elbow.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Klein closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Vukovic taking some punishment here, with Klein in his half guard.
Vukovic is trying to get back to full guard.
Klein trying to mount his opponent but Vukovic defends it.

Klein 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.
Vukovic is pressing down on Klein's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Vukovic looking to control.
Klein wants to control from the top but Vukovic keeps moving.

Klein drops back looking for a leg! Vukovic is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Vukovic manages to kick Klein off! Klein jumps back into Vukovic's guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Vukovic connects with a high kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Wanderlei Vukovic will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Wanderlei Vukovic's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Vukovic throws a head kick that misses.
Vukovic throws a shot from downtown. Klein moves away and avoids it.
Vukovic is looking to land body kicks.
Vukovic throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Klein doesn't manage to clinch there - Vukovic circles away.
Klein pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Klein throws a sloppy head kick
and Vukovic counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Vukovic will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Cody Klein is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Klein fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Klein throws a head kick but Vukovic moves out of range.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Klein wants to clinch.
Vukovic misses with a head kick.
Klein tries to clinch there but Vukovic circles away.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Klein fails to land with a series of punches.

Klein gets a clinch.
Vukovic wants to break free but Klein has control.
Klein tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Vukovic just stands there and leans against the cage.
Klein is trying to break the clinch but Vukovic has him pressed against the cage.
Klein drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

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

Klein looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Vukovic working a defensive guard here.

Klein 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.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Klein postures up.
Vukovic has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Klein has passed into side control.
Vukovic is looking to regain half guard here but Klein keeps moving and retains side control.
Klein wants to lay and pray for a moment but Vukovic keeps working.
Vukovic is trying to control Klein's posture but Klein avoids it.

Klein is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Vukovic has escaped the position, nice work there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Klein throws a strike aimed at the side of Vukovic's head but Vukovic avoids it well.
Vukovic tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Klein wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Klein landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Vukovic tries to improve position but can't.

Klein wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Vukovic, who protects the arm well.
Vukovic is looking for a sweep.
Klein working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Klein working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Klein misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
You can see the frustration on Vukovic's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

Klein looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Klein tries to move to mount but Vukovic blocks the move with his legs.

Klein looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Vukovic tries to get back to half guard but can't.

And that's the end of the fight!
Cody Klein showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Klein has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Jorge Garcia scores the fight 30:26
Judge Columbo Gatti scores the fight 29:27
Judge Alyssa Summers scores the fight 29:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Cody Klein!